Craniosacral Biodynamics
A Brief History
At the beginning of the 20th century a young osteopath, Dr. W.G. Sutherland discovered that the human cranial bones were moved by some kind of respiratory motion of the body. He felt very intrigued and subsequently devoted the rest of his life to research and studies of the Craniosacral System and developed the Cranial Concept. In his studies he discovered, that all cells of the body needed to express a rhythmic "breathing" in order to maintain health. He then found that he could palpate these subtle movements with his hands. Since muscles do not produce this motion, Dr. Sutherland then concluded that it is produced by the body's inherent life force. Thus he called it the "Breath of Life".
The 'Breath of Life'
The Breath of Life is the inherent ordering principle of life. It is the healing wisdom at the core of our being. It organizes forces, which help to keep the functions of our cells, tissues and skeletal system as a whole. The Breath of Life expresses itself through a powerful 'potency' or force, which is transmitted through the body by the cerebrospinal fluid. The fluid generates a tide like motion which can be felt anywhere on the body. Potency carries a basic 'Intelligence', which helps the body to maintain health and balance. The presence of a full and balanced rhythm produced by the Breath of Life signifies a healthy system. As long as potency is distributed evenly, a healthy body is assured.
Primary Respiration
Dr. Sutherland named this system, which expresses a subtle rhythmic motion, the 'Primary Respiration' (PR). It underlies all other motions of the body, such as the heartbeat and the lung respiratory breathing. Every cell in the body expresses the PR motion. Many different symptoms are related to disturbances of the PR. If the expression of the PR becomes congested or restricted, the body's basic ordering principle is impeded and health is compromised.
Craniosacral Biodynamics
The main intention of Craniosacral Biodynamics is to encourage the expression of a healthy flowing PR. During our life we develop certain body patterns and conditions according to how we encompass stress and traumas. Through stress and trauma, biodynamic forces (health) get trapped in our body as sites of inertia. These sites disturb the natural, healthy flow of the Breath of Life and will express themselves as symptoms of pain, tension, fatigue or disease. The aim of Craniosacral Biodynamics is to help resolve these sites of inertia and fragmentation in both body and mind. With subtle palpatory skills, sites of inertia can be recognized and helped to resolve by following the natural healing capability of the bodies physiology.