How to Feel Safe in Your Body: 5 Grounding Techniques to Reduce Anxiety and Boost Well-Being

by SharonHartnett | May 3, 2025 | Craniosacral Therapy, grounding, healing, Healthy Body, mindfulness

Body Awareness with Craniosacral Therapy

The Top Benefit:

The greatest benefit of feeling safe in your body is enhanced emotional regulation. When you cultivate a sense of bodily safety, healing happens!

It’s important that when you are choosing who to work with for somatic therapy, that you interview, and take your time. Trust your intuition, and ask plenty of questions. Your healing journey truly depends on having a person to trust, and with whom you feel safe when you are on the table.

Craniosacral Therapy, in itself, is a very comforting type of somatic therapy. It begins with being present, using proven technques, and listening and melding rather than manipulating. It offers the body an opportunity to self-correct and move into wellness.

Feeling safe can:

Reduce chronic stress and anxiety, as your nervous system shifts out of “fight-or-flight” mode
Increase resilience, enabling you to face life’s challenges with calm and clarity
Improve relationships, because you’re more present, compassionate, and able to listen deeply
Boost overall well-being, with better sleep, digestion, and energy levels

5 ways to Ground and feel more safe:

1. Stand Outside barefoot and feel how the earth supports you.

2. Mindfully breathe and notice the sensations in your body.

3. Exercise

4. Pat your body from feet to your head.

5. Eat and taste. Listen and hear the music of nature. Touch a tree!

It’s possible to re-build a sensation of “safe” inside again.

Upledger Craniosacral Therapy near me: Check out the Upledger Institute

Breath Freely again with an Upledger Certified Craniosacral Therapist’s kind touch!

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

614 653-8111

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

How Can We Manifest a Great Health Care System Together?

by SharonHartnett | 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

614 653-8111

To find out more about craniosacral therapy check out my Main Page.

How to Feel Awesome? Releasing the barriers to Healing

by SharonHartnett | Mar 3, 2025 | change, Craniosacral Therapy, Energy Healing, healing, healthy, Healthy Body, love, upledger institute

Creating an Awesome Life from Within

Unlocking the Awsome in Your Life!

“Be Still and Know”. A quote by Dr. William Sutherland sums it up best.

Right now in the world, there is so much chaos and a push to divide. I have clients who are cancelling because they are breaking away from those whom they love, and they don’t want to drive back up here because it’s too emotionally painful. Families and friends are fighting because they are so involved with the outer conflicts in the world, but don’t remember how to find peace inside.

If you want to re-discover your awesome Self, it may take some quieting down and mindfulness. Healer- you must learn to heal yourself before you can mend breaks that you don’t understand.

As a Wellness guide and a Craniosacral Therapist, I would recommend acknowledging releasing and transforming any obstacles that are in the way of feeling your awesome self. Bring awareness to your breath and breathe, connect with your body, and deeper wisdom. Some tools you can use are: self-inquiry (check out www.thework.com ), connect to nature and grounding. Most importantly, remember compassion over judgment and the power of community and service connection!

When the world is feeling loud, it’s enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed, fearful, angry or lost. If you are feeling that way, know that your emotions are valid. They are your understanding about how you feel. However if they are keeping you get stuck move forward with some help.

Take some time to breathe, and to slow down. It’s there that you can anchor it to your inner resources.

If you are having a difficult time doing this by yourself, an ally can help. Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle manual approach to working with the body to alleviate chronic stress. It’s great in helping to release physical barriers to deeper healing, but also with Somato-Emotional Release, it can help move that energy that is keeping you feeling stuck and upset.

Your inner wisdom knows how to ground and release. It’s just sometimes easeir to have someone help facilitate the process.

To learn more about Craniosacral Therapy, check out www.Upledger.com. It’s a fantastic way to awaken your awesome self again.

If you are local to the Columbus, Ohio area, give me a call, and I offer free 15 minute phone for any Craniosacral Therapy questions you may have.

Move from overwhelm into the Best Verstion of yourself. You can Do it!

