Rhythm and Touch The Fundamentals of Craniosacral Therapy

by Arnold, Anthony P.

• ISBN13: 9781556438196
• ISBN10: 1556438192
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-11-17
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books

Summary

With its low-impact, nurturing approach to working with the spine, the skull, the diaphragm, and the fascia to release pain in the body, Craniosacral Therapy has become an increasingly popular healing method.Rhythm and Touchexplains in detail how it works. Divided into two parts, the book follows a simple, step-by-step instructional model. Part one guides the practitioner in discovering the craniosacral rhythm and learning how to interpret and respond to its cues. Following the line of the spine from pelvis to neck and head, this section develops a protocol for a basic session. It details how to touch the body and support the inner healing process. Part two offers a thorough review of the brain's protective and nourishing environment, the cranium. It introduces new means of assessing and easing restriction in the relationship of cranial bones. Moving outward from the cranium, this section describes the bones of the mouth and face, their interrelationship and motions, and how to assess and release the results of injury. The final chapter offers reflections and recommendations for using this vast array of knowledge effectively.

Author Biography

Anthony Arnold, PhD, has forty years of experience as a therapist, including twenty years as a body/holistic therapist and fifteen years teaching Craniosacral Therapy. He founded the Rhythm and Touch Association to explore the mind, body, and spirit interactions through the study of Shiatsu, Craniosacral Therapy, and massage. He lives near Santa Fe, NM.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. xi
Preface	p. xv
Introduction	p. xvii
The Fundamentals of Craniosacral Therapy	p. 1
The Basic Skills for Craniosacral Practice	p. 3
Perceiving the Craniosacral Rhythm	p. 6
The Heart	p. 7
The Breath	p. 8
The Craniosacral Rhythm: Awareness	p. 10
The Craniosacral Rhythm: Palpation	p. 12
Listening Stations	p. 15
Assessment, Awareness	p. 29
Understanding the Organism as a Whole	p. 32
Releasing the Body	p. 35
Therapeutic Release	p. 35
Indications of the Release Process	p. 37
Responding to a Release	p. 39
Why Start with the Body?	p. 40
The Diaphragms	p. 41
The Cranial Releases	p. 69
Anatomical Survey	p. 70
The Pattern of Release	p. 72
The Quality of Touch: The Question of Pressure	p. 73
Self-palpation	p. 74
The Cranial Releases	p. 80
The Frontal Bone	p. 80
The Upper Sides of the Skull: The Parietal Bones	p. 82
The Floor of the Vault: The Sphenoid	p. 84
The Lower Sides of the Skull: The Temporal Bones	p. 88
The Lower Jaw: The Mandible	p. 94
The Occiput: The CV-4 and the Still Point	p. 97
Completion	p. 101
Beyond the Technique: Integration, Assessment	p. 103
Integration	p. 104
Assessment	p. 104
Combining Assessment and Treatment	p. 106
Responding to Symptoms	p. 108
The Context of Healing	p. 109
Flexibility	p. 109
Taking Care of the Therapist	p. 110
Aftercare	p. 111
Emotional Release	p. 112
Memories	p. 113
Physical, Mental, Emotional, or Spiritual?	p. 114
Healing Energy and Sexual Energy	p. 114
Case Examples	p. 116
Specialized Assessment in Craniosacral Therapy	p. 121
The Art of Touch	p. 123
Touch and Awareness	p. 124
Release	p. 128
Unwinding	p. 129
The Process of Assessment	p. 133
The Client's Goal	p. 134
Beginning the Session	p. 134
The Value of Therapeutic Experience	p. 135
Modalities of Observation	p. 135
Working with Symptoms	p. 138
Gentle Movement	p. 139
Assessment as Dialog	p. 140
Evaluating the Craniosacral Rhythm	p. 140
Working with the Dural Tube and the Spinal Column	p. 143
Using These Assessment Procedures in a Session	p. 147
The Cranial Vault	p. 149
A Special Environment	p. 149
A Detailed Look at the Cranial Vault	p. 150
The Cranial Rhythm	p. 154
The Bones of the Cranial Vault	p. 154
The Frontal Bone	p. 156
The Ethmoid	p. 158
The Parietal Bones	p. 159
The Temporal Bones	p. 160
The Occiput	p. 162
The Sphenoid	p. 163
The Motions of Sphenoid and Occiput	p. 166
Releasing the Cranial Base	p. 167
Fundamental Concepts: Dysfunction and Direction of Ease	p. 170
The Importance of the Cranial Base	p. 171
The Rhythmic Motion: Flexion and Extension	p. 172
Release in the Direction of Ease: The Indirect Method	p. 174
Compensatory Dysfunctions of the Cranial Base	p. 175
Intracranial Dysfunctions: Strain and Compression	p. 182
Completion and Follow-up	p. 189
Releasing the Bones of the Mouth and the Face	p. 191
The Mouth, Face, and Jaw	p. 193
The Bones and Their Natural Rhythmic Motions	p. 195
Self-palpation	p. 198
Personal Areas	p. 201
Initial Client Palpation	p. 201
The Maxillas	p. 203
The Vomer	p. 209
The Palatine Bones	p. 214
The Zygomatic Bones	p. 215
The Teeth	p. 218
The Nasal Bones	p. 218
The Ethmoid Bone and the Inner Orbit of the Eye	p. 219
Working Outside the Mouth	p. 220
Rebalancing	p. 220
Integrating and Using Craniosacral Therapy	p. 223
The Learning Process	p. 223
Keep Open to Keep Learning	p. 224
What I Look for During a Session	p. 225
The Significance of Patterns	p. 225
Words and Intention	p. 226
The Sacrum, the Pelvis, and the Back	p. 227
Taking Care of the Therapist	p. 227
A Sacred Way	p. 228
Treatment Protocol	p. 231
Therapeutic Dialog in Craniosacral Therapy	p. 233
Glossary of Terms	p. 241
Index	p. 247
About the Author	p. 255
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