For part two our three-part series on treatments to alleviate stress, we speak with triyoga therapist Joelle Chartouni about how craniosacral therapy (CST) treats both the physical and psychological manifestations of stress. CST side effects can include knowing more about who you are, how to listen to your body and how to trust your boundaries. Sound ideal? We thought so too.
Signs of stress may be confusing and complex and can manifest physically or psychologically. Clients come with diverse symptoms, which all can come from the body constantly bombarding our system with stress hormones.
Physical and psychological symptoms of stress
Stress symptoms can include migraines, neck and back pain, tight jaws, stomach problems, heart palpitations, feeling anxious or restlessness, bad sleep, overwhelm, fatigues, extreme fatigue, feeling awful for no reasons, low immune system, powerlessness, pain, strain etc.
Stress is behind most of our health issues. It negatively affects the immune system and with a weaker immunity our body is vulnerable to all sorts of factors. Overtime as the body can’t cope with all these symptoms, it gets into a vicious circle of digestive problems, insomnia, anxiety, depression, chronic and mysterious pains and illnesses.
Having an idea of how stress affects our bodies is very useful. What’s more important though, is how to deal with it and knowing that as long as we are alive there is health! There is always health in our system and the key is how to connect to the health in and around us.
What is craniosacral therapy?
CST is a very powerful tool to help us reconnect to our health and shift out of chronic stress. With its subtle and non-invasive approach facilitated by the therapist, CST provides a sense of holding and support for our bodies. This allows our “hyper alert nervous system” to start to feel safe enough to shift its focus from the outside world to the inside matrix of our body. There, it can start to connect to itself, reconnect to the inner wisdom of our system, and have time and space to work on deep healing.
CST allows the body to slow down and connect with a deep stillness – inviting space, peace, tranquillity, harmony, lightness, release of tension and balance. This then promotes sense of relief, relaxation, acceptance, clarity, as well as a deep connection to ourselves and the world around us.
In a CST session, the client is invited to feel and listen to their body, with no judgement, through noticing sensations as well as awareness of shapes, sizes, colours and emotions of different parts of the body. In turn, noticing the incredible flow and work at play of their inner physician which is always trying to heal.
Craniosacral therapy to treat stress
These described benefits of craniosacral therapy have potent effects on stress relief. It allows us to feel healthier, become more resilient and it increases our capacity to deal with the challenges of life. Clients start to know more and more who they are, how to listen to and trust their bodies and their boundaries.
In turn, their bodies become grateful and they feel safer. As a result, their nervous system will no longer succumb to daily stress or go into instant overwhelm or an expression of survival mode. Survival responses will only occur when they are truly needed in a life threatening situation, verses missing your train or being stuck in a traffic jam.
Craniosacral therapy is a gentle but profound hands-on therapy which identifies pain and tensions held in the body. It supports the body’s natural tendency to find health and optimum balance by relieving the body of its tensions and restrictions. Click here to learn more about our range of energy healing treatments, including craniosacral therapy.
Click here to book a craniosacral therapy treatment with Joelle.
