Matthew Appleton – The Influence of Birth Trauma on the Physical and Emotional Well-being of the Baby

In Episode 49 of The Craniosacral Podcast, Matthew Appleton of Conscious Embodiment Trainings discussed some key factors to consider when trying to understand the emotional needs of babies. The following article summarizes some of the matters Matthew brought to our attention in that interview.

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An Interview with Ken DiPersio – Full-Spectrum Craniosacral

Today’s post is a transcription of Episode 35 of The Craniosacral Podcast. Ken DiPersio began his craniosacral studies with John Upledger, taught for his institute for a bit, and eventually went on to study biodynamics with Michael Shea. In the interview he talks about some things he learned from Dr. John and Michael, and shares some insights into how he currently views and teaches the work. I received a good deal of positive feedback about this interview, so I thought it would be a good one to put into print for those of you who might like to have it in a readable form. Special thanks to Sarah Tivoli for doing this transcription.

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An Interview with Mike Boxhall

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!

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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.

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Guest Author – Andrew Stones – “Osteopathic Adventures” pt. 1

Boy, have I got a treat for you!

Last month on The Craniosacral Podcast I featured an interview with a really dynamic British practitioner by the name of Andrew Stones. In order that I might better understand his background, Andrew sent me a sample of some of his writing that recounted some key periods in his development as an Osteopath and Craniosacral Therapist. I posted a portion of this writing in the show notes for the podcast, but upon reading the document in its entirety I really felt like my listeners and blog followers would enjoy reading the whole thing. Andrew has graciously given me permission to post it here. Get ready to hear things about cranial work you have never heard before! I will spread it out over two posts. Enjoy –

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Q&A – Moving from Upledger to Biodynamics, Verbal Interactions

Hello Everyone! Well, I’m in full-swing with The Craniosacral Podcast now, and it has been a lot of fun so far. Producing a podcast does require a good amount of time, however, and I find myself in the process of learning how to better alot my time in order to maintain consistency with the multiple craniosacral-related projects I have given birth to. With that in mind I am going to “borrow” from the podcast for today’s blog offering by posting a transcription of a portion of the latest episode. In this episode I answer two questions from podcast listeners. One is about transitioning from the Upledger approach into biodynamics, and the other is about verbally interacting with the client.

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Stepping Into the Biodynamic Fluid Body

This is a spontaneous talk I recorded in 2014 while sitting inside the Palo Duro Canyon, the second largest canyon in the United States. I did it while on a mini vacation, at the end of a day of hiking. I discuss some fundamental aspects of the fluid body, and walk you through a quick exercise to build a felt sense of it. I recently found it on my hard drive and thought it might be helpful for some of you. For those of you who prefer to read, I have included a transcription. But listening to it is so much better!

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Religion and Spirituality in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy

I would like to express my thanks to the practitioners of craniosacral therapy across the globe who have sent me positive and encouraging emails asking for more posts during my recent hiatus. It continues to amaze me that the internet connects so many wonderful like-minded individuals. Experts on the subject of blogging say the number one rule to effectiveness with this medium is to be consistent … well it looks like I’ve blown that one! I have been putting a lot of energy into building my clinical practice over the last six months, and it has really payed off with an increased understanding of what it takes to make a living as a craniosacral therapist. I’ve also put time and energy into building strong relationships with my children and spiritual community, and I have been greatly enriched by these efforts. Teaching remains an ongoing endeavor. During my absence from blogging I have been taking a closer look at what it really means to be a craniosacral practitioner in the modern world, and I am excited about sharing some of those thoughts as I get back into online writing. Let’s start with this:

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Equine Craniosacral Therapy – a Conversation with Shea Stewart and Ryan Hallford

Almost two years ago, Shea Stewart (www.stewartranch.net) formally introduced me to the world of equine craniosacral therapy. I posted my initial impressions here. As many of you know, Shea and I have recently been working together to construct an equine craniosacral curriculum that builds on the existing model by adding new insights emerging from the human biodynamic paradigm. So far the feedback has been very positive from class attendees. The following is a transcription of an informal conversation between Shea and I about working with horses and the growing value we see in the biodynamic approach.

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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