How to Free Yourself through Breath

by TheMediaCaptain@gmail.com | Jun 7, 2025 | Craniosacral Therapy, fear, grounding, healing, healthy, mindfulness

The Breath: A Path to Healing and Inner Calm

By Sharon Hartnett CST-D | Craniosacral Therapist in Columbus, Ohio

🌬️ The Sacred Breath of Life

Why do so many of us hold our breath—or barely breathe at all? As a Craniosacral Therapist in Columbus, Ohio, I’ve asked this question for years. I see it daily in my clients… and I’ve seen it in myself too.

Shallow breathing has become the norm in our fast-paced world. But our breath holds the key to a more relaxed, resilient, and nourished life.

🌱 My Journey to Breathing Better

Years ago, I enrolled in a yoga teacher training course, partly to deepen my understanding of breathwork. I enjoyed it, but honestly—I didn’t keep up with the practices. They didn’t quite stick.

Later, I read Breath by James Nestor, and it sparked something deeper in me. I tried mouth taping at night (as he suggests), and noticed my jaw relaxed, and I breathed through my nose more often. But again… I fell off the routine.

Creating new habits takes effort, and I’ll admit—like many of us—I didn’t always make it a priority.

✨ A Turning Point: Breath & Awareness

Eventually, I discovered a breathwork teacher who helped me realize something important:
My exhale was restricted, and the pause after exhaling was even harder. But through consistent practice, I noticed improvement. My breath began to shift, my awareness deepened.

More recently, I took a five-hour course on The Breath and Digestion with Nikki Kenward and another brilliant teacher. This time, it landed differently. The experience was informative and embodied—helping me understand how deeply the breath is connected to our digestive health and nervous system regulation.

With mindful breathing, gentle touch, and a calm presence, I could feel my body soften and re-energize.

🧘‍♀️ Breathing in My Craniosacral Practice

I’ve shared simple breathing techniques with clients for years, but this workshop gave me new insight. Breathing—especially with awareness—can support digestion, emotional healing, and a balanced nervous system.

Now, I’m weaving breathwork more intentionally into my Craniosacral Therapy sessions. When clients tune in to their breath, it opens the door to inner wisdom, subtle motion, and profound relaxation.

💡 Why Breathing Efficiently Matters

Efficient breathing means slow, intentional, and diaphragmatic breathing. Here’s why it’s so powerful:

🌿 Physical Benefits

Better oxygen flow: Nourishes tissues and supports healing

Improved posture: Strengthens the diaphragm and core

Lower blood pressure & heart rate: Activates the parasympathetic response

Enhanced digestion: Calms gut tension and supports regularity

More energy: Oxygen supports every cell in the body

🧠 Mental & Emotional Benefits

Reduces anxiety: Signals safety to the nervous system

Increases focus and clarity: Breath calms the mental chatter

Supports emotional balance: Builds capacity to respond, not react

🛌 Nervous System & Sleep Support

Moves you from “fight or flight” to “rest and digest”

Improves sleep quality and supports gentle recovery

🌼 A Simple Practice to Begin: The 4-6 Breath

This is one of my favorite practices to return to—especially when feeling anxious or disconnected.

The 4-6 Breath

When to use: Morning, bedtime, or anytime you need calm.

Sit comfortably or lie down

Inhale gently through your nose for 4 seconds

Exhale slowly through your mouth or nose for 6 seconds

Repeat for 2–5 minutes (or longer if you’d like)

Optional: Place one hand on your chest, one on your belly. Let the belly rise more than the chest. This signals the nervous system to soften.

💗 Closing Reflections

I still return to this truth: Breath is medicine.

Breathing mindfully—especially with longer exhales—helps us release fear, calm anxiety, and reset the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in our system. I can feel it shift my mindset and open space for healing.

If you’re on a healing journey, whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually, try reconnecting with your breath. And if you need support, I’m here.

Let’s explore how Craniosacral Therapy and mindful breathing can help you feel more whole, more connected, and more at ease in your body.

