Years ago, a longtime massage client was curious about this 'new thing I was learning' and came in for a full CST session. Afterward, she admitted she'd spent most of the time thinking I was just taking breaks — that during those still, quiet moments, nothing was actually happening.

The next day she emailed to say how uncharacteristically tired she felt later that evening, following her session.

So something was definitely happening!

That experience has stayed with me, because it captures something I often hear from new clients: How can something so gentle actually work so deeply?

A Different Approach to Tension

If you've spent any time trying to resolve chronic tension, you've probably had some version of this experience: a practitioner finds the tight spot, works into it — pressure, stretch, sometimes intensely — and for a moment it feels like progress. But the tightness comes back. Often within a few hours.

It's not that the work was wrong. It's that often there's a lot more going on with tension than just a muscle knot to be released.

A lot of chronic tightness isn't tissue that's just "stuck" — it's tissue that's bracing. Your body has learned, for any number of reasons, that holding on feels safer than letting go. Most of us carry some version of this pattern. It might be from an old injury, chronic stress, an underlying health condition, or simply years of asking your body to manage more than it has the capacity for.

Here's the part that surprises people: when you push directly into tissue that's bracing, the nervous system can interpret that pressure as something to brace against. You're not always working with the body — sometimes you're unintentionally working against its protective instincts. The harder you push, the more it has reason to hold.

Gentleness, Not Force

Craniosacral therapy works from a different premise entirely. Instead of asking, "How do I get this tissue to release?" the question becomes, "What is this tissue already doing, and how can I support that?"

In practice, this means very light contact — often just a few grams of pressure, about the weight of a coin — and deep listening. I'm feeling for the subtle rhythms and motion already present in your body, and following them rather than imposing direction. There's no stretching, no forcing, no working harder when something doesn't budge.

This isn't passive, and it isn't "doing nothing and hoping." It's a different kind of active attention — one that doesn't ask your nervous system to defend itself. When there's nothing to brace against, when the body feels supported and safe, a shift can happen: the holding pattern that's been there for months or years simply isn't needed anymore, and it lets go on its own terms, in its own time.

Why This Often Reaches What Other Approaches Can't

A lot of bodywork is excellent at addressing tissue directly — and it has its place. But if the tension you're carrying has a protective quality to it (and a surprising amount does), going in harder isn't always the answer. Sometimes it just teaches the body to hold on tighter, even if the immediate sensation is relief.

CST tends to work well alongside more direct approaches like massage, chiropractic care, or acupuncture rather than replacing them. Many of my clients see me in addition to other practitioners, not instead of — because the nervous system regulation that happens in a CST session can make the rest of their care more effective, not less necessary.

What This Might Mean for You

If you've tried "everything" for chronic tension and still feel stuck, it might not be that nothing has worked. It might be that your body is still bracing against something, and trying to push through it or force a release isn't always the best approach.

​CST offers a different kind of invitation — one of stillness and safety, where your nervous system gets to lead, and your body gets to decide, in its own time, what it's ready to release.

Some people find it easier than others to bring their mind to a state of rest — whether that's for a meditation practice or for their time on the table receiving craniosacral therapy. I myself have a hard time with this. The thoughts in my mind can be just as busy as the doings of my life, flitting from one thing to the next, not even seeming related half the time.

Clients often mention spiritual practitioners they've heard about — Buddhist monks come up the most — who can sit in silent meditation for long periods, completely emptying their minds of thought. This can be inspiring and, at the same time, deeply frustrating. If we're trying to go from A to Z — from our usual busy, scattered minds to meditation master — we're going to stall before we even get started. It feels impossible, so it becomes a reason to not even try.

But what if we just try to go from A to B?

One of my teachers offers this reframe: it's not about clearing out all of your thoughts until your mind is completely blank. It's about giving your mind a focus. One thought to return to. Something that holds meaning for you. Something that carries a sense of truth or steadiness.

For some people that's a teaching from their spiritual path. For others it's a guiding principle, a value, a line from a book that has stayed with them. Whatever it is, it becomes an anchor point — something to come back to when the mind wanders.

That's the kind of focusing thought I'm talking about.

