Tag: Books

  • Cranio Sacral Therapy Books

    There are many good books on cranio sacral therapy.
    No one book is definitive. I recommend you read them all.
    If you have a favorite book that you feel really helped you in your training or practice and you don’t see it listed here then send me the title and a short review of it and I will list it.

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    The Heart
    of Listening : A Visionary Approach to Craniosacral
    Work VOL. 1 & 2
    by Hugh Milne.
    I like Hugh’s two books. He goes into great depth
    on the underlying philosophies involved in cranio
    sacral work.

    Here’s what other people say about Hugh’s books.

    "Hugh Milne’s 2 vol. set combines poetry,
    art, and technique in the field of Craniosacral
    Therapy. Great insight to the therapist’s process,
    as well as, the client. It goes beyond the technical
    to the artful and creative process of being with
    your client, as you help their body heal itself.
    Not only beautiful, and inspiring, but deals,
    in detail, with the technical aspects of craniosacral
    work. It is a definite “must” in the library of
    the body worker who wants to go beyond the ordinary."

    "Hugh Milne’s 2 vol. set combines poetry,
    art, and technique in the field of Craniosacral
    Therapy. Great insight to the therapist’s process,
    as well as, the client. It goes beyond the technical
    to the artful and creative process of being with
    your client, as you help their body heal itself.
    Not only beautiful, and inspiring, but deals,
    in detail, with the technical aspects of craniosacral
    work.
    It is a definite “must” in the library of the
    body worker who wants to go beyond the ordinary.
    Well written with a good index, bibliography and
    footnotes for each chapter. The author’s analogies
    are also quite helpful as it is really a book
    that tries to teach a feeling, hands on, touch
    subject. The diagrams are accurate and easy to
    follow. At times there are references to techniques
    that are in the next volume. Volume one deals
    with the background, history and cerebral/philosophical
    aspects of craniosacral work.
    These aspects are a key to how the author practices
    craniosacral work. This is not just a technical
    manual of how to shift bones. It deals with energetic
    aspects of healing as well. As I am a veterinarian,
    the medical aspects were easy to follow. I cannot
    speak to how someone with less anatomical training
    would see the text."

    "If every Massage Therapy School would teach
    The Heart of Listening’s lessons on “transference”
    and “counter-transference,” I believe Hugh Milne
    would have provided a direly needed understanding
    and set of constructive guidelines for therapists
    who are human and therefore tend to get into trouble
    when in close contact with other humans.
    There are many other extraordinarily helpful and
    interesting stories, explanations and illustrations
    to be found in The Heart of Listening. If you
    believe that truth is beauty and beauty truth,
    I think you would deeply appreciate Hugh Milne’s
    book. It is a fine creative effort, especially
    in presentation of both the technical and spiritual
    aspects of Visionary Craniosacral Work.
    Another thing I like about the writing: Milne
    doesn’t take credit for someone else’s work. Quite
    the contrary. I noticed meticulous care in giving
    credit where credit is due. A certain humility
    permeates this book, letting the reader know the
    author is not just knowledgeable in a gentle way,
    but quite honest. Jockeying for “who’s the best”
    status obviously isn’t a Milne characteristic."

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    Craniosacral
    Therapy for Babies and Small Children


    by Etienne and Neeto Peirsman
    The authors approach babies as conscious beings
    who endure enormous stress during the birth process.
    They show how cranio sacral therapy can help restore
    the correct alignments in babies’ bodies, freeing
    them to grow and attain their maximum potential
    without hindrance.
    The book focuses on what a trained cranio sacral
    therapist can do to remove the blockages that often
    arise during birth.
    Based on the authors’ extensive experience, this
    guide can also be used by parents or caregivers
    interested in knowing what babies need in order
    to be whole and healthy, and how to prevent problems
    — including hyperactivity and ADD — that could become
    serious and require medication later in life.

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    Touchstone
    for Healing
    by John Upledger.
    John Upledger is one of the pioneers of cranio sacral
    therapy. He was the one who came up with the name
    as he helped the therapy make the transition from
    treating bones to deeper trauma in membranes. The
    Upledger Institute have this to say about this book.

