Finding inner calmness through sound wisdom that comes from experience, understanding and love.

1. Listening to Your Body
When attending to the tasks of daily life and all of our other responsibilities, it’s easy to forget to listen to ourselves. Do you ever notice yourself walking with a shuffle? Do you find your shoulders
hunched up to your ears? Have you ever responded unpleasantly to your family, friends, or co-workers without meaning to? Were you just short with the grocery store clerk for no reason, and you don’t know
why? In these moments, do you ever ask yourself, “How do I feel?”
When we become aware of these kinds of physical and emotional tensions, it is very telling that we may need to make a change. This doesn’t mean that we must take a full day off work and stay on our
comfy couch with a cup of hot tea. Although that would be nice, it doesn’t have to go that far. Sometimes, all it takes is a moment to hear what our bodies are telling us. Ask yourself, “How am I breathing? Are
my breaths shallow?” Becoming aware of your irritation and discomfort is the first step toward healing.

Although it may seem that there is no reason for some of the daily ailments we experience, there are often hidden causes behind them. I’ve observed clients that are living in their heads all too often and
not realizing what is happening inside their bodies thus never coming into full body awareness.

2. Uncovering Hidden Trauma
Trauma arises as an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, abuse, or natural disaster. When mental and emotional stress increases it begins to manifest in the body as pain in other
areas. Long term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships and physical symptoms like headaches and nausea. Sometimes an injury that we had when we were a child stays with us as we age. Although it has been long forgotten, we still can’t seem to understand why every year at the same time we tend to have migraines or pain in that area that we injured. Yes, you may feel pain in your hips however for women we store many deep emotions in our pelvic girdle which stem from our reproductive organs and childbirth. COVID-19 has not only changed our lives personally but professionally as well. As a massage
therapist with over fifteen years of experience, the amount of trauma-related ailments that I’ve come to treat have tripled since the pandemic.

Observing these ailments and reactions in other people made me realize that clients needed more than traditional massage therapy. Clients needed a healing much deeper in their spirit and I found with
CranioSacral Therapy that could be achieved. The treatment is performed fully clothed so this is a great time for those that may be timid to explore healing touch and feel comfortable at the same time. With such a light touch the body can naturally focus on breathing deeply and releasing stored tension. When it’s quiet and we are in a safeplace of healing, we can silently explore the aftereffects of trauma and begin to treat them. The best news is that the healing comes from within your own body.

3. Listening and Healing through Craniosacral
Through craniosacral, I use light touch both to listen to what your body is telling me, as well as to help facilitate your body’s healing response. I focus on the rhythm of the cerebrospinal fluid as it flows
through your central nervous system, which feels like a gentle, magnetic pulsing that is different from your heartbeat. If I find that this rhythm gets weaker, fades in and out, or doesn’t spread evenly across
your body, I use a light amount of pressure to redirect the flow and restore balance. If you need a visual, the amount of pressure I apply is only 5 grams, which is about the weight of a nickel. This level of light
touch is important, because it allows me to listen for subtle inconsistencies in the body’s inner hydraulics, and to work gently within that system to promote healing.Many times, clients ask me if deep tissue therapy is better. Where there are many benefits to deep
tissue therapy, deeper is not always better, and different ailments may require different treatments. If your body is already in an inflammatory response, for example, a light touch will be more beneficial in most
cases than deep tissue therapy. Also, when acute pain may result from underlying, chronic effects of trauma, the gentle, soothing touch of craniosacral is especially important. Craniosacral therapy can provide relief and healing from a wide range of musculoskeletal and
nervous system ailments. These include, but are not limited to: Migraines and headaches, Chronic neck and back pain, Motor coordination impairments, Spinal cord injuries, Post-concussion symptoms, Chronic fatigue, Fibromyalgia, TMJ, and PTSD. The calming effects of craniosacral provide additional benefits
for conditions that are caused or made worse by stress, anxiety, or emotional pain. I invite everyone to explore the benefits of CranioSacral Therapy at least once in their lifetime. In
receiving a CranioSacral treatment, we can connect our mind and body and bring healing to both our bodies and our heart.

~Peace, Love and Healing~
LeeAnn Gibbons, LMT