Craniosacral therapy for anxiety and depression

Craniosacral therapy is remarkably effective for alleviating anxiety and depression. Whilst the therapy works on many levels, the main mechanism for relief is in the regulation of the nervous system.  Often depression and anxiety stem from imbalances in the nervous system that have been caused by emotional and/or physical shock and trauma. This could be due to any number of issues sometimes stemming right back to trauma in utero or during birth, as well as childhood accidents, head injuries, surgeries, dental & orthodontic work, falling off a horse or bicycle, car accidents and sporting injuries, for example.  It can also be due to stressful or traumatic events, long term stressful relationships and environments, witnessing or experiencing violent attacks or abuse.  A period of life when you felt vulnerable, neglected, or unsafe could still be "running" in your nervous system, even if it has little to do with your current circumstances or environment.  The nervous system needs to be "reset" to adapt to your current reality.

When traumatic events unfold, we tend to have one of three responses: fight, flight, or freeze.  Sometimes when we go into one of these modes we aren't able to fully resolve, or complete the actions that we are instinctively programmed for, such as running or fighting, in a way that enables us to move on, recover and deal with the next source of stress.  By suppressing our natural responses to stress our nervous systems can become "stuck" in one or more of these modes, leading us to feel "frozen": tired, depressed unmotivated, etc, or alternatively leaving us in a state of perpetual nervous system "activation", releasing lots of adrenalin, cortisol and other stress hormones leading to frequent anxiety and panic attacks, even in situations where there is no real danger.  Sometimes we bounce between the two states, feeling  sometimes exhausted and apathetic and other times hyper-vigilant and anxious, but rarely at peace and fully present and embodied. 

This means that our reactions to new situations are overlaid on top of the initial traumas, adding more layers of trapped or stored stress in our brains and bodies.  When trauma goes unresolved it leaves patterns in our nervous systems, which are easily re-triggered, sometimes by the most seemingly harmless situations.  Not understanding why we react or feel this way can lead to further anxiety and depression, and the feeling that life is difficult, unpleasant, or somehow just not as it should be.

Craniosacral therapy is a gentle yet highly effective method of releasing tensions and restrictions in the muscles, joints and membranes of the body, allowing optimal movement of fluids and regulation of the nervous system and hormones (including health and happiness promoting hormones such a serotonin, melatonin, oxytocin and endorphins) to achieve physical and emotional balance. Craniosacral therapy also promotes sleep and deep relaxation so that your body can heal itself.   In this way we can "reboot" our nervous systems by assisting the body to release these memories of trauma that are stored in the muscles, bones, nerves, and other cells, creating greater harmony between our inner and outer environments.

Craniosacral therapy to optimise fertility for men and women trying to conceive

Craniosacral therapy can help both men and women to optimise their health and vitality before preparing to conceive by assisting with any physical and/or emotional blockages/imbalances that may lead to difficulty in conceiving. There are three main ways that craniosacral therapy can boost fertility:

• Promote the healing of any injuries or weaknesses in the spine, especially the lower back and sacrum, which may be impeding or constricting the flow of blood or nerve supply to the male and female reproductive organs, including the production of sperm and the release of eggs.
• Help to reduce the effects of stress and anxiety on the body by encouraging deep relaxation, and the detoxing of adrenalin, cortisol and other stress hormones which may have accumulated in the cells over the years. When the body is predominantly functioning through fight-or-flight reflexes (governed by the sympathetic nervous system) resources are diverted away from digestive and reproductive functions (the parasympathetic nervous system for “feeding and breeding”). Therefore to optimise fertility the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems must be well-balanced and minimising stress is of vital importance.
• Encouraging the re-alignment of bones in the skull that may be compressing one or more of the hormone-producing glands within the brain such as the pituitary and hypothalamus, which control the production and release of key reproductive hormones such as luteinising hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. Head injuries including concussion and whiplash from car accidents, horseback riding accidents, sports injuries and even minor bumps to the head can cause a subtle mis-alignment within the skull, especially of a bone called the sphenoid which sits behind the eyes and can impinge the flow of blood, nerves and cerebral spinal fluid to areas of the brain.

Craniosacral therapy is a very gentle, light-touch therapy which is performed while the client is fully-clothed and laying down. It works primarily through regulating the nervous system, encouraging balanced awareness of your internal and external environments, and promoting re-alignment of bones and tissues from within. It is very relaxing, promoting deep healing on many levels.