So here's what I invite you to try, whether as a short meditation practice or during your next session on the table:

​Choose a thought that holds meaning for you. A guiding principle. Something that feels true and steady, even when life doesn't.

When you settle in, let that thought be where your mind rests. Hold it gently. Think about it. Let it open up.

And when your mind wanders — because it will, because that's what minds do — simply notice. Watch the thoughts move through, like clouds moving across the sky. And then return. Come back to your focusing idea — back to what you know is shining, even now.

​You don't have to be a meditation master. You just have to be willing to keep returning.
And remember...the sun is still shining ☀️

Maybe a better question is simply: What inspires hope in you?

I recently asked a client this while she was on the table, sharing her concerns about life and the state of the world. I loved her response: “Connection.” She went on to share that she finds hope by having people in her life she can talk with. Hope arising not necessarily from having the answers, but from not being alone.

It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed by the challenges we are experiencing in our lives and communities. By what we’re seeing on the news. By the sense that what we’re doing never seems like enough. I know I sometimes feel that spiral of helplessness. The voice that says that even what I am doing isn’t making a difference. The part that wants to withdraw, get small, hide. 

It’s not a very hope-filled space.

What my client named points to something essential: we receive by being part of something. By joining with others in a shared purpose, or simply in real, honest connection. 

Connection gives us a sense of belonging. A place to be seen and heard. To share our stories. To receive support and encouragement. We open to new perspectives. We’re reminded of our strength and resilience. 

​Challenges become more manageable when we carry them together.

It is invaluable to have people around us who believe in us. And yet, I’ve come to feel that the deeper power of connection lies not only in being supported, but in offering support. We receive through giving. We are empowered through being that one person.

The one who listens and offers love.
The one who believes in another.
The one who helps someone else remember their strength.
The one who enables another “to unfold the miraculous” within them.

Years ago, a Toltec Wisdom teacher I had been following shared the idea that most of the love we feel actually comes from the love we give. In my experience, this feels so true. When I am in connection—in community—with others, it’s not only what I receive that fills me with hope. It’s what I am able to offer. Love, care, presence, hope. How can I feel helpless when I’m helping others?

So what does this look like in your life?
Begin where you are. ​

Who do you encounter as you move through your day?
Family. Friends. Colleagues. Neighbors. A spiritual community. An online gathering. The stranger you make eye contact with in the grocery store. The medical staff at a doctor’s appointment. The customer service representative you’re speaking to on the phone. 

​What are your unique gifts? And how might they be used in service of being wholly helpful?
To extend kindness, encouragement, and steadiness.
To express love, care, and understanding.

Can you imagine what might be possible if we each held this state of mind as we went about our day? ​

We may not be able to change the entire world alone. Fixating on that can keep us stuck in overwhelm. But together—through small, sincere acts of connection and care in our day to day lives—we create ripple effects.

This is something I witness every day in my work. 

Craniosacral therapy, at its heart, is an experience of connection. A quiet space where someone does not have to carry everything alone. Where the nervous system can soften. Where the body remembers its own resilience.

I don’t work to “fix” the person on my table. But in that shared space of presence and listening, something shifts. And from that place, people often reconnect with their own steadiness, clarity, and hope. 

And then they carry those ripples out into the world around them. 
And that fills me with hope. 🌟

What I’m realizing is that I prefer the word movement to exercise.

​Exercise feels like work.
Something with a lot of rules.
Something I have to schedule.
Something that takes time away from things I want to be doing.

Movement, on the other hand, feels like something I can weave into my day.

Let’s be honest...I’m not going to go to a gym. I’m not going to jog down my road. I’m most likely not even going to use the treadmill in our living room that a friend gave us…nor the home gym/cable machine thing folded and taking up space in another room (also given to us by a friend, probably for the same reason. lol.)

So the real question becomes:

How do I find ways to intentionally move more in my daily life?
And yes, maybe even make time for specific movements (exercises 😫) that help strengthen weak muscles and reduce pain and discomfort.

Recently, my spiritual teacher shared the idea of “exercise snacks.” I’m going to tweak that slightly and call them movement snacks.

The idea is simple: when I'm already waiting for something, can I move?

