CW2 final - Craniosacral Therapy Association of North America

IN THIS ISSUE... 

Polyvagal Theory, The Triune 

Autonomic Nervous System 

and Therapeutic Applications 

John Chitty, RPP, RCST 

President’s Message 

Behind The Scenes 

States of Balance 

The Heart of the Healing Process 

Michael Kern, DO, RCST, MICrA, ND 

Breath of Life 

Craniosacral Conference 2003 

Dan Burgess, RCST 

Looking For Answers 

Susan Beale 

Formulation of the 

Supervision/Mentor Program 

Janet deHoll, RCST 

Tera Judell, RCST 

Membership 

Certification Process 

Betty Wood, RCST 

Letters 

Continuing Education Credits 

Special Pull-Out Survey 

Like to get CEU’s for the courses 

you take? We need your input! 

Autumn / Winter 2002 

www.craniosacraltherapy.org 

P 

olyvagal Theory, The Triune Autonomic Nervous 

System and Therapeutic Applications 

By John Chitty, RPP, RCST 

www.energyschool.com, email chittyj@energyschool.com 

The “Polyvagal Theory” is a new understanding 

of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), arising 

from the research and writings of Stephen 

Porges, PhD (www.psych.uic.edu/faculty/porges). It 

uses solid scientific method to significantly 

change the previous commonly-accepted view 

of the ANS, with huge implications for trauma 

therapies. 

The ANS is the neuro-endocrine-immune 

structure that enables survival. Traditionally it 

has been described as having two branches, 

parasympathetic (rest/rebuild) and sympathetic 

(fight/flight). Parasympathetic takes care of 

essential background operations such as 

heart/lungs and digestion, while sympathetic 

provides stress-response and procreation 

strategies and functions. 

Polyvagal Theory, named for the anatomical 

basis of Porges’ discoveries, changes the picture. 

Now the ANS has three branches, not two, and 

they are sequential, not reciprocal. Actually, 

"Polyvagal" is a misnomer and not a fully 

accurate representation of the new concept, 

because the vagus nerve is only one component 

of the newly-defined third branch. Therefore, in 

this summary the phrase "Triune Autonomic" 

will be used when referring to the new 

understanding. 

SUMMARY OF THE THEORY 

The Triune Autonomic view is based on 

phylogeny, the study of the evolution of living 

organisms. For example, all animals have some 

strategy for acquiring food, absorbing nutrients 

and expelling cell waste. Very primitive simple 

animals are stationary feeders in a liquid 

environment, later animals have developed ways 

to move about to find food, and modern 

animals have developed capabilities for using 

tools, social organization, and long-term 

planning, etc. Throughout the evolutionary 

chain, survival is the supreme criterion: 

characteristics that enhance survival are 

perpetuated in subsequent form and function. 

In the ANS, the parasympathetic system is the 

oldest, reflecting the survival needs of a 

primitive passive feeder. It delivers nutrient-rich, 

oxygenated blood to the system, particularly the 

brain, and its components regulate heart, lungs 

and viscera. At a parasympathetic level, stress 

responses are primarily limited to adjusting the 

metabolic rate within a fairly narrow range and 

"death feigning" survival tactics. 

The sympathetic nervous system is a later 

development, adding mobility, mobilization and 

a wider range of possible survival responses. 

Newer animals gained more survival options in 

essential procreative, feeding and protective 

behaviors. Limbs for movement and increased 

sensory awareness developed, and muscular/ 

structural tissues became more sophisticated. 

The sympathetic system acts as a controller on 

the primitive parasympathetic to give a wider 

range of metabolic responses, shifting resources 

to muscular, visceral or other systems as needed 

in response to survival challenges. 

Porges has shown clear evidence of a third, more 

modern branch of the ANS, with a survival 

value specific to more sophisticated animals 

especially primates. "Social nervous system" is 

the proposed term for this third branch of the

From a hand 

position lightly 

touching the vagus 

nerve in the neck, 

the parasympathetic 

can be visualized as 

a unit of function 

involving the entire 

torso and its cardiorespiratory 

and 

digestive contents. 

Patterns may be 

observed and a 

three-step process 

for the whole system 

may be supported. 

(Drawing by Renee 

Peterson, adapted from 

Keleman, Emotional 

Anatomy, page 33) 

Polyvagal Theory continued... 

ANS. As brain complexity increases, it takes much longer 

for newborns to become self-sufficient. In humans, many 

years are necessary before their enhanced survival 

capabilities are fully operational. Therefore, structures 

evolved to secure dependent care for this extended time. 

Certain emotional affects, specifically the love feelings of 

mother/baby, are prominent in this survival mechanism. 

The social nervous system exists as a controller over the 

sympathetic nervous system to enable moderation of 

more crude "fight/flight" responses to accommodate this 

dependency. 

The anatomy of the social nervous system consists of tools 

that help bond a newborn to the mother. These include 

voice, hearing, visual contact and facial expression, which 

are each capable of triggering neurotransmitters inducing 

pleasurable sensations in the caregiver. These are "hardwired," 

precognitive functions that exist in newborns, 

having a compelling power to engender emotional 

bonding and biochemical events which we interpret as 

love, thereby securing protective care during the 

vulnerable period. Healthy babies exhibit these instantly at 

delivery. However, they experience unsuccessful 

deployment of these strategies (i.e. betrayal by or 

alienation from the caregiver) as immediately lifethreatening, 

and justifiably so. 

Drawing on the ‘Theory of Dissolution" (J.H. Jackson, ca. 

1890), Porges also shows that under stress, the human 

system tries its newest, most sophisticated and efficient 

equipment first. If that doesn’t work, older strategies are 

attempted, and if they don’t work, the oldest resources are 

employed. Therefore under stress, the human first uses its 

social/relational tactics, then fight/flight, then immobility, 

as survival strategies. Each of these stages has 

characteristic indicators. Also, it is clear that with trauma, 

the capacity for using the newer strategies can be eroded 

with older strategies becoming the habitual basis for 

response. 

APPLICATIONS IN TOUCH THERAPY 

Touch therapists have attempted to affect the ANS for 

many years, often with great success and also often with 

frustration. Particularly in working with traumasymptom 

clients, touch has proven helpful but 

inconsistent and in some cases problematic. 

With the "Triune Nervous System" research, new 

possibilities emerge. Porges describes the use of "portals," 

or anatomical components of the ANS which can be 

physically stimulated to induce fulfillment of the impulses 

of a particular layer. For example, Porges found that 

stimulating nerves of the social nervous system through 

muscular activation created profound improvement in 

Features 

relational behaviors of autistic patients. 

Using this portal concept, a practitioner can 

hypothetically support optimum functioning of the ANS 

through contact/stimulation with appropriate anatomical 

locations. This is the same principle exhibited in 

Randolph Stone’s Polarity Therapy, but with 3 layers 

instead of two, and less need to identify which layer to 

work with (as a domino effect is produced because the 

layers are sequentially interdependent). 

The portal for the parasympathetic nervous system, based 

on anatomy, is the vagus nerve and the torso of the body 

as a single unit of function. For the sympathetic nervous 

system, the muscles of the limbs and the sympathetic 

chain along the spine are highlighted. For the social 

nervous system, cranial nerves V, VII, IX, X and XI, 

identifiable as a group in the embryological "pharyngeal 

arches" structure, can be used. Experimentation with 

these portals has given promising results. 

The method for using these portals would vary with 

different modalities. In Polarity Therapy, an energetic 

intention and polarized contacts could be employed. In 

Craniosacral Therapy, the "state of balance" concepts are 

useful. In massage, manual contact with the relevant areas 

might be used. In any case, accurate visualizing of the 

anatomy seems important. While it is beyond the scope of 

Lightly touching the side of the neck, the sympathetic system may 

be viewed as a double strand of beadlike nodes just lateral to the 

spinal bodies terminating together in a single bead anterior to the 

coccyx. Viewed as one unit of function, the whole sympathetic 

system may reveal a pattern and allow a three-stage process. 