With breath and presence,
Sharon Hartnett CST-D
Craniosacral Therapist Columbus Ohio
📍 Worthington, Ohio
📞 614-653-8111
🌐 www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

How Craniosacral Therapy Helps Your Nervous System heal from Chronic Stress

by TheMediaCaptain@gmail.com | May 22, 2025 | Craniosacral Therapy, healing, healthy, Healthy Body, mind body & spirit, mindfulness, upledger institute

How Craniosacral Therapy helps the Nervous System

Your body has an innate intelligence which knows how to heal. But when stress is constant, your ability to function optimally decreases. Craniosacral Therapy can help the body get out of the fight-or-flight response that can occur after a stress overfload. By encouraging the parasympathetic system to shift louder so to speak, the body can create a space for self-repair.

My clients often report:

A noticeable release of jaw or neck and head tension
A sense of inner stillness and calm as the nervous system calms down.
Improved sleep and digestion
Fewer stress-related flare-ups
Deep relaxation throughout the whole mind and body.

Why Chronic Stress Needs a gentle approach

Stress is not taking space only in your head, but it affects the whole body as well. The tissues, the organs and all those miraculous things that keep you alive and well do better when they come into balance. Craniosacral Therapy is considerate, welcoming and the techniques are very supportive to good health. The nervous system has the chance to optimize and create harmony in the whole body.

Find Relief in Columbus, Ohio

At Lighten Up Therapies in Columbus, craniosacral therapy is offered with skill and care. Whether you’re living with long-term anxiety or just feel like your body needs a reset, CST can help restore your nervous system to feel a deeper sense of safety and ease.

Ready to reconnect with calm?

Contact Sharon Hartnett CST-D at 614 653-8111.

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

To find a Craniosacral Therapist anywhere in the world, check out the Upledger Institute.

Nothing Exists Alone: Embracing Connection as a Path to Wholeness

by TheMediaCaptain@gmail.com | May 19, 2025 | change, craniosacral, Craniosacral Therapy, healing, healthy, Healthy Body, mindfulness

Through mindfulness and the recognition that everything exists with connection, we begin to heal. Not just ourselves. But also our relationships in the world around us.

When we become mindful of how everything lives in connection, the universe shifts into a deeper mutual place of compassion. Truly discovering that we are not isolated objects is a powerful realization. That’s something we could all use just about now.

It’s not so simple that we are just individuals moving through separate experiences. From the breath we take to the words we speak, our lives are constantly woven into a larger web of interdependence. From the quantum level to how the butterfly effects of one choice changes everything.

I bring this up because as a Craniosacral Therapist, working in Columbus, Ohio, I find that awakening to the bigger picture brings about deep healing, growth and evolution.

Because we are so ingrained to believe in separatness and individuality, we forget that there is more richness in inter-dependence and mutual help and support. Yes, we have a sense of independence, but we are also here in mutuality and connection.

When I work with clients, often I feel that there seems to be a “part” that is dysfunctional. yet as my hands listen, and notice- the other fluids, tissues and systems come into play in the healing process. Nothing can heal in separation or parts. What seems like a problem is actually an expression of something waiting to change and move toward connection, Mostly, I manually wait for the deeper inner intelligence of the body to reconnect and remember the innate wholensss that lives in everything. Other times, the client may speak about past experiences of trauma that are ripe enough to heal. I trust whatever happens to bring the “pieces” back together into the present.

There is always more to us than we ever imagined. To self-realize and discover the value of reaching beyond is a compassionate and wise way to live and grow. Not only for our own personal journeys, but also knowing that each choice we make ripples across the Universe. We all matter. Everything we do counts. Being mindful changes everything.

To learn more about Mindfulness and Connection, check out: www.hakomi.com

To find out more about Craniosacral Therapy, check out: www.upledger.com

Sharon Hartnett CST-d

703 509-1792

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

How to Release Stress from Your Body: 10 Proven Techniques for Immediate Relief

by TheMediaCaptain@gmail.com | Mar 29, 2025 | craniosacral, Craniosacral Therapy, healing, healthy, mind body & spirit, upledger institute

Finding Balance with the 10 step protocol: How Craniosacral Therapy Supports Nervous System Healing and give you Relief.

When healing from concussions, persistent headaches, migraines, or traumatic brain injuries, finding relief can feel like an endless journey. Craniosacral therapy offers a gentle yet powerful approach to supporting your nervous system’s natural healing process. Let me share how this subtle but effective technique may help you find the balance your body seeks.

Understanding Your Body’s Healing Rhythm

Your craniosacral system—the membranes and fluid that surround your brain and spinal cord—has its own natural rhythm. After head trauma or neurological stress, this delicate system can become restricted, potentially contributing to ongoing symptoms and discomfort.

