FINAL 2020Cranial Wave

2020 Winter www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave The Publication of the Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy Association of North America Articles What Is A Body? Resiliency, Interdependence, and the Evolutionary Impulse................................5 One Teacher’s Journey to Teaching Online During the Coronavirus..............................................14 Riding the Wave of Change: Anchored in Inherent Health...........................................................18 A Primal Pandemic......................................................................................................................22 An Outdoor Classroom in Covid-19 Time.....................................................................................27 Gifts From My Fur Babies.............................................................................................................29 Craniosacral Therapy Over Distances?.........................................................................................34 Fields of Resonance and BCST Teaching........................................................................................42 At a Distance: Resilience in Community........................................................................................45 Distance Learning and Work in Training for Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy..............................50 Arts & Entertainment Barren Wilderness (poem)..........................................................................................................13 Detours and Returning (poem)....................................................................................................17 Behind the Veil--Dancing on a New Horizon (poem)....................................................................41 Apart (poem)..............................................................................................................................44 Stillness Chaos (poem)................................................................................................................49 Organizational News Letter from BCTA/NA Leadership...................................................................................................2 BCTA/NA Mission Statement.........................................................................................................3 Fellowship Fund, Scholarship Fund, General Support.....................................................................4 Directory of BCTA/NA Committees and Board Members........................................................52

Letter From BCTA/NA Leadership Dear Members,  Wow! What a transitional year 2020 has been! We have been living true to our theme, “Riding the Waves of Change,” and staying strong to our midline through these turbulent tides. For some this time has been difficult, for others a welcome rest. Wherever you are in these times, our hearts are with you.  Some of the emerging blessings have been the unexpected comfort and international virtual communication via Zoom and other formats, creating space for membership and teacher growth and connection.  Jennifer Song, President Our monthly membership and teacher circles began with many approved teachers graciously offering membership support with complimentary Centering & Settling Meditations and Professional Enrichment webinars, including “Accessing the Holistic Shift” by Franklyn Sills, followed by offerings from Cherionna Menzam-Sills, Margaret Rosenau, Scott Zamarut, Joyce Harader, Kate Klemer, and Michael Shea. There were also tuition-based classes: “HeartMath,” offered by former Board member, Ellen Webster Synakowski, and “Re-Imagine Promoting Your Practice” by Starr Sheppard-Decker.     Many practitioners have adapted their practice to include remote sessions and professional enrichment, along with their in-person practice.  Lucie Mitchell, Board Chair   We are grateful for these surprises in community building. Along with our offerings of meditations and professional development, our virtual community building was nourished by the successful launch of our first BCTA/NA Global Virtual Conference. Our intrepid online technical team—Robyn Michele Jones, Sheryl Lee, Pam Hower, and Fred Snowden—along with the virtual conference committee miraculously created this event in a few weeks. We joyfully received a bounty of positive feedback and we can say it was a fantastic success.     Within the conference program we honored Mary Louise Muller and Christopher Muller each with a Lifetime Achievement Award for their many decades of dedication and support of the biodynamics of craniosacral therapy.  The Racial Equity and Inclusion Initiative (REII) has been established and chaired by Ruti Wagaki.     Many of us who knew and loved Stephanie Abramson, a BCST teacher and practitioner, 2 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

mourn the loss of her passing. In memory and celebration of the life and work of Stephanie Abramson, an Educational Fellowship Fund has been established, to assist Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students, from communities that need more visibility, in learning craniosacral biodynamics, and sharing the work in support of their communities.    The Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender, Queer (LBGTQ+) initiative has been established. Frances Reed offered tuition based classes, “Serving Transgender Clients in Holistic Health,” and Sid Hawkins presented, “Beyond the Binary - Tools for an Expansive Practice,” at this year’s virtual conference.  Already our hearts and creative energy are curious about the possible new horizons we may embrace during this coming year. Robyn Michele Jones passed the torch, after her exemplary dedicated eight years of service as a BCTA/NA board member, including two years as president which finished in September this year.  Our future, in these diverse fast changing times, will focus on the inherent health that is never lost, a deep trust in the Breath of Life, and our openness to embrace new possibilities for our continued growth, connection and serving you, our membership.    With Love and Support,   Jennifer Song, President  Lucie Mitchell, Board Chair   BCTA/NA Mission Statement Through the practice, teaching, and sharing of biodynamic principles, we empower personal, relational and global well-being by encouraging awareness of the Inherent Health and Wholeness embodied in all. Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 3

There are now three ways to support our craft through BCTA/NA:    The Stephanie Abramson Educational Fellowship Fund The Stephanie Abramson Educational Fellowship Fund has been created in memory of teacher Stephanie Abramson, a beloved member of our community. This fund was established to assist BIPOC students, from communities that need more visibility, in learning craniosacral biodynamics and sharing the work in support for their communities.  The Edwin Nothnagel Scholarship Fund    The Edwin Nothnagel Scholarship Fund enables members in need to attend the BCTA/NA biennial Breath of Life Conference or educational programs, such as various BCTA/NA sponsored online classes. General Support A General Support Contribution supports: Association programs and services: educational programs, webinars and videos Our Right to Practice: fees for legal or legislative consultants Growth and Development of Member Benefits: new and enhanced resources Please click on the donation button on the BCTA/NA website homepage to make your donation today. We invite each BCTA/NA member to contribute the fee collected from one session to the fund each year. Thank you for your support ensuring that others may continue to participate in important community events. 4 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

What Is A Body?  Resiliency, Interdependence, and the Evolutionary Impulse Prue Jeffries, CMT, RCST® tralian wildfires: life and death, health and eco- Originally a profes- nomic distress became magnified. Some who had sional athlete and prosperity experienced a quick turnaround of cir- pioneer of surfing, cumstances, others plunged further into poverty. Prue has spent many Some have profited. Then, the ongoing systemic years as a practi- racial violence emerged from the depths of human- tioner, teacher, and ity’s shadows. Mass protests ensued. As humanity guide in support- collectively exists in this liminal space, I found ing people to find myself with many questions. As I look into the greater well-being, crucible of life with earth I ask, is humanity on the self-awareness, and cusp of a revolution? Or, are we devolving? I will embodiment. Prue is weigh in on the revolutionary side!   a certified massage   I pause. I move to a broader perspective, therapist, a regis- reminding myself the nature of existence is cycli- tered craniosacral cal. I can sit and observe this every day in my gar- therapist, an Ap- den. Creating, sustaining, and destroying. All three proved RCST® Teacher, and a Continuum Teacher. are constantly occurring in an alchemical relation- Body of Wonder combines Prue’s decades of world ship, in what I feel is a greater evolutionary spiral. travel, the creative genius of nature, water, wave- The unfolding, formlessness emerging into form; forms, movement, stillness, personal contempla- the enfolding, form dissolving into formless. The tive explorations, and experiences, combined with outcomes of new forms created may have a prob- studies in the healing arts, movement, and well- ability, yet, they are also unpredictable. That’s why ness fields to support health. we talk of Intelligence with a capital “I” in biody- namics! The Intelligence, the Health, an oceanic The first half of 2020 has been a shock for many reflection of the unknowable, orchestrating life. As of us. I began 2020 arranging my grandmother and practitioners, we have the honor of being with this aunts’ evacuation from raging fires in Australia— in ourselves and with each other as an intention the likes I have not seen in my lifetime, nor had my during biodynamic craniosacral sessions. I linger grandmother in her nine decades. This is an elder in the Mystery and enjoy the alchemy. Change is who knows resiliency. At four feet seven inches, our natural state and life calls us forward.  a survivor of wars, the great depression, poverty, I think of biodynamic craniosacral therapy polio, six children, twenty grandchildren, twenty- as a resiliency and whole restoring practice. In two great-grandchildren, two great-great-grand- biodynamic craniosacral therapy we surrender and children and much in ancestral legacies. There is listen, which creates space for the Breath of Life no digging heels in—there are just roots deep into the earth. Ever negotiated with a tree to move? All ended safely for my loved ones.    I breathed for what seemed a second. Then, Covid-19 spread through the world like the Aus- Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 5

to support a movement into a greater expression tive process, unfolding from the vastness of what of wholeness. In wholeness new possibilities can David Bohm called the implicit order—the ground. emerge. We trust deeply in the inherent treatment Through the lens of each person’s life experience it plan to unfold what is necessary in each moment, is given a context and meaning, in each moment, as as a function of the health. The health that is nev- it seeks to fold back into wholeness the conditional er lost, that cannot be destroyed nor created. The influences of our environmental, historical, collec- health that is beyond the cyclical nature of exist- tive, and cultural milieu that converge within the ence, yet deeply nurturing the cycles of renewal organismic biology of what we commonly call I or and transformation within each living being. I ask Me, a body. myself. How can I and we, be with the inherent   A body is not an isolated event. Body means treatment plan for ourselves, for each other, for hu- to give shape or form. In this, again we can see manity, and the earth?   body is a process. If it is a process, this also means   it is an open system. All biological organisms are What is a Body? The inherent treatment open systems. Biological systems exchange energy plan is not just a singular isolated process occur- within themselves, between themselves and their ring within the physical body. It’s a process oc- surroundings. Therefore, they are open systems.1 curring in species, in groups, throughout all of life in each moment. What is a body, really? I 1 Open system is used in the biological definition can see body as an emergent, relational, genera- sense. 6 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

In this, we can see our bodies as trying to hold a to teach me, to help me, to help us, reclaim our state of homeodynamic potency, balancing the in- Wholeness.   ner and outer movements, the taking in and and giving out. More simply, the constant engagement What is a Body? My cells are my own? and ongoing affirmation of life in and surrounding, Within them, perhaps my mitochondria remember a the body.  time they lived elsewhere, or maybe, now, they are   Collectively, as an extension of the earth, everywhere. A network communicating with each and as an ongoing evolutionary life process, hu- other, regardless of wherever or whomever they manity is constantly in change at different rates co-exist with. It is a thought. If I look at mycelium within this time-space continuum. I consider this or the roots of aspen trees or the crowns of trees an inherent treatment in a forest communicat- plan. Health is orchestrat- ing with each other, why ing this.  Collectively, as an not think of this? Why not   explore seeing myself, or Who I am - is an evolu- extension of the earth, and others, in different ways? tionary impulse of crea- The different ways to see tion’s ocean.   as an ongoing evolutionary interconnection and com-   life process, humanity is monality in ourselves What is a Body? constantly in change at and each other. I would My nervous system did quite like to think my mi- not start when I was born. different rates within this tochondria are enjoying My nervous system start- time-space continuum. I (hopefully) life with me, ed as an answer to my en- they are me—and I re- vironment. It continued consider this an inherent spect their individuation to form over billions of treatment plan. Health is also. I respect their rela- years of evolution with tionships they may have the earth. I am the earth, orchestrating this. outside of me in other as are you, as are the trees, creatures. What I call my the birds and bees. We, colon is actually a colon- the earth formed in re- y: billions of life forms, lationship with the sun, within a galaxy spiraling that somehow, are mostly agreeable with each oth- through the universe, as much as the universe is in er. I have my own sense of who I am, yet there are you and me. I am ancient and I belong to the earth, perhaps trillions of lives blooming inside me, with the sky, the stars, I belong to life. So do you who their own sense also. Maybe I am a steward? Even are reading this with me, all of us. We have forgot- when I am alone, I am not alone. What is clear: ten this often with each other. History shows this. there is not only a Me.   The conditioning we carry, the trauma individually and collectively shows this. What has been occur- What is a Body? Each time someone ring in 2020 shows this.   comes for a craniosacral session they stand before   you, a confluence of multiple events, impressions, The Breath of Life - the Health, has not once for- environments and lineages. We can never know gotten this. Not once! The Breath of Life is in all which part or parts of their life terrain a person that exists. So I come back to the Breath of Life identifies with most. A person brings with them the known, the unknown, the pain, the joy, the events Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 7

