To understand the craniosacral rhythm I need to explain about cerebrospinal fluid and the meninges.
Cerebrospinal fluid is a clear colourless fluid which surrounds and bathes the brain and spinal cord. It is a filtrate of blood and is produced in hollow spaces at the centre of the brain called ventricles.
Containing the cerebrospinal fluid and surrounding the brain and spinal cord is a tough waterproof sack made up of three membranous layers called the meninges or membrane system.
The production and absorption of cerebrospinal fluid makes the membrane system continuously expand and contract in a regular rhythmic motion. This rhythmic motion is known as the Cranial Rhythm or Cranial Rhythmic Impulse.
The Cranial Rhythm can be divided into two phases. The expansion phase occurs when the whole membrane system is filling with cerebrospinal fluid.
The contraction phase occurs when the whole system is absorbing the cerebrospinal fluid and contracting.
In cranial terminology, these two phases are known as Flexion and Extension. The cranial rhythm has been measured as occurring normally at a rate of between 4 and 14 complete cycles of expansion and contraction per minute.
Dr William Sutherland, one of the pioneers of craniosacral therapy referred to the craniosacral rhythm as the Breath of Life.
All the other flows and rhythms in the body — like blood flow or the rhythm of breathing — are all intimately linked and affected by the flow and rhythm of cerebrospinal fluid.
The flow and rhythm of cerebrospinal fluid are affected by trauma and helping to release trauma and regain harmony across all rhythms and flows is something I work closely with in practice.
I work to help a person’s system release patterns of restriction which are disrupting the flow and rhythm of cerebrospinal fluid. This affects all the other flows and rhythms in the body and helping to get this flow and rhythm back in harmony helps to ease symptoms.