What can I expect at my first appointment?
The first session begins with a complete client history. One of the foundational principles of Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy is that no issue happens by itself. A sore neck might have been aggravated moving a couch last week but it might also be related to whiplash in a car accident 20 years ago.
To put it another way, our bodies are always holding our history.
And how are they holding that history? The way we relate to the stresses of life is learned very early. To give an example, if we had a parent with unpredictable anger, when we were very young and did not have defenses against that anger, we might have internalized it or dissociated from our bodies to escape it. This impacts how our systems function our entire life.
After taking the history, the client moves to the table, lies face up, is made comfortable and secure, and then after some quiet settling together, the practitioner begins listening to the client’s system by holding the client’s feet and attuning to deep corporeal rhythms such as the craniosacral fluid pulse.
The brain and spinal cord are bathed in craniosacral fluid and this fluid is minutely sensitive to all the body experiences. It shows where the body is feeling distress – compression, stuck energy, hypervigilant energy or other types of dis-ease. When the body is ready, the practitioner moves to the stressed area and makes gentle and spacious contact.
As our minds relax when they have a gentle space to share what is bothering them, the same holds for the body.
How long do sessions last?
For adults, sessions last approximately 90 minutes. For infants and toddlers, two hours is scheduled, as sometimes it can take toddlers a while to settle! Two hours are scheduled for all first sessions as well, to leave ample time to gather history and answer questions.
What can I expect after my session?
You may feel peaceful and perhaps a bit tired. Please don’t schedule vigorous exercise or an apartment move for right after – it’s best to give the system space to integrate and relax. There is a saying in BCT that the real healing happens in between sessions – working though our trauma and the way we hold that trauma gives the system space to be rebuilt around health and ease. Becoming a student of our own healing, reinforces and strengthens that healing.
Deep true healing is when we begin to relate to our body not as a tool, a machine to complete tasks and achieve success, but as a place of warmth and ease in which to appreciate our blessings.
Can BCT help if I just feel off?
Absolutely. Seventeen years as a Zen student and monk and years of training with healers has attuned me to the fact that beyond the physical or emotional levels, there is another deeper level that can hold injury. When we are in contact and in tune with the light of our deep core we have the resources and energy to meet the challenges of this world. But too often our society’s manic pace and technological hyperstimulation detach us from our light and we feel adrift and anxious. Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy is a wonderful way of connecting with our light. It is actually this light that does the healing work.
More questions?
Here are some wonderful FAQ responses from the Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy Association of North America.