Open Source Cranio

Websites

Posted May 4th, 2009 in Resources by John Dalton

Below are websites I recommend to students studying cranio sacral therapy.
If you have a favorite website that you feel really helped you in your training
or practice and you don’t see it listed here then send me the title and a short
review of it and I will list it.

Visible Body
Below is a demo for Visible Body I encourage you to register for
the free service they offer so you can begin to see the anatomical
structures in 3D .

Rupert Sheldrake

Rupert Sheldrake’s facinating work on Morphic Resonance

Fred Alan Wolf
Website of Quantum Physisicist Dr Fred Alan Wolf

Kelly Howel
Kelly Howel’s excellent podcast site with information and links to many cutting edge sources of research and information.

What the Bleep?

Website for the community that has grown up around the movie, ‘What the Bleep?’
Wikipedia

Articles and eBooks

Posted April 29th, 2009 in Resources by John Dalton

Article on Fairbairn’s structural theory. It is a hefty read but very helpful in understanding
how we relate to people as objects and how this affects us and our relationships.

Article by Al Pelowski, principal of South African Institute
of Cranial Studies. A call in the middle of the night from an overwrought
parent sets Al off to the hospital to help a new born baby who is having
seizures every couple of minutes.

Excerpt from and interview with John Upledger about experiments that
give an insight into how cranio sacral therapists can ‘know without knowing,’
how to place their hands on the right part of the body and then help the
body release.

Wide ranging interview with osteopath Jim Jealous about everything
from the nature of healing to the origins of osteopathy. It is particularly
interesting considering cranio sacral therapy has its origins in osteopathy
which, as he says has been alternative since 1874.

Article by Trish Banks, M.A. who specialises in psychosynthesis and
reflective practice in childcare. This article is a practical blueprint
for navigating the mine field of divorce and separation. The most common
response I have heard about this article is, ‘This would have been great
to know about when my marriage was falling apart.’ (The above link will
bring you to the download page of Trish’s site. The text says you have
been added to her mailing list but you haven’t and won’t be unless you
want to.)

Article by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D. who specialises in chronic and
life-threatening illness. She is also medical director of the Commonwealth
Cancer Help Program. She discuses the interaction between practitioner
and patient.

The story of Claire Sylvia, a heart and lung transplant patient. Her noticed
that her personality changed after the operation. She started drinking
beer, eating fast food and ogling girls – just like the dead boy who helped
her live.

Her story is an excellent example of tissue memory. The idea that memory
is not stored in the brain alone but also in the cells of our bodies.

Big, (check the size before you download) Long and academically written
paper by Allan N. Schore about the way babies bond with their parents
and how that bonding process can be affected by trauma.

Peter Lavine has written excellent books on the effects of trauma. This
article is an excellent introduction to his work.

The Science of Being Great – Size 420 KB

The Science of Geting Rich. – Size 496KB

Three powerful books written by Wallace D Wattles. The remarkable thing
about these books is they were written in 1910.

Cranio Sacral Therapy Books

Posted April 29th, 2009 in Resources by John Dalton

There are many good books on cranio sacral therapy.
No one book is definitive. I recommend you read them all.
If you have a favorite book that you feel really helped you in your training or practice and you don’t see it listed here then send me the title and a short review of it and I will list it.

