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Sleep Soundly at Night with Craniosacral Therapy

Sleep Soundly at Night with Craniosacral Therapy

by | Apr 29, 2017 | Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K

Sleep brings us restoration and clarity.

It’s time for bed.  It would be nice to have your 7-9 hours of sleep so that you can feel refreshed the following morning.  But the obsessive thoughts about work or your relationships swirl around your brain non-stop.   Maybe it’s too noisy or the ambient light in the room is keeping you up.  It could be you are hungry or your hormones are out of whack.  Whatever the problem, you aren’t getting the rest you need.

There are some easy fixes to this.  Shorten your naps to 20 minutes or less.  Turn a fan or white noise machine on, go get a healthy snack, turn off the blue light technology in the room, seal your mattress against mites, buy pillows for comfort just to name a few.  But if after all of this, you still are not finding the rest you need, consider finding a certified Craniosaral Therapist through the Upledger Institute to help you to sleep and feel better.  Good sleep is crucial to our health.

One of the best benefits that result from Craniosacral Therapy is a balanced Central Nervous System.  The brain and the spinal cord can come back into optimal peak performance.  Any type of stress can be listened to by experienced hands through the Craniosacral System.  This type of gentle work is geared to support your body to find harmony and to use its own inherent process of self-correction.  The body is always looking to respond with a healing response, and this work uses techniques to enhance your own healing power.

sleep

sleep

Often, after about 5 minutes on the table, many of my clients snooze off quickly.   The Central Nervous System knows when there is connection, and with the techniques, the stress slips away.  Many of my clients have come back to me saying that not only has there pain disappeared, but also that they are sleeping better, eating better, and feeling more upbeat.  And this makes sense because when stress is eliminated,  adrenaline and cortisone won’t keep the body in active alert.

I do have some clients that come in that can’t relax at all.  Their eyes stay wide open or they talk through the whole session.  However, the more work we do together, those things start to slip away, and they begin to quiet down.  It’s like getting a treatment mixed in with a meditation.  And for people who have trauma, Craniosacral Therapy can use SomatoEmotional Release to help support the client to sense and feel more deeply in their bodies.  As this happens, old stressful memories give way to more energy and feeling more vital.

Cranosacral Therapy is a great balancer for helping to restore healthy sleep patterns.  Don’t you deserve to give yourself a good nights rest?  It’s easy to go out and be interested in so many things outside of ourselves, but it is essential to start within first to promote health and wellbeing.  Our lives begin with how we feel.

FAQ Page

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

Worthington, Ohio|Serving the Columbus Area

614 653-8111

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

My reviews on google

 

 

Relax with Safe Hands in Craniosacral Therapy

by | Apr 22, 2017 | Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K

Good news! You can Relax again

Do you want to get your mind and body back on track?  Find a way to relax again?

Most people who come into my office are looking for help in one of the four following situations:

  • Chronic Pain
  • Anxiety
  • PTSD
  • Concussions and TBI’s

Craniosacral Therapy in particular seems to address the symptoms associated with these conditions well.

One of the reasons why I became so intrigued with the Craniosacral type of work was that my practice attracted these types of issues, and I wanted to find a way to really connect and serve my clients. It was easy for me to see that many of the people who came in for a massage were feeling tense, and uncomfortable with their bodies. They were feeling stressed and afraid.  So the first question I asked myself, was how do I help these people to feel better? And of course- the first thing that seemed necessary was to create a positive and trusting environment that allowed for deep healing.

How did I do start this journey?

I studied massage and bodywork, but also delved into body centered psychotherapy.  With 2 years invested in Hakomi and some time studying trauma at SPI, I gained a good understanding of techniques. But I also went and had my own sessions so that I could expand and deepen my experience and hold a more rich and diverse space for clients to open up. I sincerely believe, that the more present we can be with ourselves as facilitators to the healing process, the more we are present for our clients.  Furthermore,  I studied at the Upledger Institute into the Advanced Levels, as well as going through the Highest Certification possible with them: The Diplomate. For this, I learned their methods on how to work with people on the table who were in need of emotional processing. This work is called SomatoEmotional work.