Warmly,

Sharon Hartnett

614 653-8111

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

For google reviews: https://g.co/kgs/v2UxQEt

How to Best Express Your Emotions Effectively

by SharonHartnett | Feb 9, 2025 | Craniosacral Therapy, Energy Healing, fear, grounding, healing, Healthy Body

The Transformation of Raw Emotions Into Emotional Intelligence

Speaking to Neurodivergence

Living with a neurodivergent mind can come with a range of emotions and challenges. As each individual is unique, this can show up in many ways. When I speak of neurodivergence, I am referring to those of us who cognitively process information differently than neurotypical thinkers. This can include:

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Unique social communication challenges, sensory sensitivities, and repetitive behaviors. I recommend the Telepathy Tapes to learn more about this.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Features of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
Dyslexia: Difficulty with language skills, especially reading.
Dyscalculia: Difficulty with performing basic arithmetic.
Dyspraxia: Issues related to physical coordination.
Tourette’s Syndrome: Involuntary, repetitive movements and vocalizations.
Down’s Syndrome: Genetic disorder causing developmental and intellectual delays.

Stress, in particular, among neurodivert people may play a big part in keeping neurodivergent thinkers feeling isolated and alone. Our feelings, emotions, and expressions can easily be misunderstood or misinterpreted. However, as we learn to understand our raw and vulnerable selves better, and also as more people learn to understand and accept people who seem different, for the whole, it allows for more diversity and creativity. We each have our gifts as well. Neurodivergent thinkers can actually be super creative out of the box thinkers, and help come up with innovate ideas to help resolve problems.

Common issues with Emotions with Neurodivergence:

Social Anxiety

I know that sometimes just being in the same space as other people alerts the nervous system into hypersensitivity. A neurodivergent person could end up feeling sensory overload when they detect conflict or too much energy around them. Maybe it is pressure to perform or to look like everyone else. Maybe coming up with words to communicate is hard. In this case, the healing response might be to ground or to limit overstimulation so that we can feel safe in our emotions.

Time Management

It may be difficult to keep focused or on schedule. People may become impatient or uncomfortable if they don’t understand or feel at ease with the boundaries and patterns which are unfamiliar. Especially with procrastination. It’s easy for people to think we are lazy or that we don’t want to partipate, or do the work. For healing, it’s important to realize that everyone is organized differently and healthy processing time for some may be to do nothing until ready to make the next move.

Self Blame

It’s easy to blame oneself when others who are neurotypical don’t understand why we don’t have the same social cues or regulation. Many neurodivergent people might believe they are the problem, when actually they are not. They are just different. It’s vital they they are reflected back as valuable in their authenticity and contributions. They should not have to “mask” in order to be accepted or valued. Once we all see the light in each other, the more the Whole can evolve.

Emotional Woundings

Neurodivergent individuals can feel emotionally chaotic at time. Their experiences may feel more hightened, and they don’t know the best way to respond. It’s important that they find supportive people to help them to understand. In today’s world, sometime emotions get a bad wrap. I’d suggest that many neurodivergent thinkers are actually more emotionally mature if they decide to work through what comes up for them. They have to work and move through so much more. It’s an art and a skill to relate when it doesn’t come easily.

Physically

They may need more rest and down time to integrate with introspection.

Unique Communication Styles

While neurodivergent people may not always communicate in ways that others expect, their style can bring fresh insights or directness. For example, individuals on the autism spectrum might be incredibly honest and straightforward, offering clarity in situations where others might shy away from being so direct.

Being good at understanding and managing emotions can be a challenge for neurotypical thinkers. However, with healthy support, they can learn how to deal with life and make better decisions based on their unique perspectives in life. Being mindful, as we learn to stay more in the moment, and get to know ourselves, moving from stress to emotional intelligence moves us and humanity forward. We are all in this thing called humanity together.

If you are interested in a body centered therapy to help you to ground, feel more embodied and integrated, check out the Upledger Institute for a therapist near you.

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

614 653-8111

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

3 Big Benefits of Receiving Structural Integration Therapy

by SharonHartnett | Jan 24, 2025 | better posture, Craniosacral Therapy, Energy Healing, Healthy Body, Massage, mindfulness, move effortlessly, Structural Integration

How Structural Integration Chose Me.

