How To Grow In An Overwhelming World

by SharonHartnett | Oct 17, 2024 | Craniosacral Therapy, healing, mind body & spirit, mindfulness, upledger institute

How to Grow as a Sensitive Person

Blossom and Grow. Recently, I picked up the book, “The Highly Sensitive Person and have been recommending it to quite a few of my clients. One niche that I seem to be able to support well are people who benefit from Craniosacral Therapy and Energy Work because the nervous systems of sensitive people often have been overwhelmed.

In this book, we find meaning, and an opportunity to grow, in what it is like to be” highly sensitive“. A term that not many people recognize. On top of this aboug 80% of people are not sensitive, and they don’t understand the other 20%. Can you imagine what it’s like to not have a description or understanding for how you sense the world, while most people are different? I found reading this book to be a relief since I include myself in this category. I felt noticed and acknowledged by the writer. The book is such an in depth mirror. I also felt more of a comfort level knowing that there are many more people walking around like me. Even if we are a minority.

One thing about highly sensitive people is that we notice the subtle and so many details. I know for me, when I walk into a room, I can feel the mood. I cue into expressions and movement, and so much information enters into my system. Often because of this, we need to rest and take time for ourselves to integrate. Craniosacral Therapy can respond to this need through its gentle listeing, touch and melding.

As Craniosacral Therapist, we listen to the Cerebrospinal fluid motion and we palpate and listen to the nervous system. By connecting with that with which we blend, we can bring in a calm and balance. When this happens the deep creativity from within can emerge and grow. It can be brought out into the world in a very positive way.

One of the challenges which highly sensitve people encounter is that when they feel overwhelmed, they tend to react. Some people may view this as over-reacting. This especially occurs if they grew up in a rough environment. They tend to feel misunderstood. However there are some wonderful advantages as well. Lots of good exercises in this book.

The book recommends:

1. Self-Knowledge

2. Reframing

3. Healing

It also offers activities to help process intense feelings. In addition Craniosacral Therapy can help a person through self- discovery work and self-regulation. The book- I think that it is fantastic and opens the eyes to those who want to connect.

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

703 509-1792

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

When Nature & Nurture Shape Opportunities

by SharonHartnett | Oct 15, 2024 | craniosacral, Craniosacral Therapy, healing, Healthy Body, meditation, mind body & spirit, mindfulness, move effortlessly

Nature & Nurture Awaken the Inner Intelligence Within

Let’s talk about Nature & Nurture. From a Craniosacral Therapy Perspective, an experienced Craniosacral Therapist knows that each individual has a working Inner Intelligence Living Within. This Inner Intelligence is a Deep Conscious Awareness. I see it as the essence of each person connected to.a Higher Source. At least these are the best words which I can describe it.

This Inner Intelligence is constantly working to support the health of our physical bodies, our emotional state, our thinking patterns, our relationships and even our connection to spirituality and what we call God. For example, we hardly don’t even have to think about getting out of bed in the morning, straightening our legs so that we get begin to walk through our day. It’s an effortless flow for most of us. Everything is aligned and we begin to move our lives through time and space here at home within our bodies.

In any case, this Intelligence miraculously brings us to life. It allows us to interact with the world we know. It’s in a constant dance with Nature & Nurture.

Biologically we have genes that get turned on. From the time of conception, the heredity influence unfolds into this unique song that makes us who we are. Our environments have their own unique sound, and blend with our systems to create new relationships and growth patterns. These two influences mutually work together to create our Life Experiences for us as individuals. I would say in a larger sense as well.

Such a dynamic pairing: Nature and Nurture. However, there are times when we do get stuck in a glitch. The Intelligence Within is always available, but our choices and life experiences can begin to isolate us or limit our potential. Our genetics can get tripped off into a disease process, or our environment can become toxic or painful for us to live in through certain influences and choices. Triggers could be anything from things like early abandonment, trauma, developmental support lacking and so on. This history, as we live it, is held in the posture and tissue of the body. When we don’t feel connected and in sync with Nature & Nurture, we don’t thrive.