Some of the common principles that I work with are:

  • Creating Sacred Space- A place of safety and trust.
  • Allowing organic process to appear.  No forcing or pushing, but rather being in time and space together.
  • Mindfulness- bringing awareness to the body in a gentle and kind way.
  • Using light touch that is caring.  This allows the defensive patterns to be bypassed to go deeper.
  • Being aware of healthy boundaries
  • No giving advice.  The Client has their own inner wisdom that can be engaged for self-empowerment.
  • Listening on various levels.  Clients have much to say verbally, but also non-verbally.  The body is a crucial aspect of the healing process.
  • Trusting the tissues, and the dialogue that happens in the silence.
  • Staying curious and in neutral.  This means no judgments.
  • Keeping the work confidential unless instructed otherwise by client.
  • Using techniques that are supportive and nourishing.

 

 

Coming into the office, it’s important to find out for each individual, what helps them to relax. Sometimes people with anxiety and PTSD don’t have a clue how to do that. They may be used to living with hyper vigilance, guilt, disassociation, and or intrusive thoughts, just to name a few challenges. People who are tense or/and are in pain might not be able to focus on anything else. And I as the Craniosacral Therapist need to understand that there might be trauma, violence or emotional scarring that needs to be acknowledged.

So I listen to see what the stressors are.  We address them one by one in a variety of ways. Sometimes this may take a few minutes and the person is snoring on the table, and other times, it may take many sessions. With patience, often the gentle touch of Craniosacral Therapy can sooth the Central Nervous system. I have had clients tell me after a few sessions that they can’t remember ever being so relaxed. The Craniosacral Therapy works with the cerebrospinal fluid that circulates around the brain and the spinal cored. Believe it or not, we craniosacral therapists can feel how it works with the body through a flexion and extension motion that can be felt anywhere on the body. Often when the system shuts off, we can tell when something significant is occurring, helping the body to release any cellular dysfunctioning. Our intention is to continue to support in as gentle a way a possible whatever unfolds and is ready to process. Also, I have personally studied the brain quite a bit, and find that is possible to directly dialogue with the tissues (i.e. meninges). Often clients who have not healed completely from concussions and TBI’s find great relief, more clarity, balance and presence after a series of sessions.

The key to learning how to relax again, and to letting go of painful and fearful states, is to bring awareness back to self in a kind, and compassionate manner. To be able to work together going deep into the Central Nervous System, we can help the body to come into better organization in its more natural way of being.

If you would like to find a way to relax again,  safe hands and safe presence will help you to remember the way.

FAQ Page

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

Worthington, Ohio|Serving the Columbus Area

614 653-8111

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

www.upledger.com

 

 

 

 

Feeling Overwhelmed by Life?

Feeling Overwhelmed by Life?

by | Apr 12, 2017 | Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K

Overwhelmed is nothing more than leaving the current moment in our thinking.

One of the reasons why Craniosacral Therapy is so helpful to clients who are feeling overwhelmed is because the act of gently and trustingly touching a person can wake up the sensations in the body.  Working with techniques as well as intention can bring the work to a whole new level of allowing awareness to grow.  When a therapist works with the Craniosacral Rhythm, we are listening to what is happening is that specific interaction between therapist and client.  We are curious about what IS…. and what the next wave of motion is going to be.  By staying present in the moment with ourselves, we hold a template of sorts to bring our clients there with us.

Overwhelmed

Overwhelmed

Of course, even while staying present in the moment,  the mind can wander in so many directions.  There are stories, thoughts, beliefs that are melded with our emotions and our sensations. And often when we feel a sense of being overwhelmed, it is because we have at some level resisting allowing those to arise and to diffuse with the greater whole.  First in the body, and then with the whole of life outside of the body.

