CranioSacral Therapy and SomatoEmotional Release: Letting Go At The Nervous System Level
CranioSacral Therapy is a modality that supports releasing and resolving areas of restriction in the body. The sessions invite a perspective shift from doing something to the body to being with the body, listening and supporting its innate rebalancing capabilities.
SomatoEmotional Release is a process within CranioSacral Therapy that assists the body (soma) in releasing stored physical tension as well as emotional experiences contained in the tissue.
This article explains how CranioSacral Therapy and SomatoEmotional Release can assist in relieving and resolving both physical and mental/emotional tension and pain, activating healing at the nervous system level.
Daily Living and Stress – A Balancing Act
At some point in our day-to-day living, we will inevitably experience busy days or stressful situations which may leave us feeling tired, fragmented, and at times overwhelmed.
Over time, a non-stop, hectic pace can feel “normal,” automatic or habitual as we push ourselves past the point of healthy busy without the balance of rest and restorative practices. The nervous system responds by shifting into a state of sympathetic overdrive as it perceives we’re in an endurance-run with no finish line.
An ongoing state of overdrive can prevent optimal functioning of the body systems and can eventually affect our repair mechanisms causing pain, dysfunction, and illness.
Emotional Stress Stored in Our Body
Just as physical injuries can develop mechanical restrictions (i.e., pain and impaired strength/range of motion), chronic anxiety and stresscan take residence in our body and limit our capacity for feeling our best and feeling at ease. This can sometimes be felt as an under-the-surface weightiness of grief, longing, or a sense of something pulling us from ourselves and our capacity to be fully present with others.
CranioSacral Therapy: The Gentle Return to Vitality and Balance
CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on healing modality of evaluating and treating areas of restriction throughout the body. CST assists your body’s natural ability to self-correct physical and mental/emotional stress and holding patterns.
CST can enhance and optimize the functioning of the physiological body system called the craniosacral system which is comprised of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround, nourishes, and protects the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system). Because this system houses the central nervous system, its health is paramount to how we feel and function.
CST’s calming skillful touch invites a deeper awareness of specific areas of restriction and their root causes. In this state of relaxation, the nervous system can more easily shift from a sympathetic-dominant state of analytical thinking, worry, (fight/flight/freeze/fawn) into the parasympathetic state of rest, digest, and restore. This downshift into relaxed awareness is where self-healing can take place most effectively.
During the session, clients can feel deeply relaxed and may drift into sleep. You might also notice the body physically releasing and realigning itself. Some pleasant sensations experienced can include gentle pulsing, tingling, warmth, expansive exhales, or a sense of clarity, spaciousness and freedom. At times, emotions may also surface and dissolve.
SomatoEmotional Release (SER) - a deeper CST experience.
Sometimes, the body's innate intelligence will contain and store the residual energy of an emotionally traumatic experience that was unable to fully process at the time it occurred. This stored memory can become a quiet root cause of chronic pain, discomfort, or emotional holding.
During an SER, the practitioner uses gentle hands-on therapeutic presence and at times may initiate dialogue to assist tissue unwinding, allowing the experience that was stored to complete. The unwinding is often felt as emotional release, a physical freeing or regained spaciousness, or an inner state of peace and stillness.
SER occurs in a CST session only when your body's wisdom indicates its readiness. There are times when the body/mind isn’t ready to release at this level; honoring the body’s timing builds trust and creates a feeling of safety between client, the client’s inner wisdom, and the practitioner. My role is to listen for your body’s cues of readiness and then serve as a gentle guide to connect you to your own embodied insight.
Treating A Diverse Range of Conditions
CranioSacral Therapy can be useful in treating many conditions including the following:
pain and inflammation
chronic neck and back pain
fatigue
anxiety and depression
concussion recovery
TMJ syndrome
headaches and foggy mind
digestive discomfort
sleep disturbances
a general sense of being “off.”
Honoring Your Body’s Wisdom
Your body has incredible wisdom and a natural inclination toward balance; sometimes, it simply needs a safe place to land. Through gentle touch and sustained presence, we can invite the body to resolve the patterns that create feelings of disconnection, exhaustion, or unnecessary holding. I look forward to assisting you in experiencing the profound rebalancing that occurs when your nervous system feels heard and held.
This blog and website do not provide medical advice. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and should not be relied on to make decisions about your health. Always check with your own healthcare provider before taking a new supplement and before making any significant diet, lifestyle, exercise or other changes. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on this site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911.
