What is Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy?

Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy is a holistic therapy that works in congruence with the body´s innate intelligence and self-healing capacity. The biodynamic approach is rooted in a deep appreciation of vital forces, which are present in all nature and manifest within the human system as subtle yet percievable rhythmic motions. This gentle hands-on therapy provides a respectful facilitation and safe space where you can restore and reconnect with your natural resources and inner vitality.

What happens in the session?

At the beginning of the session, there is space for a consultation and then the client is invited to lie fully clothed on a treatment table. During the treatment, I place my hands at various points of the client´s body, using a gentle non-manipulative touch. I  do not apply any force onto the system – only follow the body´s own pace and healing decisions. Thus, each session unfolds in a unique way and is always led by the intelligence within the client´s system and in congruence with the client´s needs and verbal feedback.

At times, memories, associations or emotional processes may arise for the client during the treatment. We might then work via a dialogue where the client is provided with support in exploration of these processes in a safe and resourced way.

Who is craniosacral therapy intended for?

Anyone may benefit from this form of therapy. Clients may seek craniosacral therapy to address a variety of physical or psycho-emotional health issues or with a wish to deepen in their personal process. Biodynamic craniosacral therapy is also known to be effective for a safe work with trauma, residues of accidents and surgeries, pre-, peri- and post-natal issues. This gentle therapy is suitable for all ages, from newborn to elderly.

The clients often experience a sense of fluidity and wholeness and a shift towards a greater ease and balance within their body-mind. For some clients the treatments may resemble a meditative practice as they experience deep states of stillness and peace.

History and the nature of the work

In the 1930s an American osteopath Dr. Sutherland recognized and described rhythmic, tide-like motions, which permeate the human system and manifest in the body´s tissues, fluids and indeed in each cell. Sutherland perceived this phenomenon as a life force and called it the “Breath of Life”. This vital life force is in craniosacral biodyamics seen as an ordering principle, which arises from within a deep Dynamic Stillness and takes a differentiated form within the physical body. While the nature of the body-mind is inevitably conditional, the ordering and organizing forces are unconditional – providing the origins of health and vitality. During a treatment, the craniosacral therapist includes in their awareness both conditioned and unconditioned aspects of our existence. As the client´s system settles and orients to deeper stillness, the patterns of holding and tension may start shifting and get integrated and reorganised within the whole. The process may seem subtle yet allows profound and embodied change.

The craniosacral biodynamic approach has been evolving over the last decades and brought into a broader awareness by many pioneering practitioners. My clinical approach is particularly influenced by the work and teachings of Franklyn Sills, a pioneering practitioner and lecturer in the field of craniosacral biodynamics, and co-founder of the Karuna Institute where I undertook my studies.