Explain How Is Craniosacral Therapy Different than Energy Work?

by SharonHartnett | Nov 9, 2019 | craniosacral, Craniosacral Therapy, Energy Healing, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, upledger institute

Craniosacral Therapy vs. Energy Work: What’s the Difference?

By Sharon Hartnett, CST-D, Upledger Diplomate-certified craniosacral therapist | Last updated: [date]

Is craniosacral therapy energy work? No. They are two different approaches, though they can complement each other. Craniosacral therapy (CST) focuses on the craniosacral system: the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Energy work focuses on the body’s energy field and levels of consciousness.

People ask me this almost every time they call, so here is the answer in plain language. I’ve studied and practiced both for many years: more than 30 years in healing work [confirm], including the last 15 focused on CST through the Upledger Institute and 8 years at the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, where I also taught.

CST vs. Energy Work at a Glance

	Craniosacral Therapy	Energy Work
Main focus	The craniosacral system (brain, spinal cord, cerebrospinal fluid, membranes) and fascia	The body’s energy field and levels of consciousness
Grounded in	Anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system and connective tissue	The idea that energy runs through all living things
Touch	Very light, hands-on	Hands-on or hands-off, often within the energy field
Training	Upledger Institute, founded on the work of Dr. John Upledger	Barbara Brennan School of Healing, Reiki, and others
Intention	Support the central nervous system and fascia	Work with energy and consciousness, for healing and personal awakening

CST in Brief

CST is a gentle, hands-on therapy that works with the central nervous system and the fascia, the web of connective tissue throughout the body. Cerebrospinal fluid (sometimes called craniosacral fluid) is made in the brain’s ventricles, circulates around the brain and spine, and is reabsorbed into the venous system. For a full explanation, see my Craniosacral Therapy page.

Energy Work in Brief

Energy work is based on working with the vibrations of different levels of consciousness. The idea is that energy runs through everything and that each kind of energy shows up in its own way.

We know this from everyday life. When we kiss our children, we move energy through our own systems and then touch another person, and sometimes it creates a response in them. An athlete running down a football field is using the body’s energy. Lasers use energy and are part of medicine in many ways. Energy work uses this idea intentionally, for healing and for awakening. To learn how I work with it, see my energy healing sessions.

Is Craniosacral Therapy Energy Work?

The short answer is no, but there are similarities.

The difference is the focus. In CST, the intention is on the craniosacral system, the nervous system, and fascia. In energy work, it is on the energy field and consciousness.

The similarity is connection. Everything is made of energy, and when two people connect, something passes between them. In my experience, prayer, meditation, and focused intention affect others as well. So energy is moving between therapist and client during a CST session, just as it does whenever two people connect.

If a craniosacral therapist is also trained in energy work, it can be woven into a session. But the intentions differ, and I think it’s important to be clear about which one you’re receiving.

How to Choose Between Them

If you want a gentle, physically focused approach, CST is the place to start.
If you’re drawn to emotional, spiritual, or consciousness-based work, energy work may appeal to you.
If you’re curious about both, they can go hand in hand, even though the focus is different.

Still unsure? I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation to talk through what you’re looking for. See my craniosacral therapist in Columbus page for details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is craniosacral therapy the same as Reiki or energy healing?
No. CST focuses on the craniosacral system and fascia. Reiki and other energy modalities focus on the body’s energy field.

Can craniosacral therapy and energy work be combined?
Yes. If a practitioner is trained in both, energy work can be incorporated into a CST session, though the intentions of the two approaches are different.

Does CST replace medical care?
No. CST is a complementary therapy and is not a substitute for medical care.

Energy work uses this idea intentionally, for healing and for awakening. If you’d like to learn more, see my approach to energy healing.

Barbara Brennan School of Healing…

by SharonHartnett | Nov 8, 2019 | Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K

The Barbara Brennan School of Healing

I just got home from a fabulous visit at the Barbara Brennan School of Healing. It was a powerful experience for me, presenting to the students for two nights, and helping with a workshop on Sound Healing. There is something so potent and transformative at this school. I could feel that all the students, teachers, and admistrators shared a special bond, and created a powerful community that enlivened and nourished the soul and the Sacred Human Heart.

I remember when I first arrived there as a student 25 years ago. I had read Barbara’s book, “Hands of Light”. That book made me realize that there are other realities different than the one I was experiencing those many years ago. I could see that there was a mystery, and an Unfolding Presence of Self and the Divine that could be palpated not only in the physcial, but the auric field, hara and the Core Start. Once I read that book, I knew that I had to go. Every thing aligned, and off I went.

There I met a wonderful community of gifted healers. We all were there to deepen into our humanity, but also to develop our healership. We learned energy techniques, and inter-relationship skills like, “listening”, “contact” and “Witness, Experience, and Asker” to bring us in the moment. We opened up to our Higher Sense Perception. People were often amazed that they could begin to see energy, to feel it and connect with it to help others awaken the human energy field. This all evolved over the 4 year course. It helped prepare the foundation for those of us who wanted to create positive change in the world. For this I am thankful.

Anyway, to have now gone back and to revisit the magical experience of being with a community that is so dedicated to service and to help the students learn some of the things I have over the last 20 years was a blessing. I felt like I had come full circle standing there, sharing with the group.

