February 13 -2009
Questions and comments for this issue:
+ Questions about meditation and why we need it.
+ Letter from Finland.
Hello,
I’m happy to report that the folks at the University
of Michigan are continuing their pioneering tradition.
You might remember that they were involved in a lot of
the early work John Upledger did on cranio sacral therapy.
This time a group of researchers, led by chemistry
professor Raoul Kopelman have done some very interesting
work quantifying the inherent energy fields of cells.
This is no news to us but I always like to see science
finding ways of measuring and proving what we do.
I particularly like the bi-line for the article –
“Individual cells have INTERNAL electric fields – as
powerful as LIGHTNING bolts”
Very 1950’s sci-fi movie don’t you think. You can
read the full article here:
Speaking of shockers, let me also direct you to the
cranio sacral poetry of Imur Ton. Imur is a veteran
cranio sacral and massage therapist. He has written
poems about his experience and put them on his website.
Now before you get all dewy eyed and run off to
indulge in a bit of cranial iambic pentameter let me
warn you Imur’s peoms are not for the fainted hearted.
As he says himself, ‘Please put on your seat belt
and find something solid to hold onto.’ This is
honesty at point blank range with both barrels.
Enjoy the ride. Here’s my favorite.
Zoë Grivas from Australia has been in touch with me
about her treatment table. She is selling it. It is
an Athlegen powerlift table. It is the same type as
the one I use but with a lot more folding table panels.
I like mine so much I shipped it to Ireland when I moved.
I have posted the details about Zoë’s table on the forum
you can have a look at it here.
Before we get into the rest of the newsletter
let me make a quick appeal. If you have been watching the news
about the bush fires in Australian and you would like to help
in some way, I encourage you to go here and donate.
That said let’s get on with the mailbag.
***QUESTIONS ABOUT MEDITATION***
I’ve had a number of letters about meditation and
why it was needed as part of the process of learning
cranial work so I’ll answer them all here.
The purpose of including meditation in your cranio
sacral training is to help you become familiar with
your inner state or landscape.
In that way you can begin to differentiate between
what you are receiving from the patient and what is
just you.
Think of it like this.
You’re sitting in front of a big wide screen TV.
The channel keeps changing but that doesn’t matter
because you find everything interesting. Behind you
there is a small colour TV but you can’t turn around
to look at it. You can hear what’s on the small TV
but you can’t make it out because the noise from the
TV in front of you is obscuring it.
Are you with that image so far. You’re facing the
big TV with the little TV behind you.
Every now and then, when the screen on the big
TV goes dark, you can make out something of the little
TV as it reflected in the darkened screen of the big TV.
Now let me explain this brilliant metaphor.
Okay, this metaphor. The big TV is your body – mind etc,
your system. The little TV is the patient’s system.
You want to be able to see their system – the show
on the little TV – as accurately as you can.
So the obvious thing to do is turn off the big TV,
then in the empty screen and without the sound, it is
much easier to see what is happening on the little TV
as it is reflected on the darkened screen of the
big TV.
Learning to meditate is like learning how to turn off
your TV. You need to be able to reduce your internal
static. What you are left with is a sort of inner
silence into which it is easier to hear any ‘noise’
from the person you are working with.
Cultivating that inner silence is important because it
is the secret weapon of cranio sacral therapy.
Sure, it’s important to be able to talk with patients
about why they might be sick and so on.
But for some people talking can only make things worse.
They can have so many concepts floating around in their
head that talking can be like throwing petrol on the fire.
You can get a sense of this when you are taking
their case history. They will usually have been sick
for some time and have seen quite a few other therapists
and they will have a number of theories floating around
in their heads as to why they are ill. You can tell
that with each new ‘helpful’ perspective you offer
they go deeper into confusion.
That’s when silence really works. They get on
the table and you begin to work. You might chat
with them but you don’t initiate it or keep it
going. Eventually silence descends and in that
silence, and the depths of your work, changes
percolate to the surface from the depths of them.
Over time, deep changes occur and no one talks
about it. Sometimes they will tell you an insight
they may have had and it will usually have a deep
ring of truth to it.
What do you think about the role of silence
and meditation in cranial work?
***FROM ANU IN FINLAND***
Hello John,
Great to see how much work you have done to make
CST better known.
How did you end up into “CST-world”?
I moved back to Finland from the UK in Februari 2008
(I lived in London and Windsor for almost three years)
and I’m so anxious to let every single person in this
country to know about the power of this gentle, amazing
approach!! I started to learn CST in London 2006 and
have carried on since, been to Florida and North
Carolina to learn more.
My inspiration initially was my cousin who currently
lives in the US and has been practicing CST for…
at least 15years more or less. But the main force
that made me sign myself in to take a workshop was
after a personal injury (proper car accident/whiplash)
in 2005. I was treated by an amazing therapist in
London and one day I told her I think I just have
to start learning CST and she encouraged me. I know
now that I found something I was meant to find, the
important piece for me personally and certainly
professionally had been missing.
I hope you have an amazing year 2009 – it will be
an exciting year!
Lots of greetings from Helsinki, Finland! 🙂
-Anu
>>>MY COMMENTS:
I think this is a great letter and highlights the many
different ways we come to become cranio sacral therapists.
What is your story ? How did you come
to cranio sacral work? Let me know and I will include
the best stories in the next newsletter.
Till the next time.
Your Mate,
John D.