From a Craniosacral Therapist stance, the first thing we do when we work with a person is to connect with ourselves and to create a safe and healthy environment. This connects us with our own nature & nurture qualities and inner wisdom. Then we listen to the person who comes to see us fully and with intention to connect to their own inner intelligence. My hope is that as a team, and while plugging into Source, the techniques and intelligence in my system will nourish the missing steps or pieces to re-awaken what is needed for wellness.

By working with the Craniosacral System, we can listen and sense deeply into another. By melding and blending we encourage and give a little nudge to help release and to restore healthy communication and dialogue. The Nervous System especially feels this healing touch. Integration brings everything back together .People process, but by the end of a session, usually they find a deeper peace and sense of knowing themselves. The Craniosacral Rhythm is restored. That’s because the Inner Intelligence is awakening and moving us to the next level of wellness.

Nature & Nurture are at the foundation of who we are if we are to be healthy and thriving. None of us are meant to live alone. We all need support to keep our own resources reinvigorated and vital. It’s the bond that pulls life together which makes us stronger and more vibrant. Sometimes this is done internally, and sometimes we need to fill in the gap through our relationships.

Learn to connect to Your Own Inner Intelligence. We are all able to do this. Our Higher Selves, when we clear the way, will always keeps us on the Path which brings the best to our soul. When we are able to receive and give through nature and nurture freely, we have more power to influence and co-create in health and wellbeing.

Sharon Hartnett CST-d
703 509-1792

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

Choose to Love Change

by SharonHartnett | Sep 30, 2024 | change, Craniosacral Therapy, mind body & spirit, mindfulness

You Can Change Your World

Are you willing to Change? In today’s world there seems to be a deep division.One of trying to go back and holding onto something from the past. Or perhaps a fear about a “different” future. On the other side of the split, people embrace change. Life is vital and dynamic. Which one feels healthier and more beneficial to you?

As a Craniosacral Therapist, most people who come see me are stuck either in the past or anxious about the future. Often I listen to their stories about “overwelm“. I feel. Simply because we all have a stories and attachments to things we care or fear about.. Mostly, what I notice as a therapist, is that the underlying anxiety or stres is not current. It’s an attachment to something else in another timeframe.

My job is to listen and meld in the moment with my clients by connecting to their Craniosacral Rhythm.I primarily focus on the Craniosacral System’s nourishing qualities. There is something so precious about the exchange of experience by being in “the moment” with another. In the body, it’s easy to feel that in life, there is always blending and change. Blood and other fluids are flowing. The Nervous System is sending information. Dialgoue is ubiquitious in the internal workings of the.mind, body and spirit connection.

My constant observation is that if we want to heal, we do need to open up to change. Letting go of all ideas, and blossoming into the New. Static holding in a compressed state is very limiting. The soul wants to grow and find joy in life when it discovers freedom. Staying the same or caught in the net of the past only creates suffering.

What I feel in every person I touch is their Inner Light. That light is always buzzing and alive. Human Beings are moving through time and space in a unique journey. In the moment, we can align with what is real and current, or we can live in the past and get trapped in habits and stories. Fortunately,the Intelligence that lives inside all of us deepens as we step into change, embracing, rather than resisting.

Craniosacral Therapy is a body centered type of manual therapy which is gentle, and supportive. By tapping into the Inner Wisdom, of each individual, something stirs and awakens into the Greater Whole. The nervous system seems to balance, and most people say that they can better regulate and navigate more easily through life after doing Craniosacral Therapy.

I’d like to ask you, if you hold onto anything good or bad from the past- how does that serve you?

Being Present is where freedom and compassion live. Change is inevitable. Unfolding is natural and organic. It’s your choice!

Sharon Hartnett CST-D
703 509-1792

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

How to Move Effortlessly Through Life

by SharonHartnett | Sep 28, 2024 | craniosacral, Craniosacral Therapy, grounding, healing, mind body & spirit, mindfulness, move effortlessly

Grounding: Move Effortlessly with Grace

Move Effortlessly. It’s easy to escape the moment. To not be fully present. The mind easily wanders into the past with regrets and guilt. Undoubtably it moves forward with worry and anticipation as well. This is to be human.