By listening to the body, we can stay in neutral and support the upwelling of the creative wave.  Things that have been suppressed, forgotten, avoided can re-emerge and take flight.  People begin to feel alive again, with more vitality and a sense of empowerment. This though, can take courage because it was carefully wrapped up and tucked away for a good reason.  And that may be scary, controlled or frozen.  Craniosacral Therapy can help the therapist- client relationship to build trust, and a kind exchange of information that can unlock the non-consious.  It is done organically and without advice, but rather with holding, care, and connection.

When we can slow down, breathe and learn Presence, it can alter our world.  When we focus on what is right in our immediate lives with focus and clarity, it’s easier to love and to be kind.  It’s easier to find peace when we are jumping into the future or escaping the past.  It the moment, everything we need is available and present.

Whether you try Craniosacral Therapy or not, mindfulness and meditation can do much to alleviate the stresses of overwhelm.

Eckhart Tolle quote:  Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life.

A mind at war is one that is fixed in judgment, or guilt or shame.

Life can only get easier when we go with life as it is.  And help create the next creation with conscious choices.

My thoughts for the night about being overwhelmed.  What say you?

Sharon Hartnett LMT, CST-D, SI, BHSP

(614) 653-8111

www.massageincolumbusohio.com

www.upledger.com

Happy Feet Make for a Happy Person

Happy Feet Make for a Happy Person

by | Apr 9, 2017 | Massage

As a Massage Therapist, I see plenty of feet.

As people age, the feet seem to get more and more neglected for many people.  Except the women who treat themselves to pedicures often:)  Yet think about how important our feet are. They move us about everywhere we go.  If we have happy feet, it’s a lot easier to be happy people!

feet

Feet

Foot care helps us to keep them healthy, and prevent pain and other foot issues.

Foot Care:

Beginning with hygiene, start by keeping your feet clean and dry.  Towel them off well after a shower or bath, to prevent fungal infections. Also, by using a textured cloth, you can help promote good circulation and more efficient skin cell replacement.

Every now and then,  after you finish with your cleansing routine, check your toe nails and skin, especially if you have diabetes.  The feet can signal problems that can be seen by easy observation.

Soaks with a good scrub can be very comforting and refreshing to the feet.  This can help to exfoliate.

Trim nails carefully.  Ingrown toenails can be very uncomfortable and lead to infection.

Choose well sized footwear.  I have seen women come into my office whose feet are shaped like high heel shoes and in very odd shapes.  Honestly.  This is horrible for the feet as well as the posture.

Don’t share shoes or go barefoot in public places, especially shower.  Dirty.

Stretch each foot with rollers, on steps, or 1/2 cylinders to help in the arches.  When we walk, we are meant to have flexible feet.

Wiggle your toes and exercise your feet.  I have noticed many seniors who have lost most of their awareness of their ankles and feet and can hardly move them.

Foot massage feels great.  It can improve how you feel dramatically.

Don’t wait to long to see a physician if you have foot pain.  It’s always better to be as proactive as possible when it comes to health.

 

Good Travels,

Sharon Hartnett LMT, CST-D, SI, BHSP

(614) 653-8111

www.massageincolumbusohio.com

 

 

 

Concussion Health with Craniosacral Therapy Glial Work

Concussion Health with Craniosacral Therapy Glial Work

by | Mar 20, 2017 | Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, craniosacral, Craniosacral Therapy, mind body & spirit

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury caused by a fall, a blow, or a jolt to the head.

A concussion is not something to take lightly. I know. After treating many people for concussions, I found myself facing my own. I fell off my horse, landed on my back and buttocks, and hit my head. Fortunately I was wearing a good helmet. Since then I’ve rested a great deal — stopped most reading and writing for two weeks and took a break even from television. My doctor said the best thing I could do was lie in bed and close my eyes. I did the best I could, and it’s finally paying off. In the last few days I’ve been applying craniosacral techniques to myself and have noticed an even better rate of improvement — enough to think clearly and write this short post.

