What is Craniosacral Massage?

by SharonHartnett | Jul 10, 2024 | concussion, craniosacral, Craniosacral Therapy, Energy Healing, healing, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, mind body & spirit, stillpoint, upledger institute

What is Craniosacral Massage?

Many people call me asking for Craniosacral Massage. The first thing I do is listen to why a person wants to come in.

People speak about their health issues, and often state that they have heard about Craniosacral Massage. Yet they don’t really know what it is. It’s important to me to take the time to explain the foundational basics, and then to make sure they question and understand if this work is a good match for what they are looking for.

So I do want to start by clarifying that Craniosacral Therapy is not actually “Massage”. Instead, it is a light touch manual therapy with a very different focus. It’s based on the Craniosacral System and how it relates primarily to the Nervous System. Just to name a few, it’s great for people dealing with:

Chronic Pain
Headaches/Migraines/Concussions
Fibromyalgia
People looking for Body Centered Help with Trauma Release
Scoliosis
TMJ
Anxiety

You can find out more on the Cleveland Clinic site:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17677-craniosacral-therapy

or through the Upledger Institute.

See how a craniosacral therapist in Columbus can help you.

Also, there is a big difference between practitioners and therapists. Practitioners may have taken a class, whereas therapists going through a rigorous process to get certified through the Upledger Institute are much more thorough and deep into the work.

While the touch of Craniosacral Therapy is very light and simple in a way, there is actually alot of complex anatomy and techniques to learn, as well as taking the time to gain experience in order to become a professional and helpful therapist. So if you are looking for a qualified person to meet your needs, ask them about their backgrounds and specilties.

I love Craniosacral Therapy because it can help almost everyone. Craniosacral Therapy is also attentive and gentle-yet profound. It nudges the body into self-healing and deeper awareness. There are a few contraindications, but for the most part everyone can appreicate a healthier nervous system, more balance and fluidity through their bodies.

If you would like to find out more about Craniosacral Therapy, not craniosacral massage, please contact me and I offere free 10 minute phone consults.

Warmly,

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

703 509-1792

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

Serving the Columbus Ohio Area

6797 N. High St. #333

Worthington, Ohio 43085

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How To Find Relief from Clenching

by SharonHartnett | Jul 3, 2024 | concussion, craniosacral, Craniosacral Therapy, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K

Clenching: You Deserve to Feel Better!

Is it possible to stop Clenching?

Bruxism is the name of the condition when you grind or are clenching your teeth. Up to about 30 % of people do this. Some people are aware that they clench. And others not.

Clenching often happens when a person is stressed and awake. At other times, the clenching happens while sleeping at night. Eventually it is discovered, because it leads to pain or other issues like sleep disorders, pain in the face, issues with breathing, tinittus, and swallowing issues.

On a personal level, I began to experience it after some concussions. My jaw became misaligned. Hitting ones head can also cause lots of stress when the cranium is knocked around.

I went to the dentist, and she gave me a mouth guard. It was so uncomfortable I couldn’t wear it. Also, being a Craniosacral Therapist, I knew that it also inhibited the natural movement of the maxilla. Didn’t work. I will be honest and say that clenching has caused me a lot of issues. On the positive note, I can also say that with persistence, one can help to alleviate and sometimes release all the tension contributing to bruxism. It is possible to stop, but it may take patience to unwind all the causes which contribute to the condition.

Being a Craniosacral Therapist, I have worked in my own mouth, and that has helped me considerably. Releasing all the tension around the hyoid muscles is key. Also working around the TMJ joint. Above are some pictures to show you the inter-relationship between the the neck and jaw muscles. The Upledger Institute teaches a whole protocol on mouthwork which is very beneficial. I enjoy working with people just to see the relief they find with mouth work.

Also facing your stress and anxiety with gentleness, while receiving some help can change your life and heal the body as well. There are many somatic approaches to addressing the body that are profound and create postive change. Some examples are Hakomi, SE Work, Upledger SER therapy and such.

Also myofunctional therapists can help with exercises.

Dendending on the stress and structure, it may take time to release and integrate the stressed from clenching. But there is help available.

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

703 509-1792

www.upledger.com

See how a craniosacral therapist in Columbus can help you.

6797 N. High St. #333

Worthington, Ohio 43085

Neck and Back Pain Specialist Found!

by SharonHartnett | Jun 30, 2024 | Craniosacral Therapy, Healthy Body, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, mind body & spirit

Releasing Neck and Back Pain

Pain along the spine can arise from many different reasons. Some of these triggers can be serious and some can be helped tremendously with manual therapy. If you are experiencing, for example, problems with your bladder, infection, inflammation, or severe acute pain, go see your physician of course.

Quite often pain can come from misalignment, muscle tension, torsion in the fascial patterning, or overdoing a certain activity which creates tension. If the problem is structural, Craniosacral Therapy can be super helpful.