However, what if there is a way to engage with life more deeply and fully?

I was reading FB today and came across a beautiful post about grounding. I feel it’s so important to connect to the earth. She supports us and nourishes us continuously. We are made of the earth, and she lives within all that we are. So I am including this writing by “Lowen” to share here. Let go of your burdens my friends… Discover Your Human Body.

Lowen is credited with coining the word “grounding” in the physiological and psychological sense and emphasizing it’s importance in human development. I believe it has now become a term widely understood (if not precisely understood) in the broader pop culture.

“Once he is grounded, a person no longer holds himself up but allows the ground to support him. By coming down to earth, he finds that his blood pressure also drops. But effecting that kind of change requires a commitment to the body and to a way of life that respects the body and it’s needs.

Unfortunately, our culture is moving away from the body as the source of feeling and spirituality. Our fitness programs are not designed to enhance the sensitivity of the body but to hone it as if it were a machine. In so doing, they produce people who are fit only to run the race of life. I suppose that if reaching the top is one’s goal in life, our modern-day fitness programs may help. But if one’s goal is to experience the joy of being fully alive, the excitement of feeling part of this pulsating universe, and the deep satisfaction of being a person who is both graceful and gracious, one must turn elsewhere.

When I was a young man, being “earthy” was regarded as a virtue. I never hear anyone descibed that way anymore. Has the quality of having one’s feet on the ground lost its meaning? I believe it has. The modern individual is more properly described as “flying high and fast”. It is hard to slow down when the world is racing by. It is difficult to be grounded when the culture itself is ungrounded, when it denies reality and promotes an illusion that success represents a higher state of being and successful people live richer and more fulfilling lives. All the same, the real values of life are “earthy” values: health, gracefulness, connectedness, pleasure and love. But these values have meaning only if one’s feet are planted firmly on the ground.”

– Alexander Lowen from The Spirituality of the Body

To Move Effortlessly is freedom and Joy

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

703 509-1792

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

How to Understand Yourself Better

by SharonHartnett | Sep 28, 2024 | change, Craniosacral Therapy

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Do I Understand Me?

I think it’s an ongoing process to understand ourselves. We are so pre-conditioned. As children, we are taught values and personal morals. We identify who we are quite often by how others see us and define us.

This begins with the mirroring of our physical self. Our skin, our eye color, the shape of our waiste and our hips, our height and our weight. People reflect their opinions of us from early on. Perhaps they remark that we are beautiful or plain. Maybe our features look like they are of a certain culture. Also, on another level, people might tell us what we need or what we don’t need. They might say to us what is right and what is wrong, and what to believe. Our families especially even often shape what or who we believe God to BE. We often agree because this is part of belonging.

At some point though, as life greets us, some of these identify points begin to crumble. The ups and the downs of life will show us a new way. This is actually good news. When we step outside our origin story, we get to wake up to who we really are. It’s an unfolding story of authenticity if we so choose. It’s an adventure that often requires courage, an open mind, and a choice to move into the mystery.

When we break the bonds of loyalty to the image of who we are suppose to be, we break apart, and we blossom through our essence. This is usually not an easy path- but it is a path of richer connection. It is one well worthwhile. To understand ourselves, we break apart and then re-build healthier relationships with ourselves and with others. We grow, heal, and we learn, attaining new depths of understanding.

The funny thing that often makes me smile though is that because of our dynamic nature, we are constantly changing from one moment to the next. Who I am when I started writing here is a different person than right now. So when we think we have grasped a sense of Self, like fluid, we transform into someone else.This makes life so interesting.

One Question that keeps us in the Present is, “Who AM I Now”? I don’t usually advise, but this is advice to keep this question ongoing. It helps us to stay clear and present.

What a gift it is to move through time and space always in flux, even when we resist. What a gift it is to know ourselves through investigation and experience.