(Drawing by Renee Peterson adapted from Clayman, The Human Body, p. 74) 

Cranial Wave • Autumn / Winter 2002 2

The social branch 

of the autonomic 

nervous system 

may be visualized 

as a branching of 

nerves supplying 

the throat and face. 

This "pharyngeal 

arch" structure 

arises very early 

embryologically 

(4th-5th weeks). 

More specific views 

are possible within 

the middle ear and 

also tracing the 

corticobulbar tract. 

Viewing this 

anatomy may 

provide access to 

patterns and the 

three-stage process. 

(Drawing by Renee 

Peterson adapted from 

Larsen, Human 

Embryology, page 362) 


this article to discuss experimental protocols in great 

detail, practitioners might explore for themselves using 

these anatomical structures as a basis. 

Getting clients to participate in ANS stimulation has also 

been helpful in early experimentation. For the 

parasympathetic, the client might employ conscious 

attention to the breath and movement of the belly. For 

sympathetic, the client might engage the muscles of the 

arms and legs, then relax and track subsequent sensation. 

For the social, the client might recall a favorite person or 

pet and use imagination to induce the warm feelings of 

smiling recognition (CNs V and VII). 

Therapeutic intervention in the Triune ANS might also 

involve remote manipulation of the amygdala via 

palpation or client participation. The amygdala is a 

bilateral area of the anterior temporal lobe (one inch 

inside the temples, posterior to the eye orbit of the frontal 

bone, medial to the greater wing of the sphenoid, and just 

anterior to the dorsal horn of the lateral ventricle) that 

sorts experience to identify threat, based on earlier 

experience. This is a critical survival factor, enabling 

instant response to danger, but in trauma it is problematic 

because the person may respond inappropriately. For 

example, a person who has been severely betrayed as a 

child may interpret intimacy as dangerous, though in fact 

the later experience poses no real threat. 

Vagus Nerve 

Superior 

Cervical 

Ganglion 

The neck area is a central viewpoint for triune autonomic 

anatomy, containing the vagus (major path of the 

parasympathetic), superior cervical ganglion (major superior 

ganglion of the sympathetic) and cranial nerves IX, X and XI 

(important parts of the social). Accessing each layer is more a 

matter of perception than any shift in hand position. 

(Drawing by Renee Peterson, adapted from Netter, Atlas of Human Anatomy, 

plate 124) 

Features 

Contact with the amygdala, through remote palpation 

(and state of balance processes) or client participation, 

seems very promising. One approach has been proposed 

by Neil Slade based on the neurobiological research of T. 

Lingo (see www.neilslade.com). This exercise, in which the 

client uses self awareness to imaginally nudge the 

amygdala forward, has shown good results in initial 

experimentation and is recommended on that basis. 

Clients exhibit a new ability to operate at a social nervous 

system level, beyond habitual sympathetic (fight/flight) or 

parasympathetic (immobility) stress-response patterns, 

and generally display a happier, more optimistic 

demeanor. 

APPLICATIONS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY 

The Triune ANS offers a revolution in psychotherapy, 

because the supreme importance of maternal bonding 

and intimacy is formalized and grounded in anatomy and 

phylogeny. Porges’ work combines naturally with Peter 

Levine’s trauma resolution methods for excellent effects. 

The three branches of the ANS are readily visible in clients, 

once the practitioner knows what to look for. Identifying 

the currently active layer, the practitioner can guide the 

client in fulfilling the impulses of that layer, and support 

the client naturally moving through the three-part 

sequence. The therapeutic goal is to restore capacity to 

function at all three layers, but the third, the social nervous 

system, is probably the key because it is the most 

sophisticated tool in the stress-response arsenal. 

Preliminary experimentation in awareness processing, 

such as Levine’s trauma resolution, Gendlin’s Focusing, 

Perls’ Gestalt Therapy and hypnotherapy have been very 

promising, and practitioners are encouraged to 

experiment with their methods using the new awareness. 

The emerging field of pre and peri-natal psychology 

(Castellino, Emerson) is a rich field for application of the 

Triune NS understanding. Among other benefits, a formal 

basis becomes available for emphasis on maternal 

bonding (skin-to-skin contact for at least 20 minutes 

immediately following delivery), minimizing use of 

contact-numbing anesthesia, and termination of practices 

that are clearly traumatic to the ANS such as circumcision. 

Prior to Porges’ work, modern anti-bonding hospital 

practices often felt wrong to lay people and some primary 

care professionals, but lacked sufficient identification of 

the specific damage. Now, it can be clearly stated that such 

practices defeat the baby’s best stress response resource 

and force devolution to a sympathetic (hyper) or 

parasympathetic (hypo) strategy, imprinting the 

amygdala to expect betrayal in intimacy situations, a 

potentially devastating event for the ANS and quality of 

life. 



APPLICATIONS IN GROUPS 

Understanding group dynamics partly derives from 

understanding individual psychology, based on the 

principle that what happens individually is the substrate 

foundation for what happens socially. Because groups are 

by definition a social environment, automatically invoking 

social nervous system phenomena, the implications of 

Porges’ work are profound for group dynamics. 

In a group setting, the collective relational experience of 

the individuals is being expressed. Some participants have 

the social nervous system layer operational, some have 

experienced defeat on that level and habitually respond in 

sympathetic ways and, in severe trauma cases, some are 

limited to parasympathetic responses. 

When a group attempts to accomplish a task together, 

especially in a difficult or seemingly threatening context, 

the three layers of autonomic function will become visible. 

Initially, relational strategies will be exhibited (except 

under severe conditions), these will be successful or 

gradually yield to sympathetic (fight/flight) tactics, and 

ultimately to isolation and immobility within individuals 

and the group. For individuals in the group, theoretically 

there will be a bell curve effect in which some people 

exhibit behaviors in advance of, or trailing the critical mass 

majority of the group. For example, as a group shifts from 

relational to fight/flight behaviors, some will already be 

showing immobility while others will be continuing social 

engagement. 

Groups can be facilitated to "evolve" back up the triune 

autonomic chain, using awareness and careful 

management. The key is to gently re-establish the 

foundation (parasympathetic) and subsequent 

(sympathetic) layers, by acknowledgement of their 

presence and fulfillment of their inherent impulses. The 

social nervous system function can then be supported and 

enhanced, leading to increased trust, communication and 

functionality within the group. 

Similarly, groups can be managed to maintain 

functionality in the collective social nervous system layer 

by carefully noting when individuals, or the group as a 

whole, start to slip down to a sympathetic or 

parasympathetic basis. For optimum functionality, the 

critical mass majority can be maintained at the social 

autonomic level. Similarly, group participation can be 

therapeutic for individuals by "pulling" them up to 

functioning at a social level, though their individual 

systems may be habitually more inclined to sympathetic 

or parasympathetic levels. � 

BETH SMALL,RCST 

President 

905-666-0681 

bacrsmall@sympatico.ca 

DAN BURGESS,RCST 

Vice-President 

970-731-4553 

dlburgess@frontier.net 

CLARE BONSER,RCST 

505-820-2074 

cbonser@msn.com 

Features 

CSTA/NA 

2002 

Board of 

Directors 

BETTY WOOD,RCST 

Treasurer 

Membership/RCST Chair 

905-836-0669 

wdbett@rogers.com 

MUKARA MEREDITH, MSW 

Director 

303 -440-0148 / 413-0189 

Mukara@aol. com 

SUSAN K. BEALE 

Student Representative 

303- 833 -1254 

susankbeale@earthlink.net 

BREATH OF LIFE CONFERENCE 

LONDON, ENGLAND • MAY 24TH-25TH 2003 

This second landmark conference will bring 

together leading lights within the field, provide 

the opportunity to network with the international 

Craniosacral biodynamics' community, and give 

a great excuse to visit London in the Spring! 