Photo by Felix Mittermeier from Pexels of this lifetime, the effects of their social circles, and improves quality of life. Resiliency is devel- their environments, and the epigenetics of multiple oped.  generations. There are many intersecting condition- What is a Body? A body is an entire be- al forces that make a human being’s experience of ing—one with conditioning, some which is positive themselves and therefore their experience of others. for life, and some as in woundings and trauma, ar- Some are not named, not seen, maybe pushed away. rests life. Emerging and growing into this interde- When over-coupled they can lack context. This is pendent existence on earth, with a nervous system often the case with trauma.  that took billions of years to develop, means we Craniosacral therapists supporting trauma also grew within a trauma matrix as well as a health learn when a person is depleted and the stressors template. An earth that is breathtaking, coherent, of life pile on—equilibrium is harder to maintain. complex and sublime. An earth where there has also Without equilibrium an open system is fragile. A been wars, famines, extinctions and so forth. When shutdown, a freeze, activation, agitation, over- we see this as a part of the common human and whelm, dis-regulation can be triggered by any fur- life experience, we can begin to grow our capacity ther stressor in a person’s world. That stressor could for neutrality, understanding, and compassion not even seem innocuous to someone not experiencing only for working with clients, but also for our own it. It is also an opportunity, once safety, contain- healing, for our families, friends, communities. We ment, settling and so forth occur, to heal the places can see how this can impact the larger collective. fragmented. A chance for the person to move into a We can begin to start acknowledging the suffering, greater expression of coherency and order from the the conditional forces involved and move towards chaos. This becomes life affirming, sustains growth health. What is a healthy, full and whole expression 8 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

of living? For each of us and each other? It does a mixture. I only touch on generalities in this ar- start with each of us, before we can expand to help others.  ticle. Events in 2020 may have ignited traumatic The Three E’s of Trauma are:  dormancies and shadows to be met, as well as the The Event that occurred, The Experience of the Event, events creating more effects that reverberate in the and The Effect.     rhizome of humanity. There is an uncovering of the For thousands of years, for generations, between countries, cultures, tribes, peoples, com- unconscious collective narratives living within our munities, families and individuals, the effects of trauma have shaped many ways of thinking, feel- cells, our tissues and our fields. We have expended ing and relating. Often people have not realized to the degree this occurs. Individuals from groups of much energy in our collective body, in our own oppressed peoples carry the epigenetic imprints of generations of trauma. Others carry the imprints of bodies, holding undigested, unintegrated effects oppressive systemic structures, and the thoughts and behaviors that generate them. Some carry from trauma.     Systems deeply impacted by trauma be- come isolated systems.2 When this is extreme, it 2 Open and isolated system is also used in a sense -  as an open nonlinear system. This is a metaphor based on nobel laureate and physical chemist Ilye Prigorgine’s theories such as dissipative structures. They are only very loosely touched on and used as framing for trauma and also for social systems. Many systems theories use this frame. I also studied with Emilie Conrad who brought this into Continu- um.  Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 9

can manifest with an outright severing of intercon-  A way to address fragmentation: the partnership nection. We have seen this highlighted in 2020. and relational model.  The insistence of hyper-individualism, a dominator To heal the levels of trauma and fragmenta- orientation to life. Included is a lack of empathy tion, inside ourselves and humanity, we need many or care for others. Others are perceived as a threat approaches. The biodynamic model supports the and/or a means to an end. It is a maladaptive strat- unfolding of the deep intrinsic knowledge that is egy. Isolated, isolating, polarizing and in need of health. I consider it a relational model close to Mar- great energy, yet moving towards entropy and the tin Bubers’ “Ich und Du,” in English “I and Thou destruction of life.   (You).”4 It supports the necessary pacing, respect of   Some of this dovetails with what neuro- space, self and otherness, of individuation, as well scientist Dr. Stephen Porges’ polyvagal theory as the interconnection, compassion and oneness. It calls the neuroception of can address trauma and threat. However, there integration of fragmented is an ongoing reaction There is an uncovering of aspects of oneself.  without context that is the unconscious collective   One cannot address co-opted by neocortical narratives living within a trauma from the same interpretations that ratify, response or behavior it’s normalize and “cultur- our cells, our tissues been created from, nor a alize” behaviors based pattern, or the architec- in hyper-individualism. and our fields. We have ture that caused it. That The need to get ahead, expended much energy is why they circulate and to be above, has been a create more cycles of vio- primary narrative. How in our collective body, in lence amongst peoples for many wars, violence, our own bodies, holding generations. Imprints, the or systemic oppressions shadows, are part of the have cause from this? As undigested, unintegrated intelligent design of our Riane Eisler3 points out, effects from trauma. unfolding. They can be within humanity we have the very seeds that grow a continuum from domi- into a wise oak tree.   nator to partnership. We   So how do we till the and our ancestors have all lived this continuum in common soil of our humanity and truly start to heal some way for millennia. We can become a caregiv- these divides inside ourselves and with each other? ing, life-affirming, co-operative species expressing It is an ongoing dialogue we can all engage. To the fullness of life. As the fields of trauma therapy, engage brings me back to the concepts of neu- neuroscience, physics, anthropology and biology trality, safety, self-regulation and co-regulation. cross-pollinate each other, it is clear that the true Biodynamics is the approach that says, to heal we evolutionary, survival thrust of life is conducted can go broader. This is where we can go to what by interdependence and cooperation. I pause and nourishes the soil. Or what nourishes the soul! The center in the Breath of Life coursing through all Breath of Life and Health. Through relationship, existence. I go back to aspen trees, mycelium, and we support the nourishment, the health and trust it.   mitochondria as wayshowers of the revolution!   What is a Body? In biodynamic craniosa- 3 Riane Eisler is a social systems scientist, historian and 4 Martin Buber was a philosopher, he wrote I and Thou, one author of The Chalice and the Blade. https://rianeeisler. of the major themes of the book is that human life finds its com  meaningfulness in relationship 10 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

cral therapy we talk a lot, like many methods, about oneself and the development of one’s felt-sense ex- embodiment. I sometimes prefer to conceive of this perience, the relational model of biodynamics sup- as integration. Are the many expressions of my be- ports self-regulation and co-regulation. Through ing able to relate with each other and others? To a compassionate holding field, a container for the what degree is my experience of life cohesive in transpersonal, the space for the being to being, I general? The more cohesive I become, the more I and Thou state to emerge and heal the wounding. can accept and be with the process of life, that I, This is supportive of the evolutionary imperative.   and all of the earth is creating in each moment. I   stop looking for the map, I just align with the inher- To be “neutral”........  ent treatment plan’s unfolding.    To be neutral is the removal of obstacles that inhibit my capacity to be self-regulated. To be   What is a Body? A body does not end at neutral is not to dismiss, disengage, disassociate, the skin. As open systems we are in an ongoing project, transfer, displace or bypass. To be neutral is relationship with the “external” world that affects one’s capacity to be with the entirety of the moment, our internal worlds, and vice-versa. I am in you and in oneself and another. To deeply listen and sup- you are in me. My mirror neurons are conveying port, to be engaged with the health. To the degree this, my biology knows this as true. By develop- we can as therapists be engaged with the health, we ing the capacity to be neutral, ongoing inquiry into can also acknowledge suffering, in self and oth- Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 11

ers, we can feel, yet we don’t dive into emotional porting each other! This is the heart of biodynamic contagion, or need to drive it, or fix anything. We practice. Relationship. The development of self- procure a clarity that can discern. For me, neutral regulation and coherency, then expanding into co- is a state of compassion. It is where healing and regulation and greater coherency with each other. wholeness show up. We work with presence and Self-Regulation and co-regulation arose together, the dynamic stillness that resides at the heart of all and cannot be separated out. In every moment, to life and existence, the nourishment for the soil, so changing degrees, both are occurring interdepend- the seed can find its original intent and expression ently. Both are at the heart of being human, of being as an oak tree.   life. When we have self-regulation and can move into co-regulation we can have dialogue and mean- During these times of upheaval, look for the ingful explorations, grounded in empathy and com- Health, look for the cohesiveness.  passion that can support healing.     I feel we have something to offer in these To get out of bed each day, and to just start. times, and I see the biodynamic craniosacral ap- To discover the health and find coherency, wher- proach as a resiliency, if not a vibrancy practice and ever we can, no matter how small, no matter if it one of the health-based modalities supportive of the is just a whisper, it doesn’t need to be perfect. We evolutionary impulse. may need to find it outside ourselves, in a bird, in the sky, in art, in ancestors—wherever the re-   I pause and center in the Breath of Life source is. We just start and then grow this inside coursing through all existence. ♦  ourselves. Then, some of us can move into sup- 12 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

Barren Wilderness by Prue Jeffries Oseumerbkoroswaevartsaaeiolggtnme haiiftotamnchosysapsr,alsanoidetfasbngdste mpmmiegibsamnaacaereyttacroscrhhereteg,mkc,eirc,oedwoe,uetnnleuyhelrtssagsetrai,asethrvfeisearinlhosntf.ongolt,ndiecre, spricnIaatdkhsnneloaoviattfiniasninbhgndsyseaasatotgisrrhfcgfkieiennrahtniecovnntve.heiffesenilsnliongveiudsteytteen dispuesnrlstsodFitelwaiisfrtnamalsehnoydofamdleltmidveediesromi,sr,ep.erse surrfeenteihdTslaeihnatroettsgnlhofolteeiafobntvussneeetttihgleirgyflxeiiiehnrtivnylest.oifdtgleneyingdlcneight The rumbling of the Quietude brings me back into sensation flickering, quivering, trembling, dark waters allude to a subtle shimmer. Slowly more, then, a tremulous dance of light, no longer a reflection but an explosion of luminescent glory as if, all the multitudes of fireflies condanced into one being one unseen one unknown one place of Unity The Barren Wilderness. C ranial Wav e www.craniosacraltherapy.org Photo by Toan Phan from1U3 n splash

One Teacher’s Journey to Teaching Online During the Coronavirus: The Good, the Bad and the Lovely Mimi Ikle-Khalsa, RCST®, LMT issue! We met as a teaching team and designed a Mimi Ikle-Khalsa, plan to provide a high-quality, online course until is devoted to shar- such time as we could gather again. I realized we ing the art of this would still need to make up in person exchanges work with her com- prior to graduation, but for now this would have to munity.  She has a do.  background in psy- Having been part of a BCST teaching team chology, massage for 17 years, it was extremely hard for me to im- therapy, polarity agine the layered nuances of this very artistic and therapy and shaman- subtle work being accomplished online. My teach- ic healing. She has ers and I began with the tools we had available— been studying health- high speed internet, a Zoom account, and slide related modalities decks created from scratch—and launched our first since the 1990s and attempt at a viable module on April 6th.   strives to empower   It was both humbling and illuminat- all her students, table ing how much of our BCST curriculum did assistants and teach- not translate well to an online environment; ing assistants toward their own personal best. She it truly was the good, the bad, and the lovely.  is a naturally nurturing person who makes every- one around her feel well cared for, provided for, The Good  and nourished.    There was so much good that could come from an endeavor to shift our classes online. If my I was scheduled to begin my eighth module of teaching staff and I could pull off an online learn- a foundation training on March 30th, 2020. By ing environment, it would allow for our class’s March 13th, the state of Maryland, where I run graduation to still take place in 2020.   my school, had closed all schools until the end of   It was important for us to balance the qual- March. By March 30th, the day our in-person class ity of learning that the students would receive with would have started, the state instituted the stay at the time, technology and capacity we had to teach home order.  in this new way. The class had been apart for some The landscape of interpersonal contact was time and it seemed the whole world had exploded changing daily but it was becoming clear to me and reformed itself in a new and unfamiliar form. and my teaching staff that we needed to come up To be able to tether to one another felt like finding with a “plan B” for teaching our scheduled 2020 pieces of a raft after being set adrift on a lonely in-person BCST modules. We began by adding an ocean. additional week of class at the end of 2020 in order to make up for our March class that we had just “I can’t imagine if we just stopped the program cancelled.    No one knew how long this stay at home order would last, but as the days passed it became more and more clear that this was not a short term 14 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

