by Michael Kern
This is an amazing piece of work, deeply intelligent and profoundly inspirational. Michael has delivered the goods. When you finish this book you will either want to become a craniosacral practitioner or rush out and find one. If you are in a body, read this book.
Gabrielle Roth, author of Sweat Your Prayers: Movement as Spiritual Practice and Maps to Ecstasy; founder of the Moving Center, New York
There are subtle healing processes in the body that conventional medicine has largely forgotten and needs desperately to recover. Wisdom in the Body addresses many of these by focusing on craniosacral therapy. This book is a plea for a holistic approach to healing, in which we honor all that makes us human—body, mind, spirit. Michael Kern’s scholarship is admirable.
Larry Dossey M.D., author of Reinventing Medicine,
Healing Words, and Space, Time and Medicine
If in these rushed days of information exchange, you want a carefully unfolded exposition of all aspects of the craniosacral phenomenon, Wisdom in the Body is the book for you. Experience it as you live and breathe.
Joseph Goodman Dr. Ac, D.O., N.D., former chair of the International Cranial Association (Cranial Osteopathic Association), British Acupuncture Council, and dean of the College of Osteopaths, London
Wisdom in the Body is a wonderfully comprehensive book about unlocking the patterns of stress and suffering in our lives. Michael Kern’s depth of practical experience is clearly evident as he explains with clarity and understanding the subtle workings of our energy bodies. His work illuminates many aspects of the great meditation traditions. I highly recommend this book for an in-depth look at the mind-body process.
Joseph Goldstein, author of Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom and One Dharma
I wish many medical students will be given the opportunity to read Michael Kern’s book. They will learn that they must develop their finger sensitivity. They will realize that their hands have a healing power.
Dr. Michel Odent, obstetrician, pioneer of natural childbirth, founder of the Primal Health Research Centre, author of Primal Health, Entering the World, The Farmer and the Obstetrician, and The Scientification of Love
Craniosacral therapy has always had an ambiguous relationship with osteopathy and “cranial osteopathy” in particular. Michael Kern certainly acknowledges craniosacral’s roots in osteopathy, but he also makes the case for craniosacral therapy as a discrete discipline. Whichever way one inclines, this is an elegant, eloquent and very human exposition of the work. For the student anticipating training, it glowingly represents the philosophy and principles behind practice and quotes quite delightfully from some of the wise men and women in the field, right back to A.T. Still. The thoughtfulness and integrity of the material reflect a sincere and dedicated teacher and practitioner who seems to revel in the celebration of this approach to health care in whichever guise we see it and whatever name we give it.
Robert Lever B.A., D.O., Mem. GOsC, Senior Lecturer,
European School of Osteopathy, Maidstone, England
Michael Kern’s book Wisdom in the Body is both beautifully articulate and inspiring. Written for the lay person and health practitioner alike, this volume is a useful guide to the Breath of Life model of craniosacral work. Within this model the sacred relationship between spirit and matter is not only pondered and explored but utilized with skill and reverence to facilitate the expression of our inherent health. Michael’s book will also serve as a resource for cranial practitioners of all lineages by providing another viewpoint from which to enrich our work.
Avadhan Larson L.Ac., CSTD, Certified CranioSacral Therapy Instructor,
Upledger Institute
This book has been written with the backing of long-term experience, and I trust that it will benefit many people.
Venerable Dr. Trogawa Rinpoche, head of Chagpori Tibetan Medical Institute, Darjeeling, India
Wisdom in the Body is an effort towards a comprehensive, biodynamic understanding of life. It is daring in its attempt to draw together abstract and cosmological concepts on the one hand, with specific and practical anatomical and physiological guidelines on the other. Michael Kern’s case accounts are both instructional and warm. Of particular significance is his attempt to bring in the concept and treatment of trauma, and important applications of the Craniosacral approach to health in pregnancy and childbirth. This book is for practitioners at most levels as well as lay persons wanting to learn about the field.
Peter A. Levine Ph.D, author of Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma
This is a well-written, practical overview of craniosacral therapy, one of the safest and most effective techniques for improving health that I have found in my investigations of treatments I did not learn in medical school. I now refer many patients to it and wish that more practitioners like Michael Kern were available.
Dr. Andrew Weil, author of Natural Health, Natural Healing,
Spontaneous Healing, and The Marriage of the Sun and Moon
Copyright © 2001, 2005 by Michael Kern. All rights reserved. No portion of this book, except for brief review, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the written permission of the publisher. For information contact North Atlantic Books.
Published by:
North Atlantic Books
P.O. Box 12327
Berkeley, California 94712
Pacific Distributing
39582 Via Temprano
Murrieta, California 92563
Wisdom in the Body: The Craniosacral Approach to Essential Health is sponsored by the Society for the Study of Native Arts and Sciences, a nonprofit educational corporation whose goals are to develop an educational and cross-cultural perspective linking various scientific, social, and artistic fields; to nurture a holistic view of arts, sciences, humanities, and healing; and to publish and distribute literature on the relationship of mind, body, and nature.
