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.

7 Ways That Craniosacral Therapy Has Helped My Clients Feel Better

by SharonHartnett | Jan 19, 2025 | craniosacral, Craniosacral Therapy, Energy Healing, mindfulness, stillpoint

7 Ways Craniosacral Therapy Has Helped My Clients Feel Better

Many people report positive experiences with craniosacral therapy, though the reasons vary. It’s often described as deeply relaxing, and many find it helpful for headaches, chronic pain, stress, anxiety, and even emotional release. Overall, craniosacral therapy is a unique, holistic healing journey with a lot of benefits. Here are the ones my clients mention most.

1. Deep Relaxation and Stress Relief

Most people find this work deeply calming. The gentle, hands-on approach, together with the slow, rhythmic nature of the therapy, helps activate the body’s relaxation response in the nervous system. That can mean a reduction in stress, less muscle tension, and a sense of overall wellbeing.
People often describe feeling more relaxed after a session — some say “lighter and more spacious inside,” and more grounded.

2. Chronic Pain Relief

Many people with chronic pain — neck pain, migraines, back pain — have found relief through craniosacral therapy. The gentle listening and quiet nudge of support to the craniosacral system can ease tension and let muscles and fascia relax.
Clients with headaches, especially those caused by tension or stress, often report fewer headaches or less intensity after sessions.

3. Improved Sleep

Many people sleep better after a session, which likely comes from the relaxation and stress reduction. Better sleep quality helps people feel more rested and energized in the days that follow. Sleep is when the brain clears, so good sleeping habits matter too.

4. Enhanced Emotional Wellbeing

Some people experience emotional releases or breakthroughs during SomatoEmotional Release sessions — a surge of feeling, or a deeper sense of emotional clarity afterward. This is tied to the deep relaxation and subtle bodywork: when fascial tension leaves and the cranial rhythm comes to a stillpoint, pent-up tension and emotional blocks can let go. I pair this with somatic, trauma-informed work when it’s needed.
Clients often tell me they feel more emotionally balanced or have an improved mood, especially if they came in struggling with stress, anxiety, or trauma.

5. Better Mobility

For musculoskeletal issues, craniosacral therapy can improve mobility and range of motion where there’s stiffness or restriction. People with TMJ dysfunction or postural imbalances often notice more flexibility and less stiffness. Higher-level craniosacral therapists trained in mouthwork can follow the tissues and the rhythm to unwind and restore structural balance in the cranium.

6. A General Sense of Feeling Well

Proactive health is best. Even people without a specific complaint often report an increased sense of wellbeing after a session. The treatment is calming and restorative, which is why many come simply to relax and support their general health.

7. Support for Emotional and Physical Healing

Craniosacral therapy can be a helpful companion to medical treatment, especially in trauma recovery or long-term health challenges. People with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, or PTSD have found it to be a supportive, calming presence in their healing. The same is true after concussion or injury.

Why Do People Report These Experiences?

It’s interesting. The Western medical system doesn’t have a strong understanding of fascia or the craniosacral system, and some people dismiss it as the placebo effect. Most craniosacral therapists are heart-centered, caring people who pay compassionate attention to their clients — maybe that’s part of it. But isn’t that true of most medical treatments and medicines? They work for some people and not all. Craniosacral therapy is an experience, and it’s based on real anatomy and physiology, like any medical treatment. It’s a hands-on manual approach that happens to be profound and far-reaching, and it’s individualized because it supports your unique system to heal. If you want the mechanics, I explain them in What Does Craniosacral Therapy Do?

The relaxation response: The slow, gentle nature of this work activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the rest-and-digest side — lowering heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension, so you feel more at ease.

Therapeutic touch: Human touch, especially when it’s gentle and non-invasive, has real psychological and physiological effects. Being listened to and cared for, combined with touch, can trigger a sense of healing or comfort. How many times in our past were our real needs met? And how do we change our body’s response to that kind of connection?

A holistic approach: Craniosacral therapy considers the connections between body, mind, and emotions. When we work one-on-one, there’s a special connection between the therapist and the nervous system of the person on the table. It’s a process of healing everything in us that’s human. Everything is interconnected.

There are a lot of questions in the medical field about craniosacral therapy. In a system based on what we can see, it’s hard for people to imagine that listening to the body and helping it self-correct is realistic. But if you open your mind, there are so many possibilities. Why limit your beliefs about healing?