SPEAKERS: 

• Dr Mae Wan Ho - new physicist and author of 'The Rainbow And The Worm' 

• Franklyn Sills - co-founder of the Karuna Institute, the Craniosacral Therapy 

Educational Trust and author of 'The Polarity Process' and 'Craniosacral 

Biodynamics' 

• Dr Candace Pert - pioneer of psychoneuroimmunology and author of 'The 

Molecules of Emotion' 

• Babette Rothschild - trauma work expert and author of 'The Body Remembers' 

• Richard Holding - cranial osteopath and teacher who studied with Dr Becker and 

others 

• Sally Goddard-Blythe - expert on primitive brain reflexes, director of The 

Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology, author of 'The Foundations For Life 

And Living' and 'A Teacher's Window Into The Child's Mind'. 

FACILITATORS: 

• Michael Kern - course director of the Craniosacral Therapy Educational Trust and 

author of 'Wisdom In The Body, The Craniosacral Approach to Essential Health' 

• John Wilks - chairman of the Craniosacral Therapy Association U.K. 

Cost £135 if booked before 31st March 2003, 

£160 if booked after this date (payable in £ sterling only) 

For further details and booking form please contact: 

Tel: 44-(0)1305-756000 • Email: conference@cranio.co.uk 

www.cranio.co.uk/conference.htm 


“Cranial Wave” is published two 

times per year (June & December) by 

the Craniosacral Therapy Association 

of North America (CSTA/NA) and is 

distributed free over the internet at 

www.craniosacraltherapy.org. 

Contributions, including advertising, 

articles, illustrations, and 

photographs, are welcome. “Cranial 

Wave” is not responsible for return of 

submissions unless they are 

accompanied by a self addressed, 

stamped envelope. Submissions for 

publication are due one month prior 

to production, as follows: for 

Spring/Summer Issue • May 1 for 

Autumn/Winter Issue • November 1. 

Please forward copies of all material 

with authorization to publish to: 

“Cranial Wave” c/o June Crinnion 

1110 Birchmount Road, Unit 21 

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or email JohFis1110@aol.com 

Editing, use and placement of all 

material will be at the sole discretion 

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right to approve all copy and artwork 

prior to publication. We reserve the 

right to insert “advertisement”, at the 

top or bottom of any ad. Copyright 

infringement is the sole responsibility 

of contributing advertisers and 

authors. Reprinting in whole or in 

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with permission of the Editor. 

Editor: 

June Crinnion, CSTA/NA 

JohFis1110@aol.com 

Design & Production 

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InZane Visual Communications Inc. 

Studio 203 - 61 Elm Grove Avenue 

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Opinions expressed in this magazine 

are not necessarily intended to reflect 

those of the publisher, editor, designer 

or the CSTA/NA. 

We are less than 10 months away 

from the big event. 

Our Conference committee is hard at work 

preparing for our upcoming Boulder 2003 

event. Franklyn Sills will deliver the keynote 

address and we have a well-rounded program 

of speakers and topics to interest all. It will be 

wonderful. Please be sure to note the details in 

this issue and make your reservations early. 

We will hold the annual general meeting of 

the CSTA/NA on Saturday morning, 

September 20, 2003 at the Millennium Hotel, 

the conference site. It is very important that all 

members attend to participate in discussion 

regarding the future of the CSTA/NA. 

Our intention is to grow and develop as a 

professional organization. To reach this goal 

we will require the services of an Executive 

Director to handle the day to day running of 

the organization. At the annual general 

meeting we will collectively determine the 

future role of the CSTA/NA. Do we want 

CSTA/NA to serve as a professional 

organization or would we rather come 

together in fellowship? These are among the 

important questions that only you, the 

members, can answer. 

Another new addition to the conference will 

be a panel discussion with the presenters. 

Upon registration for the conference you will 

be able to submit a question to the panel for 

their response. We will divide the questions up 

equally and have as many as possible 

answered. Look for movement classes, 

presentations on Embryogenesis, and the 

Social Nervous System to mention just a few 

of the features of this exciting upcoming 

event. 

The Mentor Program, to assist new graduates 

and practitioners in their practices, will be 

available very soon. We have an impressive list 

of seasoned therapists willing to provide 

guidance to fellow members. The names and 

contact numbers will be available on our web 

site for those wishing to partake of the service. 

The Teacher Approval Committee (TAC) has 

been renamed to better reflect the nature of 

their role. The new name is “Curriculum and 

Teacher Review Committee (CTRC)”. We held 

two wonderful days of meetings in Murrieta, 

California in September working on 

curriculum development, the creative process 

and problem solving. 

We say good bye to Board member Kathy 

Mullica as she offers her talents and abilities in 

the field of Hospice Ministry. We wish her all 

the best in her future endeavours. Our 

Secretary, Johnnie Fernandez, will also be 

vacating her Directors post in the near future 

to move on to new challenges. We send our 

blessings to her and her family as they 

undertake this adventure. 

It is time again to address the real need for 

members willing to serve as Directors. 

Nominations for the Board of Directors will 

be received beginning in February 2003 with 

elections in April 2003. Now is the time to 

contemplate how and where you can offer 

your talents and gifts to CSTA/NA. Please 

contact a Board member for further details. 

I have had the opportunity to speak with and 

meet so many of you, and develop wonderful 

friendships since becoming a Board member. 

I highly recommend the experience. Allow 

yourself to develop your hidden talents while 

meeting new friends as you serve your 

organization. 

Signing off. Have a wonderful and peaceful 

holiday season. 

Beth Small RCST 

CSTA/NA President 

President’s Message 

Behind The Scenes 

from the President - Fall 2002 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Michael Kern is a 

Craniosacral 

Therapist, Osteopath 

and Naturopath with 

a practice in 

London. He is cofounder 

of the 


Therapy Educational 

Trust in London, 

senior tutor for the 

College of 

Osteopaths, the 

International Cranial 

Association and the 

University of 

Westminster. He also 

teaches Craniosacral 

Therapy courses in 

the U.S.A., 

Switzerland and 

Italy, and is author of 

‘Wisdom In The Body 

- The Craniosacral 

Approach To 

Essential Health’ 

published by 

Thorson’s/Harper 

Collins, 2001 (ISBN 

0-7225-3708-5). 

(Edited extracts from ‘Wisdom In The Body - The 

Craniosacral Approach To Essential Health’, published by 

Thorson’s/Harper Collins, 2001) 

“When the human mind-emotion-body 

continuum comes into alignment with life’s 

intrinsic order, there is an avenue for the release 

of an immensity of power.” 1 

- Michael Burghley 

INTRODUCTION 

In this article we will explore the classical understanding 

of the ‘point of balanced tension’ and then expand this 

idea to appreciate how accessing ‘states of balanced 

tension’ can offer an altogether deeper and more wholistic 

shift in our therapeutic approach. 

FORCES AND FULCRUM 

Inertial fulcrums act as the centers of disturbance for each 

pattern of stress in the body. In the biodynamic approach 

of craniosacral work, there is an appreciation of the forces 

which center and maintain a fulcrum. At the core of each 

inertial fulcrum a concentration of trapped potency has 

formed. Due to these bound-up forces, patterns of 

compression, twists and pulls become retained in tissues 

and fluids. Wherever inertial forces are concentrated, the 

expression of the essential ordering principle of the 

Breath of Life is affected, and this is considered to be at 

the very origin of disease and pathology. 

