Pediatric Massage: Working with Children
A Craniosacral Perspective towards working with Children~
One thing that I read from Dr. Valeria Hunt, Ph.D’s, foreword, to “Cell Talk” by Dr. John Upledger, D.O., has stuck in my mind because of its wisdom and love for children. As she and Dr. John often enjoyed mutual conversations about consciousness and awareness, they similarly challenged old paradigms, and opened up conversations into the vastness of all probabilities. One can see how they appreciated enjoyed working with children as she describes her thoughts as such, “I would love to see John’s concepts of inner awareness developed and taught to children before their consciousness has become concretized by material problems. The complete healthy human being will be in a conversation with the hidden information of his consciousness placed there primarily by the experiences in this life and other lifehoods with only “tendency matrices” for the genes.” In my opinion this is a fabulously intelligent way to work with children because the earlier they are released from negative thinking and experiencing harmful patterns, the matrix of life that appears before them will be exponentially more navigable, unfettered and living in the emptiness of Now. Presence and listening allows the dualistic story to unfold. When this energy is released from the energy system of the child, new pathways emerge, leaving behind the imbalances and disturbances that could have stimulated dysfunction or disease. Dr. John Upledger brought his teachings of open dialoguing and imagination to a science based Craniosacral therapy that is able to break down the barriers of limited thinking by standing freely in the Universe of All Things.
Pediatric Massage
As a Certified Advanced Craniosacral Therapist, I have found a deliciousness in the melding of Science and Making oneself open to the Unknown. While I mostly begin early sessions with the basic Protocol formulated by Dr. John, I have discovered that it is indeed possible to use the Craniosacral Rhythm and its intelligence to investigate and explore the consciousness Within. With children, there is a simple curiosity that accompanies a Craniosacral Session that opens doors to health and expansion and absolutely discards the disease process. Children are like open rosebuds, waiting for life to nurture them and direct them in the material world. They are often not as attached to the way things turn out as much as they are to what is naturally occurring within the moment. This can easily be palpated in the tissues. The slightest of touch and intention can quickly release a minor blip or a chaotic pattern. While listening to a child’s system, a seasoned Craniosacral Therapist can ask the rhythm to turn “off” is something significant is occurring, or to stay on when things are moving along nicely. Because the Craniosacral system is so interlaced with the functioning of the nervous system, it is easy to understand that this from of dialogue can create positive longlasting changes that will promote health and wellbeing.
So how does this work? I’ll give some examples of case studies where I have worked with children. Once I was working with a child whose mother had been left as a child. She did not have an inner resource for mothering. After quite a bit of hand-on craniosacral therapy work with the baby, the child was making better eye contact, engaging more with sound, relating better in an overall sense. Meanwhile, the mother had some sessions too which brought her more inward and better grounded in places where she did not engage in her youth. Both the mother and baby could approach their relationship in a more trusting and sensitive way. Another child that I held recently was born to a mother who was addicted to drugs. As I held the baby, I could feel the places along her spine where there was restriction. I gentle used my intention to lengthen the dural tube between the occiput and sacrum and she cooed and smiled as restrictions were released. I could easily feel a deeper and stronger connection along her spine. With more movement and connection, that little girl will no longer need to organize her tissues around adhesions or shortening in the segments that were not in their full operation mode. I have also worked with older children with disabilities. I have seen them do better in school after the temporal bones sutures were released and the falx tentorium was freed up.
Children are at their best when their bodies are awakening to the interconnections within. Freeing up the structure and listening to the fluidity and supporting that movement through dialogues and listening can bring tremendous relief to children with challenges, illnesses, and stress. Dr. John Upledger brought the gift of an open mind and an intent to dance with joy in the body’s Craniosacral system. It is with pleasure that I take this model of healing and employ it in my day to day work with clients. Following the intelligence of your body’s systems and being in service to the movement towards health is my honor.
For more information on Pediatric Craniosacral Therapy, please call:
Sharon Hartnett LMT Cell: 740 966-5153