Natural Relief from Anxiety: CranioSacral Therapy by Lynn Wonders

As mentioned in the first and second article of this series, according to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA), anxiety disorders are the most prominent mental health issue in our country. Some people may choose to see a medical doctor to obtain medication and many people find relief from a combination of medication and psychotherapy. There are also many natural options that do help many people find relief and even freedom from the grip of anxiety.

When people experience anxiety it is an emotional response to various triggers often based in long-rooted beliefs. Sometimes the anxiety is generalized to many situations while other times anxiety is in response to social interaction or connected to an intense fear of heights, public speaking, and many other things. Anxiety experienced in the body can cause a feeling of restricted breathing, muscle tension, headaches, digestive problems, skin rashes, or general aches and pains.

In this article, I’d like to introduce you to a very special kind of therapy that has had a significantly positive impact on many of my clients who experience anxiety. It is called CranioSacral Therapy (CST) and it is provided by a licensed massage therapist who has received specialized training in CST. I often refer my clients suffering from anxiety to a CST practitioner and have observed amazing results and reports.

CST is a very gentle, non-invasive therapy typically provided by a licensed massage therapist who has gone through specialized training. CST uses light touch to bring your central nervous system back into balance.

The CranioSacral System consists of the brain, spinal cord, membranes and fluid within it. The fluid has a rhythm allit’s own, similar to the tide of the ocean or your heartbeat and pulse. When there is a disruption in the flow of this fluid imbalance in the body and mind can occur. And it works the other way too…When we have emotional responses to anxiety-provoking experiences and this emotion cannot be expressed in a way that is healthy, this emotion is remembered or stored in the tissues of the body, the muscles,bones and organs. When people experience CST, the body relaxes, the brain activities slow down and the ego with its defense mechanisms gets out of the way. The stored emotions often will surface for the purpose of release and healing. According to Shawna Brodie-Butson, LMBT in Marietta, GA, CST uses a whole-person approach to healing, acknowledging that the mind, body, and spirit are intricately connected. Shawna reports that people who have received CST often say they have a sense of feeling moreintegrated in their bodies and are able to think and feel more clearly. Shawna says, “CST calms the mind and restoresit’s connection with the body. It is profoundly relaxing and restorative.” People receiving CST will lie comfortable on a massage table, fully-clothed as the therapist uses light touch, which engages the body’s own corrective wisdom to facilitate changes safely from the inside out. Sessions typically last an hour.

Although CST therapists are not psychotherapists, they are trained to release restrictions in the body. Emotions are often linked to tension held in the body and sometimes can be released along with physical restrictions. In that way, CST can help to address the root causes of anxiety and depression without the use of medications. CST has been experienced as calming to the central nervous system, allowing the body and mind to be stronger and more resilient.

I have recommended many people who suffer from anxiety give CST a try. Everyone I know who has experienced CST, myself included, reports that CST is provides a profound relaxation with lingering positive benefits and pronounced relief from anxiety in particular.

Mindfully yours,
Lynn Louise Wonders

Author

Moana Schwertsik Moana Schwertsik has been a certified massage therapist since 2013. While enjoying her work as a massage therapist she continued her studies at Life Energy Institute and graduated in 2014 with a CranioSacral Therapy and in 2016 with a Polarity Therapy certification.SCHWERTSIKImage Prior to moving into massage and bodywork Moana worked for 30 years with horses, first learning from a dressage aster, then turning to the world of horse racing. During that time she suffered several different injuries and found that CranioSacral Therapy was the most effective in relieving her pain, which she thought was going to be chronic pain for the rest of her life. She learned the importance of taking care of our bodies and the benefits that different forms of bodywork can provide. She has learned to combine her modalities to support us to be healthier and pain free.