To be effective, treatment has to deal with the origin of a 

problem, its fulcrum, not just the symptoms or effects. It 

is by noticing changes which take place at the inertial 

fulcrum that we are able to follow any real progress. It 

should be noted that tissues can sometimes change their 

pattern of motion, without any significant change 

occurring at the fulcrum itself. However, one of the tenets 

of craniosacral practice is that all true healing occurs at 

the fulcrum organizing the disturbance. 

We may approach our work in helping to resolve inertial 

fulcrums from various perceptual viewpoints and various 

levels of function within the continuum of the whole 

patient. In any case, in order to resolve a tissue or fluid 

contraction there must be a resolution of the underlying 

forces trapped at its organizing fulcrum. An appreciation 

of this level of physiological functioning goes right back 

to the very roots of osteopathy. Over a century ago Dr 

Andrew Taylor Still remarked that essentially the role of 

the practitioner is to revive ‘suspended forces’ in the same 

Features 

States of Balance 

The Heart of the Healing Process By Michael Kern,DO,RCST, MICrA, ND 

way that an electrician works with electrical currents. 2 

Unless these forces are dissipated, the pattern will 

continue in some shape or form. 

Whenever forces in the body become inertial a 

disturbance of function is produced. However, once these 

forces are mobilized they provide a deep resource for 

healing and transformation. Therefore, the inertial forces 

which center a disturbance can be regarded as a kernel of 

health trapped within every fulcrum. This kernel of 

health is simply something which has to be liberated for 

healing to result. When forces are transformed from a 

state of inertia, a more wholesome connection to the 

universal principle of the Breath of Life is established. The 

individual and separately functioning ‘wave’ realizes that 

it is part of the ‘ocean’ and reenters the life-stream. 

POINT OF BALANCED TENSION 

The point of balanced tension describes the optimal 

alignment in a particular tissue and fluid pattern for an 

inertial fulcrum to resolve. It is a point which can be 

found within the naturally allowable range of motion of a 

pattern. In effect, it is the position at which there is a 

balance between the natural tensions expressed in the 

tissues and any increased tensions added as a result of a 

stress or strain. This is the point at which a stress pattern 

is maintaining its focus. 

Imagine a circular see-saw with children sitting all around 

it. The point of balanced tension is where the weight of all 

the children is evenly distributed around the central 

fulcrum point. 3 In the body, it is at this point that there is 

the least possible resistance in the tissues and the minimal 

amount of ‘push and pull’. Dr Magoun describes it as, 

‘The most neutral position possible under the influence 

of all the factors responsible for the existing pattern.’ 4 It 

can also be compared to putting the gears of a car in 

neutral. 5 When a car is in neutral it is available for motion 

in any direction. 6 

When a point of balanced tension is found the involved 

tissues and fluids settle into stillness (sometimes called a 

local stillpoint), and the self-healing and self-regulating 

forces of the body have an opportunity to come back into 

play. We can, as Dr Sutherland often used to say, rely upon 

the Tide. Once there is no tension being exerted in one 

direction or another, a state of ease is found and a 

doorway created through which the dissipation of inertial 

forces and the genuine reorganization of a pattern can 

take place. 


REFERENCES 

1 Michael Burghley, 

‘The Heart of the 

Healer’, p.19. Pub: 

Aslan Publishing, 

1987. 

2 Dr A. T. Still, 

‘Autobiography’, 

p.224. Pub: Dr A. T. 

Still, 1908, reprinted 

by American 

Academy Of 

Osteopathy, 1981. 

3 

Franklyn Sills M.A., 

R.C.S.T., 

‘Craniosacral 

Biodynamics’ - draft 

version. Pub: North 

Atlantic Books, 2001. 

4 Dr H. Magoun, 

‘Osteopathy In The 

Cranial Field’, p.99. 

Pub: Sutherland 

Cranial Teaching 

Foundation, Third 

Edition, 1976. 

5 Dr H. Magoun, 

‘Osteopathy In The 

Cranial Field’, p.100. 

6 Dr James Jealous, 

‘The Biodynamics of 

Osteopathy’, CD 

lecture series, 2000. 

7 Dr James Jealous 

D.O.,‘Around The 

Edges’, article 

reprinted in ‘The 

Tide’, Spring 1996. 

Newsletter of the 

Sutherland Society 

U.K. 

8 

Franklyn Sills M.A., 

R.C.S.T., 


Biodynamics’. 

9 Anecdote from 

Colin Perrow 

R.C.S.T. 

States of Balance continued... 

As the tissues move towards a point of balanced tension, 

pulsations, vibrations or other motions sometimes 

appear as a reorganization starts to take place. When the 

trapped potency is released, heat is often given off. It is 

also at this point that old memories locked in the tissues 

can come to the surface and begin their process of 

resolution. Therefore, stressful experiences which the 

body may have been unable to integrate previously may 

be revisited at another point. As long as the body is then 

able to access the necessary resources, the dissipation of 

trapped potencies and the process of healing can be 

completed. 

EYE OF THE NEEDLE 

The point of balanced tension has been compared to ‘the 

eye of the needle’ 7 and a ‘mysterious gateway’. 8 It is an 

opening through which suspended forces are able to pass, 

in a similar way to how thread is passed through the eye 

of a needle. The threading of these suspended forces can 

be a palpable experience. As the Breath of Life permeates 

the tissues, it may be felt as just a trickle at first, then 

perhaps a bubbling, followed by a stream, until the tissues 

breathe openly, and primary respiratory motion is 

restored - so restoring the expression of our blueprint for 

health. During this process one young boy described how 

he could feel his face literally changing shape as his birth 

trauma started to resolve. ‘It’s just like in the film The 

Mask!’, he exclaimed. 9 

The stillness at the point of balanced tension acts as a 

doorway which can open up to even deeper levels of 

primary respiratory function. It can be seen as a kind of 

‘pregnant pause’ full of healing potential and from which 

new life can emerge. Perceptions of deeper tidal forces 

and of more profound states of stillness can unfold from 

this place. Thus, the point of balanced tension is like a 

gateway to other realms of experience, a ‘crack between 

the worlds’. 10 

STATES OF BALANCE 

As we pass through the eye of the needle provided by the 

point of balanced tension, a settling and reconnection 

with our deeper forces of health can occur. At this point, 

it is common to experience the slower rhythms of the 

mid-tide and the long tide, which can then come more 

into relationship with our everyday physiological 

functioning. Passing through this gateway into deeper 

levels of function is referred to by Franklyn Sills as 

accessing ‘states of balanced tension’. 11 

At a point of balanced tension, tissues and fluids find a 

neutral place of stillness, but in states of balanced tension a 

neutral is found in the deeper forces that organize these 

Features 

tissue and fluid patterns. Remember that the biodynamic 

potency of the Breath of Life is the intrinsic natural force 

within the body. In addition, the body contains the forces 

of any added stresses it has retained - the biokinetic 

potencies. The state of balanced tension occurs when all 

these forces gathered around a fulcrum reach a state of 

dynamic equilibrium. Points of balanced tension occur at 

the level of the cranial rhythmic impulse, but states of 

balanced tension refer to a neutral state which can be 

accessed within the deeper unfoldments of the Breath of 

Life. This may be a progressive process, as balance is 

found first in the cranial rhythmic impulse, then the midtide 

and then the long tide, perhaps eventually leading to 

a reconnection with the dynamic stillness at the basis of 

all function. 

The settling into deeper and deeper states of balance leads 

us to the very heart of healing. 12 However, when we are 

able to approach the work with a wide perceptual field 

and orient to the whole of the patient, our relationship to 

the underlying organizing forces of their physiology may 

become immediate and direct. From the onset, we may 

provide the opportunity and the focus for our patients to 

be touched by the deeper aspects of the Breath of Life and 

the blueprint for health that it carries. 