North Atlantic Books’ publications are available through most bookstores. For further information, visit our website at www.northatlanticbooks.com or call 800-733-3000.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kern, Michael, 1956–
Wisdom in the body: the craniosacral approach to essential health / by Michael Kern;
foreword by Franklyn Sills.—Rev. ed.
p.; cm.
Originally published: London : Thorsons, 2001.
Summary: “Presents a comprehensive introduction to the biodynamic approach to craniosacral therapy, a healing practice that aims to resolve the trapped forces that underlie and drive trauma-based patterns of disease and suffering in the body”—Provided by publisher.
eISBN: 978-1-58394-473-8
1. Craniosacral therapy. 2. Holistic medicine.
[DNLM: 1. Manipulation, Osteopathic–methods. 2. Cranial Sutures—physiology. 3. Holistic Health. 4. Sacrum—physiology. WB 940 K39w 2001a] I. Title.
RZ399.C73K47 2005
615.8’2—dc22
2005015097
v3.1
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Acknowledgments
Permissions
List of Illustrations
Foreword by Franklyn Sills M.A., R.C.S.T.
Introduction
Chapter 1 The History and Development of Craniosacral Work
Beginnings
The Breath of Life
Spread of the Work
Chapter 2 The Craniosacral Concept
The Three Tides
Groundswell of the Breath of Life
The Holographic Principle
Original Matrix
Chapter 3 The Primary Respiratory Mechanism
Primary Respiratory Motion
Five Core Aspects
The Whole Body
Chapter 4 The Intelligent Body
Key Principles
Relationship between Structure and Function
Unity of the Body
Inner Source of Healing
Chapter 5 Patterns of Experience
Fulcra in Health and Disease
Inertial Patterns
Effects of Inertia
Chapter 6 The Art of Diagnosis
Aspects of Diagnosis
Preparing the Ground
The Art of Palpation
“Conversation” Skills
Perception
Chapter 7 Essentials of Treatment
Aims of Treatment
Heart of the Healing Process
Inherent Treatment Plan
Therapeutic Skills
Particular “Conversations”
Fluid Skills
Stillpoints
Treatment Practicalities
Return to Wholeness
Chapter 8 A Holistic View
Origins of Disorders
The Mind-Body Continuum
Body and Energy
Chapter 9 Stress and Trauma
The Nature of Stress and Trauma
Physiology of Stress and Trauma
Shutdown and Dissociation
Resources
Shock and Trauma Skills
Chapter 10 Pregnancy, Birth and Children
Start of Life
Pre-birth
Entering the World
Causes of Complications
Working with Babies and Children
Appendix: So You Want To Be a Craniosacral Therapist?
by Candice Marro R.C.S.T.
Glossary
References
Further Reading
Resource Guide
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Sincere thanks and acknowledgments to Franklyn Sills, who has helped to synthesize many of the ideas in this book, and with appreciation for the depth and breadth of his vision, his profound contribution to craniosacral work and his friendship over many years.
Deep gratitude to H.H. Gyalwang Drukpa for his tremendous gift of presence, boundless compassion and faultless guidance.
Thanks to all my colleagues at the Craniosacral Therapy Educational Trust in London, in particular to Katherine Ukleja, Steve Haines, Sally Nealon and Colin Perrow for their contributions and editorial feedback.
Thanks to Christopher Muller, Richard Grossinger, Julie Brand and all at North Atlantic Books for their support of this work.
In memory of Ethel Blake, my grandmother, for her wisdom, encouragement and cheesecake.
For Doreen, my mother, for her love and support.
For Candice, my partner, whose love, patience and insight touch my heart.
For Alena, our daughter, whose laughter and big open eyes remind me of what’s really important.
PERMISSIONS
Quotes have been reproduced with kind permission from the following:
American Academy of Osteopathy, Diagnostic Touch: Its Principles and Application (Dr. Rollin Becker D.O.; 1963 Yearbook)
—, Diagnostic Touch: Its Principles and Application, Part 2 (Dr. Rollin Becker D.O.; 1964 Yearbook)
—, Diagnostic Touch: Its Principles and Application, Part 3 (Dr. Rollin Becker D.O.; 1964 Yearbook)
—, Diagnostic Touch: Its Principles and Application, Part 4 (Dr. Rollin Becker D.O.; 1965 Yearbook)
—, The Collected Papers of Viola Frymann (Viola Frymann D.O., 1998)
—, The Biological Basis for the Osteopathic Concept (Dr. I.M. Korr; 1960 Yearbook)
—, Growth and Nutrition of the Body with Special Reference to the Head (Dr. A.G. Cathie; 1962 Yearbook)
Dr. James Jealous D.O., Around the Edges (1996)
—, Healing and the Natural World; interview with Dr. Jealous, 1997
Dr. Harold Magoun Jr. D.O., F.A.A.O., F.C.A., Osteopathy in the Cranial Field (Harold Magoun D.O.; 1st ed.; Sutherland Cranial Teaching Foundation, 1951)
—, Osteopathy in the Cranial Field (Harold Magoun D.O.; 3rd ed.; Sutherland Cranial Teaching Foundation, 1976)
Dr. Michael Shea Ph.D., R.C.S.T., Somatic Cranial Work (Shea Educational Group Inc., 1997)
Franklyn Sills M.A., R.C.S.T., Craniosacral Biodynamics Vols One & Two - draft version (North Atlantic Books, 2001)
Dr. John Upledger D.O., O.M.M., in Craniosacral Therapy (John Upledger and Jon Vredevoogd; Eastland Press, 1983)
—, Craniosacral Therapy 2, Beyond the Dura (Eastland Press, 1987)
—, Your Inner Physician and You (North Atlantic Books, 1991)
—, The Brain Is Born (North Atlantic Books, 1996)
Cartoons have been reproduced with kind permission from:
Gerry Mooney, Dobbs Ferry, NY: The Nervous System (Figure 5.3) and Animal Magnetism (Figure 8.3).