Photo by Tom Fisk from Pexels how conveying the skills of distance sessions would have translated to those who had never ex- perienced in-person work of negotiated space, pac- ing, titrating and subtle perception skills. It was a lot of work to teach everyone how to do distance sessions and to create the new slide decks captur- ing in full color all of the material that would have been taught in class. Unfortunately, it was even more challenging for the participants to try to bal- ance the hours of work per week of our class with the new demands that the world of coronavirus had created. That’s where things turned a little bit bad.  altogether because we could not physically be The Bad  together-I feel like all the hard work and applica- As families adjusted to the “new normal” tions we have learned would be lost and hard to of life in the time of the coronavirus, the demands keep up with. Doing our modules through Zoom of parenthood seemed to be growing by leaps and has allowed us all to stay connected, and provide bounds. Simple tasks like getting groceries took a good resource of support through these stressful twice the time because now it required disinfecting times.” CR everything! Monitoring your children’s wellbeing included acclimating to online school assignments, We found solace, purpose, and community creating new schedules, and depending on the age, together that we all seemed to need. After polling helping to field a battery of questions and concerns all the students and staff on what would serve them over the threat of this new and misunderstood vi- best, we decided to try holding our eighth module rus. All of these issues for our students with chil- online, meeting two days a week on Zoom for two dren posed new hurdles and demands, even for hours at a time. We gave ourselves three weeks to folks with older children who had to come home cover the material normally held over four days. The class time was supplemented by two hours of Photo by Tatiana Syrikova from Pexels teacher-student exchanges as well as two hours of session practice. The problem that working with the teaching staff provided was that many of our students, and even some staff, had never tried to do a distance session. In order to teach this it re- quired a lot of guidance including a checklist, re- corded demonstration, and a lot of encouragement that they had what it took to be able to perceive the system of their partner from far away. I felt very lucky that we had already been together as a group for 16 months. I am not sure Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 15

from college. With all of this, finding time to tend The lessons are clearly presented and understood. to their own continuing education needs became What makes the most difference is the time and even more daunting, especially with no options to dedication that has been put into our modules. have outside childcare. We realized that this new Teaching in this new way takes focused effort landscape of the nuclear home made the hours de- and making sure that both technical and learn- voted to our upcoming modules precious and few. ing difficulties can be addressed is very important. I have enjoyed how well our power points have “Attending online classes with four children at been put together, and how smoothly the demos home and no childcare has presented a signifi- have gone.” CR cant challenge. I don’t like to put my children in front of a screen.” NM Although it meant long hours for the teach- ing staff, it was all worth it as we came back with a Our eighth module, a trial run for our new new approach during the ninth module and we were format, had just completed. We realized over the able to appreciate how much smoother the class was course of this module that not only could we not running. Looking back now as we begin our tenth afford to do anything longer than a two-hour class, module, I can not even imagine what it would have but we also needed to space out the information been like if we had not shifted our training online! so there was a solid four days between learning We have harvested so many gems along the way new content and being ready to debrief that con- including wonderful teaching tools, a crash course tent. This break allowed the students to really ex- in doing distance sessions which has been amazing, perience the material, both in-person doing session and the deep and sustaining support of our com- work with family members and at a distance doing munity as we weather this unique storm together. session exchanges with staff.  Because of this slow If nothing else, it has been a perfect biodynamic and thorough method, the students were really able metaphor for the fact that the health is never lost, to compare the experience of the work with the di- you just need to know where to look for it and rec- dactic understanding of it.  ognize it when it appears!♦ The Lovely  After running the eighth module, it was clear to us that for all future modules we needed to slow the pace, spread out the information, and al- low for more time between the presentation of the material and the debrief and discussion of the ap- plication of the material.    Once we made these adjustments then things seemed to flow much better. We had found our rhythm and it felt really good! We needed the month between modules to develop all of the new teaching materials including elaborate slide decks, online anatomy tutorials, and recorded demonstra- tions.   “Mimi and the teaching staff have gone above and Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh from Pexels beyond to make sure everything runs smoothly. 16 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

Detours and Returning by Joyce Harader Fundamental Health, creating, designing, building a being. Birth – huge beginnings Trauma – Overwhelming STUFF HAPPENS – Detours from Health. Emotional wounding, loss of loved ones, abuse, injuries, surgeries, Life stress Creating prickliness, protectiveness, numbness, brain fog, confusion, fear, Reactiveness disproportionate to present moment happenings Unsupportive belief systems Disconnection and contraction from the world. Great courage, trust and persistence to look inside. Wounds honored, seen and acknowledged with compassionate, gentle, Conscious support surrounded by unconditional love. Releasing manageable pieces of the dysfunctional puzzle. Over time, layers of wet blankets removed. Light and openness returns, presence and consciousness builds. Reconnection. Clarity of life purpose returns and amplifies outward Shining brightly. Restoration of fundamental Health. Response-able in life. Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 17

Riding the Wave of Change: Anchored in Inherent Health Kate Klemer, RCST®   I was happy to have more time and space Kate Klemer is an in my life from COVID. Especially after complet- Approved BCTA/ ing a two-year building renovation project for our NA Teacher and school. The building came out beautifully, and had was practicing Up- just been completed in March. Right after we fin- ledger craniosa- ished the building everything slowed down on the cral therapy while planet. It felt like a long overdue break the earth in chiropractic needed from humans flying, driving, and being out college, graduat- and about so much. Before COVID I had noticed ing as a Doctor that so many people I knew were not home much, of Chiropractic in not having meals with their families, and filling 1988. She did her every second of their time with some kind of ac- foundation training tivity, doing, doing, doing. It is unfortunate that with Michael Kern, it took a pandemic for people to slow down. The Katherine Ukleja, air on our earth is improving, animals have more and Scott Zamurut, peace, and pets are getting tons of love. It has been graduating in 2001. She was called from that point powerful to see the improvements that are hap- on to study, practice, and teach this work which pening to our environment. It is amazing how the she holds dear to her heart. She has put her hands Breath of Life comes up with this huge inherent on many patients with the intention of supporting treatment plan. Nothing I have ever experienced in their health.. my lifetime has happened for any of us. It is such a powerful reminder of what is really running the How has this time affected you?   show here on earth.      My personal life did not change very much I was in a birth process workshop with as I already live in a simple way. My professional Myrna Martin at my new school building when life shifted as I started seeing all of my patients COVID-19 started closing down North America. online and treating folks on Zoom. I started giving We were all in a bubble of great support and safety. distant biodynamic sessions and continued treat- It was a resourcing way to begin this journey of a ing clients with distant nutritional therapy. When new way of working, socializing, and living.   some of my patients came down with COVID-19, I   My wife, Debby, who has worked in hos- learned from working with their system it is a pow- pitals her whole life, was going into work. Luck- erful virus that takes a long time to recover from. It ily she was starting to slow down and not work as seems to linger on for patients with chronic fatigue, many shifts. It was stressful when she went in eve- inflammatory conditions, and chronic illness.    ry week, wondering if she was going to be exposed   The forced hot air heating system in my of- to COVID-19. Early on, our close friend who is fice that I rent had not had the filter replaced for a nurse got very sick with COVID-19, so we saw seven years! After being away for a few weeks and firsthand the seriousness of it.      What changes have you had to make in your practice?    18 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

coming back my office, I realized the chronic symp- body. I have been sharing some of the scientist toms that I was having were from mold exposure at Greg Braden’s teachings about quantum physics to work. This pushed me out of the office, and I start- bring them up to speed with the current science. It ed working from home. I never would have done is good to be able to point to science to explain dis- this if I had not felt sick from the toxic air blowing tant work. The movie “Heal” has some supportive down on me and the restrictions of not being able conversations about distant healing.   to treat people in-person because of the COVID-19   It has been anxiety producing to experience rules in Massachusetts. I think this was an inherent the level of loss happening for so many people, and plan from the Breath of Life to move most of my the lack of basic support for survival for many. I practice to my home. Many of my biodynamic col- have had to take many news breaks, and work hard leagues have made big changes as well, and many to stay grounded and regulated, so I can support are going to continue doing all of their sessions and others in need.    classes online from now on.         I am very content How do we already working at home. I of- It has been anxiety know how to give dis- fer two days per week of tant sessions?   Zoom appointments, and producing to experience   go into my office two days One day it came to a week with the doors the level of loss happening me that I knew how to open to a backyard garden area. Working with dis- for so many people, and track people from afar tant biodynamic work is the lack of basic support from my first months of being. I was using the a new arena for me. I had for survival for many. I same skills that were in- been using the same skills have had to take many herently there to track tracking the field in the what was happening classroom while teaching news breaks, and work while I was being built my training. I inherently by the Breath of Life and knew how to give these hard to stay grounded and my birth mom. Innately sessions. The obstacle regulated, so I can support I was sensing my family, was helping clients un- and the larger world ener- derstand why these kinds others in need. getically. The world was of sessions are valuable a similar place to what’s and supportive in their happening today with healing processes. Locals here in Massachusetts people waking up about racism in our country. It are still in Newtonian physics thinking about the was 1963. The ugliness and shadow of racism was body and health. They are not open to distant work, starting to come out and be spoken about by white for the most part. I wish sometimes that I lived in people for the first time in an impactful way. 1963 California for this reason and the weather. My prac- was the year President John F. Kennedy was shot, tice is building in a national way; I can reach many then Malcolm X in 1965, Martin Luther King in more kindred spirits that are open to distant ses- 1968, and Robert Kennedy in 1968. I was born into sions. Locally, the community is a mind oriented a family with a father who was a devout supporter five college area. There are many PhDs per capita, of these men, and wanted to change the damaging and have most of their orientation to their mental imprint of racism in America. As a public school Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 19

principal and superintendent, my Dad was regular- the insurance merry-go-round.   ly fired while trying to implement racial integration   I have started a new chapter in my practice and educational awareness policies. It was a ma- and teaching. I am having a second wind in my jor uphill battle, he was regularly dismissed, so he practice. What I learned is that I was not creating threw up his hands, and moved us all to India where space for my practice to move in the direction that he became director of an international school.   my work was going. I am not sure that I would have    reached this conclusion as swiftly without COV- Quoted in the book, My Grandmother’s Hands: ID-19 giving me time and space.      “The reality is that we are bodies born How do you see bio- of other bodies, bod- dynamic craniosa- ies feeding other bod- cral therapy evolv- ies, bodies having ing as a profession sex with other bod- in the future?  ies, bodies seeking a   shoulder to lean or It is my hope that cry on… Bodies mat- there is a way that ter, which is why any- we could hear more thing related to them often from BIPOC, arouses emotions.”  LGBTQ, and women Frances De Waal  in the biodynamic Our Inner Ape  craniosacral therapy   profession. To start Learning to trust our body again is a major hearing from teachers that have a different back- theme in learning our work.   ground and share their experiences and understand-   ing of the work. Can we share the platform with a In July, I opened my practice up to seeing more diverse group, bolstering a second wave of patients in-person for the first time in three months. more diverse teachers, practitioners, and authors?  I Eight chiropractic patients had hopped on my sched- believe the main focus in evolving our profession ule for that day by booking themselves online. For is to put some more air under the wings of new au- the first time in 31 years I had not provided biody- thors, students, practitioners, and teachers that are namic craniosacral therapy or chiropractic care for Black, Indigenous, Latino, Asian people of color, over 90 days! I had been having inclinations to stop and LBGTQ people. I know for myself I experi- providing chiropractic care for a long time. I felt ence the work differently than what is written in the conflicted because chiropractic was more available textbooks.   to many because of insurance coverage. Yet my   I would like to have a requirement that all heart is no longer into doing that kind of work all certified trainings teach the imprints of colorblind- day long. I took the chance to work exactly the way ness, racism, homophobia, transphobia, anti-semi- I would like to, and I decided to focus on providing tism, and sexism as cultural conditional forces that nutritional and biodynamic craniosacral care, and diminish the expression of health in all of us, and no longer offering chiropractic care. I felt that in our clients. We speak about imprints in our pre- and taking insurance for 31 years, it was ok to get off perinatal years—why not widen the perceptual field in our awareness to include these cultural imprints? 20 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