For example, while I’m cooking dinner and waiting for water to boil - instead of looking for something in the cupboard to snack on, could I do a simple movement? A stretch? A yoga pose? A few intentional breaths paired with gentle motion?

How can I move more without committing to an actual exercise routine?

It’s outside my scope of practice to offer exercises to clients, but I imagine some ideas are already coming to mind for you. Maybe you’ve been in physical therapy and have a few simple movements you were given. Maybe you’re familiar with yoga and have a handful of poses you love, or ones you know your body would benefit from practicing.

I first came across this phrase in Suzanne Scurlock's book Full Body Presence. Although the phrase itself was new to me, I was certainly familiar with the meaning of it. 

​Quite simply, what are the things in your life - activities, people, places - that nourish you...
that feel life-giving…
that nurture you...
that bring you joy...
that help you experience love...
that connect you to a sense of peace…
that “feed” you spiritually, emotionally, energetically, physically? 

I ask about your nourishing resources on my health history intake form for two reasons:

1. To encourage you to think about the simple things you have access to in your daily life that can support you on your healing journey. The things that you enjoy and find comfort in, that offer you a reset point. When you're aware of what nourishes you, it makes it easier to "choose nourishing resources moment to moment, no matter the situation" (Suzanne Scurlock).
2. To help me gain a fuller understanding of you and your life, beyond your physical ailments and concerns. Your symptoms may be anywhere from mild to more challenging, but they do not define you. My hope is to be able to encourage you to choose your nourishing resources, moment to moment, so that you can continue your healing journey between our sessions.

The work we do together is truly a collaboration. At its heart, healing isn't something that is 'done' to you. It's something we participate in together and it unfolds over time. I support that process, but I don't push or force it. My role is not to "fix" anything, but to support your system in finding a new balance. And to invite you to turn to what brings you joy and connects you to love, so that you can show up from a place grounded in peace and gentle strength as you walk through even the difficult circumstances in life.

Thank you for trusting me to walk with you on your journey. 🌟

This was a question I was asked recently by one of my clients on the table. The short answer is... 

Sometimes I focus on my breath. Sometimes I use a "mantra" in the form of an idea from my spiritual practice. Sometimes I do both. Sometimes I use another technique that works for me. But I think the real question being asked is...

• My mind wanders. It is what it is. Rather than get frustrated about it, which leads to me wanting to give up, I make it part of the practice - a practice of noticing. Oh, there goes my mind again, doing it what it does...and now I'll bring my attention back to my breath (or back to my idea for the day)...Oops! There goes my silly mind again, doing that thinking thing it does. Let me come back to my practice. Let your thoughts simply be like clouds moving across the sky of your mind. 

• The point of meditation is not to get it done in some perfect way, but to let it be a practice. It's like building a muscle, just like we would with learning to play an instrument or a sport. Let it be about the journey, not the destination. Practice. Notice. Watch what unfolds. Let it evolve. Let go of judgment and expectation. Let go of trying to get somewhere. 

• Find ways to navigate around the blocks that seem to come up. When I first started my practice, it was inevitable that my mind would remember something important as soon as I started to come to a quiet place within myself. And then I would get stuck there, perseverating on it, worried I'd forget it. I started keeping a paper and pen next to me so I could quickly jot it down and then return to my practice. After a while, as my practice evolved, I didn't need this anymore.

​

• It's okay to find what works for you. There are many different styles of meditation, but what it comes down to at the end of the day is what works for you to make it a consistent practice...

If you've been wanting to start a meditation practice, here are some resources I've found helpful:

• Palouse Mindfulness offers an online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course. It's self-guided and completely free.
• Insight Timer is a meditation app that offers a variety of guided meditations and meditation music to support your practice.
• You may want to look into spiritual practices like Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, Sufi Remembrance, and meditation practices from A Course in Miracles. (These are simply practices I'm familiar with, but there are many more from various spiritual traditions.)
• And a couple PDFs that I created:
  
  • 5 Simple Tips for Beginning a Meditation Practice
  • Mindfulness Practices

Most importantly, practice patience and gentleness with yourself.
Peaceful practicing! 🌟