Celebrating 10 years of Craniosacral Practice
This month marks 10 years since I first took a craniosacral therapy (CST) course. CST has genuinely changed my life. The night I first felt the craniosacral rhythm, I couldn’t stop sensing it in my body and barely slept. After three local classes, I saw there was a whole world of learning ahead.
A year later, I started training with the Upledger Institute (UII), a bigger international school with many teachers and a clear program. In Fall 2018, after 2.5 years of training, I earned my first UII certification.
Today, I’m still passionate about CST. I’ve taken 10 Upledger classes, helped teach four classes several times, and lead monthly study groups. This year, I’m running two study groups, taking four more classes, and preparing for my diplomate exams.
Though I’m a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, my work and growth now mainly focus on craniosacral therapy. Many see CST as just an add-on to massage, physical therapy, or naturopathy, but for me, it’s become the primary practice. It all starts with Upledger’s core ideas, which I’ve summarized below:
Living beings and systems naturally adapt to life's changes in ways that support survival.
Sometimes, living beings and systems face challenges they do not currently have the resources to adapt to fully.
With the resources and support needed, all living beings and systems can change and heal.
Gentle and compassionate support is a potent resource for healing.
The healing process is deeply individual and unique to each person’s body and life experience.
A person’s entire history is stored within their body, held in tissues, fluids, energy patterns, and subtle movements.
Our consciousness is complex, and our active conscious mind is only the tip of the iceberg. We know much more than we can remember at any specific moment.
We all have a part of ourselves that knows precisely what, how, and when to heal, which Dr. Upledger called our inner physician. Craniosacral therapists help people connect with this inner physician and access their own path to healing.
A craniosacral therapist can use touch, mindful words, intentional silence, and focused intention to connect with the body’s innate healing processes.
Therapists should commit to their continual learning about the intricate connections between the body, mind, spirit, and natural healing processes throughout their practice.
Using craniosacral therapy, I have healed more deeply and helped many people find relief, understand themselves better, and break old habits that once helped during stress but now cause pain and problems. I still use my Naturopathic skills, but they work better and more clearly. Instead of depending on tests or guesswork, I listen to the natural healing inside my patients and support them where they need it. I’m no longer pushing them toward health—I’m walking beside them as they show me their way.
To our health!
