Emotions in Cranio-sacral practice

Cranio-sacral work is known as a bodywork modality. The name itself refers to physical parts and systems, and in many ways this practice is deeply rooted in the body. Practitioners are required to learn about the physical body from the anatomical perspective, as well as its more subtle aspects. It can be rich and fascinating for both client and practitioner to support the physical body with these knowledges.

At the same time, the physical body is not only physical. Many people come to cranio-sacral practice because of conditions that have layers to them, like chronic pain, insomnia, fatigue, digestive problems or nervous overwhelm. Through our practice we come to see that, sometimes, beneath these health conditions lie forgotten emotions, and recovering health includes being able to address this.

Many of us did not grow up learning emotional skills. We may not know how to feel our basic emotions of anger, sadness, fear, disgust, surprise and joy. These are our embodied responses to life situations. When we can’t recognise them we may not be able to engage in our lives fully. It is part of our larger story of disembodiment. We can build complex stories about ourselves and the world, but we are not always good at noticing how we are feeling.

Feeling our emotions requires an ability to be embodied. Emotion happens in the body, and only in the body.

In a healthy world we would all grow up supported to feel our emotions in appropriate ways. We would learn for example, that the purpose of anger is to protect what is important. We would welcome them as guides to action. But we didn’t, and we learnt to close down the feeling body and our instincts. But emotions do not just go away; they get twisted and crumpled into complex thoughts and emotions, and sometimes into body symptoms.

In cranio-sacral practice one of our aims is to connect with the feeling body. As we work with body symptoms and patterns, sometimes emotions can arise, to be welcomed, allowed in. This can happen in sessions or after. With the support of the practitioner, the whole body-mind system moves toward more health. If emotions are involved, our intelligent system will start bringing them to the surface. A practitioner who is open to working in this way will support her clients to feel whatever they feel. One key to this is staying present in the body and slowing things down. Another is dialogue that fosters understanding. 

Sometimes we can be scared that if we start feeling something, it will be too much for us. With practice we learn to contain and support ourselves, and also to let others support us. We learn that emotions will not overwhelm us if we allow them in bit by bit, to be expressed in ways that are right for us.

Becoming intimate with our emotions is a skill, and a practice. At first it might be messy. With time and skill, we can be with the subtler layers too. We learn that emotions are information, and guides to actions. Learning to be with our emotions takes time, and a real desire to care for ourselves.

Cranio-sacral practice can connect us to the feeling-knowing body.

A body that knows how we feel when the mind wants to forget;
she knows how to hold on and how to let go, when the conditions are right.