Craniosacral therapy has been shown to have significant benefit for people suffering from anxiety and depression. This light touch therapy works with the flow of the cerebral spinal fluid helping to calm the central nervous system.

The sympathetic nervous system sits right at the very centre of the spinal cord. In craniosacral therapy we like to think of this system as a very fine silver thread running up the centre of the spine, connecting the base of us - the sacrum, to our brain and cranium, the bones of the skull. This can be compared beautifully to a lotus flower resting on the top of a pond. The lotus flower, being the brain and cranium, its root to the floor of the pond is the sympathetic nervous system (silver thread) travelling down the centre of the spine to the muddy earth or the sacrum where our system is grounded.

The sympathetic nervous system is what keeps us alert for cues of danger. When it senses danger it releases adrenaline preparing us for action - for flight or fight. Sometimes when there has been severe or ongoing stress in our world our sympathetic nervous system goes into overdrive and forgets to turn itself off, so we remain in a high state of alert. This often leads to anxiety, a state where we are permanently worried about the future, or depression a state where we are worried about the past, or both.

As our anxiety and depression deepens we will begin to notice its effects in our body. Our shoulders hunch forward, our heart recedes, our head sticks out because we are constantly thinking and trying not to feel, our tail bone tucks under like a dog who is scared and we end up with a back that is very rounded, or possibly even the beginning of hunching.

Craniosacral therapy, by working with the flow of the cerebral spinal fluid, gently begins to address blockages that have formed in the flow, slowly allowing our body to uncurl and at the same time releasing physical restrictions, the place where emotions are often stored. By giving the sympathetic nervous system space at the centre of our being we can encourage the body to turn off its fight/flight mode, calm the central nervous system and allow the body and mind to move back into strength and resilience.

Many people suffering with anxiety or depression report feeling better and more grounded after their very first craniosacral session. The number of treatments someone will need varies from person to person depending on the severity of their case and how long the person has been suffering for. If you would like further information about this or to talk with me, please don’t hesitate to contact me. A craniosacral session could be the first step back towards wellbeing and peace in your life.