THREE-STEP HEALING PROCESS 

After many years of clinical experience, Dr Rollin Becker 

recognized that this principle of treatment can be simply 

broken down into three essential phases. 13 The first, the 

seeking phase, involves a recognition that the tissues, 

fluids and potencies of the patient naturally seek the 

greatest balance possible. There is an inherent tendency 

towards this balance, which the practitioner either simply 

needs to follow, or perhaps gently support with his or her 

hands. Essentially, this a process of following or 

facilitating tissues, fluids and potencies into states of 

greater and greater ease until the neutral is found. 14 

Phase two, the settling phase, is when a state of balanced 

tension is reached. A wholistic shift occurs as a dynamic 

equilibrium is found within the whole field of activity of 

tissues, fluids and potencies that have become organized 

in relationship to the particular fulcrum that the body is 

ready to address. It is marked by a temporary settling of 

tissue and fluid motion. This state is the essence of the 

therapeutic process, as it creates the optimal conditions 

for inertial forces to be resolved. When tissue and fluid 

motion restarts from this state of stillness, something 

changes. 

The third and last phase of treatment, reorganization, is 

when primary respiratory motion resumes within the 

tissues and fluids after a change has taken place. When 


REFERENCES 

10 Carlos Castaneda, 

‘The Teachings of 

Don Juan’, p.182. 

Pub: Penguin Books, 

1976. 

11 Franklyn Sills 

M.A., R.C.S.T., 




M.A., R.C.S.T., 

‘Karuna Institute 

Prospectus’, 1999. 

13 Dr Rollin Becker 

D.O.,‘Diagnostic 

Touch: Its Principles 

And Application, 

Part 3’. Pub: 

Academy Of Applied 

Osteopathy, 

Yearbook 1964. 

14 Dr James Jealous, 

‘The Biodynamics of 

Osteopathy’, CD 

lecture series, 2000. 


M.A., R.C.S.T., 

‘Lecture on the 

Tides’, June 1998. 

Unpublished. 

16 Dr James Jealous 

D.O.,‘Healing and 

the Natural World’, 

interview by Bonnie 

Harrigan in 

‘Alternative 

Therapies’, Vol. 3 (1), 

p.68-76, January 

1997. 

17 

Sills F., ‘Lecture on 

the Tides’. 

18 Sills F., 



19 

Dr Rollin Becker 

D.O., ‘Life in 

Motion’, p.5. Pub: 

Rudra Press, 1997. 

States of Balance continued... 

this happens there is a shift towards a better balance and 

symmetry of motion around its automatic naturally 

shifting fulcrums. The practitioner can then notice 

changes that have taken place and assess any inertia 

remaining. 

Here’s a summary of the three-step healing process: 

Phase One - Seeking; tissues, fluids and potencies seek a 

state of balanced tension 

Phase Two - Settling; a state of balance is reached and 

‘something happens’ 

Phase Three - Reorganization; motion resumes and a 

change takes place 

INHERENT TREATMENT PLAN 

As we noted, tissues, fluids and potencies have a natural 

tendency to seek balance. The movement towards 

integration and health is an ever-present and powerful 

force. This tendency is the result of our intrinsic 

biodynamic forces which always seek optimal health no 

matter what the conditions. If we can identify how the 

body naturally attempts to seek balance and resolve its 

inertia, this process can simply be supported. However, we 

need only follow the process being led by our patient’s 

own physiology, as their tissues, fluids and potencies move 

towards a resolution. These natural priorities manifest 

within the patterns of primary respiratory motion, and 

are referred to as the inherent treatment plan. 

It sometimes takes many minutes of ‘listening’ and 

palpation with a wide perceptual field before the inherent 

treatment plan is revealed. The inertial fulcrums that 

significantly influence primary respiratory motion then 

become displayed as major focal points at which there is 

a gathering of forces. This is because the organizing 

biodynamic forces in the body start to work with inertial 

fulcrums in an order of priority. It sometimes seems 

uncanny, but the natural wisdom in the body unfailingly 

knows what it needs next to find optimal balance. 

Remember - this is not a theory, but something that we 

can rely upon! 

In this approach, the patient is looked at from the insideout, 

rather than from the outside-in. 15 As an outsider 

looking in, it's usually more difficult to know what needs 

to happen, but as an insider looking out, it's easier to 

follow the natural priorities of treatment as they unfold. 

On following this principle, Dr Jealous states, 

“We use our hands diagnostically, perceptually, 

and therapeutically - that’s how simple and 

profound this is. We are not listening for 

symptoms but for a pre-established priority 

set in motion by the Health of the patient.” 16 

Features 

Following the inherent treatment plan is, actually, the 

easiest possible way that a particular stress pattern can 

resolve, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the sites of 

pain or current symptoms are the first places to be 

worked with. 17 To give an illustration, let’s say that 

someone comes for treatment of lower back pain. The 

practitioner may make contact at the lower back to ‘tune 

in’ to what is happening there, but as they widen their 

field of perception they may become aware of patterns in 

other areas of the body. 

For example, there may be a gathering of inertial forces in 

the diaphragm and a contraction of tissues in that area. 

After a state of balanced tension is facilitated in this 

pattern, some tissue activity may then start up in the 

neck. Placing attention there, fast tremors may start to 

manifest, indicating that there is some held-in shock 

dissipating from the tissues, perhaps from an old injury. 

When that has ceased, the whole upper spine may be able 

to reorganize and readjust. Finally, and perhaps only then, 

something may be ready to resolve at the lower back. The 

point is that the practitioner could not have known in 

advance the order in which these things needed to occur. 

The treatment plan was only revealed by following the 

priorities and intelligence of the patient’s own primary 

respiratory system. 18 

Working with the inherent treatment plan is a great 

support to the patient’s intrinsic and intelligent forces of 

health. However, in order to do this, we may have to let go 

of our concepts and projections about what we think 

should happen. Only then can this deeper intelligence be 

appreciated. The Breath of Life itself provides the design 

for health. The superb intelligence of this design can be 

followed by simply being open to the way in which these 

forces within us wish to move. Dr Becker explains, 

“We have ... to allow physiological function 

within the patient to literally train us. 

We seek to learn: 

Where is the health in this patient? 

How do I get it to the surface? 

The body physiology is literally training us.” 19 

In conclusion, it can be very easy to get lost in the concept 

or in ‘the doing’ of this work. It then becomes easy to 

forget that what we are actually talking about is a dynamic 

and living process that will naturally unfold in our hands. 

The key point is to experience the Breath of Life, not as a 

theory, but as a living presence whose intelligent priorities 

we can trust with the utmost of confidence. � 


B 

By Dan Burgess, RCST 

The third Conference of the CSTA/NA will be in Boulder, 

Colorado at the Millennium Hotel. The dates are 

September 19-21, 2003. The Conference Committee 

would like to relay to you information about the 

conference so you can begin to make plans and anticipate 

the event. The goal of this conference is the exploration of 

the scientific and spiritual nature of Biodynamic 

Craniosacral Therapy, including practical skills to 

incorporate into your life and your individual practice. 

We have reserved the Millennium's spacious Ballroom for 

the programs. There is a large lawn that allows us to have 

exercise programs outside. A stream runs along the 

walkway behind the hotel, leading through nature and 

into downtown Boulder. 

A full schedule of events includes Ki Gung, Yoga and 

Polarity energy exercises before/during events to encourage 

movement. Presentations include lectures, demos, 

interactive and hands-on work. Ki Gung will be presented 

by Merril DeVito. Linda Skarrup is offering Yoga. 

Mukara Meridith will present a "Cranial Cafe" Friday 

evening, designed to foster openess, genuine relationship, 

and discovery of shared purpose and meaning. 

On Saturday, the General Meeting of the Membership is 

scheduled for the morning. Lunch will include a lecture/ 

interactive program by Michele Vandepas who tracks 

business building skills tailored to holistic communities. 