Teaching curriculum about how to support people sack” by Peggy McIntosh 1 from marginalized groups would be helpful. Mak- ing an effort to include conversations about mar-  How are you riding the wave of change?   ginalized people, and using more updated language   that is inclusive in our work. I especially would like I am reshaping my training in a way that is to see the authors of the books in our profession in alignment with how I practice the work with cli- speaking more about inclusiveness of marginalized ents, and including some of the newer information people. They have been about the brain, nervous system, and trauma. I am the leaders of our profes- including a curriculum sion and helped shape it When those in the that reflects the origins of our work in a wider way in a big way. They have majority speak about to include the indigenous the power and airtime to including and supporting  roots of our work.    speak up for the all the BIPOC and LGBTQ folks,   I am considering women that follow them, many ideas as a teacher and help attract in more it creates much more around meeting more of- Black Indigenous People safety in the relational ten instead of every two of Color to our profes- field for everyone. Isn’t months. I find that meet- sion.   ing more often is ground- ing and supportive for “The rationale is that that what our form of more connectedness in uplifting people of color, cranial work is based in? the classroom. I look at women, LGBTQ people, my training as building immigrants, Jewish peo- community. Students and ple, etc. is necessary to counter the marginaliza- the teaching team make long-term friends in our tion they experience in society, and it doesn’t make training, and that is so valuable. I am offering small sense to continue to uplift straight white men for supervision groups that meet monthly so that stu- whom society is built. Men, white people, able-bod- dents can touch base and be in a supportive, larger ied people, straight people, and cisgender people BCST field each month.    can go their entire lives without thinking actively   Another exciting project is a book that two about their masculinity, whiteness, abled bodies, other teacher colleagues and I are working on. It heterosexuality, or cisgender status.”   will be different than what has been written so far, and is not a textbook. It is taking shape to be about Excerpt from Harvard Business Review, October what our experiences are in practice, teaching, and 28, 2019  life that come from the foundation of our work.       Everything seems “up for grabs” these days, When those in the majority speak about in- there is so much potential for positive change. I will cluding and supporting BIPOC and LGBTQ folks, continue to sit with what makes my heart sing, and it creates much more safety in the relational field move towards that.   for everyone. Isn’t that what our form of cranial   Thanks for reading this.♦  work is based in?    Here is a great article about white privilege: 1 https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/mcintosh. “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knap- pdf Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 21

A Primal Pandemic: Prenatal and Birth Experience Influence How You Meet This Pandemic Cherionna Menzam-Sills, RCST® their friends and family. At the same time, people Cherionna Menzam- display varying degrees of worry, fear, anxiety, Sills, a BCTA/NA grief, anger or denial. Approved Teacher,   supervises practi- What do these reactions have to do with your tioners and teaches prenatal and birth experience?  BCST at Karuna In-   stitute and around Consider what it might be like for a little the world, often with one in the womb. The space is constricted, particu- her husband, bio- larly as the little one gets bigger in the third trimes- dynamics pioneer, ter. How tight or spacious has your home felt to Franklyn Sills. Her you during lock down?  recently published   Babies are exquisitely sensitive. In the book, The Breath of womb, they are learning via their mother’s emo- Life: An Introduc- tions and biochemical surges about the world they tion to Craniosacral are preparing to move out into. How supported or Biodynamics, offers a feminine perspective of this threatened mum feels affects the little one’s level beautiful work, gratefully received by practition- of stress or relaxation, literally establishing life- ers, teachers and clients. She and Franklyn offer long tendencies for levels of stress hormones, like BCST courses through their online school at www. cortisol. resourcingyourlife.org. Cherionna also teaches If your mother experienced severe or on- Continuum, developed by Emilie Conrad, and pre- and perinatal psychology and therapy. As we continue to move through very strange and changing times, I am repeatedly reminded of how babies experience their birth and time in the womb. You may be surprised by how your early experi- ence resonates with your current feelings and reac- tions to the pandemic threat in the world just now.    Locked Down  Consider first the experience of lock down. Photo by Chistin Noelle from Unsplash People have different ways of reacting to and cop- ing with isolation, constriction, being told what to do, and the menacing threat of a virile virus in our midst. Some are happy to have some extra peace and quiet, time to reflect, to rest, to be. Others are challenged by having to be relatively still, missing 22 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

Photo by Gemma Chua-Tran from Unsplash ally motivating us to engage in what we engage in.     How welcoming, safe, and supportive does your world feel to you just now? How dangerous, toxic, scary or uncertain does it feel? What is your sense of how it was for you and your mother back then when you were in the womb?    A New Birth  going stress while pregnant with you, your nerv- Coming out of lock down, as is happening ous system was preparing for a stressful world, de- now in many places, may bring its own set of hopes veloping increased sensitivity to stress. The stress and fears. If we continue to look at the potential of a pandemic might resonate with the stress you echoes of our prenatal and birth experience, com- and your mother experienced when you were in the ing out may be more like birth. We are emerging womb. If you marinated prenatally in a field of fear, from a constrained space, opening into a much perceived threat, perhaps unavoidable environmen- vaster space. It may feel like it is happening much tal dangers, the current situation might feel to your too fast to be able to process. Or it may feel like we nervous system like you are back in the womb, have waited forever to finally be free. The curios- once again a helpless little one completely depend- ity and eagerness of a little one may accompany ent on the support of others. You may feel more us, along with trepidations of how it actually is to stress than some others in the current situation. You be out in the world, physically close to those who might feel easily overwhelmed or particularly inse- theoretically might infect us.   cure without your friends or family nearby to take care of you.   Photo by Sarah Kilian from Unsplash   Or you might protect yourself from these vulnerable feelings by presenting a strong front, or staying extra active, signing up for the endless stream of online course offerings available just now, or cleaning your home yet one more time, or cooking all kinds of wonderful new recipes. There is nothing wrong with any of these activities. It can be enlightening, however, to consider what is actu- Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 23

Photo by Jonathan Borba from Unsplash   How safe or dangerous is our world as we cord take away our waste materials—de-oxygen- emerge? Our experience of this might relate to ated blood. What arrives umbilically includes not how it was for us coming out at birth. Was it a gen- just the oxygen we depend on for survival, but also tle, welcoming emergence? Or did it feel violent? other biochemicals, like the stress hormones relat- Were we pulled out by forceps? Was our timing ed to maternal stress and others accompanying her taken away from us by inducing drugs or Caesar- various emotions. What comes to us umbilically is ian section? Did we feel supported and met as we called in the field of pre- and perinatal psychology were born, or did things happen too fast and imper- “umbilical affect.” Affect is a psychological term sonally?   for emotion or emotional states.     Do you have any sense of how your birth   Ideally mum is feeling loved, safe and sup- was for you? How might it compare to how it is for ported and the umbilical affect coming through to you to be coming out or considering coming out of her baby is nourishing and feels good. Umbilical lock down?  affect can be less than ideal, however, if for exam-   ple mum is overwhelmed, extremely or chronical- Umbilical Affect and Toxicity  ly stressed, is ill, is taking drugs, alcohol or other damaging substances, is breathing very polluted air As little ones in the womb, our survival is or drinking polluted water, or is ambivalent about completely dependent on our umbilical connection the pregnancy, having relationship difficulties, with our mother. We require the nourishment com- pregnant during a war, famine, pandemic or other ing to us via the umbilical cord and also that the threatening cultural or environmental event. In ex- 24 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

treme cases, it can be toxic for the baby.   ceive that my inner little one was able to rest a bit   In this case of “umbilical toxicity,” the baby with each delivery of needed groceries in these re- needs to defend against what is experienced as cent months.  toxic. A double bind arises. The baby requires the  Accessing the Potential  nourishment arriving umbilically to survive, but The field of pre- and perinatal psychology opening to receive it means also taking in toxic- has helped to enhance awareness of the challeng- ity. The natural protective reaction to toxicity is to es and traumas that may accompany prenatal and withdraw or contract. In the case of umbilical tox- birth experience and how these may influence us icity, trying to block the umbilical flow to protect throughout our lives. I find it important to empha- also blocks the source of food.   size, however, that we also came into form with Many of us have learned to survive taking great potential, developing from one unicellular or- in nourishment that is tainted with what we experi- ganism at conception into the complex beings we ence as toxic. Our relationship to food, love, and in- are today.   come may all be affected by this early experience.    When you consider your early experienc-   For many of us, our income has been affect- es and how they may resonate with your current ed by lock down. What we receive instead may be experience, I invite you to include a sense of the empty or confusing promises from our government. potential you might carry with you from that early Or we may need to cut back—effectively reducing our umbilical flow. The uncertainty and confusion Photo by Derek Ownens from Unsplash about income, as well as the challenges of how to get groceries without going out of your house, may resonate with prenatal anxiety about an uncertain or unreliable umbilical flow of nourishment.    I find it interesting, in view of possible prenatal influences, that it has been so common to hoard toilet paper during lock down. Remember that the umbilical cord also takes away our used blood, our waste products. If the umbilical cord has failed to be a trustworthy source of nourishment, can we depend on it to also take away our wastes? From this perspective, the possibility of running out of toilet paper could become catastrophic!     The good news in all of this is that, where our history is presenting in our present, there is also a potential for healing. I have been moved by so many stories of people helping people during this pandemic, including my own neighbors and friends who have offered to deliver groceries, including toilet paper, when we were sheltering due to my husband’s lung condition.     Imagine if I had had someone to rescue me when I was immersed in my mother’s womb, which felt intensely toxic to me in too many ways. I per- Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 25

time. As a little one, you had the ability to learn you be with this with curiosity? What is possible and adapt quickly to whatever situation you found here? Where is the potential?  yourself in. Little ones are extremely fluid and re- silient, although that fluidity can be impeded due to  Supporting Little Ones’ Health  trauma and other conditions. With enough support, resilience can be resurrected.   It is important as we consider primal influ-   It may be enough to consider the little one ences during the pandemic to remember that there that you were, as if they were still present within are also little ones gestating during this time. What- you. Consider what that little one might need to feel ever support we can offer to pregnant and birthing safe and secure. Then, as the grownup that you are, women and families at this time can have profound whatever your current age may be, can you offer protective effects.   that to the little one? Can you hold them in your   While the stresses inherent in living during heart? Can you help them be aware of the ways you a pandemic may influence pregnancy and birth in are safe in this moment? Can you sense the safety challenging ways, pandemic life may also make it that is available in this moment, how it feels in your possible for the mother, and therefore her baby, to body? Can you find something, anything, to feel have more time to rest and be, allowing the bio- grateful for or appreciate? Can you share that with intelligence within them to express even more bril- the little one? What happens when you play with of- liantly.  fering something helpful to the little one within you?    I wish for all little ones, those currently Identifying and taking care of the little one coming into form and those within us, to know the within is not likely to change the pandemic, but it safety, love and profound health that is their poten- may have an effect on how you feel about it. Can tial.♦ Photo by freestocks on Unsplash 26 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

An Outdoor Classroom in Covid-19 Time Margaret Rosenau, MA, RCST®, SEP, APP and work and teach.   Margaret Rosenau Necessity is the mother of invention, one discovered BCST of my clients reminded me last week. Sure is. Sud- over 20 years ago denly new scenarios and configurations that were and still learns from invisible are seen and possible.  the Breath of Life in Take my backyard. Turns out it is not only every session. She beautiful, but also excellently configured as an is grateful for the outdoor classroom! Eight students, myself and authenticity and hu- Vanessa Lillie, who formally began her student mility her relation- teaching with this module, gathered for three days ship to the Breath of of in-person learning. Five days before, we had all Life requires of her. been together for three days of online learning and She sees her job as begun to form a relational field there. There is a lot creating the condi- to share about the online learning process, which is tions for healing to surprisingly effective for people finding their felt- occur and she seeks sense of midline and ground and bone and fluid to help her clients return to greater wholeness and and tissue and potency for the first time—within well-being. Margaret is the owner of the School of themselves.  Inner Health. But the focus of this article is the COVID- inspired impulse to gather outside safely and touch These times stretch us all as humans. We are find- each other physically, with lots of handwashing ing new capacities and challenges, sometimes in and masks and disinfectant to make sure that while the same breath. And breath is such an essential and we shared deeply, we didn’t share germs. I was re- challenged place these days—we do our best not to ally stay-awake-at-night nervous that we would be be within range of each other’s breaths accept with safe enough. In the end, I believe we were. It has family or within our circles. We have watched vid- been over two weeks now no one has reported any eos of breaths taken by shameless knees and turned symptoms or illness.   out by the tens of thousands to protest injustice. With the goal to share deeply without shar- There is a lot moving in the air these days—includ- ing the virus in mind, we took the following pre- ing a virus we cannot see that has brought human- cautions:  ity to its knees. It will be a while before we stand • Shortening the in-person time to three up again.   days with 6.5 hours of class per day.  These months of living with the presence • Limiting the number of students / teach- of COVID-19 in our world, a new being who hu- ers to ten people total.  man bodies have not met before, has humbled me. • Wearing face coverings at all times out- And is giving me hope. The hope that something side AND 6-foot distancing whenever possible non-human can change our course for the better. was agreed upon by all attendees.  Though the outcomes are not yet known, and the future even a week out is hard to predict, we are clearly being changed—and changing how we live Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 27