Craniosacral therapy works by using gentle touch—typically no more than the weight of a nickel—to detect and release these restrictions. By tuning into your body’s subtle rhythms, a skilled therapist helps restore flow and balance to your central nervous system.

Supporting Recovery from Head Injuries.

After a concussion or TBI, your brain needs optimal conditions to heal. The gentle nature of craniosacral therapy makes it particularly suitable for those with head injuries, where even slight pressure can sometimes trigger symptoms.

Many clients report improvements in several areas:

Reduced headache frequency and intensity
Decreased sensitivity to light and sound
Improved sleep quality
Enhanced mental clarity and focus
Reduced anxiety and stress responses

Breaking the Cycle of Migraines and Chronic Headaches

For those suffering from recurring migraines or tension headaches, craniosacral therapy addresses potential root causes rather than just managing symptoms. By releasing restrictions in the cranial bones, neck, and spine, this therapy helps reduce pressure on sensitive nerves and improves cerebrospinal fluid circulation.

The result? Many experience fewer headaches with less reliance on medication.

Creating Space for Healing to help you find Relief.

What makes craniosacral therapy unique is its respect for your body’s innate wisdom. Rather than forcing change, your therapist creates a safe environment where your nervous system can shift from “fight or flight” to “rest and repair” mode—essential for true healing to occur.

This gentle approach is particularly valuable for those whose systems are already overwhelmed by pain or trauma. The sessions themselves often provide immediate relief, with many clients reporting a deep sense of relaxation and well-being.

Finding the Right Practitioner to help you have relief from pain and stress.

The effectiveness of craniosacral therapy depends significantly on your practitioner’s skill and experience, particularly when dealing with neurological conditions. Look for therapists with specialized training in treating concussions and neurological issues, and don’t hesitate to ask about their experience with your specific condition.

If you’re struggling with the effects of head trauma, persistent headaches, or migraines, consider adding craniosacral therapy to your recovery toolkit. This gentle approach might be the missing piece in your healing journey, helping your nervous system find its way back to balance and well-being.

How to find Pain Relief with Listening and Gentle Touch

by TheMediaCaptain@gmail.com | Mar 22, 2025 | Craniosacral Therapy, healing, healthy, upledger institute

The Profound Benefits of Safe and Gentle Touch: A Craniosacral Perspective

First, lets begin with the concept that your Body is always listening. Touch is very informative and can be quite healing.

In a world that often moves too fast, where stress and disconnection have become the norm, the power of safe and gentle touch is profoundly healing. As a craniosacral therapist, I witness daily how subtle, nurturing touch can create profound positive shifts—not just in the body but in the mind and spirit as well.

Why Safe and Gentle Touch Matters

Touch is one of the first ways we experience connection as human beings. From infancy, we seek comfort, warmth, and reassurance through the gentle embrace of a caregiver. As we grow, touch continues to shape our nervous system, influencing our ability to feel safe, balanced, and present in the world.

Safe and gentle touch—such as that used in craniosacral therapy—engages the body’s innate healing intelligence. Dr. John Upledger calls this the Inner Wisdom. It communicates a sense of safety to the nervous system, helping to shift from states of stress and survival to deep relaxation and restoration.

The Science Behind Healing Touch

When we experience safe, non-invasive touch, several physiological responses occur:

Activation of the Parasympathetic Nervous System – Gentle touch signals the body to shift from fight-or-flight mode into rest-and-digest mode, reducing cortisol levels and promoting deep relaxation.
Release of Oxytocin – Sometimes called the “bonding hormone,” oxytocin fosters trust, emotional regulation, and feelings of security. Think of a mother holding her child with love.
Pain Reduction – Light touch stimulates mechanoreceptors in the skin, which can decrease pain perception and enhance overall comfort. When touch is light, the body does not have to defend and the pain can just slip away.
Enhanced Circulation and Lymphatic Flow – Gentle touch supports the body’s natural detoxification processes, helping to reduce inflammation and improve immune function.
Balancing the Craniosacral Rhythm – In craniosacral therapy, delicate hands-on techniques support the movement of cerebrospinal fluid, enhancing the body’s ability to self-correct and heal. This touch can be anywhere on the body as the rhythm can be felt globally through the fluids and the tissues.