A question and answer forum with the presenters will be 

featured at this conference. Upon registration you will be 

able to submit a question to the panel. 

Iva Lloyd, who has just completed her Naturopathic 

studies, and Amadea Morningstar who, like Iva, has past 

experience in helping with meal planning at similar 

Conferences, have expressed interest in helping to make 

the meals an educational and joyful experience with 

vegetarian and meat options. The registration brochure 

that will be sent to the membership will have questions 

relating to food choices for you to fill out. 

Taking advantage of having teachers, practitioners, and 

students under one roof, the Conference Committee will 

have room space and bodywork tables available so 

students can exchange sessions. We are also looking at 

having sign-up sheets so students can complete some of 

their 10 session requirement with an RCST. 

Franklyn Sills is the Keynote speaker. He is the co-founder 

of the Karuna Institute in England, where he teaches 

reath of Life • Craniosacral Conference 2003 

Features 

advanced courses. Franklyn, author of Biodynamic 

Craniosacral Therapy, is the main developer of the 

Biodynamic model that is offered in the Foundation 

courses. His second volume on the Biodynamic approach 

is due out in the next few months. 

OTHER DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS 

Michael Boxhall is the author of the wonderful poem that 

is shown at the beginning of the CSTA/NA website. Mike 

teaches advanced classes in Craniosacral Biodynamics in 

the U.S. and England. 

John Chitty teaches the Foundation course. John has also 

worked with a deep understanding of the Polyvagal 

Theory. 

Mukara Merideth has been a student of Groups for many 

years. Her belief is that evolution is asking us to learn how 

to work with Groups as Living Systems. She teaches 

Hakomi, a body-centered psychotherapy and is a 

Teaching Assistant for the Foundation course. 

Sharon Porter teaches the Foundation course as well as 

trauma courses based on Somatic Experiencing. Sharon 

has been a practitioner and teacher of Energy Medicine 

for 30 years. Her passion is working with the body-mind 

connection. 

Michael Shea, PhD, is a teacher of the Foundation 

advanced courses and studies and writes about a wide 

variety of subjects related to Craniosacral Biodynamics, 

including trauma, pediatrics and embryogenesis, the 

subject of his conference lecture. He is the author of 

Somatic Psychology. His second book will be published 

in the near future. 

Maura Sills, co-founder of the Karuna Institute, 

developed Karuna's three-year professional Core Process 

Psychotherpy program. Her work enlivens and deepens 

the biodynamic approach. 

Dan Thomas comes to us from the Sensorimotor 

Psychotherapy Institute (previously known as Hakomi 

Somatic Institute) in Boulder. Dan has a private practice in 

Boulder where he specializes in working with anger, severe 

trauma and its relationship to chronic pain and illness. 

Michele Vandepas is a consultant to businesses. Her 

interest in diverse areas of health has widened her 

business to include consulting for alternative health 

organizations and those in individual practice. She lives in 

the Colorado Springs area. 

continued 


Breath of Life continued... 

The CSTA/NA reserves the right to change the presenters 

or schedule due to unforeseen circumstances. 

DETAILS 

Denver International airport is the closest airport to the 

Millennium Hotel. They recommend the Super Shuttle 

(1-303-227-0000); another option is the Boulder Express 

(1-303-457-4646). The trip from Denver airport to 

Boulder takes about 35 minutes and costs about $36 

round trip. Make sure you ask if the shuttle stops at the 

Millennium Hotel. 

There will be an early sign-up discount for those 

registering before July 10, 2003. Registration will include 

breakfast and lunch Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and 

dinner on Saturday. A limited number of discounts are 

available for volunteering to help at the conference and 

for bringing body work tables. Contact us if interested. 

A conference brochure that includes a registration form 

and finalized conference information is next on our 

agenda. The brochure will be mailed to the membership 

and to those requesting it. Please share the information 

with others who might be interested in our conference 

and contact us with information of groups that might 

want to receive brochures. The CSTA/NA website will be 

your source for updated conference information. 

MILLENNIUM HOTEL INFORMATION 

Phone: 1-303-998-3820 

Email: kbrown@mill-usa.com 

Reservations: 1-866-866-8086 (Mention CSTA/NA) 

Address: 1345 28th Street, Boulder, Colorado. 

The room cost is $117/night. The Hotel will allow up to 

4 persons per room for a minimal additional charge. We 

will maintain a list of those who want to share rooms 

however we won't be responsible for matching people up. 

Contact us if you are interested. 

CSTA/NA CONTACT FOR ALL INQUIRIES 

Dan Burgess, RCST 

CSTA/NA Vice President 

Conference Committee Chair 

26 Limestone Ct., Pagosa Springs, Colorado 81147 

Phone: 1-970-731-4553 

Fax: 1-970-731-4584 

Email: dlburgess@frontier.net 

I want to thank the Committee members for their interest 

in shaping this conference: Nicole Boucher, Gwen Henzi, 

Mary Klinkell, Kathleen Morrow, Peggy Verville, Linda 

Skarrup, co-chair Mukara Meridith, and Beth Small. � 

Features 

North American School of Craniosacral Therapy presents 

Organ Dynamics 

The Thoracic, Abdominal 

and Pelvic Cavities 

5 Days, April 2 nd – 6 th , 2003 

In this course, we will explore the motility and 

mobility of the body viscera.We will work toward 

reestablishing the original intention of cells and 

tissues via an appreciation of the Breath of Life 

and its midline dynamics. 

All practical clinical approaches are derived from a 

craniosacral biodynamic approach. 

The course will be taught by 

MICHAEL KERN , D.O., R.C.S.T., M.I.Cr.A., N.D. 

Michael is a craniosacral therapist, osteopath 

and naturopath. He is co-founder of the 

Craniosacral Therapy Educational Trust in 

England, and a senior tutor for the College of 

Osteopaths, the International Cranial Association 

and the University of Westminster. He also 

teaches craniosacral therapy courses in the 

U.S.A., Switzerland and Italy. He is the author of 

the visionary book ‘Wisdom In The Body – The 

Craniosacral Approach To Essential Health.’ 

The tuition for the seminar is $565 if a 

deposit of $250 is received before Jan. 

20th, 2003, or $645 if deposit is 

received after this date. The cost of 

room and board is $310. (This is a 

residential postgraduate course open to all qualified 

craniosacral therapists and cranial osteopaths.) 

Location: Earthdance, a beautiful retreat center 

in the Berkshire Hills of western 

Massachusetts. 

For more information, please call 

(413) 586-8105 or write to: 

North American School of 

Craniosacral Therapy 

92 Main Street, Suite 201 

Florence, MA 01062 


Looking For Answers 

By Susan Beale 

I signed up for craniosacral class because I wanted 

answers. Ten years I had struggled, consciously, 

intentionally, to solve my problems on my own, with no 

success. And after only three short years of regular 

sessions cracked the biggest addiction of my life, I could 

see that this work is more effective, more sacred, and 

more mysterious than anything I had ever known. But 

why? 

How could someone I don’t even know that well touch 

me so deeply? How could the demons that had ruled 

my life suddenly dissolve when I was in her hands? 

What were those special places that I could not reach 

without her? What WAS this stuff? And how did it 

work? 

On my first day of class, I knew I was where I needed to 

be. The instructors paced their words like someone 

who is telling you something that will change the rest of 

your life. In the coming months, I sat with my 

classmates in lectures. We practiced, working in pairs. I 

found the exercises difficult. I didn’t want to look 

deeply into the eyes of my classmate. My stomach 

clutched each time the instructors transitioned from a 

lecture to a practice session. “Oh, god! Who will I work 

with? What if I can’t feel anything? What if I can’t make 

enough space for them? And!… And!…” 

It got worse before it got better. Although we got to 

practice many times during each module, and despite a 

thankfully ample supply of teaching assistants, it was 

like trying to learn Zen from a book. What were we 

supposed to DO? What were they talking about? What 

does that mean, “sink into your fluids”? My fluids? 