As a Craniosacral Therapist, I have been privileged to witness many people transform and transcend their current struggles. It’s beautiful to observe the diving down into the deepness and the rise back up into the light. The dance between the shadows and clarity is meaningful and precious. Eventually finding balance brings in clarity and groundedness.

I’d have to say that discovering ourselves and understanding brings about a sense of empowerment and embodiment. What do you believe?

I leave this post with, “How well do you know yourself?”

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

703 509-1792

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

How to Create a Healthy Space for Noise Overwhelm

by SharonHartnett | Sep 27, 2024 | Craniosacral Therapy, healing, meditation, mindfulness, upledger institute

Are you Feeling the Overwhelm of Loud Noises in Social Situations?

Have you heard of the term “neurodivergent”? For people who feel as if they think and feel differently, I think it’s a good topic to explore for self-understanding. The differences of neurodivergent experiences land anywhere from ADHD, to sensory sensitivities, to autism and other mental health conditions. However, the topic I want to speak about today primarily is the overwhelm of loud noises for some people with neurodivergent thinking. I think it’s important to find a way to acclimate and still join into social interactions. Overwhelm can take us away from people and activities we enjoy. So how do we deal with loud noise when we are sensitive to it?

Each of us is unique in how our brain works. How we learn, how we process, and funtion does’t have to fit into a “typical” model. In the past, and even still now, when a person is different, it can be looked down upon or. seen as problematic. But more often, now adays, there is a fresher acceptance and understanding of people who think out of the box with the concept of neurodiversity. More and more, we want to include, embrace and find the strengths inside each individual. The healthier outlook is to celebrate our differences.

In particular, for neurodivergent people who feel awkward in social situations, they may need a little bit of help to know that their differences and vulnerabilities can also be understood as strengths. Researching this topic can bring relief in knowing that there is a new openness to consideration for diversity. I know, for myself, it took a long time as an adult to feel comfortable when there were a lot of people talking at once in a room. For example, I couldn’t think and the inside of my ears would actually start to hurt when I was in a loud crowded restaurant until I left and went outside. I felt like my ADHD has been healed for the most part, or maybe a better word would be integrated. Yet my brain disagreed. It still does when I am in a noisy area with many people speaking all at once. There have been times when I had felt anxious because I felt like I was the only one experiencing this. Now,understanding that how my brain operations is different yet normal has made me feel more comfortable in uncomfortable situations. So in my later years, I have learned to support myself, and others in helping to cope with loud noise. Especially people with ADHD since I know what it is like to be challenged this way and to move through to the other side.

Some of the things that I have found to be helpful with noise overwhelm are:

1. Wearing noise reduction/cancelling head phones in loud spaces. I can still hear what is going on in my enviroment, but the noise is subdued.

2. Meditation: One helpful meditation in specific is ringing a bell and following the sound with mindful focus. It helps the mind to release tension when other noises come into the space.

3. Craniosacral Therapy has helped my nervous system to feel more balanced and in ease. Especially when I can express my feelings in a safe environment from a mind body perspective. This can also help a person to feel more grounded and embodied. This helps my clients as well!

4. Developing the Witness. This is spending time stepping away from yourself in a neutral intention. Stay curious in your experience. Not being judgmental.

5. Realizing that the noise and ovewhelm is temporary. In most instances, one can leave and move into a more quiet place.

6. Don’t avoid sound because this can increase fear and stress. For example with tinnitus, begin to understand that the sound is unimportant so that. you don’t put your constant energy into negative thinking about the buzzing sounds. This isn’t normally an easy fix, by tinnitus can come and go for many people. Empowering the mind can support adaptability and relief.

7. Check in with an audiologist. Sometimes they can help, and sometimes not. But some centers do have helpful tools.

Having your brain operate differently doesn’t make a person bad or unhealthy. Being sensitive is just a different expression of being human. Seek courageous ways to face your challenges, but also find the right balance of self-care. Overwhelm does not have to be your life. Know that you are not alone, and that our differnces are what make us interesting.

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

703 509-1792

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com