Basically, about 5 grams of pressure is used to effect this fluid system. Because you can't use brute force to dock a boat, you have to slowly and gently guide it into place.
Craniosacral Therapy
Upledger Institute Approach
Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, non-invasive manual treatment approach that works with the natural self-correcting mechanisms of the body. In CST, we access the craniosacral system (CSS), a part of the central nervous system, which consists of the membranes and fluids that surround the brain and spinal cord. The CSS has the ability to influence every system in the body, such as the musculoskeletal, neurological, immune, digestive, endocrine, etc
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Guided by the person’s innate intelligence and palpation of the CSS, core issues are detected and released so that the cause of dysfunction is treated rather than the symptoms or disease.
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A goal of CST is to help the person to restore and optimize the functional operation of their body.
“Every treatment protocol should be dictated
by the wisdom of the patient’s own body.”
—Dr. John E. Upledger
What to expect...
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Sessions are fully clothed.
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You are welcome to share pertinent medical or
emotional information, but its not necessary. Your body
will present the work it needs.
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You may fall into a deep relaxed state or fall asleep
or back n forth between both.​
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The work consists of holds on the body and skull bones,
mouth work to access skull bones with prior discussion,
occasional guided imagery and dialoguing.
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Ideally, you want to relax & tune into your body...listen to what its doing and saying to you.
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Signs of release...
Physical: localized to whole body twitching, pulsing where my hands are, heat, sudden deep breaths, muscles/tension relax, abdominal gurgles, an area of discomfort arise then dissipate.
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Emotional: Often, things we consider physical causes of tension or pain in our bodies are actually stuck emotional traumas. They can also be physical traumas that are emotionally charged because they happened during a stressful time. Like slipping on ice the week a loved one died. You can treat the physical pain, but a discomfort can linger. This is because there is an emotion that needs processing.
During a session, your body will say if it has a stuck emotion that its ready to look at. Release happens on a spectrum of intensity and type of emotion. You may have a memory, shed a single tear to having a full on cathartic cry. I've personally had anger come up and needed to rant for my release. I've also had laughing and sneezing fits. This is what we call Somato-Emotional Release.
It all depends, and it will never be something you are not ready for.
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This information applies to pediatric sessions as well.
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You can find me in therapist search at the Upleger Institute website, with a list of the courses I have taken and classes I can assist with.
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Massage Therapy
Learning massage therapy at the Finger Lakes School of Massage was such an incredible blessing for Christina. NY state has a 1000hr education requirement, which is more than other states. For perspective, NH requires 750 hours. That extra 250hr was filled with so much fascinating information, modalities and practical application of the work. Her massages are truly one of a kind.
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A massage with Christina is a blended modality session, using whatever education she has to assess, treat and evaluate you. This is more than a simple massage. Choice modalities to work with are a deep Swedish, Craniosacral Therapy, Shiatsu, fascia/connective tissue therapy, movement, lymphatic drainage, reflexology and energy work.
A large portion of the education Christina received in school was in Shiatsu, which is an invaluable tool used for assessment and treatment. Shiatsu means finger/shi, pressure/atsu. It is ofJapanese origin but follows the teachings of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. It was created to replace the needles used in acupuncture. So how does Christina use this to help you, by having an understanding of the meridians, their characteristics and how to treat them.
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For example, if you share about having some anxiety, she will use that information to assess the meridians on your arms and around your heart and small intestine for any tension that needs relieving.
Likewise, if you tell her your doctor is worried about your heart health, she will assess the same areas. Even without sharing any medical information with her, your body will inform Christina of any issues with organs/meridians you may be experiencing. This gives you some information to explore and empowers you to understand your body and health in a different way.
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Christina also has further education in trauma informed body work, largely in Somato Emotional Release, to help people work through uncomfortable physical or emotional trauma in a safe space.
Each massage is unique to you, where you are, that day, to help you through whatever physical discomfort or stress you are experiencing.
Energy work
You can only hold space for others to heal as deeply as you've gone with yourself to heal. That is what we have done and continue to do. Peeling back all the unhealed layers, going inward, doing the work. This way the space is not clouded and we can clearly see what you need addressed.
While we are both Reiki Masters, and Justin, a Master Teacher, the scope of our energy work practice includes so much more.
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The energy work we offer, looks at your energy system, its integrity, anything causing it not to function properly, and then treats it, to bring you to your next level of alignment.
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Some things that affect its proper function are blocks, cords, past lives, karma, belief systems, cellular memories, expectations, inner male/female imbalance, subpersonalities, smoke screens, resistance patterns, lessons, etc.
​With energy work, discernment is key. Being able to keep yourself, as the therapist, in alignment so that you can properly assess and treat your client's energy system, is crucial for this work to be done properly and effectively. Discernment only comes, as you heal.