What fluids? 

I felt I was being reintroduced to my own world by a 

group of aliens. Telekinetic aliens. They were all 

thinking the same thing, saying the same thing. There 

was some big invisible thing they could all see, that they 

were trying to show us. They all kept pointing in the 

same direction, saying “Look. Right there. Fuzz your 

eyes a little. See it?” 

No, I don’t see it. I looked to my fellow students. 

Thankfully, they did not see, either. At least, for a while. 

Then they started turning. One by one. It was straight 

out of “The Body Snatchers.” 

Slowly, I was transformed. I started to feel some of the 

things they had been pointing at. One day I did not see, 

and the next day I did. I had no idea how I got there. I 

Features 

could not retrace my steps. And I could not remember 

what it was like before. I was one of them. The “aliens” 

had introduced me to my body. They returned me to 

my senses. They taught me how to listen, carefully, 

neutrally, and with patience. 

I came to this class looking for answers. The answers I 

have found are as profound as the work itself: What is 

this work? For me, this work is God in motion. We are 

made of the very stuff of heaven and earth. Even our 

proportions and arrangements, which make us who we 

are, are divine. Divisions are illusions. 

How does it work? For me, it works partly by 

acceptance, and partly by example. When a practitioner 

is able to listen without judging, so is the client. When 

the client can suspend self-judgment, an opportunity 

arises within them to understand themselves, forgive 

themselves, and see their beauty. In their new internal 

environment - one where there is love and acceptance - 

any change that wants to happen can happen. The 

practitioner’s ability to see the client’s innate, 

inalienable, wholeness and perfection enables the client 

to do the same. 

As clients, we can finally see ourselves and our 

relationship to the larger world. We see that there are 

very real reasons why we turned out this way, and that 

we are not evil. We finally can feel compassion for 

ourselves. We can see the beauty in our weaknesses, the 

humanity in our choices, the rightness of the outcomes, 

and the perfection of our journey. Our mistakes are no 

longer mistakes but reflections of who we are (or were), 

and our life is no longer a “struggle,” but our 

personalized, customized, path of evolution. 

When I started this class I sought to be a healer, to patch 

defects and bring relief to my clients. When I finish, I 

will seek to find the beauty and perfection in my 

circumstances, to feel the pain and the joy of my 

growth, to be present for as much of this short journey 

as I can, and to share that perspective with others who 

have not yet become - aliens. � 

Your Articles and Letters are Welcome! 

Submit to “Cranial Wave” 

c/o June Crinnion 

1110 Birchmount Road, Unit 21 

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M1K 1S7 

or email JohFis1110@aol.com 


F Janet deHoll, RCST • Tera Judell, RCST 

Since the origin of the CSTA/NA the idea of bringing 

together like-minded cranial practitioners has been in 

the fore front of the Association's design. The depth of 

this responsibility and the richness of this concept has 

been demonstrated in many ways beginning with our 

first conference to the continuous update of our web 

site. It has always been important to this Association to 

keep the communication between and the education of 

its members at the highest level. After four years of 

building this container of cranial consciousness, the 

Board of Directors have decided to offer a Supervision 

Program which will use mentors to oversee the 

practitioners. 

ormulation of the Supervision/Mentor Program 

This mentoring initiative has been created to provide 

additional resources for Cranial practitioniers. The 

mentors are available to our community to provide 

information, support and guidance through 

supervision to those of us who would like to make 

inquiries about different processes that we have 

encountered. Each mentor has indicated his or her 

areas of knowledge and experience as well as his or her 

willingness to be available for consultation. The cost of 

this service will be determined by the individual 

mentors and the responsibilities of the relationship will 

be between the individual practitioner and mentor. 

The project will be implemented in the near future with 

a listing of each mentor with their specific information 

on our web site. 

The mentoring experience allows us to deepen into our 

own individual process as well to receive an accurate 

reflection of the client-practitioner dynamics. 

Mentoring invites us to further explore the basic 

sensing skills, widen our perception and safely explore 

our own edges and those of the client's system. 

Ultimately, this process enables us to dance more 

clearly with the nuances of health. Furthermore, it is 

essential that each of us become more aware of our own 

"layers of experience" as we step into relationship with 

the matrix of the client's system. This is a fundamental 

and invaluable part of mentoring. 

Our Board of Directors working and representing all 

the members at large continue to hold an awareness for 

inviting a richness of sharing and learning from each 

other. This new project is just another way of 

acknowledging how important each practitioner is to 

maintaining a strong thread of connectedness. � 

Education Committee 

Supervision 

Program 

Education 

A supervision period will begin following 

graduation and continue for two years. Anyone 

who started a training prior to January 1, 2002 is 

exempt from the requirement. However, the 

CSTA/NA encourages anyone exempt from the 

requirement, to take advantage of supervision 

after graduating on a voluntary basis. 

During the established two year period, a 

minimum of 6 supervised sessions are required. 

This is the basic requirement. If, however, an 

RCST has a large practice, more supervised 

sessions are suggested to help support the 

practice. These sessions can be conducted in any 

combination of email, by phone or in person. 

Questions for the mentor are to be submitted by 

email or in writing prior to the meeting for the 

convenience of the mentor and to save time. 

A list of mentors will be available to students 

upon graduation. More than one mentor may be 

used to fulfill the requirement. The cost will be 

between the practitioner and the mentor. The 

mentor will sign off on a form for the student to 

use for documentation of the requirement. 

Any RCST may apply to the Education 

Committee to serve as a mentor. 

The Education Committee is responsible for 

establishing guidelines and support for mentors 

as a group. 

Your comments and questions are welcomed and can be 

directed to Janet deHoll at JanetPenn@aol.com or to Tera 

Judell at Tera23@aol.com 


Membership • CSTA/NA 

FALL 2002 

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE 

We are pleased to let you know that the membership 

renewal as at June 1, 2002 went very well and our 

membership has grown to over 200 members. 

Our President, Beth Small wrote a letter to all students in 

training setting out the mission, goals and projects of 

CSTA/NA. New memberships are coming in steadily 

from this effort. CSTA/NA would like to say THANK 

YOU to all members for your ongoing support. 

Betty Wood, RCST 

Membership Chair 

The financial year of CSTA/NA runs from June 1 to 

May 31 in each year. Each year members receive a 

membership renewal notice. The full fee for the year is 

payable whenever the member joins. The Board of 

Directors has decided that new members joining after 

February 1st in each year will pay half the stated dues 

for that year. 

Membership Categories: 

1. Graduate: A graduate member shall have completed 

the required training in Biodynamic Craniosacral 

Therapy, as currently defined by the Board, and shall 

have provided proof of graduation to the 

Membership Chair. A Graduate member shall be 

entitled to one (1) vote on any election or other matter 

requiring a membership vote. 

2. Student: A student member shall be enrolled in an 

approved training course with an approved teacher, as 

currently defined by the Board, and shall have 

provided proof of such enrolment to the Membership 

Chair. A Student member shall be entitled to one (1) 

vote on any election or other matter requiring a 

membership vote. 

3. Associate: An associate member shall be any person 

with an interest in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, 

professional or otherwise, a student or graduate of any 

form of Cranial Sacral Therapy, or a member of the 

general public. An Associate member shall not be 

entitled to a vote. 

4. Corporate/Business:A Corporate/Business member 

shall be any company, association or business, duly 

registered within it's jurisdiction, that wishes to 

support the Craniosacral Therapy Association of 

North America. A Corporate/ Business member shall 

not be entitled to a vote. 

