During craniosacral treatment, one lays on their back, pillowed at the knees, under a blanket, dressed in comfortable clothing, resting in a room that has a serene energy set. The practitioner applies hand positions that are simple and non-invasive with the intention of communicating and listening to the body. This modality attends to skull bones, brain and spinal cord (Central Nervous System). During treatment a person is supported in sensing states of stillness, expansion and contraction through all the tissues and structures of the body, which often manifest as a surge or tide-like movement of fluids and an “electric-like charge” known as potency. This modality encourages calming of the fight or flight response of the Sympathetic Nervous System, which assists to enhance the health of the Parasympathetic Nervous System, “rest and digest”. The PNS monitors our internal organ function, so that we don’t have to consciously tell our heart to beat, or our lungs to breathe, etc.

Kelly Gerhart RMT, www.courtenaymassagetherapy.com