halcyon house

a worker owned cooperative holistic wellness center

Tag: craniosacral therapy

  • Sara’s Sensory Corner – Proprioception

    Sara’s Sensory Corner – Proprioception

    Did you know your brain can feel your body’s position?

    Another of our eight senses is a sense called Proprioception.  This is the sense that tells us where our body is in space, how our muscles are working, helps us with our posture and assists in how we move through the world.  It helps us feel grounded to the earth, coordinated and connected to ourselves.

    Sensing Spring

    Here in the Northland, May brings the promise of newness. Green grass pushes up through the ground. Birds have returned and we wait for the bees to wake. The world is alive with subtle movement and our bodies are waking with it. When we intentionally notice our body position- bending, stretching, reaching and carrying-we connect more to ourselves after winter’s stillness.  Even simple actions like balancing on uneven ground, or lifting your face to the sun tune your proprioceptive sense and invite steadiness.

    This month, position yourself with intention.  Your nervous system in learning to trust expansion and growth-and mindful awareness of your body’s positions can help you step into the season fully.

    But what do I know?

    My passion as an occupational therapist in Duluth is helping people to understand how they sense their environment, their body, and their emotions and how they process those signals. When we are either having difficulty sensing any of those things or having difficulty processing what we are going through, it can be uncomfortable (as we all know). I’m here to help educate and work with you towards better well-being!

  • What is craniosacral therapy?

    What is craniosacral therapy?

    We’ve been asked this question many times since I began offering this service at Halcyon House. Here’s a brief description of a very nuanced therapy:

    It is a hands-on technique that was developed by Dr. John Upledger (Osteopath) in the 1980’s while working at the University of Michigan. He explored the nervous system

    connection from the brain through the spinal cord (cranium to sacrum). This connection was through a connective tissue covering called dura mater and cerebral spinal fluid that flowed inside it. He discovered that by moving the bony parts of the system, it allows the

    fluid to move more freely. He found that you can feel this as a physiological rhythm. This craniosacral rhythm can be felt through the practitioner’s hands with very light touch.


    What can someone expect when having a craniosacral therapy session?

    • Lying in a comfortable position on a massage table with clothes on
    • Very light touch in different parts of your body to assess
    • Focused attention to areas of the body that present with restriction
    • You might feel physical or emotional responses during and after the session
    • A return of your system to homeostasis (general health/well-being)
    • Relaxation

    Typically, I will recommend sessions every 2-4 weeks for 4 sessions to assess the effectiveness. You should notice progression/improvement over this time. I will also provide you with additional practices that you can do between sessions to support this progress.

    Interested in a session?