Biodynamics in Everyday Life

Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, or Craniosacral Biodynamics, is a hands-on bodywork modality. How can we even begin to think about applying it in everyday life?

First, it is helpful to understand what distinguishes Craniosacral Biodynamics from other forms of Craniosacral Therapy. Biodynamics involves orienting to deep, universal forces, which cranial osteopath Rollin Becker referred to as “biodynamic.” These are in contrast to what he called “biokinetic” forces relating to the various conditions we meet in life, including genes, trauma, and aspects of the environment we are born into or develop within.

Rather than focusing on eliminating symptoms, the emphasis in Biodynamics is on awareness of and support for these universal forces to augment our expression of health. Symptoms are considered the result of biokinetic forces or conditions of life. Trying to change them involves applying more extrinsic forces or conditions. This can be helpful, such as when applying a cast to help set a broken limb. Deeper healing, however, occurs when we acknowledge and orient to more universal forces always present and available.

Formative Forces

From the moment of conception on, we form in relation to these universal biodynamic forces. They guide our cells in coalescing into form, aligning to an energetic midline as a first embryonic step. We begin our embryological development in relation to an original matrix, and energetic blueprint, which is the same for all of us.

Encountering various conditions in life also influences our form. We may begin to shift off of midline, for example. An old injury leaves its mark. An emotional wound affects how our nervous system functions.

We walk through our lives as a mixed expression of universal biodynamic and individualized conditional forces.

Often we behave as if we have no choice as to how we respond to our conditions. Life happens. We are formed by it. We believe ourselves to be victims of circumstances. Biodynamics teaches us otherwise.

Biodynamic session work involves acknowledging the effects of conditions but practicing settling under their resultant patterns and expressions. As we slow down, melt and soften, we can return to a more original intention by orienting primarily to the deeper, universal influences.

We may experience ourselves becoming like the little embryo still largely oriented to the mysterious Intelligence with a capital I, as William Garner Sutherland called the potent universal guidance within us.

Sutherland, founder of Cranial Osteopathy, followed a basic osteopathic understanding that there is always Health within us. There is inherent health and intelligence universally available to us. Life conditioning may occlude them from our awareness, but they remain available when we orient to them.

This is the basis of Biodynamic session work. What if we let ourselves live this way?

Orienting to Health

How often do you find yourself feeling hopeless as you listen to the news? Or find yourself in yet another unworkable relationship? Or hear that someone you know is ill or has died or has faced an unspeakable tragedy? How do you respond?

Our human tendency for connection enables us to feel compassion and empathy, along with love and grief. When we have experienced overwhelming circumstances at some point in our lives, we may find ourselves reacting to challenging situations with habitual anger, blame, depression or hopelessness. These are not expressions of our inherent Health. They are manifestations of our defensive fight-flight or freeze nervous systems. We may feel like we have no choice, but we need not be at their mercy.

Changing our patterns and habits requires awareness. If we can acknowledge when we have reactions we don’t want or that don’t serve us, we can begin to make choices about them. Orienting to Health in those moments can help. This may be as simple as making ourselves look for something we can feel grateful for or appreciate. The research of Heartmath Institute indicates that a simple shift in focus like that can shift our heart rhythms into more coherence, which can affect our mood and entire physiology.

Mindfulness is proving to be a powerful way to shift our neurological patterns, enabling us to have more awareness and choice in the moment. This is another way of orienting to Health. Being mindful usually requires slowing down, pausing at least for a moment to interrupt the patterned reaction of the moment. This enables us to orient to something else.

Widening Perception Beyond the Problem

Do we focus narrowly on our problem in the moment or do we consider what else is possible? A question we use in the mindful movement practice of Continuum is “What else?” meaning, what else is possible here (other than my familiar pattern or habit or pain?)

When we are able to widen our focus from the issue at hand, we begin to become aware of the vast fields of support around us. This is a basic practice in Biodynamics. As practitioners, we practice having a wide field of perception, sensing ourselves and our client as being suspended within energetic fields – fields within fields of support.

As you read this, what are youaware of? Are you focused so intently on the words in front of you that nothing else exists? Or can you sense the support of your breath? Of the surface under you? Of the atmosphere around you? Of the beating of your heart? There is so much health and support available every moment. How often do you attend to it?

What Is OK?

A question I often ask my clients is “What feels ok in your body just now?” I have had clients report their entire life changed because of this question. They had never considered orienting to what felt ok before. They were always only aware of the pain and discomfort.

What feels ok in yourbody just now? What is ok in your life just now? It may only be a tiny thing, like that you have enough toothpaste in the tube to brush your teeth before you go to bed tonight, but it is worth remembering. Notice what happens in your body, your breath, your mood when you let yourself remember what is ok. Or what you feel grateful for or appreciate. Or whatever else is supportive for you. Can you allow yourself to orient to the Health? It is there. It has always been there. It will always be there. It is what has gotten you this far in life. Can you appreciate it? Can you sense it? What are you aware of?

If this feels helpful at all, I encourage and invite you to practice orienting to the universal, ever-present Health in your life and see what happens. If you find this difficult, there is no shame in asking for support. There are therapists, practitioners, teachers just waiting to support you. Or it may be your partner, friend or pet that you turn to. Or it may be that beautiful tree you like to visit. Or the sun shining in through the window. Or the sound of the rain. Or the birds. Or… you can find what it is that represents health to you.

As further support, I also refer you to my recently published book, The Breath of Life: An Introduction to Craniosacral Biodynamics. If you found this blog interesting or helpful, please learn more about the book here and read on!

Please note that this post is now available to read in French. View the French version here.