A Key to Consciousness: The Cranium
The Container of the Mind
We all crave to understand and be understood. To hear and be heard. To see and be seen. This kind of true perception, or proprioception, creates deep connection. It activates the expression of one’s unique essence and supports it to flower it into full form. When us dear humans can understand each other and the myriad beings with whom we share this world, conflict fades and diversity flourishes. And this consciousness itself becomes an agent of more consciousness.
But how do we expand our consciousness? There are many wonderful teachers sharing many wonderful tools to help us with this through working with our thought processes, conditioned belief structures and emotional intelligence. However, there’s an option that is barely used: working directly with the cranium. Why not go to the part of our body that is literally the container of the mind in order to open the mind? By restoring the natural micro-movements of the cranial bones we stimulate awareness. This quickens the process of awakening that can bring our human community into a state of harmonic resonance.
The Cranial Bones
Your skull is composed of 22 bones that have movable, fibrous joints called sutures. The sutures allow small amounts of movement between the cranial bones, which contributes to the compliance and elasticity of the skull. Although these movements are tiny compared to the gross movements that are obvious in many of our other joints (such as a shoulder joint or knee joint), they provide important functions for the whole system, both physically and energetically. And these cranial sutures can have restriction or injury just like any other joint in the body.
Cranial bone motion and alignment can be impinged through small and large stress events. Many of these restrictions naturally resolve, but some do not. They can build up over time to create matrixes of compression and misalignment that impede nerve impulses, gland function, circulation and the craniosacral fluid. Restrictions also affect the flow of energy through the meridians, chakras and kundalini channels in the head region.
Considering the amount of information we’re processing every day, it's no wonder that when someone is overwhelmed they might say ‘it feels like my head is going to explode!’ Having a small but vital range of mobility and elasticity in our cranium is necessary in order to sort through the expanding volume and frequency of material that is a normal part of our modern world.
The History of Cranial Work
Hands on therapeutic cranial work has a long history. It has been used in India for hundreds of years. There is also evidence that it was part of traditional American Indian bodywork. In the early 1900’s, through the work of Dr. William Sutherland, the western medical world was first exposed to the idea that the cranial bones did in fact have patterns of rhythmic motions:
“Dr. Sutherland was the first to perceive a subtle palpable movement within the bones of the cranium. He went on to discover the continuity of this rhythmic fluid movement throughout all tissues of the body. While a student at the American School of Osteopathy in 1899, Dr. Sutherland pondered the fine details of a separated or “disarticulated” skull. He wondered about the function of this complex architecture.
Dr. Sutherland
Anatomy textbooks stated that the cranial sutures were fused and unable to move in adulthood. Dr. Sutherland thought his inspiration to be absurd and resisted the notion that the skull bones could move. This idea consumed him and became the motivation for his singular, detailed and prolonged study of skulls and function of the nervous system, and experimentation upon his own head. Over many years of intense study, Dr. Sutherland came to discover a previously unrecognized phenomenon. The anatomy had been described by others, but it took the unique genius of Dr. Sutherland to put it all together. He named his discovery “The Primary Respiratory Mechanism” and recognized this phenomenon as life’s purest and most vital expression. As data is gathered throughout the medical and scientific disciplines, the fundamental genius of Dr. Sutherland’s observations becomes ever more validated. In time, this Cranial Concept may become regarded as one of the most important discoveries in human physiology.”
from https://osteopathynewyork.com/history-of-cranial-osteopathy/
In the late 1970’s Dr. John Upledger went on to develop Sutherland’s work into what he called CranioSacral therapy, bringing the concept of cranial bone movements into more prominence. His extensive research, writing and educational programs through the Upledger Institute International in Florida, USA brought the work into more widespread practice throughout the world.
The Cranium & Human Evolution
So we know that the condition of the cranial bones affects the physical body, as well as the mental and emotional states. The activation of the cranial system also enables the development of human telepathy and sonar. Even though they are very subtle, the movements of the cranial bones and their attached membranes greatly increases the dispatch and reception of vibrational information. This is the equivalent to the sonar that is already operational for whales and dolphins.
Sonar, which is just now emerging in human evolution, also further initiates the extraordinary senses, such as clairvoyance (vibrational sight), clairaudience (vibrational hearing), clairsentience (vibrational touch), clairodorance (vibrational smell), and telepathy. Sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch expand into new dimensions. This capacity to perceive expanded realms of sensory information has a profound impact on all levels of one’s experience. The life paradigm itself transforms as this occurs. Thus, the cranium is connected intimately to our process of awakening.
Blockages to this process can show up as pain or dis-ease. Friction builds because the life force of the body can'‘t easily flow towards further development. Whether it’s conscious or not, many who come for treatment are seeking not only physical relief, but also help to grow at these other levels. They don’t want to just feel better, they want to be experiencing what they know intuitively is their birthright: an ongoing maturation of being. There is a desire at some level to relieve resistance to the evolution of consciousness.
New Methods of Cranial Therapy
It’s becoming more commonly accepted that the cranial bones can be treated by a trained practitioner in order to restore proper mobility, and that this can have positive effects on the body, mind and spirit. And the field is expanding, with new methods being developed in different modalities.
Shin tai includes many different ways of restoring the flow of energy through the body. We work with the structure, the meridians, the organs.... the musculature, the chakras, the glands.... life force, space and motion. And of course, the cranium. This region of the body is approached within a framework that provides clear guidance on when and how to treat the cranial bones and the associated membranes. There is a body of gentle, non-force technique for both hands-on application as well as self treatment.
One type of cranial application in shin tai involves vertebral adjustments. Once the body is in a certain state of receptivity, vertebrae mobility and alignment can be increased by contacting points in the cranial sutures. Restrictive forces that prevent the healthy function of a vertebra and its related articulations can be released. This allows the vertebra to naturally migrate back into more functional alignment. There is an upcoming livestream course on Saturday May 21st if you are interested in studying this work - please click here for more information: https://shintaiinternational.com/cranial-suture-adjustments.
Upcoming Course in Vertebral Adjustments via the Cranial Sutures
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Upcoming Course in Vertebral Adjustments via the Cranial Sutures 〰️
Another aspect of shin tai bodywork is self treatment of the cranial system. A unique type of meditative exercise opens the door to being able to feel, adjust and expand the motions of the cranial bones. The simple directing of attention to subtle motion, or lack of motion, helps to release micro-restrictions that have been created through different kinds of stress or injury. Not only does this enhance physical, emotional and mental health, it creates the possibility to work with the upper chakras, the kundalini channels and the integration of soul frequencies.
Consciousness & the Cranium
The cranial system offers a direct route to expand consciousness rather than using dialogue to learn, teach and transmit new information. When the cranial bones are exhibiting their full range of motion in a healthy rhythmic pulse, the mind itself expands into a healthy, rhythmic pulse through a wider range of perception and understanding.
A common thread of the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual realms is the flow of energy. When we work with the cranial system it helps to free of circuitry or flow through the pathways, including the nerves, blood vessels, meridians, chakras and kundalini channels. This increases the possibility for what is wanting to happen to happen. To unfold our process of awakening more smoothly.
We don’t usually expect to give birth to a baby without some assistance. Why not learn how to assist ourselves and others to smooth the labor pains of this transition into new frequencies of experience? It’s no accident that this work is coming into more prominence at this time. By facilitating a connection to the higher planes, the cranium is a key component to the greatest megatrend of humanity: our spiritual birth.