On a Realistic Note

Craniosacral therapy can feel magical, and deep transformation happens often. At the same time, some people don’t “get it.” It takes a certain awareness to receive, and enough trust to sense the changes that are happening. As a therapist I can feel things even when you can’t yet. This work is profound, but it does take a certain sensitivity to understand its benefits. Even so, most people feel more deeply relaxed and appreciative by the end of a treatment.

Ready to feel better? I’m Sharon Hartnett, a Diplomate-Certified Craniosacral Therapist (CST-D) through the Upledger Institute, with about 30 years of experience listening to the body and helping it heal. My office is in Worthington, Ohio, and I serve the greater Columbus area.

If you’re curious whether this gentle work is right for you, I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation. Call or text me at (614) 653-8111.

Learn more about craniosacral therapy in Columbus, read answers to common questions about craniosacral therapy, or find out how to choose the best craniosacral therapist for you.

Unlocking Your Next Timeline: How to Shift Your Best Life Path

by SharonHartnett | Jan 18, 2025 | change, craniosacral, Craniosacral Therapy, Energy Healing, healing, healthy, Healthy Body, Spiritual Healing, trauma

What is Jumping a Timeline?

How did this idea of a Jumping Timeline arise? This shift of consciousness is part of the Great Awakening. I have been in the world of Energy Healing for about 30 years. I came from a 4 dimensional Healing Model based on Barbara Brennan’s work in “Hands of Light” and also studied and taught at her school. Things have changed greatly in the last 30 years. Minds have opened. Reality has shifted dramatically.

At that time in the 1990’s, the Barbara Brennan School of Healing was a vital “transformer” of consciousness. Barbara brought many of the eastern principles to the West to open the portal for the change of consciousness. Time was spent on healingn oneself, and our relationships as well. Thousands of people across the globe went to her school to learn and to open up. Even now- being part of that Energy Capsule brings a great perspective of looking at healing in the physical, the auric field, the haric field and in the Core Start (Divine Indivuated You).

More recently though, I heard so much about “Jumping Timelines” and I noticed it showing up so much in spiritual discussions and in books. Well also on Tic Toc with the teaching of Bashar. Lots of younger people seem convinced that we can jump timelines by just imagining our best selves. Kind of like looking at a book with many chapters. With each chapter as one possible version of how things can be. When you skip to the other, reality shifts. This means your reality is fluid and can shift, creating new possibilities. This paradigm reminds me a bit of Joe Dispenza’s work of transformation into a new personality and a new life.

Personally, I am still grappling, not with the understanding from my POV, but that of what do these other people mean? Are they personally experiencing timeline shifts? What does that look like for these individuals?

Questions: For people, does it mean setting an intention? Does it mean visualizing and making a new choice? Is this about the multiverse and quantum physics? How much do we truly understand this? Even with AI… How much do our ordinary mindset’s open up to how vast the processing of consciousness and technology can be? We are in the midst of great change here on earth now. Do you feel it? Big changes within human consciousness and all of life is at a tipping point. Where will this take us?

I believe that all of this is fascinating. I stay so curious about all the possibilities. The smartest thing I know about myself is how much I “don’t know”. Life is about living in the mystery and living in the moment if we want to live fully.

At the same time, I just don’t think humanity is at a point where we can force our thinking to taking us to the next level. There are many levels of consciousness that need to align first. We need to find a way to free ourselves from attachment to the past, and fear of the future. I am not suggesting forgetting again, but integrating! To move to the next timeline means gaining clarity and find effortless in the new moment as Eckart Tolle teaches.

Instead, right now-I think we are living on a planet where there is deep duality still. There’s so much suffering, pain and trauma. It’s not yet easy to just flip the switch for most of us. Instead, I think this is the time to face ourselves, to accept who we are, and to move with grace. Yes, to imagining our “best” selves in the future, tapping into our wholesness. But living in the moment is where it all is.

I think it’s best to create an invitation in our mindset of the thinking about our “wholeness”. The things we care about or long for most likely live in a parallel universe, but that universe is HERE. Dealing with what we are creating, the responses to that and the all external environment.

For many years, Light Workers have been working and holding a space for growth and jumping timelines. The next generation are learning and awakening exponentially. In so many ways, they are moving so much quicker than we did. What took us years, takes them weeks spiritually to feel and to understand. Many are born with spiritual gifts. A great example are the children with autism who are non-verbal. You can learn about this at: The Telepathy Tapes. But still, we need to bridge the way even more. We can’t bypass the challenges to jump ahead. The passing of the baton is the way through transformation, transcendence and consciousness awakening.

How to Jump the Timeline

If we want to be jumping timeline it takes mindfulness, authenticity, effort and also stillness. It’s an invitation and a step forward.