I didn’t lose consciousness, but I did lose my steadiness, and I got headaches for a while whenever I overdid it. I’m so happy to be feeling better every day. Most people fully recover from a concussion, but some don’t, especially after multiple injuries. So please take your health seriously. See a physician if you have any concern that you’ve had a concussion, and make self-care your priority. If you’re not sure what to watch for, I’ve written a guide to post-concussion symptoms and support.

Glial cells and craniosacral therapy for concussion

Craniosacral Therapy With a Focus on Glial Cells

I’m setting up appointments with a peer who does craniosacral therapy and who also knows how to work specifically with the glial cells. Why glial cells? It’s becoming better understood that glia play a very important role in how the brain functions. In a class I took from Tad Wanveer, an Upledger therapist and teacher, I learned that through light biomechanical intention, dialogue, and touch, an experienced therapist can create real improvements in how the brain works. As Tad explains in his book Brain Stars: Glia Illuminating Craniosacral Therapy, glia are much more than “glue.” They play an integral part in:

  • Central nervous system development
  • Maintaining homeostasis
  • Supplying nutrients and oxygen
  • Synapse formation
  • Healing injured neurons
  • Sensory and motor signaling
  • Cleansing the central nervous system
  • Producing cerebrospinal fluid
  • Immune response in the brain
  • Insulation and flow regulation
  • Memory processing
  • Destroying and removing waste

If the glia become overstressed, or the environment they live in turns toxic, the whole central nervous system suffers. The good news is that the glia can be touched and supported in ways that help repair and speed the healing process.

As Tad writes: “Glial cells and neurons form an interdependent structural and functional system throughout the CNS that is fused with the Craniosacral System. This fusion takes place where glial cells attach to the pia mater membrane, the innermost membrane layer of the craniosacral system. It interconnects with the other membrane layers (meninges), and these layers connect to the bones of the cranium and spinal column. This bone-to-membrane-to-glial matrix is a dynamic biomechanical pathway CST practitioners can use to help their clients correct nervous system dysfunction.”

In that class I learned to touch into many parts of the brain and spinal cord. By listening and identifying through the different layers, you come to appreciate the body’s innate ability to self-correct from a deep well of wisdom within. It’s very possible to feel into structural and physiological restrictions, find a balance point for correction, and create better flow and drainage. In a more optimal environment, it’s much easier for the brain and spine to heal. I go deeper into this in Craniosacral Therapy for Brain Health.

It’s a bit ironic that my recent focus has been working more and more with people who have concussions and TBIs — and here I sit, healing from my own. But I feel very confident in the results I’ve had with others, in my ability to work with myself, and in the incredible experiences I’ve had receiving this work from other therapists. I know I’m getting better. I’m back to a light caseload (craniosacral work is not hard on the body or mind), and enjoying the small miracles of each session.

If you’re stressed about a concussion, please take seriously that rest and healing come first. But I’m here to tell you there are integrative therapies your doctors may not know about. Craniosacral therapy is a hands-on approach grounded in science and experience that has helped countless people. At the Upledger Foundation you can read about the work being done to help football players heal and feel better.

If you’re in the Columbus area with a concussion, give me a call — I’m happy to offer a free 15-minute phone consultation. And if you were hurt in a fall or a crash, my post on still hurting after an accident may help.

I can’t wait to get my hands back on the work!

Ready to feel better? I’m Sharon Hartnett, a Diplomate-Certified Craniosacral Therapist (CST-D) through the Upledger Institute, with about 30 years of experience listening to the body and helping it heal. My office is in Worthington, Ohio, and I serve the greater Columbus area.

If you’re curious whether this gentle work is right for you, I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation. Call or text me at (614) 653-8111.

Learn more about craniosacral therapy for post-concussion recovery, read answers to common questions about craniosacral therapy, or find out how to choose the best craniosacral therapist for you.