The miracles of fascia work.

Structural Integration really helped me when I was in my 30’s after having children. My body was so out of alignment, especially after carrying children on my hip and bending over so much. The smartest thing I did was to find a local Rolfer. After 10 sessions, I felt so much longer and spacious, I decided to study it with another local teacher, John Latz for 18 months.

When I lived in the Washington DC area, and Florida, I had a wonderful private practice where I did mostly Structural Integration for many years. Eventually though, as I began to get older, I decided to move more into the Craniosacral Therapy because it’s easier on the body. What I liked about this transition is that both consider the fascia and have similar benefit, but the technques are different. Also, neither are truly considered massage, but instead manual therapy with their own unique perspective to healing.

For about the last 15 years, I have lived in the Columbus, Ohio area, and my primary focus is the Upledger Craniosacral Sessions. However, I still take into account the perspective of structural integration and stacking the body in alignment with the efforlessness of gravity consideration. Also, by addressing imbalances in posture, through the series, even with a gentle approach, it helps to reduce strain on muscles, joints, ligaments and lends to comfort in daily living. By working with the fasica, both in SI work and Craniosacral Therapy, we can help release restrictions, and unzip the body into new possibilities.

Three benefits I see often are:

1. More energy

2. Better Balance

3. Improved Circulation and Motion

I believe that fascia is an incredible system that is still being uncovered and understood. However, therapist have known this for a long time. We have witnessed the strength and power of change with the fascia over and over again.

As I stated, I no longer do primarily Structural Integration, but I do “integrate” it into my Craniosacral Work. It’s much more gentle, and more inclusive with its attention on the Craniosacral System and the rhthym. I do sort of a combination with the fascial awareness. It’s all about letting go of stress can creating a better environment for healing.

If you would like to find out more about how I work, I do offer a free 15 phone consultation.

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.

How to Develop a Good Plan for Stress Management

by SharonHartnett | Jan 24, 2025 | Craniosacral Therapy, Energy Healing, grounding, healing, healthy, Healthy Body, meditation, mind body & spirit, mindfulness

Who needs stress?

Well, stress can be beneficial. It can help your performance in any part of your life if it is used in a positive way. However, chronic stress is a different matter. Long-term stress can be a major contributor to numerous health problems.

Fortunately, there are some tools that you can learn to help you stay healthy in your mind and body connection. Addressing stress as soon as possible can significantly shift your mindset. An intentional practice of committing to self-care can help avoid or minimize anxiety, depression, cardiovascular diseases and chronic pain.

If you haven’t already come up with a plan for stress managment, here are a few ideas:

Mindfulness, prayer and meditation can help reduce cortisol levels and bring one to center. This is a practice of becoming fully aware in the moment through experience and observation. Curiousity also helps set the stage for discovering inner peace.
Holistic and Complementary practices like Craniosacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation, Acupuncture have shown to be very helpful with stress management.
Breathing Exercises can shift you more into a calm state. One that I recommend is breathing in to a slow count of 4, exhale to 6 and pause. In your practice continue to lengthen the pause at the end of the exhale. Also, practice diaphragmatic breathing, imagining your breath filling the whole ribcage as it expands and contracts. Allow the breath to move all the way to the pelvic floor.
Check with your physician about the Role of Nutrition: omega 3, magnesium and certaine B vitamins support brain health, and help to regulate emotions.
Sleep. It’s so important to get enough rest. When you sleep well your brain is able to clear through the glymphatic system. This can help you to feel much better restored, and to heal. A good sleep routine is imperative to good health.

Being in a Healing Practice for close to 30 years, I have seen so many people with chronic stress.I want you to know that it’s possible to step away from that. However, it does mean making a choice to change your life. Your power comes in the form of doing things that bring you back to your balanced and healthy Self.

If you have any questions, how I can help you as a Craniosacral Therapist, I offer a free 15 phone consultation.

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

614 653-8111

Serving the Columbus Ohio Area

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