• Students had the option of gloves but out symptom checklist each day. Previous agree- chose to wash hands before and after sessions in- ments were made that anyone with temperatures or stead.  symptoms would be asked to leave.  • We used face shields and 6-foot distanc- • Reminder signage posted throughout the ing when seeing each other’s faces was important.  yard about handwashing and 6-ft. distancing.  • Practitioners used face shields AND • Handwashing stations were set up outside masks when working at the head or shoulders; Cli- AND hand sanitizer readily available at each table. ents wore masks.  Everyone washed their hands before each trade.  • Had one area for tables (which were • Sanitized the tables between each trade.  spaced 6 ft. apart) in shaded or tarp-covered areas • One bathroom accessible in the house for and a second area for circling for check-ins, medi- student use. Everyone wore masks into the house tations and any lectures / explanations.  and wiped down all surfaces after use. The wipe • Each student brought their own sheet down protocol was posted in the bathroom. I have which only they used. I have since learned from since learned from Nicole Ainscough of an addi- Nicole Ainscough that these sheets should be fold- tional bathroom protocol which is having people ed in between trades so that the same side is always close the lid before flushing to prevent aerosolizing used. I had extra sheets available if someone forgot of the virus. We did not do this.  theirs, which I washed after a single use.    • Classroom hours were organized to avoid The students loved the classroom! One even the heat of the day (8:00am to noon and 5:30 to asked me if I had used it as an outdoor classroom 8:00pm)  before. I hadn’t, but I’m planning on two more out- • As the heat rose, we did sit in closer than door classes, one in August and one in October. 6 feet apart in a shaded circle with masks on for There is no substitute for hands-on learning, cer- debriefing sessions. To mitigate this in the future, tainly not with learning how to touch and listen and I would set up an additional bigger shaded area so converse with the body in the deep ways we do. we could maintain 6-ft distancing.  But rarely has it been so meaningful and poignant • Took and recorded temperatures and filled to touch. Now. More than ever. And always.♦ 28 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

Gifts From My Fur Babies Joyce Harader, RCST® It’s been a rough 13 months, for sure. Then there’s Covid-19, which gave me the gift of slow- Joyce Harader, ing down these past four months. Slowing down started her holistic provided me the room to draw deeply inward on an practice as a mas- amazing and intense journey, one that would not sage therapist in have happened otherwise.   1992. Eight years I have been a wholistic practitioner for later, she came 28 years, a biodynamic craniosacral therapist for across biodynamic twenty years now, working with people and ani- craniosacral thera- mals, and have been teaching BCST foundation py, her world shifted trainings for the last twelve of those years. All greatly, and a three- three of my special beings came into my life as I year foundation was either in my BCST training, or transitioning training synchronis- my practice to predominantly BCST. They have tically came across all “taught/trained me up” (along with my animal her path in Chica- clients) as a healer/lightworker and as a responsi- go. That sent her in ble, consciously growing human being on planet a more powerful direction to heal her body (physi- Earth. There are not enough words to express my cally, mentally, emotionally and spiritually) from gratitude and appreciation for their unconditional lupus, Epstein Barr virus, chronic fatigue syn- love, compassion, and support during this 20-year drome, mononucleosis, and systematic candida, as journey together.   well as assisting her clients in healing their bod- ies. She is also an Approved Teacher for the BCTA/ Diamond and Cheetah NA and served on the board as secretary and then president over a three-year term.   On June 21st, 2019, my furry compan- ion, Cheetah, a 13 lb. male kitty was peacefully supported in transition with dignity at about 16 years of age.  On January 25th, 2020, my 19-year-old beautiful solid black horse, Merlin (the wise teacher) was supported in an emergency (severe colic, a common horse “thing”) and tragic tran- sition.  On July 23rd, 2020, my final furry com- panion, Diamond, my petite little female calico healer kitty was peacefully supported in transi- tion with dignity, just shy of her 17th birthday.    Also this year, my longtime clients Indy, a beautifully spirited, huge hearted, brown thoroughbred transitioned, and Bolt, an amaz- ingly gentle and playful 95 lb. German Shepard also transitioned.  Both left in their prime.  Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 29

Merlin - The Wise Teacher volunteer relationship, I kept running across Mer- lin on the property. He was not quite two years old Merlin came into my world first. Horses at the time. Something about him captivated me. I have been a love and PASSION since I was lit- then became his “person” as we call it in the horse tle. Anytime I could see one, pet one, and/or ride world. I began learning how to train my huge and one, I was there. They represented unbridled free- powerful young animal companion. It was the blind dom and power to someone growing up with much leading the blind. I seriously questioned my sanity restriction and trauma. In the summer of 1999, I years later.  started volunteering at a large horse farm in Dekalb, We embarked upon a 17.5 year relation- Illinois. An experienced, amazing woman, Marie, ship that had huge ups and downs. We were took me under her wing knowing I knew very lit- both injured a few times, emotionally and physi- tle. I would drive an hour to her farm and spend 8 cally. Training methods (I learned much later) to 12 hours once a week learning whatever I could only took into account keeping the rider (“green” to assist in the daily running of that 80-acre horse me) safe. Any opinions or thoughts of Mer- farm. I learned a lot. Then in August of 2000, I lin’s were shut down immediately.  Very gradu- started my BCST Foundation Training.  ally over time, he shut down and disassociated. About a year into my training, I started tak- Moving to Arizona six years in, was like ing what I learned through BCST with humans and moving from lush, green, soft Illinois to hard, began transferring it to horses. Marie was more than rocky, prickly, very HOT Mars. Both of us had willing to let me work with the 50+ horses on her PTSD and Merlin became unsafe to ride. My next property. She would tell me what the horses’ issues horse mentor/coach, Andrea, entered the scene. I were, their movement restrictions, their behavio- ral and emotional issues, and known traumatic in- Indy juries. The horses would usually graciously teach me how to work with them. Then Marie would tell/ teach me what was shifting in them afterwards. I have also been kicked and kicked at, feet stepped on, bitten or had teeth come at me in warning. A few years into my career, a horse reared a few times during the first two sessions with her. At the begin- ning of 2002, a little over a year into that eight-year 30 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

Meehan boys - Bolt is the dark one greatly ◦ This also translated into a more conscious started learning a much deeper level of how horses and lifelong exploration into self-resourcing/self- subtly communicate with us. I learned how I com- care on a major scale to support that heightened municated which was confusing to horses and how level of required presence  my inconsistencies were creating disharmony with ◦ On average, I have also received two Merlin. I also started seeing how much he had shut BCST sessions a month for the last 17 years. (I down and checked out.     highly recommend that one!)    As he began to come back into his body and start “talking” to me, his personality re-emerged • Given animals do not “speak English,” they and I found out just how sensitive, sweet, gentle taught me that I had to listen much more deeply in and inquisitive he actually was. He also became a different and very subtle ways to what they were huge taskmaster. He demanded my undivided at- communicating. This listening resulted in develop- tention and presence at all times or nothing would ing all of my sensing skills 100 times higher than I happen. He taught me an even deeper level of pa- ever would have working with people.  tience, clarity of communication, and listening that ◦ This gift then translated into being an even continues to spread into every area of my life as more skilled human practitioner that could intuit we healed together over the years. That’s Merlin’s very subtle shifts happening during sessions and story, and I’m sticking to it.  when teaching students  Here are the gifts I learned from many animal • Horses/animals are so much more energeti- sessions over the years:  cally and emotionally sensitive and empathic than us humans. They have huge hearts filled with com- • I needed a much deeper level of presence (prac- passion and generosity, even after some horrible titioner neutral) to keep myself (and them) safe as happenings  they worked thru some usually deep and intense ◦ They could share some intense emotional trauma   trauma and huge amounts of gratitude that would ◦ This created a deeper level of presence bring tears to my eyes working with people. I could then hold space for ◦ A few guinea pig clients taught me that some seriously and heinously traumatized people  they too have emotions and trauma they needed ◦ My skills as an intuitive teacher that can support to clear  “go with the flow” during modules also increased • They taught me how to be really, really, really patient, and in no uncertain terms to have no agen- das or judgements (sound familiar?) and were not afraid to let me know if I was straying in my focus   ◦ These skills have been invaluable in the classroom   • A beautiful 50-year-old umbrella cockatoo named Angel, taught me to trust the inherent treat- ment plan above all else. After releasing a huge amount of old fear, panic, emotional hurt and pain, she then walked up my arm and perched on my shoulder and put her very strong and powerful beak up against my check and lovingly clucked (best word I have to describe what has no words) at me Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 31

Gifts from Olive little seven pound. body. She was the queen in eve- ry way.    with deep gratitude She and I were very connected. When I ◦ I also saw the highest level of courage traveled back to Illinois to visit my family and see modeled in this little being facing and releasing clients for the past 12 years, she stayed energeti- some really huge abuse and neglect in her early cally connected and would help in whatever I was years doing. She had a little crystal collar made just for Miss Diamond came into my life next, in her, that helped her clear all the energy she was as- the summer of 2004. She was maybe five weeks sisting me with out of her body. When I was doing old, feral, and fit in the palm of my hand. She was a long-distance phone session, she would lay next very soft and fuzzy and really wanted to be with to me, or sit in my lap and support the process. She humans. I had a home office at the time, and she LOVED BCST and getting sessions as much as she immediately wanted to “help” during sessions.   assisted.  She had a long career as a practitioner   support kitty up until she let me know it was her Gifts I learned from Diamond:  time ten days ago. She was always unconditional love. For those clients who welcomed “kitty sup- • Unconditional love, unconditional love, uncon- port,” she knew just where to lay for therapeutic ditional love, first for myself, and then for family, benefit. I had a male client with a left inguinal clients and the larger world  hernia who came to my home office for four ses- sions. Diamond jumped onto the massage table • Giving selflessly  each time and draped herself across his left groin, • Allowing everyone to have their own journey giving me the look of: “I got this mom, you do (which was challenging for me especially with the rest.” She was amazing! She was my buddy. family)  If I was hurting in any way, she was always in my • Huge gifts sometimes come in small packages  lap or sitting next to me in support. She was very • What it felt like for her to always have my back talkative and had quite the big personality in her (a very foreign concept growing up) and then how to be that for others  • How to speak my truth  Her loss is fresh, I miss her greatly, and her Diamond’s first assist 32 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

Diamond assisting consciously modulate my energy ◦ If I came anywhere around him and my energy was not grounded and/or I was not in my midline, he would scatter  ◦ He taught me to pay closer attention to my surroundings, the beings in it and how to match my energy to the situation, and how to stop being “too much” with my energy (a priceless gift)  presence along with Merlin is very much felt. I am Looking back over the years, I have realized never alone.  that each furry companion (furry clients included) Cheetah (he had spots on his belly) was the that come into my life, are in my life to teach me final addition to my critter family. He was a shel- something. Life is an eventful and sometimes pain- ter kitty that was probably feral a little too long. ful journey. Each of them have supported me in my He was close in age to Diamond, and came to me growth and development as a practitioner and con- as a buddy for her around six months old. He was tributing human being in very different ways. As much quieter than Diamond. He was reserved and each of them have departed over the last 13 months, only wanted to be touched on his terms, usually on I’ve started realizing that their “job” growing me a very limited basis. He usually stayed out of sight was done. Many chapters of my healing process when clients came in. As he grew older, he would and life had closed, and I was moving into a very come in my treatment room, circle the table a time exciting and unknown new chapter, standing in my or two, make sure all was handled, and either lay sovereignty, shining my light clearly in a world that down nearby or walk back out again. He held space is in a huge transition as well. And while I deeply for the therapeutic process in a very different way.    miss their physical presence, I know they are still around, and they still have my back.♦  Gifts Cheetah taught me:  Diamond assisting a long distance session • Working “behind the scenes” is just as powerful as being at the forefront of anything • There are many, many ways to hold space for others  • Most importantly, he taught me how to very Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 33