Top

	The Heart of Listening : A Visionary Approach to Craniosacral Work VOL. 1 & 2 by Hugh Milne. I like Hugh’s two books. He goes into great depth on the underlying philosophies involved in cranio sacral work. Here’s what other people say about Hugh’s books. "Hugh Milne’s 2 vol. set combines poetry, art, and technique in the field of Craniosacral Therapy. Great insight to the therapist’s process, as well as, the client. It goes beyond the technical to the artful and creative process of being with your client, as you help their body heal itself. Not only beautiful, and inspiring, but deals, in detail, with the technical aspects of craniosacral work. It is a definite “must” in the library of the body worker who wants to go beyond the ordinary." "Hugh Milne’s 2 vol. set combines poetry, art, and technique in the field of Craniosacral Therapy. Great insight to the therapist’s process, as well as, the client. It goes beyond the technical to the artful and creative process of being with your client, as you help their body heal itself. Not only beautiful, and inspiring, but deals, in detail, with the technical aspects of craniosacral work. It is a definite “must” in the library of the body worker who wants to go beyond the ordinary. Well written with a good index, bibliography and footnotes for each chapter. The author’s analogies are also quite helpful as it is really a book that tries to teach a feeling, hands on, touch subject. The diagrams are accurate and easy to follow. At times there are references to techniques that are in the next volume. Volume one deals with the background, history and cerebral/philosophical aspects of craniosacral work. These aspects are a key to how the author practices craniosacral work. This is not just a technical manual of how to shift bones. It deals with energetic aspects of healing as well. As I am a veterinarian, the medical aspects were easy to follow. I cannot speak to how someone with less anatomical training would see the text." "If every Massage Therapy School would teach The Heart of Listening’s lessons on “transference” and “counter-transference,” I believe Hugh Milne would have provided a direly needed understanding and set of constructive guidelines for therapists who are human and therefore tend to get into trouble when in close contact with other humans. There are many other extraordinarily helpful and interesting stories, explanations and illustrations to be found in The Heart of Listening. If you believe that truth is beauty and beauty truth, I think you would deeply appreciate Hugh Milne’s book. It is a fine creative effort, especially in presentation of both the technical and spiritual aspects of Visionary Craniosacral Work. Another thing I like about the writing: Milne doesn’t take credit for someone else’s work. Quite the contrary. I noticed meticulous care in giving credit where credit is due. A certain humility permeates this book, letting the reader know the author is not just knowledgeable in a gentle way, but quite honest. Jockeying for “who’s the best” status obviously isn’t a Milne characteristic." Top
	Craniosacral Therapy for Babies and Small Children by Etienne and Neeto Peirsman The authors approach babies as conscious beings who endure enormous stress during the birth process. They show how cranio sacral therapy can help restore the correct alignments in babies’ bodies, freeing them to grow and attain their maximum potential without hindrance. The book focuses on what a trained cranio sacral therapist can do to remove the blockages that often arise during birth. Based on the authors’ extensive experience, this guide can also be used by parents or caregivers interested in knowing what babies need in order to be whole and healthy, and how to prevent problems — including hyperactivity and ADD — that could become serious and require medication later in life. Top
	Touchstone for Healing by John Upledger. John Upledger is one of the pioneers of cranio sacral therapy. He was the one who came up with the name as he helped the therapy make the transition from treating bones to deeper trauma in membranes. The Upledger Institute have this to say about this book. ‘This book expands on concepts originally presented in “Your Inner Physician and You” to offer new insights into the promise of CranioSacral Therapy. The new book is packed with fresh information, repeating ideas from the first text only when it helps clarify the historical context within which the concepts were developed.’ I have read “Your Inner Physician and You”. It is a good, if overly dramatic description of cranio sacral therapy. I don’t like the way he gives very little credit to the pioneers in this field who preceded him. Having said that it is the best book about cranio sacral therapy written for the lay person. Top
	CRANIO SACRAL THERAPY 1 by John Upledger Many schools use this book as their first text book for their students. It always strikes me as if it was written predominantly to communicate that the author knew what he was he was talking about to Doctors. As a consequence this book is hard going to read. It assumes you know anatomic terminology so if this is your first book about cranio sacral therapy I suggest you get familiar with the terminology before you start. Having said all that it is a must read for every cranio sacral therapist. Top
	Cranio Sacral Therapy 2 – Beyond the Dura by John Upledger. This is THE cranial nerves and face book. I haven’t come across a better book on the cranial nerves, particularly because it is written from a cranio sacral perspective. So not only is the anatomy of the cranial nerves gone into in detail it also includes the sorts of pathology picture and symptoms that can manifest. It also goes into facial anatomy and the neck in great detail. Top
	Somato Emotional Release: Deciphering the Language of Life by John Upledger. This book is about the sort of therapeutic talking that can be done with a patient to help them access the memories locked in restrictions. It outlines the mechanics of what is happening and gives models for working with these dream -like parts of the patient. Definitely a book to read if you feel that talking with your patient will help the releasing process but you just don’t know what to say. Top
	A Brain is Born By John Upledger. This is an excellent book about embryology and foetal development with a focus on the brain and its development. It is written with prospective parents in mind so is not to jargon heavy. Top
	Craniosacral Byodynamics 1 & 2 by Franklyn Sills. These two books are excellent. They add another perspective to cranial work. Here is what Franklyn has to say about it. "Craniosacral Biodynamics is an approach to work in the cranial field which has its roots in the later work or Dr. William Garner Sutherland, the founder of the the cranial approach. These two volumes are geared to be text books for students and practitioners which outline a particular biodynamic outlook within the cranial field. The work within these volumes is different from most foundation course books currently available. Dr. Sutherland emphasised that the human system is not just a mechanism, but is ordered by the deepest spiritual sources. He called the Creative Intelligence in action within the universe, the Breath of Life. It is this Breath of Life which is the focus for a clinical understanding, even if we only perceive the forces it generates. These books focus on the Breath of Life as the ordering and organising principle, not just of the human system, but within the world at large. Craniosacral Biodynamics is an energy medicine which attempts to align us to the deepest wellspring of life. It takes a biodynamic approach in that the intentions are to clarify our relationship to the Breath of Life and its ordering processes, and to function clinically as a servant to the healing processes it unfolds. Our work is clearly seen to be one of supporting these intentions, we do not "do" the healing, we listen to and support its unfoldment. This work strongly de-emphasised the CRI level of action. These books focus much more on the deeper tidal rhythms within the human system. These are called the mid-tide and Long Tide. It is within these slower and deeper rhythms that the resources of the system are found and within which our unresolved experience, be it traumatic or pathological, is centered. Our focus is squarely on the action of what Dr. Sutherland called the potency of the Breath of Life as it unfolds within our human condition." Top
	Osteopathy in the cranial field by Magoun This book, like the next one, are classics of cranio sacral therapy. Top
	Teachings in the science of Osteopathy by William Sutherland. The grandfather of cranio sacral therapy, this is his pioneering book. Top

