Yes, yes, I know. It has been a while since I have made a post to this blog. My podcast project www.craniosacralpodcast.com has taken on a life of its own, with thousands of downloads per month, so it has indeed been getting the majority of my attention for the last few months. But an opportunity to add content to the blog just came across my desk, so I thought I would post it for those of you who enjoy the dying art of reading written content. Personally, I love to read, but the younger generation has its own ideas …
In Episode 32 of the podcast I interviewed Mike Boxhall, a CST teacher from the UK. Mike has over 40 years of clinical and teaching experience in craniosacral therapy and other healing arts. He commissioned a transcript of our interview for submission to a publisher and recently sent me a lightly edited copy. I’ll include it today for your reference. Mike really is a treasure for our profession, and there are many nuggets of wisdom in this transcript. I hope you find it useful!
Tag Archives: craniosacral therapy training
Guest Author Brian Tierney – Vitalism and Mechanism; Linguistic Biodynamics
My most recent guest on Episode 20 of The Craniosacral Podcast was Brian Tierney. In the interview Brian shared with us about his journey through the healing arts and influences in the field of craniosacral therapy. He is currently completing doctorate work in psychology and teaches for Body Intelligence. Here are two short writing samples from Brian relating to craniosacral therapy:
Pitfalls on the Craniosacral Path
Today’s blog post will be a transcript from Episode 17 of The Craniosacral Podcast.
In this episode I answer a listener question about pitfalls to look out for on the professional path of craniosacral therapy. I elaborate on three of the larger challenges I have noticed: zealotry, disillusionment, and stagnation.
Gifts of Nature
The practice of craniosacral therapy is largely about understanding and coming into correct relationship with the natural spatial organization of the body as it is expressed through deep biological movement. In order to understand the deeper movements of natural embodiment we need to spend time directly in nature, experiencing the varying wavelengths of her frequencies and the textures of her many material enfoldments.
My post for today is a spontaneous spoken word commentary about the gifts nature offers the therapist as an antidote to the often insidious effects of technology and culture on the soul and body of the individual. I also speak to the conundrum faced by the therapist whom, when dealing with Primary Respiration, is subject to a treatment plan that might not easily fit into the constructs of ego. It was recorded in nature and runs about 45 minutes.
Because of the lengthy nature of the mp3 file, it has been archived for you to play or download here:
www.cranioschool.com/audio
Experiences of Stillness in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy: Cultivated or Conferred ?
Well, this is surely my most self-indulgent post to date. Please bear with me, as I hope that relating my own experiences will effectively illustrate an important point about stillness …
As a child, I was fortunate to grow up near a stretch of unspoiled wilderness that bordered the suburb where my family lived. I could walk out of my back door directly into nature and pass through native grasslands and old growth forests, encountering few signs of civilization as I made my way to the Trinity River, the most substantial waterway in north Texas. I spent many afternoons there after school, either by myself or with friends. On weekends and summer break I often enjoyed entire days exploring in the woods. Some of my earliest and most powerful encounters with natural stillness occurred in that stretch of wilderness. It was there that I first discovered the value of sitting still.
An Interview with Michael Shea
I really enjoy spending time with Michael Shea. As one of the more prolific authors in the field of craniosacral therapy, he currently treks around the globe teaching cutting edge advanced classes. Michael recently sat down with me for a Skype interview where we discussed a wide variety of topics including his early introduction to biodynamic craniosacral therapy, favorite spiritual books, new paradigms in the work, and much more. I hope you enjoy our interaction. Michael has agreed to do more interviews, so I’ll keep them coming!
Shifting with The Tide: Some Thoughts on the Art of Yielding
One of the most difficult things for me to grasp when I began exploring biodynamics was the instruction to “allow your awareness to be shifted by the tide.” I ran into this challenge conceptually in my study of Dr. Jealous’ work and experientially as I deepened into my studies with Michael Shea. The process of yielding one’s awareness really has to be experienced to be understood. Talking about it can point the learner in a general direction, but ultimately it is practice in the chair that makes this beautiful experience come to life.
Runnin’ Down a Dream: Evolution of a Craniosacral Practice
I have been blessed with a busy clinical schedule recently, and have spent a good amount of time in the classroom as well. After a three week stretch of unusually long days in the clinic, I sat down to make a few observations about how my clinical approach has evolved over the years as I learned to practice more biodynamically. I thought it may be useful for newer practitioners.
Olaf Korpiun Class Review – “No Growth Without Resistance”
I recently returned from Olaf Korpiun’s first American presentation of his SELF Waves approach to craniosacral therapy. What follows are some of the major impressions I took from the class, some of which are a little surprising considering my previous post.