Biff, London: Craniosacral Therapists in Love (Figure 7.1); text revised by Michael Kern.
Disclaimer
The following information is intended for general informational purposes only. Individuals should always consult their health care provider before administering any suggestions made in this book. Any application of the material set forth in the following pages is at the reader’s discretion and is his or her sole responsibility.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1.1 Bevel-shaped suture between temporal and parietal bones
1.2 The primary respiratory mechanism
2.1 Primary inhalation and exhalation
2.2 The primary respiratory system
2.3 Self-palpation
2.4 The three tides emerging out of stillness
2.5 The groundswell of the Breath of Life
2.6 The formation of a hologram
2.7 Implicate and explicate realms
3.1 External and internal rotation of the parietal bones
3.2 Circulation of cerebrospinal fluid
3.3 Formation of the neural tube
3.4 Embryological development of the central nervous system
3.5 “Ram’s horn” motion of the brain
3.6 Inhalation and exhalation phases of the ventricles
3.7 Mature brain: the basic parts
3.8 Circulation of cerebrospinal fluid around the third ventricle
3.9 Cranial meninges and the formation of a venous sinus
3.10 Cranial reciprocal tension membranes
3.11 Inhalation/flexion phase of the reciprocal tension membranes
3.12 The core-link; pulley-motion as the sacrum is rocked into flexion
3.13 Bones of the skull—side view
3.14 Bones of the face—anterior view
3.15 Axes of rotation
3.16 Inhalation/flexion of midline bones
3.17 Exhalation/extension of the sphenoid and occiput
3.18 Connective tissues (fascia) hanging from the cranial floor
3.19 Formation of spinal nerves with connective tissue coverings
3.20 Major transverse diaphragms
3.21 Spinal curves in flexion and extension
3.22 Whole body primary respiratory motion
3.23 Primary respiratory motion
5.1 The three tides generated as radiances around the primal midline
5.2 Patterns of experience
5.3 The nervous system (cartoon)
5.4 Facilitated segment
5.5 The effects of spinal nerve facilitation
6.1 Practitioner fulcra
6.2 Craniosacral contact
6.3 Sensory homunculus—indicating the proportion of the brain used to process sensory information
7.1 Craniosacral therapists in love (cartoon)
7.2 Indirect approach
7.3 Direct approach
7.4 Hand contacts for working with the frontal bone
7.5 V-spread process for the squamosal suture (between temporal and parietal bone)
7.6 Hand position for CV4
7.7 Harmonic relationship between the cranium and pelvis
8.1 Formation of entrapped force vector
8.2 Rings of experience
8.3 Animal magnetism (cartoon)
8.4 Major chakras and their related organs
10.1 A baby’s skull
10.2 i) The four parts of the occiput at birth; ii) Distortion of the occiput
10.3 Anterior presentation—the baby’s face moves past the mother’s sacrum
FOREWORD
Health is universal. It is an expression of universal creativity. We live in a constantly creative universe. Each moment is a moment of creation. Our human system is an expression of this constant, moment-to-moment creation. Creation unfolds its intentions via the Breath of Life, a term used by Dr. William Garner Sutherland to denote the intentions and actions of a universal Creative Intelligence at work. This mysterious Intelligence, which we might call God or the divine, manifests its creative principle from the moment of conception until the day we die. This is expressed within the embryo as cellular motion and development.
Dr. Sutherland maintained that the Breath of Life generates a biodynamic potency within the fluids of the body. This is an ordering force which orchestrates the form and function of the human body-mind. It is this biodynamic potency that maintains the original intention of a human being as an inherent blueprint of health, one which has an active physiological function. The potency of the Breath of Life maintains the health of every cell and tissue, and allows them to function in specific ways. It is within this process that organization is sustained and the experiences of life are centered and compensated for. The unfolding of the human system is thus a living biodynamic process in which the Breath of Life is constantly manifesting its creative intentions.
In this book Michael Kern D.O. introduces a craniosacral approach that outlines a biodynamic perspective within a clinical context. This is not an easy task, yet such an introductory text is sorely needed. This viewpoint represents a paradigm shift from the concept of a primary respiratory mechanism, which expresses a mechanistic rhythmic impulse, to a dynamic system of tidal unfoldments that express the ordering imperatives of the Breath of Life. A biodynamic perspective is one in which the primacy of the Breath of Life is perceived and understood. It is one in which the action of the Breath of Life and the forces it generates are the focus for therapeutic work.