Living Here is the way of Jumping Timeline. Be yourself. Choose love. Self-Discover your deepest wisdom. Have the willingness to be open to the Unknown. Make the commitment.

More than anything, realize it means feeling and knowing your shadow and your darkness. Being brave enough to walk through the fire to the Light. You can’t bypass your way into a better reality. However, you can make the move. It’s up to you.

Things are Happening

Right now, so many changes both in the Light and Dark are here. Love has come to awaken all of us. This is your chance to be Jumping Timelines, but what that means is making the best life for you right here, right now now, and seeing how that change ripples through the Universe.

If this Sounds Interesting to You

Let’s talk about where you are spiritually right now. Let’s set up a 15 minute free phone consultation to see if I can help lead you to your best version of yourself. If you want to feel that sense of empowerment to level up, I’d love to support you on your journey! Or- just share your thoughts here!

Sharon Hartnett CST-D

Brennan Healer and Teacher

614 653-8111

www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com

What’s the Best Way to Let Go of Stress?

by SharonHartnett | Jan 16, 2025 | Craniosacral Therapy, mind body & spirit, mindfulness

Releasing Stress and Restoring Inner Peace

Craniosacral Therapy works by supporting the body’s natural ability to heal itself by releasing stress. It’s not only about relieving physical discomfort but also about releasing tension from emotional stress. Many clients feel like they’ve let go of long-held emotions or mental clutter after a session, leaving them feeling lighter, more grounded, and refreshed.

Every day life can be soooooo stressful. I want you to know that a Craniosacral treatment is so deeply relaxing. It’s not massage. It’s totally different. I used to be a Masssage Therapist many years ago. I can’t skip over how great having the muscles rubbed is great. However, my clients have often remarked with CST that they let go of stress better than with anything else they have tried. The work is so gentle, and the body naturally welcomes the touch. To be be heard, to feel acknowledgement and touched with presence and deep contact is reassuring and peaceful

On a basic technical level:

How Craniosacral Therapy Works to reduce stress::

Craniosacral Therapy works with the cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid circulates and spreads through the brain and around the spine. It brings nourishment, clears and protects the Central Nervous System. This releases stress. When the Craniosacral System is balanced, people feel super relaxed. They smile again. A relaxed system gives one a sense of calm and centeredness.

It’s important to me as Craniosacral Therapist to educate, and promote this work. I have found it to be one of the best ways to let go of stress and feel good in your body.

If you have any questions, send them over.

Sharon Hartnett

614 653-8111

The Columbus Ohio Area

What is the Craniosacral System Anyway?

by SharonHartnett | Jan 11, 2025 | Craniosacral Therapy

Tell Me About the Craniosacral System

Craniosacral System 101

Alright, Friends! Today, we’re going to learn about something really cool called the Craniosacral System. It sounds a bit complex, but don’t worry—I’ll explain it in a way that makes sense!

Let’s begin by by speaking about your brain and spinal cord. Imagine that these are the control center of your whole body. Like a big computer. The Seat of Intellgence.

Many essential functions begin here. Communication and information travels and brings alive your day to day functioning throughout your body.

The craniosacral system is like a special protective system for your brain and spinal cord. It’s like a friend who keeps the CNS healthy!

Here’s how it works:

Cranio = “skull” or “head,” and sacral = “sacrum,” which is the part at the bottom of your spine.
Inside your skull, there’s something called the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This is mainly created in the ventricals of your brain. It’s like a cushion of fluid that surrounds and moves through your brain and spinal cord. This fluid is super important because it helps protect your brain and spinal cord from injury, and it also helps remove waste that your brain doesn’t need.
The fluid moves around your brain and spinal cord in a rhythm, like gentle waves. This rhythm can be felt as it expands and contracts, and that’s where the name “craniosacral” comes from—the fluid moves from your head (cranium) down to your sacrum (at the bottom of your spine), kind of like a wave traveling back and forth. This can be felt by a trained Craniosacral Therapist.

So, basically, the craniosacral system is like a big, soft, protective wave that keeps your brain and spine safe. It’s very important for keeping your body healthy and balanced.

Many people don’t know much about the Craniosacral System yet. However, with the teaching of Dr. John Upledger, of the Upledger Institute, thousands and thousands of students across the world have learned to be skillful and experienced in this gentle yet profound work. Craniosacral Therapists are fairly easy to find now. In the last 50 years or so, Craniosacral Therapy has become more popular as people are speaking about the many benefits. It’s especially wonderful for deep relaxation, stress relief and in releasing tension and pain.

To find the best Craniosacral Therapist for you, check out the Upledger Page.

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