RCST: 

1. The one-time $60.00 RCST fee is IN ADDITION to 

the membership fee. In order to receive RCST status, 

one must be a paid-up member in good standing. As 

membership is renewed in each year, the RCST 

member receives a sticker to affix to their certificate 

indicating their status for the current yearly period. 

2. An application for RCST status MUST be 

accompanied by a copy of the graduation certificate, 

or if one is not available, a signed note from the school 

or one of the attending teachers. 

3. Only practitioners with RCST status are listed on the 

web site. 

4. All Teaching Assistants and Teachers in Training are 

required to hold current RCST status. 

INQUIRIES 

REMEMBER TO ADVISE US OF E-MAIL 

AND ADDRESS CHANGES 

When our records are not current, members lose many of 

the benefits of CSTA/NA membership. 

Contact Membership Chair 

Betty Wood, R.C.S.T. 

710 Mountview Place, Newmarket, ON L3Y 3P7 

email: wdbett@rogers.com 

CSTA/NA Member Dues 

Payable to CSTA/NA 

Membership 

Graduate $65.00 US / $78.00 Cdn 

Student $50.00 US / $60.00 Cdn 

AssociatE $35.00 US / $42.00 Cdn 

Corporate $125.00 US / $150.00 Cdn 

/Business 


C By Betty Wood, RCST, RCST Chair 

PLEASE REMEMBER • Completion of the 700 hour 

training with an approved teacher or school does not 

automatically grant RCST status. 

RCST is, at this point in the history of our Association, an 

honourary designation. CSTA/NA grants this 

designation and issues an appropriate certificate upon 

receiving the application for RCST status, a copy of the 

graduation certificate and a one-time fee of $60.00. This 

application and one-time fee are IN ADDITION to the 

application for membership and the membership fee. A 

graduate must be a member in good standing of the 

Association to receive RCST status. Each year as 

membership is renewed the RCST member receives a 

dated sticker to affix to their certificate. 

Following is the step by step process to obtain RCST 

status: 

1. Join CSTA/NA as a student in training - you then have 

the support of this organization behind you and reap 

the benefits of membership. 

ertification Process • RCST Reminder 

Membership 

2. Keep your membership in good standing. 

3. Complete your 700 hour training and receive the 

appropriate certificate from your teacher/school 

verifying that you have done so. 

4. Upon receipt of your teacher/school graduation 

certificate, make application for RCST status. The 

application forms are available by contacting Betty 

Wood at 905-836-0669 or wdbett@rogers.com. The 

form can also be downloaded from our web site 


5. If you are already a graduate and wish RCST status, 

check that your membership is in good standing and 

complete the RCST application form. 

Remember, it is mandatory that you have RCST status 

before you can be listed on the web site under Practitioner 

Referral. It is also mandatory that all Teaching Assistants 

and Teachers Trainees have RCST status. � 


Letters 

RESIGNATION 

Dear Friends and Colleagues, 

It is with deep regret that I must resign from the 

CSTA/NA Board of Directors. My life has taken a 

change of direction, and I have taken on new 

responsibilities in the field of Hospice work, which will 

consume much more of my time. On the positive side, 

for me, I am finally following my heart and my passion, 

and doing the work that I am meant to do. 

Unfortunately, it leaves little time for other pursuits. 

I continue to cherish the wonderful work we all do as 

therapists, teachers and healers, and will continue to 

work to create a field where biodynamic craniosacral 

therapy can flourish for the benefit of all. I wish you all 

the best as you meet the challenges and experience the 

joys of working in such a dynamic and healing field. 

Warmest regards, 

Kathleen Mulica 

Breath of Life 


conference 2003 

Keynote Speaker Franklyn Sills 

Experience the subtle healing power 

of the “Breath of Life” with a unique 

approach to Craniosacral Therapy 

Introductory to Advanced 

september 19th-21st, 2003 

boulder, colorado 

for more information 1-970-731-4553 


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Attention June Crinnion 

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A Survey 

Dear fellow CSTA/NA members, 

My name is Sue Adams, and I head up the 

CSTA/NA Education Committee’s 

subcommittee on Continuing Education. I want 

to take this opportunity to bring you up to date 

on what we have been doing regarding the issue 

of providing continuing education credits for 

Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy courses. At 

this time, we are focusing on the feasibility of 

positioning CSTA/NA to be able to offer 

continuing education credits for some or all of 

the CSTA/NA-approved courses. 

We contacted CSTA/NA-approved Biodynamic 

model teachers in this country and asked if they 

are currently offering continuing education units 

for their trainings and, if so, for which 

organizations they approve. Three fourths of 

those surveyed responded. Of six, three offer 

state-specific CEU’s for massage therapists, 

acupuncture physicians or chiropractors; one 

offers NCBTMB** Category A CEU’s for 

massage therapists; one allows therapists to 

submit for NCBTMB Category B CEU’s. For 

those that offer CEU’s for their courses, there is a 

wide variance in how many hours of credit are 

offered, which organizations accept them, and 

which courses they are offered for. Most teachers 

expressed interest in the awarding of CEU hours 

to therapists who take our courses. Many were 

either unsure how to go about this, or have “been 

there and done that” and don’t want to go there 

again - at least not by themselves. 

Before we go much further in our progression 

toward offering (or not offering) CEU’s for 

Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy continuing 

education hours, we need your help! I have set up 

a special email address to receive your input or 

you can mail or fax them to me. Please provide 

us with the information we need (it will be used 

only on a composite basis to determine your 

interests as a group and will not be shared with 

any other organization or used for any other 

purpose without your permission) by filling out 

this survey and returning it. � 

**NCBTMB is the National Certification Board for 

Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, and is a 

national credentialing body for massage therapists. 

It requires 50 CEU’s every four years; of these fifty, 25 

must be category A (providers must be preapproved, 

and courses directly related to hands-on 

bodywork) and 25 can be either A or B (either not 

approved or only indirectly related to hands-on 

bodywork). 

Continuing Education Credits By Sue Adams, RCST 

Like to get CEU’s for the courses you take? We need your input! 

PULL-OUT 

Your name _____________________________________ Title(s) ______________ 

Your Profession(s) _____________________________________________________ 

If we have a question, how would you prefer to be contacted? Phone Email 

Phone _________________ Email address _________________________________ 

Please list the organizations and/or credentialing bodies to which you are required to 

submit proof of continuing education credits? 

Organization How Many CEU’s / How Often? 

(professional organization or (annually, biennially, every four yrs, etc) 

licensing body, ie, state board) 

____________________________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________________________ 

How important are ceu’s to you in deciding if you take a course or not: 

Essential (wouldn’t take a course without ‘em!) 

Very Important (really want them but would consider taking it anyway if it was a 

craniosacral class) 

Somewhat Important (would be nice and I will choose the class with CEU’s over 

one without if they offered essentially the same information) 

Not Important (I don’t care about CEU’s for craniosacral at all) 

Do you think it would be a good idea if the Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy courses 

that are sponsored by CSTA/NA offered CEU’s through the CSTA/NA as a provider 

organization? Yes No Don’t know 

Any other comments, ideas or questions? We’re especially interested in things you think 

we should consider, but you can see that we haven’t thought of! 

(Please use the back of this sheet to continue your comments) 

____________________________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________________________ 

____________________________________________________________________ 

Also,ifyou are a teacher of ANY courses that offer CEU’s and would be willing to help us 

out with the particular requirements for your state or organization, please let us know! 

Please Forward your reply by mail, email or fax to 

ASA Pain Relief Therapies, Inc. 

824 U.S. Hwy One #240, North Palm Beach, FL 33408 

Attn: cstana ceus survey 

Email Cstana ceus@aol.com 

Fax (561) 691-1447 

Thank you so much for your time in filling out this survey. It will help us to serve you 

better. We will continue to keep you posted on our progress and the results.

CW2 final - Craniosacral Therapy Association of North America

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