    ‘This book expands on concepts originally presented
    in “Your Inner Physician and You” to offer new insights
    into the promise of CranioSacral Therapy. The new
    book is packed with fresh information, repeating
    ideas from the first text only when it helps clarify
    the historical context within which the concepts
    were developed.’
    I have read “Your Inner Physician and You”. It is
    a good, if overly dramatic description of cranio
    sacral therapy. I don’t like the way he gives very
    little credit to the pioneers in this field who
    preceded him. Having said that it is the best book
    about cranio sacral therapy written for the lay
    person.

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    CRANIO SACRAL
    THERAPY 1
    by John Upledger

    Many schools use this book as their first text
    book for their students.
    It always strikes me as if it was written predominantly
    to communicate that the author knew what he was he was
    talking about to Doctors.
    As a consequence this book is hard going to read.

    It assumes you know anatomic terminology so if
    this is your first book about cranio sacral therapy
    I suggest you get familiar with the terminology
    before you start.
    Having said all that it is a must read for every
    cranio sacral therapist.

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    Cranio Sacral
    Therapy 2 – Beyond the Dura
    by John Upledger.

    This is THE cranial nerves and face book. I haven’t
    come across a better book on the cranial nerves,
    particularly because it is written from a cranio
    sacral perspective. So not only is the anatomy
    of the cranial nerves gone into in detail it also
    includes the sorts of pathology picture and symptoms
    that can manifest.
    It also goes into facial anatomy and the neck
    in great detail.

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    Somato Emotional
    Release: Deciphering the Language of Life

    by John Upledger.
    This book is about the sort of therapeutic
    talking that can be done with a patient to help
    them access the memories locked in restrictions.

    It outlines the mechanics of what is happening
    and gives models for working with these dream
    -like parts of the patient.
    Definitely a book to read if you feel that talking
    with your patient will help the releasing process
    but you just don’t know what to say.

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    A Brain
    is Born
    By John Upledger.
    This is an excellent book about embryology and
    foetal development with a focus on the brain and
    its development.

    It is written with prospective parents in mind
    so is not to jargon heavy.

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    Craniosacral
    Byodynamics 1 & 2
    by Franklyn Sills.

    These two books are excellent. They add another
    perspective to cranial work. Here is what Franklyn
    has to say about it.
    "Craniosacral Biodynamics is an approach
    to work in the cranial field which has its roots
    in the later work or Dr. William Garner Sutherland,
    the founder of the the cranial approach. These
    two volumes are geared to be text books for students
    and practitioners which outline a particular biodynamic
    outlook within the cranial field.
    The work within these volumes is different from
    most foundation course books currently available.
    Dr. Sutherland emphasised that the human system
    is not just a mechanism, but is ordered by the
    deepest spiritual sources. He called the Creative
    Intelligence in action within the universe, the
    Breath of Life.
    It is this Breath of Life which is the focus for
    a clinical understanding, even if we only perceive
    the forces it generates. These books focus on
    the Breath of Life as the ordering and organising
    principle, not just of the human system, but within
    the world at large.
    Craniosacral Biodynamics is an energy medicine
    which attempts to align us to the deepest wellspring
    of life. It takes a biodynamic approach in that
    the intentions are to clarify our relationship
    to the Breath of Life and its ordering processes,
    and to function clinically as a servant to the
    healing processes it unfolds. Our work is clearly
    seen to be one of supporting these intentions,
    we do not "do" the healing, we listen
    to and support its unfoldment. This work strongly
    de-emphasised the CRI level of action.

    These books focus much more on the deeper tidal
    rhythms within the human system. These are called
    the mid-tide and Long Tide. It is within these
    slower and deeper rhythms that the resources of
    the system are found and within which our unresolved
    experience, be it traumatic or pathological, is
    centered. Our focus is squarely on the action
    of what Dr. Sutherland called the potency of the
    Breath of Life as it unfolds within our human
    condition."

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    Osteopathy
    in the cranial field
    by Magoun

    This book, like the next one, are classics of
    cranio sacral therapy.

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    Teachings
    in the science of Osteopathy
    by William
    Sutherland.

    The grandfather of cranio sacral therapy, this
    is his pioneering book.

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