Emotional and Spiritual Benefits of Gentle Touch

Beyond the physical benefits, safe touch fosters emotional well-being and deepens our connection to ourselves and others. Many people carry unprocessed emotions or trauma within the tissues and fluids of the body, often manifesting as tension, anxiety, or chronic pain. When touch is applied with intention, it can create a profound sense of being seen, held, and supported—sometimes in ways words cannot express.

This is especially important in a world where so many feel isolated. Safe touch reminds us that we are not alone, that we are worthy of care, and that healing happens in connection.

Bringing More Gentle Touch into Your Life

You don’t have to be a therapist to offer or receive the benefits of healing touch. Simple acts—like placing a hand on your heart, offering a mindful hug, or resting a hand on a loved one’s shoulder—can have a powerful impact. Also breathing slowly and deeply with mindful gentle touch can be soothing as well.

If you’re seeking a deeper experience of healing through touch, craniosacral therapy provides a safe, non-invasive approach that honors the body’s wisdom and innate ability to heal.

Your body is always listening. How will you speak to it today?

How Can We Manifest a Great Health Care System Together?

by TheMediaCaptain@gmail.com | Mar 10, 2025 | Craniosacral Therapy, grounding, healing, healthy, Healthy Body, mind body & spirit, mindfulness, upledger institute

What kind of Health Care Model Would you like to see in the United States?

Reimagining Healthcare: A Vision for a System That Truly Cares

What would the perfect health care system look like for you? Imagine a world where health care is truly about healing, prevention, and well-being—not just treating symptoms. Let’s manifest this together!

Today, I’m reflecting on healthcare reform, especially with new discussions happening at the national level. What would an ideal health care system offer? What do people truly need to live healthier, happier lives?

Here are some key ideas to consider:

1. Doctors Who Listen & Treat the Whole Person

Health care should be patient-centered, not profit-driven. Imagine doctors who have time to sit with you, listen to your story, and treat the root cause of illness—not just prescribe medications. Functional medicine doctors already do this, but what if they were affordable and covered by insurance? The more proactive we are with our health, the better outcomes (and lower costs) we’ll have in the long run.

2. Holistic Wellness & Preventative Care

Chronic stress is at the root of many illnesses. Every person should have access to nutritionists, naturopaths, homeopaths, and osteopaths—because prevention is more effective than waiting until things spiral out of control.

3. Pay Health care Workers for Keeping Us Healthy

Right now, the system profits from illness, not wellness. What if doctors and healthcare workers were rewarded for keeping people healthy instead of for expensive treatments? Imagine a system where the better we feel, the higher they are paid—flipping the current profit-driven model on its head.

4. Manual Therapies for Stress Relief & Well-Being

Chiropractic care, craniosacral therapy, massage, physical therapy, and structural integration should all be included in health care plans. These therapies help with alignment, relaxation, and overall wellness. Even just one session a week could reduce stress and prevent future health issues.

5. Alternative & Energy Healing Options

Energy healing, health retreats, and mind-body practices like yoga, Pilates, and Gyrotonics should be part of a well-rounded healthcare system. Programs that support joy and emotional well-being are just as vital as traditional medicine.

6. Clean, Transparent Food Supply

It’s time to eliminate harmful chemicals in our food. Transparency in labeling should be a standard, and access to nutritious, whole foods should be easier and more affordable for everyone.

7. Prioritizing Rest & Vacation

True health includes balance, downtime, and joy. Anyone working full-time should have access to paid time off to recharge and spend time with loved ones—because burnout isn’t healthy.

8. Mental Health Support for All

Imagine a world where therapy and mental health care are covered for everyone. People struggling with depression, anxiety, isolation, or trauma should have access to therapists, social workers, and healers—without worrying about the cost.

9. Accessible & Compassionate Senior Care

Hospitals, clinics, and telehealth services should be well-staffed, especially in rural areas. Elderly individuals should be able to stay in their homes affordably, without being forced out due to real estate taxes or lack of care. Younger generations could even volunteer to support seniors, fostering a sense of community.

10. Treating Every Person as a Valued Human Being

Above all, a great health care system treats people as whole, worthy individuals. When people are truly seen, heard, and cared for, humanity transforms.

What would your ideal healthcare system look like? Let’s start the conversation and manifest a healthier future together. You can also find out more about Craniosacral Treatments at www.upledger.com.

Tell me what matters to you?

💛 Sharon Hartnett CST-D
📞 703-509-1792
🌐 www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com