DVD’s for Cranio Sacral Therapists or Students

Posted April 29th, 2009 in Resources by John Dalton

Below are some DVD’s I have recommended
to students over the years. They are not always ‘feel good’ movies in
fact some are quite dark but I have found they have represented issues
I have come across in practice and at the very least give windows into
other perspectives.

IMPORTANT Before you buy any of the
dvd’s below, check that the dvd will play in your country or region. If
you are unsure you may want to buy it through your local amazon site.

If you have a favorite book that you feel really helped you in your
training or practice and you don’t see it listed here then send me
the title and a short review of it and I will list it.

	3DCranio Edward Edward Muntinga’s excellent DVD containing 3D animations of cranio sacral movement in real time. The more we can ‘see’ these structures in our head the better we are able to work with them. One of the most difficult things to grasp, when learning cranio sacral, is the way all these structures move as they reflect the cranio sacral rhythm. This DVD gives a three dimensional insight in these complex movements. The animations are rendered with professional 3D-Animation-Software and are very sharp. Edwards site is well worth a visit as he has free downloadable images. Top
	Reign Over Me - Alan Johnson has everything he needs to get through life: a good job, a beautiful and loving wife, and their wonderful children. Yet he feels isolated because he finds having a hard-working job and managing a family too much to handle and has no one to talk to about it. Charlie Fineman, on the other hand, doesn’t have a job or a family. He used to have both until he lost his family on the fateful day of 9/11, and the grief he felt caused him to quit his job and isolate himself from everyone around him. As it turns out, Alan and Charlie were roommates in college, and a chance encounter one night rekindles the friendship they shared. But when Charlie’s problems become too much to deal with, Alan is determined to help Charlie come out of his emotional abyss. Top
	Magnolia – This third feature from Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights) is a maddening, magnificent piece of filmmaking, and it’s an ensemble film to rank with the best of Robert Altman–every little piece of the film means something, and it’s solidly there for a reason. Deftly juggling a breathtaking ensemble of actors, Anderson crafts a tale of neglectful parents, resentful children, and love-starved souls that’s amazing in scope, both thematically and emotionally. Part of the charge of Magnolia is seeing exactly how may characters Anderson can juggle, and can he keep all those balls in air (indeed he can, even if it means throwing frogs into the mix). And it’s been far too long since we’ve seen a filmmaker whose love of making movies is so purely joyful, and this electric energy is reflected in the actors, from Cruise’s revelatory performance to Reilly’s quietly powerful turn as the moral center of the story. While at three hours it’s definitely not suited to everyone’s taste, Magnolia is a compelling, heartbreaking, ultimately hopeful mediation on the accidents of chance that make up our lives. Featuring eight wonderful songs by Aimee Mann, including "Save Me." –Mark Englehart Top
	Happiness – At times brilliant and insightful, at times repellent and false, Happiness is director Todd Solondz’s multistory tale of sex, perversion, and loneliness. Plumbing depths of Crumb-like angst and rejection, Solondz won the Cannes International Critics Prize in 1998 and the film was a staple of nearly every critic’s Top Ten list. Admirable, shocking, and hilarious for its sarcastic yet strangely empathetic look at consenting adults’ confusion between lust and love, the film stares unflinchingly until the audience blinks. But it doesn’t stop there. Happiness is an intelligent, sad film, revelatory and exact at moments. Top
	Jacob’s Ladder – Vietnam veteran Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) thinks he is going insane. Or worse. When his nightmares begin spilling into his waking hours, Jacob believes he is experiencing the aftereffects of a powerful drug tested on him during Vietnam. Or perhaps his posttraumatic stress disorder is worse than most. Whatever is happening to him, it is not good. Director Adrian Lyne sparks our interest and maintains high production values. Top
	Angel heart – Set in Harlem and New Orleans in 1955, this supernatural thriller stirred a brief controversy when released in 1987 because some scenes featuring Lisa Bonet (then a popular cast member of The Cosby Show) were considered too sexually explicit to be rated R. The edited material was restored for the unrated video release. A sullen detective (Mickey Rourke) is hired to find a missing person by a shady client with pointy fingernails named Louis Cyphre . Rourke’s investigation leads him into an underworld of voodoo and forbidden desires, and as the mystery unfolds director Alan Parker fills every scene with conspicuous style and atmospheric exces. This movie casts a spell of its own and the performances of Rourke, De Niro, Bonet, and Charlotte Rampling are well suited to the ominous mood. Top
