Analogy - Why did you come to see me?

I always ask clients why they came to see me.  Since I do craniosacral therapy, most of them come to see me with health concerns.  They might have knee problems, or headaches, or lower back trouble.

It is important for me to know what they are concerned about, because I want to address that issue in treatment.  Yet the solution to every kind of concern always begins with the same set of principles.  ​​

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First, we must locate the problem, and clearly observe the details.  If someone has a knee problem, I need to look at the person’s entire body as they lie on the table.  I will look at the knee, and then notice the way the body is pulling around the knee.  Is there tension between the knee and the foot?  Are the muscles tight between the knee and the pelvis?  Where are the stresses and strains on the body? How does the body function as a whole?

Second, I need to address the patterns of stress and strain found in the body.  I know that I can apply very gentle touch to the client’s body, no more than if I were to put a nickel on their skin, that the tissue underneath my hands will soften.  It will begin to relax.  As the different body tissues can relax, they can move with more freedom.  As the body begins to be able to move freely, the body can work within its own system to promote its ability to heal.

There are principles here that can be applied to every situation, not just in therapy sessions.  First, we need to clearly observe the problem.  We need to really understand what is going on. It’s important to make sure we notice the details, without bias or judgment.  

In “life”  problems,   make sure we clearly identify the details of the problem.  Suppose we have a co-worker that is a real problem.  We could label him “mean,” or “rude,” or “controlling.”  But that won’t solve the problem.  We need to clearly identify the issue.  It’s important to be concrete.  “When  we have staff meetings, my co-worker finds fault with my ideas, but he does not suggest workable solutions.”  That’s observing clearly.  Or, “my co-worker did not get his part of the project done on time, which meant that I did not have the time I needed to do my part on the project.”  That’s clear.  

Second, we treat the situation as one unit, but remember that there are many stresses and pulls on the problem.  So -- when the co-worker did not get the project done on time, what happened as a result?  Where are the strains?  Well, you did not have time you needed to do your part of the project.  What did that affect?  You felt worried and anxious about things.  You weren’t sure if you could hurry fast enough to meet the deadline.  Perhaps you worried that you would be blamed if the project was late.  Perhaps now you had to figure out how to explain to clients why the product they needed was not ready on time.  This causes great anxiety.  Perhaps you had to stay late at work to get your part done, which created tension in your family members.  They expected you home.  These things are all important to know, because they are part of the problem.  

Third, don’t judge.  This is the step that is most hard to do.  “Oh, I should just be able to deal with things,” is counterproductive.  “He will never change, and I can’t do anything about it,” is not helpful either.

When we understand our emotions, we can see we do have choices. We may wish that things could be different, but when we understand our emotions, we can move forward peacefully, and not carry the tension or stress with us.

Our products and classes are designed to show people how to reclaim emotional power and  see those choices.  We can learn how to feel peace in any circumstance, no matter what the circumstance may be.

Emotional peace brings freedom.