I had my first craniosacral therapy treatment a week ago, and I have to admit that in some ways I prefer it to massage. I also believe that the benefits of this treatment (in terms of healing) will far exceed what you might expect from a typical massage. In this article I describe my experience with craniosacral therapy.
I went into my treatment knowing a bit about craniosacral therapy, mainly that the therapist works with the head and spine to gently relieve blockages in the body caused by stress and trauma. I went in with the intention of removing those blockages and to see if anything could be done to reduce the “Viking syndrome” (also known as Viking disease or Dupuytren’s contracture) that I have on my left hand, around the left ring finger. . The medical profession doesn’t know much about Viking syndrome except that connective tissue is affected, there is often trauma associated with the condition, and there is no treatment except surgery (which is risky and does not cure the condition).
I cannot praise enough the gentle pressure my therapist applied to my head, neck, and spine. It was incredibly relaxing, and I felt sparks of energy running down to my feet, as if my nerves were getting stronger and the channels were opening.
After working on my head, neck, and spine, the therapist began working on my left hand, again with gentle pressure. I realized that’s when she started to take some deep breaths, and I knew something was up with it.
When the craniosacral treatment was over, he asked if it would be okay to share what he “saw” in his mind while working on my left hand. She explained that she saw a large black woman who lived on a plantation, whose job was to cook for the plantation owners. One day the son of this black woman escaped from the plantation, and it was common in those days to punish slaves for any misdeed by cutting off part of their feet or hands or toes. This slowed them down and scared the rest. Because her son had run away, the woman had the middle and ring fingers of her left hand cut off as punishment. In her mind, the therapist saw the woman begging her owners, “But, dough, if you cut off my fingers, how am I going to bake her cakes?” she begged.
The therapist further explained, “The energy in your fingers was not connected to the energy in your hand; something was blocking the flow. But now it is connected… I’m not sure if this has to do with a past life or with your life.” ancestors.” (My therapist is not sure about the idea of reincarnation and past lives). But I fully understand that I have had past lives and that this incident had to do with my soul “ancestry”, not my blood ancestry. Also, my ancestors are Poles, they have lived in Poland for many past generations. (And by the way, I haven’t had any trauma to either hand in this present lifetime.)
After the treatment, I drove down the street to Gayle’s Bakery in Capitola and found myself looking at the delicious cherry pies, but I didn’t indulge. I’m on a dairy-free, wheat-free regimen right now, so I just got some goodies for my kids.
Anyway, it will be interesting to see what happens with my viking disease. The syndrome took years to develop and it’s only been a week since the craniosacral therapy, but I expect a relatively quick cure. Anyway, I think of this black woman from time to time and feel appreciation for her. My heart opens even more because of her, and I also know that deep down I have the experience and ingenuity of a black woman who lived on a plantation inside of me, and that I can draw on those inner resources when I need them.