	What the #$*! Do We Know!? Also know as ‘What the Bleep?’(2004) Directed by William Arntz, Betsy Chasse, Mark Vicente Cutting edge quantum physics strung together around a loose storyline. Amanda, a divorced photographer, finds herself in a fantastic Alice-in-Wonderland experience when her daily, uninspired life literally begins to unravel, revealing the cellular, molecular and even quantum worlds which lie beneath. Inter cut with interviews with leading scientists and mystics, she finds that if reality itself is not questionable, her notion of it certainly is. Stunning special effects plunge you into a world where quantum uncertainty is demonstrated – where Amanda’s neurological processes, and perceptual shifts are engaged and lived – where everything is alive, and reality is changed by every thought. There has been a second movie released, which I haven’t seen but from what I can gather it is an expanded version of the original movie. I include a listing of it here. Top
	I Heart Huckabees (2004) Directed by David O. Russell. Featuring: Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin, Jude Law, Naomi Watts, Mark Wahlberg, Jason Schwartzman, Isabelle Huppert. An existential comedy. I particularly like the way each character in this movie reacts to the story. I think it is a reasonable reflection of the different ways, different people respond to change. Determined to solve the coincidence of seeing the same conspicuous stranger three times in a day, Albert hires a pair of existentialist detectives, who insist on spying on his everyday life while sharing their views on life and the nature of the universe Top
	What Dreams May Come (1998) Directed by Vincent Ward. Featuring: Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr, Annabella Sciorra, Max von Sydow. Tagline: After life there is more. This movie looks like a moving oil painting. Chris Neilson dies and finds himself in a heaven more amazing than he could have ever dreamed of. There is one thing missing: his wife. After he dies, his wife, Annie killed herself and went to hell. Chris decides to risk eternity in hades for the small chance that he will be able to bring her back to heaven. Top
	The Matrix (1999) Directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski Featuring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving. Here’s the story: Computer hacker Thomas Anderson has lived a relatively ordinary life–in what he thinks is the year 1999–until he is contacted by the enigmatic Morpheus who leads him into the real world. In reality, it is 200 years later, and the world has been laid waste and taken over by advanced artificial intelligence machines. The computers have created a false version of 20th-century life–the "Matrix"–to keep the human slaves satisfied, while the AI machines draw power from the humans. The interesting thing about this movie is that it gets across the idea that reality is not as real as it appears. It is a useful movie to watch and let percolate in the back of your mind. Top
	It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Directed by Frank Capra. Featuring: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell. This is a classic that is usually trotted out on one TV station or another, particularly at Christmas. What I like about this movie is the premise which is, what would the world look like if you had never been born? or depending on your mood, what is impact have you made on the world? The story is about George Bailey who grew up in Bedford Falls, a small town he dreams of someday leaving and making his mark on the world. George was all set to leave when his father died and George had to take care of the business. His family’s business is all that stands between the good citizens and Mr. Potter, a rich miser who takes sick pleasure in taking from everybody, without even caring how it affects them. George would forever be stymied with his plans to leave and when he thinks that he is nothing but a failure, he decides to kill himself and that’s when his guardian angel in training, Clarence, comes in and tries to convince him that he has made something with his life and that he had a "Wonderful Life". Top
	Patch Adams (1998) Directed by Tom Shadyac. Featuring: Robin Williams, Daniel London, Monica Potter, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Fact-based story of Hunter "Patch" Adams (Robin Williams), the founder of the Gesundheit Clinic, a clinic which deals with their patients with humor and pathos. The film starts with Hunter admitting himself as a patient in a mental ward. While there, he found he enjoyed helping the other patients and found the staff to be cold and separative from the patients. Vowing to change things, he releases himself from the hospital and headed to the Virginia Medical College. His unorthodox methods cast him up against many of the doctors and deans of the university, despite him getting some of the highest grades in his class. Recognizing that many poor people were not being treated, as a student he formed the Gesundheit Clinic to aid those who were not getting proper treatment at the hospital. However, this brought him up before the Medical Review Board for practicing without a license.

Websites

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Cranio Sacral Therapy Books

DVD’s for Cranio Sacral Therapists or Students

CranioSacral Therapy Masterclass DVD Series

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