Craniosacral Therapy over Distances? Ellen Gröesser, MSc, BCST, German Naturopath Ellen Gröesser stud- dynamic sessions; however, a large number of col- ied human biology leagues have no access to their clients at this time and psychology. After and thus face severe financial problems.  her master’s studies   The question, which was raised a lot this in 1992, she worked spring and summer was: Can I apply craniosacral in various interna- therapy over distances?  tional management Traditionally, craniosacral therapy is a positions in the phar- manual therapy. Therefore, it is not a method that maceutical indus- can be practiced over distances in its complete try. The birth of her form.   twin babies in 2003 However, in distant healing sessions or brought her back to calls we can use elements of biodynamic craniosa- her roots; she started cral therapy. a career as a naturo- Gentle touch has various effects, it down path and craniosa- regulates the ANS which leads to a state of re- cral therapist and laxation and feelings of safety. It also triggers the since 2007 she works in her own practice in West- Germany. Since 2010 she is student and assistant trainer of Michael Shea and holds an advanced di- ploma in biodynamic CST. Recently, she has been teaching in various countries like Ukraine, Rus- sian, Austria and Switzerland. release of oxytocin, natural opioids and activates The pandemic has put craniosacral therapists all the dopaminergic pathways. Other effects are pain over the world in a difficult situation—in many modulation, an increase of body awareness, and countries, patients could not be touched, or prac- interoception.1 Touching each other is an ancient tices even had to be completely locked down.   and instinctive behavior, not limited to human Since 2013, I have organized meetings of ethology.   European Craniosacral As- sociations to stay in touch So, humans—and manual with international colleagues. therapists in particular—want Teaching in various coun- to do something to solve the tries like Germany, Russia, problem and get rid of the is- and the Ukraine, I have heard sue as soon as possible. Thus, a lot about the difficulties witnessing is not an easy task CSTs have been facing and for human beings, maybe even are still facing. We know that less for manual therapists. our therapy is strong and sup- However, BCST is not only a portive for the immune sys- manual therapy.  In biodynamic craniosacral tem as well as for the nervous 1Geri, T., et al. (2019). Exploiting system. Especially the ANS the role of human touch. Muscu- loskeletal Science and Practice, benefits essentially from bio- Photo by Brodie Vissers from Burst 44(102044). 34 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

therapy, we also work with metabolic and embryo- from a non-emotional and neutral view  logic forces on an energetic level which might not   The prenatal and perinatal psychologist Dr. require touch.  Wendy Anne McCarty mentions in her trainings   that each human being has the need for being rec- What is left over in BCST if touch is not in- ognized in its true nature.   volved?    I am sure that the need for a baby to be ac- We are trained in the following:  knowledged as a deeply sentient being and soul that • Creation of safety over the social engage- seeks a safe and heartfelt connection is also the case ment system (S. Porges). Effect: Down regulations for adults. You might already be aware of these ex- of ANS  planations. They might serve as a reminder and or • Connection of two heart fields (safety, give some background information for the call.   compassion)  • Creation of a space or safe bubble or “con- Preparing for the Call   tainer” where healing can take place   What can we do to prepare ourselves for distant • Conscious awareness  healing calls before the session?  • Connection to primary respiration as a healing force   1. Increase your own heart awareness in your • Being a witness of emotions coming up. daily life when listening to other people  We just witness.  We are trained to feel our heart—physically and energetically. To prepare us more for distant Dr. Stephen Porges, well-known for his sessions, we start training to focus on our heart even polyvagal theory, explained frequently the differ- more, especially during communications. Practice ence between empathy and compassion. Empathy having a part of your awareness focus on this when means we feel other people’s feelings; compas- you talk to someone in your daily life. Listen while sion means we respectfully acknowledge another’s you are conscious of your physical heart and heart emotions. Keeping this in mind, in distant healing field. Stay in this state during the whole conversa- calls, we just witness (and don’t act!). Porges points tion. Be in a compassionate state during the talk.  out: “People aren’t prepared to listen, to witness, in You can also practice heart awareness in a compassionate way.”2 challenging situations like standing in a queue in Daniel Coleman mentioned in his book, So- a store to checkout or when traveling by public cial Intelligence, that the brain center of empathy transportation. Especially in these times, when eve- in the parietal lobe (mirror neurons) is very close to rybody’s face is covered by a mask, social engage- the center for motoric intention and action. So, it is ment is difficult, and the quality of social contact is difficult to have one without the other.  poor. We do not see each other’s mimic and smile. So maybe feeling your heart and raising your en- What else matters in a call?  ergy in a queue can lift up the energy in the store • Our compassionate and mindful relation- and lead to complete different conversations. Give ships to the clients   it a try! • Listening to the client’s story and show him: We care!  2. Prepare yourself with a short meditation  • Ask the “right questions” and give advice Meditations lead to a slowdown of brain waves in general. Rushing in an activated state 2 www.integratedlistening.com/blog/2019/06/25/justinlmft- brings us into high beta-waves. Parasympathetic podcast-with-dr-stephen-porges   Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 35

stimulation brings us down into alpha. The same Heart Coherence Meditation  would happen to a client that is connected to us Many of us already practice heart coher- via neuroception. The lower the brain wave, the ence mediations of the HeartMath Institute.3 You more access to intuition. As we are constantly dis- will find some guided ones on YouTube or on the tracted by social and modern media and think a lot Heart Math community website. Lately, they offer about the things we did (past) and things we will an app for mobile devices as well.    do (future), it is essential to get ourselves and the If you want to do it on your own, just sit and clients into the NOW. In an alpha brain wave state, settle down as you have been trained and as you the higher frequency brings you to a kind of time- do it in your daily practice. Focus on your breath less realm. I am sure you know what I am talking for a while. Feel the air flowing in and out, feel about. These are the wonderful meditations and your diaphragm moving up and down. You know session, when time just flies and you get back into that anatomically, the pericardium is attached to your body, you look at the clock and you cannot the respiratory diaphragm. After a while you might believe how much time just passed.   feel not only your diaphragm moving up and down Basically, you can do any mediation you but also your physical heart. Sometimes it is only like, tonglen, Zen,…whatever you learned. I give a slight pulse you perceive; it can be also the full you here two examples that work quite well for heart in its physical dimensions. Now, you focus myself.  on your diaphragm and the heart pulsating on top 3 www.heartmath.org 36 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

of it. Stay with these sensations for a few minutes. You could do a transparency meditation—I Then, start to engage your energetic heart—think also call it an “oceanic meditation.   of things you are grateful for in your life in this mo- The idea of this meditation is to get less sol- ment. These can be small things, like a good meal id and more transparent, at least as a metaphor and you had or the sunny weather or a good session you as body feeling. Remember, nearly all structures in just gave. These can also be greater and abstract the body started in a fluidal state before they be- things like a healthy child or a good partnership. came solid. Fascia used to start as compressed cells Words like “gratefulness,” “care,” and “joy” open before they got a fiber structure, water was pressed our hearts. This can be even measured as our blood out and collagenous structures start to develop in will be flooded at once by different hormones and a gel-like matrix. Embryologically, our heart starts endorphins. This is the state where the heart-brain to develop at the beginning of the third week as the coherence also comes into place.  so-called “Jelly Heart.” In fact, we memorize in this meditation our first weeks. A state, where struc- Coherent and Incoherent Patterns (HeartMath tures have been transparent and permeable. Fluids Institute)  still moved in and out, through tissues without be-   ing stopped by organic walls or membranes. In this This meditation does not need to be longer than state, our consciousness was also not fixed in our ten minutes. Research shows that if you practice body. Studies with hypnotized patients show, the this for ten minutes, three times a day, there can be early embryo still had an out-of-body-awareness, more antibodies (IgA) measured in your blood as a vantage point from outside, when the mind could soon as four days after you started.4  hover around the fetus.5   Imagining your body structures as fluid and Transparency meditation  reminding your cell layers of their porous origin, you might reach a general state of transparency 4 Transparency meditation and Heart coherence meditation, you can find on my Youtube Channel “EllensBiostillness” 5 Wambach, H. (1979). Life before life. Bantam USA. Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 37

with your body. I like to call that “oceanic state.”  attuned to primary respiration for a while, moving Automatically, your brain goes into a trans- through skin and fascia in its tidal rhythm. Parallel cendent state, you guide your consciousness into to this, your brain will move in lower alpha waves, “space,” maybe get access to the field of the univer- your body becomes not only transparent, but it will sal energy of creation and higher love (transmis- be hard to sense anymore. Focus on consciousness, sion). just be. As a metaphor, imagine yourself sitting on Meditation: Center your body the way you the ground of the ocean. Getting back to your heart, learned and practiced it and start focusing on your you can connect to the higher field of loving intel- breath. Direct your attention to the air flowing in ligence, the source of life. This is the realm where and out, feel your diaphragm moving up and down.   healing can take place as new possibilities arise. Then, you start sensing your superficial fas- The feeling of bliss and more joy for life might cia. A structure right beneath your layers of outer come up.   skin. The superficial fascia is not a dry fascia as This is really one of my favorite medita- you might think looking at an anatomic picture. It tions. Just give it a try!6   is full of water, like a sponge. It consists of an inner   membrane, framed by an outer and inner net-like During the Call  (retinacular) layer. Focus on these layers and the Before the call you might want to check membrane under your skin. It is the structure with your surrounding and make sure that nobody is go- the most sensory receptors in the body. Then try to ing to disturb you. The background is important as sense it more as a permeable and porous structure. well as a stable Wifi signal on both sides. You also Don’t worry if it doesn’t work for you the first time.   should make yourself familiar with the features Then, focus on your heart and start sens- of the platform you are using. There is always the ing primary respiration in the long tide rhythm, possibility of technical difficulties, as I experienced from heart to skin and outwards to the horizon. Af- very often with clients and students. It always made ter some cycles, you might feel it easier to move me a little uneasy and my ANS got activated, then I through the superficial fascia. You might get a sense of higher permeability and fluidity in general. Stay 6 Transparency meditation and Heart coherence meditation, you can find on my Youtube Channel “EllensBiostillness” 38 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

started directly with a meditation.   4. Relax and keep up your mimic and your Be aware of the reactions in the first min- energy during the connection for the whole time of utes of the call until you are centered and in a flow. the call—place a stronger focus on not being dis- The social engagement via eye-contact is a little tracted mentally and emotionally   difficult when you use internet platforms. As a 5. You could also use beautiful and relax- matter of fact, if you look at the screen, you see the ing pictures of nature to stimulate the vagus of your other person, but eye-contact is only possible when clients. Especially during your meditation with the you look directly into the camera lens. So, eye-to- client, you can put a photo on the screen.   eye-contact and looking into a face is not the same.   This might confuse your own ventral vagus. Just I have done a lot of calls like this in the past be aware of that sensation and let your ANS settle months with students, with patients, and I never again.  had the impression they remained without effects.   To speculate that a treatment would have been The following might be also helpful for you:  more efficient, is obsolete. The client and I came 1. Suggest a meditation together at the be- together in challenging phase, at a specific time for ginning of the call. Being connected, you are tak- a specific purpose and there was a deep connection ing the client’s ANS with you into relaxation. This between us. This is what matters and it has effects.   is a kind of “back-pack-meditation”  Never underestimate the “two-person biol- 2. Listen carefully by feeling your own ogy” we are creating by connecting heart-to-heart heart when the client explains his/her situation or and by neuroception. Connection is where we came pain. There is a stronger feeling of compassion from and what makes us feel safe and opens the when being in your own heart during a conversa- space for healing and personal evolvement.  tion  To give you some examples, I had a (new) 3.Use a deep and calm, soothing voice student in a Zoom call who started to have emo- (hearing can be the most important sense and the tional reactions already at the beginning of the voice the predominant tool in this case)  transparency meditation, and later on she told me Photo by Life Of Pix from Pexels You might use some beautiful pictures of water or nature in your call for a vagotone stimulation. Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 39

