Craniosacral - the parasympathetic nervous system's friend!

One of the key things that happens during a craniosacral therapy session is the balancing of the parasympathetic nervous system.

The parasympathetic nervous system extends throughout the body and is one of the two main divisions of the autonomic nervous system.  It is responsible specifically for stimulation of activities that occur when the body is at rest, hence it is often called the 'rest and digest' system.

The main goal of this system is to conserve the resources of the body so that they can last longer. It conserves energy as it slows the heart rate, increases intestinal and gland activity, and relaxes sphincter muscles in the gastrointestinal tract.  However, its direct opposite, the sympathetic nervous system can become over stimulated in 'fight or flight' mode, especially with trauma and shock, meaning that our parasympathetic nervous system has lto work really hard to keep us in homeostasis.

When we are in stress, or 'fight or flight',  our bodies speed up, tense up, and become more alert. Functions that are not critical to survival also shut down. Thus chronic digestive issues may be the result of an overstimulated sympathetic nervous system....

The parasympathetic nervous system is also known as craniosacral outflow because it arises from the brain (mixed with III, VII, IX and X cranial nerves) and sacral 2-4 segments of the spinal cord. Thus it has a cranial and a sacral part.

The very nature of a craniosacral session will restore the body to a state of calm, as a practioner tunes into the spine and thus the parasympathetic nervous system.  This might explain why most clients start to fall asleep or report being incredibly relaxed!

Craniosacral - the parasympathetic nervous system's friend!