Early in his career as a medical student, Dr. William Sutherland noticed that the bones of the head looked like they were designed for movement. In his exploration he had a profound realization that the cranium is designed to express small degrees of motion. During many years of groundbreaking research he demonstrated the existence of this motion and concluded that it is produced by the body’s inherent life force which he called ‘The Breath of Life’ or Primary Respiration.
Primary Respiration produces a palpable series of rhythms which make up and maintain our physiological form, balance and order. In other words our bodies are intelligent, self-organizing and self-regulating systems. Craniosacral bodywork utilizes touch grounded in a listening attention which serves to support this natural intelligence bringing awareness to our internal source of wellbeing.
In his book ‘Craniosacral Biodynamics’ Franklyn Sills speaks eloquently about the role of listening touch in manual therapy:
“Truth is found in the depths of our listening. The purpose of this work is not to release resistance or to process issues, but to liberate the health inherent within the resistance or disturbance. Listen for expressions of health… This is your challenge”
In my approach to craniosacral bodywork blockages or disturbances are seen as healthy responses from an intelligent body that has been stressed beyond its capacity. Rather than aiming to eliminate limitations we include them in the dialogue respecting that limitations have the capacity to draw out something that is known inwardly by the person about the state that they are in. The listening attention of craniosacral work is concerned with cultivating an awareness which draws us into relationship with our animal bodies.
Stillness often occurs naturally in a body that is listened to in this way. In stillness we begin to hear the natural voice of our body, its impulse for expression and the underlying rhythms which support, organize and regulate it.
In the study of voice we learn to re-pattern, or more accurately, remember the natural patterns of breath which support the voice and allow for ease, range and emotion in our vocal expression. This requires an intimate understanding of our bodies as well as dedicated practice; understanding and unwinding restrictive habits of breath while rebuilding healthy vocal technique. In this process the parasympathetic or craniosacral branch of our nervous system is our recording system:
“As breathing occurs, the nervous system records the experience…integrating each breath within the context of our historical behaviour and present environment” – Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen
Without aiming to change or challenge restrictions craniosacral bodywork deepens our understanding of the relationship between body, breath and voice. Consequently there is a natural inhabitation and softening of the diaphragms, an opening of the resonators as well as acceleration of the development of skilled and full expression.
The body is faithful to its experience just as any recorder is faithful. During a session of craniosacral work the experience is being recorded, stored and processed by our nervous system. When we want to give expression to the voice of our body we have this to draw on in order to give body to our voice.