I am writing this blog, because I’d like the world to know that there is a place here on earth where people come together to be authentic, that is powerful in transformation, and that is cented on the Sacred Human Heart. It is a place where people can connect at a very deep level, and be seen, heard and acknowledged. It’s a confidence booster, and a place tht allows One to know how to Be in his/her own unique way.

If you have any questions about the school, please feel free to give me a ring. I’d love to talk to you about it.

Sharon Hartnett

(614) 653-8111

www.massageincolumbusohio.com

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

Craniosacral Near Me

by SharonHartnett | Nov 4, 2019 | Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K

Craniosacral Near Me

Are you looking for a Craniosacral Therapist with a lot of experience and who is Certified at the Highest Level through the Upledger Institute?

Then you have come to the right spot. I have been in this business for close to 30 years. It’s one of the best jobs in the world. Over and over again, I see great results in helping people to release chronic pain, heal from concussions and even to feel better emotionally. Knowing that I get to be part of the healing process is very meaningful. Helping people to change is for the better great! It makes waking up everyday so much better.

If you want to make sure that you are finding a qualified Craniosacral Therapist, please check out The Upledger Institute for a CST near you!

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

614 653-8111

To find out more about Craniosacral Therapy, check out my main page.

Have you hit your Head?

by SharonHartnett | Sep 14, 2019 | Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury. It’s something to take seriously.

If you have hurt your head playing football, have fallen or been in an accident, you may not show any external symptoms. Perhaps you did not lose consciouness either. But that doesn’t mean that you are fine. Always check with your physician and do follow up if you hit your head.

Some of the symptoms are:

Headache
Pressure in the head
Slurred speech
Tired
Dizziness
Temporary loss of consciousness
Vomiting
Problems sleeping
Confusion
Amnesia
Ringing in the ears
Nausea
Slurred speech
Delayed response to questions

If after time, you find yourself noticing sensitivity to light, loss of focus, change in sense of taste/smell, emotionally out of sync (depression), you may be experiencing the after effects.

Once you have checked in with your doctor, you may want to try Craniosacral Therapy. The Upledger Intitute has been offering football players the opportunity to receive Craniosacral work and there has been a lot of success. As a Diplomate Certified Craniosacral Therapist myself, I have worked with people who experienced Concussions, and have improved quite a bit.

You don’t have to just learn to cope. There is help.

If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Hartnett CST-D at (614) 653-8111 for a free 10 minute phone consultation with your questions.

It’s time to get better, don’t you think?

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

Does Craniosacral Therapy Work?

by SharonHartnett | Jul 28, 2019 | Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K

Does Craniosacral Therapy help you to heal longstanding chronic pain, anxiety, stress?

It’s a great question.

The best that I can tell you is that in my 25+ years of bodywork practice, I have switched over my practice primarily to Craniosacral Therapy (CST) because I do see how much it benefits my clients.

Day after day, I see people relax and feel better than when they walked in. The most notable change is when a client comes in each week for a period of time. Why? Because with CST, we are addressing the Central Nervous System to find a way to heal itself. We facilitate the change, but we only do this by listening to your body’s own Inner Wisdom to heal. And as it was your mind and its relationship to your body that made all the choices to get to the point of pain, the mind must awaken and find another way to live. One that is kinder, gentler and more open. When stress leaves your body on a deep level, you’d be amazed at how much easier life becomes. It takes time to undo and unlearn all the bad habits from the past, and to create a more free authentic way of living for yourself.

Does it work is a subjective perspective for the client most often. From a therapist perspective, I feel the changes happening underneath my hands and fingertips. Fascia is unwinding, and organs and muscles find better motion. It feels like everything is becoming more revitalized and balanced. However, some clients feel a lot happening if they are sensitive to their bodies, and for others who don’t usually pay attention physically, they may not feel much at all. But that does not stop the work from doing what it needs to do to help produce more peace, alignment and yes—joy in the body. It’s always important for a therapist to meet the client where they are, and help them journey inward to release and integrate dysfunctional issues, and to bring a person back to center. This can take time and patience. It usually does. In the long run, I have seen lives changed dramatically in a positive way.

Sometimes I get clients in who want to be fixed in a day. This doesn’t work. Clients may feel a big shift in one session. I know that I have gotten off the table when I was a client myself, and felt like I had moved through lifetimes of stuckness which released. But to get the full effects, life is a process. We are multi-dimensional beings that have to shed behaviors and habits that no longer serve our bodies and our sense of self. This is not usually a one day fix. Rather, it is a commitment to work through whatever is holding you back so that you can lovingly break through and make a better “Present”.

I would recommend that people try at least 10 sessions. Yet usually one experiences an integrative positive change in 3. Sometimes the work is so subtle. Yet, usually after this amount of work, clients get off my table and remark how much different they feel, for the better. It has often been gradual, but it is more permanent than other types of bodywork/massage that I have practiced or received. So yes, Craniosacral Therapy works. But you’ll have to try it yourself to have your own experience! It’s important to invest in making yourself see yourself as valuable enough to show up and receive. If you’re wondering what a session is like, see the Craniosacral Therapy FAQs.

The belief that I carry with intention is that we are all worthy of feeling great and aligned in our lives, so that we can create abundantly and with peace and joy.

Sharon Hartnett CST-D
(614) 653-8111
www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com