that she went again into the connection to her em- homes. And then there are the people that are re- bryologic twin (she was aware already of the topic). laxed, make the best out of their home office job, Meditating, she felt the physical pain of separation and enjoy the time with their close families. As al- in her body, fascia and muscles aching in her skull, ways, it is the choice of every single person where face, and right shoulder. We went through it and she you want to be.  was very relieved.   It is the time for us now as complementary Another client felt again a compression in therapists to work with the people, strengthen their her heart, which decompressed during the call. It immune systems, and get them out of fear. Stephen was the same effect as in a session, another layer of Porges recently published a paper about the impact trauma being released in a Zoom call.   of the pandemic on our systems. He claims: “Our In the area where I live, CSTs and physi- nervous system is simultaneously being challenged otherapists have been allowed to practice during by incompatible demands, demanding both avoid- the entire time of the lock down. However, only ance of contact with the SARSCov2 virus and the few brave clients made it into our practices and in fulfillment of our biological imperative of connect- the beginning, we had no ing with others to feel masks available. I divided Connection is where we calm and safe.” … “Thus, my sessions into a “talk- came from and what the public health strate- ing” part and a “hands-on” gies to flatten the curve part. During “hands-on” makes us feeling safe and and slow the transmission I did not talk at all. This of the disease by social was a good experience opens the space for healing distancing and self-quar- for me as it made me fo- and personal evolvement.  antining will exacerbate cus more on the energetic the negative impact that connection as described the pandemic will have on above. I also paid more attention to my mimic and us.”  body language as well as the client’s. Especially for Treating unbalanced neurophysiological babies and children it worked quite well, however I states and resulting health issues is our home turf. usually like to explain to babies and children what So, we must start now working again. Getting in I am doing. But being still during treatments, it of- touch with our clients—over distance or in prac- fered me the opportunity to sense the energy flow in tices.  the family in a better way.     While I was writing this, I received an In the future, I will not stay with treating email from my colleagues of the Swiss Craniosa- in that absolute stillness. I also will restrict distant cral Association. They have started a campaign to healing calls to a minimum. But they teach me to strengthen complementary medicine as a great sup- focus on the non-hands-on features of BCST. The port for people who suffer psychologically from the pandemic in general teaches us a lot of things—that pandemic or even have gone through an infection. could be a topic for another whole article and may- They informed me about a petition that was submit- be even a book. The most striking issue for me is ted to the government. I thought it to be worthwhile that I have the impression that we are living in two to be included in this article. I have just translated a realities. There is one realm, where media broad- part of the wording:  cast new shocking news, politicians, scientists, and During the lockdown, complementary med- economists discuss the worst scenarios, and people icine and natural remedies have helped many peo- are full of fear, being restricted completely to their ple to stay strong and healthy. However, the health- 40 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

promoting aspects of complementary medicine Edith Graf-Litscher calls for at least one were not included in the Confederation’s pandemic specialist in complementary medicine to be ap- response.  pointed to the clinical task force and the Federal   “Complementary medicine meets a strong Commission for Pandemic Preparation and Man- need of the population,” says National Councilor agement ECP. In addition, the pandemic plan must Edith Graf-Litscher, “people have a constitutional be supplemented with expertise from complemen- (legal) right to complementary medicine treat- tary medicine.   ment, even if they are ill with COVID-19.  It is the time to make strong claims like The corona crisis has clearly shown the this!♦  most urgent need for action. Salutogenetic aspects in prevention, treatment and aftercare of epidem- I would appreciate any comments and please share your ics/pandemics include complementary medicine.”   experience with these distant healing calls with me. Email: [email protected]  Behind the Veil--Dancing on a New Horizon by Mimi Ikle-Khalsa As we dance together, you and I,We find ourselves in an amazing undiscovered space, a new horizon Instead of “cheek to cheek” this dance is strange and from a distance, behind the veil of time and space Me in my cave and you in yours, safe and protected, nestled in for our session This dance, being witnessed from behind the veil unwraps new mysteries, surprises and possibilities No longer “vision heavy” and tactaly weighted perceptions, I float free, able to evenly savor the colors of tissue, affect and psychic whispers as they dance across the sky And you, so safe, so sheltered come out to dance, sharing stories never heard, parts never seen, because here, in this new treatment room of ether and soundwaves there is an ability to be bold, to be discovered and remembered And I sprout arms, like Shiva, able to “hold” so many parts all at once, defying gravity and the bounds of physical space It is here that we find one another in a new way, a new dance is emerging, I can’t wait to learn all of the steps! Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 41

Fields of Resonance and BCST Teaching Clara Favale, RCST®, PT, MA cious work that we do. It was a difficult transition as I am a hands-on person, having been very im- Clara Favale studied mersed in relief efforts around 9/11 and Hurricane CST for 15 years Sandy, which hit my beloved city in a challenging before learning of and painful way. It was difficult not to be in the city Franklyn Sills and or to be able to do hands-on session work, to not be his approach, which able to physically be of help. Our work is so based greatly inspired her. in physical presence and my sympathetics were on Her journey with full speed wanting to be of service and “do some- BCST began with thing.” I had no choice but to stay put, go within studies at the Karuna and find new ways of helping. Institute in 2000. My teaching partner, Shannon Daily, and While she specializes I went into “full on” action mode. We managed in working with to get a post-graduate workshop with Cherionna babies and children, Menzam-Sills online and offered it as two separate her private practice three-day weekends instead of the prior planned in NYC treats people five-day workshop. We offered a lower fee for the of all ages with all degrees of challenges. She class and delayed payment plan to students who is inspired daily by this work and is humbled by were out of work. The course went very well and the vast nature of the human experience and the students commented on how well the online teach- luminous spirit which unfolds as healing occurs. ings were received. They commented that on Zoom it was nice to was to see everyone’s faces instead Covid-19 and the lockdown in NYC happened of the back of fellow students heads as when they mid-March, just as we were finishing the third were in the classroom. module of our current foundation training. Our We learned the ins and outs of Zoom, dedicated students wanted to stay on and complete breakout rooms, screen sharing and how to pace the module, which we did, before parting ways ourselves with breaks and movement to keep eve- with hugs. Who knew it would be such a long time ryone engaged and not overwhelmed with the until we are able to do that again? Our students amount of time on screens. then left our safe haven on 30th Street to going off Shannon and I did not stop there. We start- to purchase what cleaning goods and toilet paper ed doing study groups every two weeks for our were left on the shelves. current training and offered a study group to our With a car packed, my husband Andrij, my recent graduates on how to do online session work seventeen-year-old son Ethan and our dog Milo, with clients. We offered three free BCST introduc- headed out from NYC to our home in Pennsylva- tory workshops and to our delight and surprise, nia which we bought after 9/11 seventeen years ago had students attend from all over the world. It was when I was pregnant with Ethan. We said goodbye a joy to see how excited the participants were with to Ethan’s girlfriend Chiara and headed out of the the work and how inspired they were with the ba- city. This is where we have been since then. As a biodynamic craniosacral instructor and practitioner, I went quickly to work on finding ways to be of service and tried to embrace the ways in which I could still stay engaged with this pre- 42 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

sic principles of our teachings. We had one student to others can be experienced, felt, and received attend all three workshops. through distance and time. Interestingly, studies We held the fourth module of our current show that being able to perceive in this way has a training online and had guest speakers (much eas- much greater effect when done with members of a ier to schedule online than in person) for the stu- community—in the same way that flocks of birds dents to add some new teaching faces and perspec- and schools of fish that are able to move together tives into the mix. The students really enjoyed this in a field of resonance and perception. With our experience as did the speakers. Our students began ability to hold a relational field, that resonance is working with one another doing online sessions a knowing and felt sense that we can access with and were amazed at how current and new clients. much they could perceive “Life is Nature expressing Our ability to explain to in this way and what shifts new clients how this can in healing emerged. It was herself as a characteristic and does work, is also an very exciting territory for important aspect of our all of us and we noticed whole which has no special current virtual practice. a raised consciousness bounds. There is no In both my BCST and ability to perceive in special limit to the life of and focusing community, this way. Teaching this racial justice and equal- work has been an incred- an organism, just as there ity issues came to the ible resource for me and forefront with the kill- the teachings support my is no limit to what can be ing of George Floyd. We being able to navigate perceived.” quickly embraced this movement forward, in call to action and includ- trusting the inherent treat- ed blogs around these is- ment plan and the Intelligence within in a newly sues, educating ourselves and listening to students perceived way. about what needed to be understood and included My personal experience of online ses- in our trainings around our BIPOC population. Not sion work and hearing from other practitioners easy territory to navigate as this called for deep and teachers in the US and across the pond about personal reflection, listening, and reading inspiring how effective it is, inspired me to study the work teachings around these issues. One question that of Rupert Sheldrake, David Bohm, Karl Popper, was asked by Jacqueline Lewis who is a reverend Lynn Taggert and many others. I also researched in NYC and is doing wonderful anti-racist work- scientists that studied nature and understood the shops was, “When did you first discover you were interconnectedness of all beings and what we can white, or black, or brown?” The BCST Community learn about this from nature such as JS Haldane, is looking deeply into how we can become more John Muir, Robin Wall-Kimmer. JS Haldane said, inclusive in our field. “Life is Nature expressing herself as a character- Currently, we are looking to hold our next istic whole which has no special bounds. There is module in September in Prospect Park in Brooklyn. no special limit to the life of an organism, just as Armed with thermometer, face shields, masks and there is no limit to what can be perceived.” antibacterial products, we are ready to go. All of the Shannon and I put together an online study students are looking forward to seeing one another group for both students and practitioners to talk and to PRACTICE HANDS ON! about how these fields within fields of connection I have been delighted to start seeing clients Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 43

in my backyard in PA. It is dense with pine trees about Ethan going back to school in the city, how that are at least 100 feet tall. How nature supports to navigate in-person teachings, how to re-establish this work is palpable. To be in the physical pres- my hands-on practice in NYC, financial and health ence of another and bask in that heart-to-heart field worries and concerns, I come back to the present felt so wonderful. With both client and practitioner moment, the task at hand. With all of the current wearing masks, I am learning to read eyes pretty and future uncertainty, that is what my most impor- well and read the subtle micro-movements of one’s tant learning has been. And these past two weeks, forehead and ears. taking a much needed break from teaching, the task Despite all the adaptations, changes and at hand or present moment is pulling weeds from navigations that the current time has brought, the my vegetable garden, or listening to Ethan play his biggest one of all is the ability to be more pre- newly found passion, the guitar. He is getting very sent. I have found when my mind starts to think good at it!♦ Apart after eighty nights without rest riveted to the news to gut churning Covid 19 statistics Will you get to hear my voice tremble I love you will the flesh of my pink hand press pale-skinned bony fingers before you take one by Lorna Richman last breath 44 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