Craniosacral Therapy is much more of a listening therapy than a deeply aggressive type of bodywork. Have you ever gone for a massage and the pressure hurt and the tissues did not soften? Did you find yourself sore afterwards?

What’s great about Craniosacral Therapy is that, we as therapists. listen to the body tissues and allow them to show us the way into the dysfunctional patterns. There is no forcing, so the body doesn’t have to fight back. It’s much easier to access the tissues in the neck and spine this way for relief.

If you are struggling with neck and/or back pain, check out www.upledger.com. Usually, there is a way to free up the neck and back for more mobility and health. Give yourself an opportunity to move into health with gentle support.

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

703 509-1792

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

Ease Into Grace with Mindful Connection: Being in the Heart

by | Jun 30, 2024 | craniosacral, Craniosacral Therapy, healing, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, upledger institute

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Grace

Working today, I thought about how there are so many people who are suffering who could use some Grace. Some people find help and relief. However, some don’t know how to find and connect with the healthy resources they need in order to get well. Perhaps they don’t have the financial means. Mostly what I run into though are the many women who don’t feel acknowledged in the healthcare system for chronic pain. Many tell me that they feel dismissed and unheard.

As a Craniosacral Therapist, I enjoy having the 75 minutes my sessions offer to help people. It’s a therapy which addresses the whole person with grace. When we connect, meld and bring spaciousness into awareness, the body can miraculously heal itself. The Craniosacral Therapy relaxes the body, and enhances the nervous systems body to regulate. Often, it’s a very deep and profound experience.

Today, in life, remember that there are people who are truly having a hard day. Maybe a hard life. I bring that a little deeper into my heart. How can you bring some grace into the relationship and the Moment?

Sharon Hartnett CST-D
703 509-1792

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

Back Pain Relief: Feel Better in Your Body

by SharonHartnett | Jun 29, 2024 | Craniosacral Therapy, upledger institute

Back Pain

Have you ever had a massage, then gotten up off the table and still had back pain? That’s because it’s often the case that the front absominal area needs to be addressed too. The soft belly in the front!

Massage is focused on muscles. Yet- let’s not forget that there are also organs inside which are extremely important as well. Learning anatomy and how the organs move is essential to releasing all the tension in this cavity. Sometimes the intestines or the kidneys (or other organs) can be stuck, causing less than optimal functioning and contributing to back pain. Relieving tension in the belly almost always helps the back and promote better functioning all around.

Visceral Manipulation, as taught by the Barral Institute has remedied belly and back issues for many of my clients. Listening and supporting proprioceptive communication amonst the viscera turns the body back into support mode. Motion and healthy relationship between the organs nurtures better health.

Visceral Manipulation is not massage, but rather a form of bodywork. There are massage therapists, PT’s, nurses, doctors and other manual therapists who use these techniques. Osteopath Jean-Pierre created this work to move these tools out into the world to help deepen and share the benefits. Check out the Barral Institute for more information.

Sharon Hartnett CST-D has been incorporating Visceral Work into her Craniosacral Work for many years. She has taken the first four levels and the listening classes through the Institute.

For more questions, please feel free to call Sharon at (703 509-1792)

6797 N. High St. #333 Worthington, Ohio

5564 Mink St. Johnston, Ohio

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

Healing: The Most Powerful Force Is Found in Nature

by SharonHartnett | Jun 28, 2024 | Craniosacral Therapy, Energy Healing, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, upledger institute

Healing Arises From a Place Deeper Than the Physical Body.

Healing. When we walk outside on a beautiful day, it’s easy to feel the harmony of life in nature. There is a flow, an order, and also innate structure which allows life to happen.

There exists a summation of all the individual parts that enhance the whole. The changes of the seasons, the new beginnings and endings all give us an idea of the depth of life beyond what we can even imagine. Life makes sense, yet there is still the Unknown.

The mystery. When life goes off course, miracles do happen. Quite often something which is needed gets brought into the equation to make it all work. Yet it not usually the case that we can MAKE healing happen. Rather it’s like an ingredient that is gathered in and offered. It’s the right combination. It’s the melding into unity that gives rise to strength and recovery.

With Craniosacral Therapy, and Visceral Manipulation, it is usually the listening, blending, and the gentle touch that suggests a new possibility. The invisible intelligence within connects down to the cellular level, the tissues, the organs and a whole system. I feel this with all of the people who rest on my table. Often it feels like bringing in change and a new way that opens the door for turning on shifts, growth and integration.

For clients, in between sessions, I often recommend taking off the shoes and walking through a park and feeling the earth’s grounding as life unfolds. Observe the sky which goes beyond the clouds and through space. Imagine all the things to which we are all connected. Some known, but most not.

Healing, is more than the body. It’s the life force and intelligence that is experienced throughout all of nature.

Listen to your body. Notice how you belong, and how all things fit into the pulse of life.

Sharon Hartnett CST-D at Lighten Up Therapies
703 509-1792
Worthington and Johnstown Locations

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com