Craniosacral work uses gentle, soft touch to contact deeper structures within the body, improves the movement of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and relieves soma from pain. Craniosacral work is part of Osteopathy and was founded in U.S by Dr. W. G. Sutherland in the beginning of 1900’s.
The CSF is generated within the brain and is the liquid that among other things nourishes and protects the central nervous system. Andrew Taylor Still, the father of Osteopathy stated that, "the CSF is the most important known substance in the human body." It has been observed that the CSF is moving like waves of the sea, with rhythm and tides and each movement brings different level of consciousness while affecting the bones, tissues and fluids. The therapist connects with the essence of consciousness, which is in the CSF and holds space for changes to occur.
William Sutherland was the first to notice a movement that occurs throughout our body and named it, the Primary Respiration:
The movement is the basic life force in operation. It is a manifestation of life in motion -an outward sign of the fundamental self-regulating, self-healing mechanisms in the body.
This Life Force, in many traditions around the world, is recognized and named as God, Mind of Nature, Prime Breath or Breath of Life, just as described in the Book of Genesis,
"Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
The therapist uses presence, stillness and sensitivity to connect to the patient. By deep listening and touching, the therapist observes how and what moves, what is not moving, where is the trauma. The patient soma slows down, unwinds and makes the necessary adjustments to heal.
Craniosacral work facilitates the individual to calm, to reconnect with the sacred space within, and through that space to activate the deepest self-healing mechanisms.