At a Distance: Resilience in Community Margery Chessare, RCST®, BCST, LMT spond to the prompt “What I am learning about As the owner of Tur- resilience.” We could write a string of words, a tle Back Craniosa- paragraph, anything really. What emerged for me cral Therapy and was my first poem in probably five decades. It Education, Margery wasn’t great, but to me it was clearly biodynamic; Chessare has of- it revealed its roots in my work, my life, my life’s fered coursework work. and mentoring in More months have gone by and sometimes craniosacral thera- it feels like a blink, or has it been a thousand years? py since 1999. Her Such extraordinary, unprecedented times with the trainings are always intersection of the Covid pandemic, societal up- small and personal, heaval, plus the presidential election. One informs taught with love the other, and as each day passes, the threads are and respect for both more interwoven. Resilience is critical. the material and the From the start I’ve maintained that biody- participants. Mar- namic practitioners are made for this. Our practice gery continues to insures us a built-in resilience that we can and must love both the prac- tap into, not only for ourselves but for those around tice and sharing of this profoundly effective body- us, those who rely on us and those we might influ- work. ence. As I repeatedly assure my graduates and students, “We’ve got this! You’ve got this!” Not- “How we navigate a crisis or traumatic event knowing is our specialty; we thrive in the field of (and the coronavirus has many characteristics open-heartedness and compassion. We have devel- of trauma because it is unpredictable and uncon- oped the skills to identify our responses via slow- trollable) depends, in large part, on how resilient ing down, sensing in, grounding, breathing. We we are. Resilience is the ability to recover from remind ourselves we can’t “fix” anyone else. We difficult experiences and setbacks, to adapt, move can, however, offer to share our toolbox, whether forward and sometimes even experience growth. it’s with one person at a time or hundreds. Community is key. Regardless of how An individual’s resilience is dictated by a com- comfortable we may be with temporary isolation, bination of genetics, personal history, environ- we need one another; we need to support one an- ment and situational context. So far, research has other, even from a distance. found the genetic part to be relatively small.” Thus, when asked to write an article for the -Eilene Zimmerman, NY Times, June 21, 2020 Cranial Wave, it felt imperative to me to reach out to my Turtle Back community—students, gradu- After about a month of sheltering in place ates, assistants, teachers—to share their “wisdom, here in upstate NY, a good friend, a writing profes- worries, concerns of the heart” in the form of sor at a local college, emailed a group of women to invite us to form a Compassionate Writing group. I jumped at the opportunity, eager for the push I needed to get back to writing after four decades. One of our first assignments was to re- Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 45

spontaneous words, phrases, stories or a sentence ******* or two. As I told them, whatever showed up would The thing that has struck me most is the be perfect. And so it has. Every contribution tells a preciousness of touch. During the early weeks and story that is both unique and universal. May they months of the pandemic, I did several sessions. My serve to strengthen the resilience in you. hand placed on the client became every hand that ******* had not touched them, every beloved body that the When I was younger, I was at the ocean client had not touched. We talk of the other pair of with my parents. I was bobbing in the waves and hands. This was communion with the multitude of riding them to shore. The cool water and the ad- touch, of gentle bodies missed. venture were exhilarating. Suddenly I got pulled ******* under and spun up in the tumble of the rocks and These have been such precious and such jagged shells. I tossed about — knees and elbows painful times. Here’s a song I made up... getting scraped — disoriented until I washed up on Though we can’t touch and hold the sand. We can still hold and touch with our hearts. Lately, it’s as if Though there is distance I’ve been in the essence of Nothing can keep us that same turbulence, on a As I told them, whatever apart. So global level. That same showed up would be ******* feeling of uncertainty. Frustration…. The past few months I’m perfect. And so it has. many of the activities and slowing down my aware- Every contribution tells a situations that I take pleas- ness so it isn’t stored as story that is both unique ure in and have taken for trauma. and universal. May they granted are not possible. What helps me: There’s a nagging anxi- I trust the earth serve to strengthen the ety in the background all deeply. I trust human egos the time. People have put and human defenses very resilience in you. together so many virtual little. I’m staying con- activities and situations. nected to nature and my When will it end?! body more, and less at- On the other hand…. Doors close, others tached to my thoughts. open. A challenge to creativity and the ability to be ******* aware of opportunities for SOMETHING NEW…. We had moved to a new city, my business Noticing the resources hidden in plain view, when was not set up yet. We were living in fear and anxi- I allow myself to let go of the stuff that gets in the ety. Then one night I connected with the universe way. A chance to “raise the eyes” and “open the to help me shift these emotions. I felt an energy ears.” flow into my ears as I allowed it in with an open ******* heart; it flowed throughout my being. I allowed my I believe the human body parallels the uni- heart to open completely as this energy expanded verse in so many ways. Just as I believe the human with tremendous peace; I kept allowing it deeper body can rearrange and heal on the cellular level and deeper into my being. I became peace, calm, in the presence of non-judgment and love, I also ease and I knew we would be okay with whatever trust that the world will unravel, unfold and heal at unfolds. the human level. One cell at a time, one human at 46 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

a time. When I start to feel helpless and that there When social distancing morphed into lockdown, is nothing I can offer, I remember I can keep re- including quarantine, I got real excited. Everyone turning to self and stillness wherein lives the great- everywhere had to take ten giant steps back from est potential to reach higher consciousness, deeper their lives. Introspection is in short supply in our compassion, and love. I may not have awakened world. Suddenly en masse everyone everywhere to this yet, but this is the work I CAN do now. “Be became subjects in a consciousness-raising social still and know.” experiment, the likes of which the world has never experienced. Surprises never cease…. ******* Distance session: ******* When I sit at my treatment table Far away, too close, here, surreal, disori- channeling you through pillows ented, contracted, constricted, consternation, agi- and a head-shaped bowl, tation, frozen, thawed, tragic, mess, clean air, jaws it feels like it does clenched, hearts open, wild boar run through Paris, when we’re really together long talks, silent treatment, what’s lurking, un- in a BSCT session. known, know too much, terror, courage, furious, I hear you tell me where to go, hilarious, exhausted, energized, grief, joy, don’t my fluid contacts yours work, work too hard, sick, dead, alive, well, numb, and vice versa. if only. I use my cushions. I feel my feet on the floor ******* and take in the outside when we need This time has been a time of non-doing. grounding. Being still. Leaning into the space of not knowing, I think my soul meets yours somewhere, not having a plan, being in the space in-between, out there and in each of us, being spacious, waiting patiently, and getting com- in a space that allows it. fortable in that space. And there is a strong sense How absolutely magical! of seeking connection in a time when (it feels to me that) we are being told to disconnect or con- ******* nect only in superficial ways. How can we be of Thinking of time, not thinking of time, just service? being, waiting for the light to change, seeing the new leaves sprouting, then the flowers come, tak- ******* ing in the visual feast, the smells of spring, warm My state of mind these past four or five breezes. What is important ? What matters? Float- months: Like birth labor; so hard but the promise ing through the days, the question of work. So of- of something new and magnificent; caterpillar to a ten I felt that I had not been working enough. I felt butterfly. guilty. Noticing reflections in water through the Things have been going down and we with window into the wind, the movement of the water it. Now we can look around and see what has been in the morning light of the new day. Finding the destroyed and think about how to rebuild or just flow of the day. So many moments to notice and build anew. cherish. Life is important, especially mine. We are part of the whole and yet whole at the same time. From the densest to the finest: hu- ******* man nature, animal nature, plant nature, earth, wa- The COVID rollercoaster!...What fasci- ter, fire, air. In and out; up and down. nated me from the start was everyone globally going through the same thing at the same time... ******* When I feel stuck, as if there was no where Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 47

else to go, it’s the gentle reminder that there is my mind is more equanimous, more grounded and movement in stillness. It is like a breath of freedom more at peace. from the confinements of life. What the future will look like is still very uncertain, but I am not afraid to dream of new, truly ******* new possibilities. To put it succinctly; once you reach the wave, regardless of the methodology, all life flows ******* in perfect rhythm. This is the state we are meant to Uncertainty, Order or Disorder, Renewing achieve and sustain. I believe this and trust it in the Friendships, Care, Golden Rule; Do Unto Others. depths of my soul. Faith, Love, Loss, Reinvention, Mercy, Compas- Within us is the answer for not only heal- sion, Trust, Hope, Frustration. ing, but also for sustained balance and rhythm for Don’t forget to breathe…. ourselves and others. I believe we are an active and integral part of the universal stream of conscious- ******* ness and a co-creative force of evolution. We are I’m trying to identify where I can help. Part the resources to lift humanity to a higher state of of where I can help is in kindness. being. Kindness is something I have to schedule in my digital calendar to remind myself to do—not a ******* natural instinct of late. It’s there scheduled in a yel- Disoriented low block to quiet the busy, to stealthily attack the Confused self-centeredness, to bring to a world I wish I could Amazed “control” a bit more. Intrigued Lately, kindness feels like an overwhelm- Deep waves of grief ing, helpful, hopeful, exhausting act. Grateful Not every morning and evening is perfect. Scared Not every sleep in between is restful. And not every Angry day is spent satisfied and positive. But when kind- Disgusted ness is scheduled and acted upon...it sure does Mobilized make life feel good. Hunkering in Reflecting ******* Expectations suspended If nothing else, we need to be a nest of be- Witnessing transformation longing for each other. ♦ Healing crisis Staying afloat ******* Holding it together With great thanks to the following for generously Healing from a distance sharing their experiences, their vulnerabilities Midline and their wisdom: Kimberly Marks, Emmanuella Grossman, Michelle ******* Doyle, Jenny Rangan, Robert Weissberg, Briana When we first went into sheltering in place Coffin, Brandi Miss, Wendy Wood Ordway, Charles at the end of March, I fell gratefully into stillness. Adinolfi, Ellen Mossman, Toby Calandra, Ana It felt to me that I had been longing for stillness for Goldenberg, Heather Wamsley, Sue Vazal, Jessie a long time. I didn’t accomplish a lot during those Groneman, Rose Alisandre, Wanda Saldaña, Amy first two months. Czadzeck, Kate Winter, Brooke Laura. Recently I have taken a deep dive into dis- tance healing work and something has engaged, 48 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave

by Brooke LauraP(oFoeumndation graduate) SSCCttiihhllllaannooeessssss Feet planItaemd fgirrmoulyndoendthe earth SSCCttiihhllllaannooeessssss Walk aImaomnghsotmthee trees SSCCttiihhllllaannooeessssss Float weighI talmessfrienethe ocean SSCCttiihhllllaannooeessssss Feel the cool morning Ibaremezcelepaarss through my soul SSCCttiihhllllaannooeessssss Listen to the birdsong, a symI apmhohneylddelight from the treetops SSCCttiihhllllaannooeessssss Watch as first lighI tapmaihnutms tbhleedJapanese maple SSCCttiihhllllaannooeessssss BalaInacme iHsoremseto. red Cranial Wave www.craniosacraltherapy.org 49

Distance Learning and Work in Training for Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy Nets Manela everyone since we’d been exchanging practice ses- sions for a year. The first time I received, I was Nets Manela is a surprised to sense the presence of my partner even student-practitioner more strongly than in person. I actually had to ask of biodynamic crani- for more space! In a later session with a fellow osacral therapy, student who also practices massage therapy, I felt currently in training her in the room in such a strong physical way that at the Heartwaves our session felt energetically like a massage. The Healing Institute guided imagery another teacher offered verbally to under the tutelage help resource my sense of vertical space for spinal of Mimi Ikle-Khalsa. compression created a sense of elongation as pal- Nets has been in- pable as hanging upside down in a doorway. volved in birth work There is something more spacious and for the past 15 years even safe and private about distance work that and continues to feel lends to a feeling of spreading out my whole be- inspired by the pos- ing, maybe even teasing apart the layers from each sibilities of work at other. When I’m working, sometimes I do or say the intersection of things that I wouldn’t have the courage to express these two fields. in person. Once while giving a session to a teacher, I felt strongly connected with her tissue body, in its A year into my training, Mimi took Heartwaves density and clear presence, and to her tidal body in Healing Institute online. Our transition was facili- its expansive electric majesty, but I could not per- tated in such a way as to be rather seamless—ironi- ceive any sensations from her fluid body. I oriented cally much more so than my son’s experience of to her AO, and she felt it drop into my hand. Then school going virtual. “Distance bodywork” sounds she shared that her sacrum released downward as like an oxymoron. But the confident and compas- well, and at the same time, the fluid tide became so sionate holding field of our teachers and mentors, clear in its thick and slow watery tugging. Wow! the close relationships among the whole group, 1, 2, 3 bodies, distinct and clear, in my hands and along with the experience of giving and receiving my field. I have explored some new territory for sessions have all felt continuous and aligned. me as well, in what feels like a conscious dream- I am aware of some of the challenges like streaming of images and sense perceptions. A around naming, describing, and standardizing our few times, I have seen and felt the clear presence work for the sake of safety, integrity, accountabil- of other people’s spirits. I wonder if I will perceive ity, and accessibility. And I am but a babe in this these things in person. Often, in post-session de- field. So my intention in sharing is simply to offer briefs, we find that we have been working at dif- a few of my experiences from a student perspec- ferent levels, periodically converging on shared tive. I take a leap of faith every time I give or re- ceive a BCST session in person. So when we start- ed doing phone sessions, I went ahead and leapt again. We students started off by receiving sessions from our teachers and table assistants. I already en- joyed shared trust and intimate connections with 50 www.craniosacraltherapy.org Cranial Wave