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The first few times I was asked about my recent trip to the Bahamas for the BioAquatic program I found myself stalled out AHHHHHHH how do I put this in words that can capture the experience fully without putting you on a plane and sending you down there to see for yourself. The word that was often used to describe the experience is profound and even that word itself feels as if its taken on new meaning. So yeah over all a really fucking good experience. Truly profound. Worth getting on a plane and being a part of it. In fact take me with you! Lets go! *this is a long blog post but there are dolphin photos at the bottom ; ) Working in the water and in particular in the ocean felt immensely meaningful. Like there had been something missing from my practice as a craniosacral therapist and I suddenly discovered I’d only been working at half capacity. Over the span of the class it went from working in the water to working with the water. While studying CranioSacral Therapy there is often talk of blending and melding with the tissues to better feel what is going on in the body. Now take that concept of blending and melding and expand it out into the water and connect and then blend and meld with the additional practitioners your working with in the water. Add in the gentle current of a change in tides, the soft lapping of waves that undulate down your spine, the call of the birds, and gentle breeze blowing big puffy clouds through the sky. Now we're way beyond a treatment experience in a room and into a pure life experience. Now take all that and add dolphins who live and treat in a group continually. Treatment became the interplay of four groups into one giant pod. The dolphins treating with sound, touch, and presence. The trainers caring for the dolphins and holding the space for treatment at their workplace, clients experiencing treatment and being open to sharing their personal stories and lives with so many, and craniosacral therapist working and treating and supporting in a group. It’s was the most beautiful lessoning in being a part of a group, staying present, and sharing joy and treatment with everyone. So what’s it like to be in the water with dolphins during treatment? During my treatment time with the dolphins I was floated out into the treatment area. I was surprised by how nervous I was not knowing if there was going to be any dolphin contact. What was truly magical was the sounds the clicks and calls all around you, the movement of water as a dolphin swims under you or pops up next to you and dives down splashing water over your face. The moment that it really clicked for me was when I felt a long clicking call that felt directed at my occiput. It felt that it came into the area that I was hit during my concussion and rippled up through every layer of my brain releasing any lingering restrictions. I remember an overwhelming sense of gratitude for that being seen and acknowledged and will certainly be an experience I will never forget. As a support therapist during the client program your back in with the dolphins but from a difference perspective. You’re standing on a dock in the water assisting your primary therapist and holding space for your client. Observing the interactions and although it looks like the dolphins focus is all on the clients but there is an additional understanding that just by being in the water close to the dolphins sounds, sonar, and beaming you are also being treated. It reminds me of the quote “We are all island in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.” By William James. It’s hard to sum up what is learned and what’s changed and how but I do know for sure is that I want to continue to go back and volunteer my time, that I’ll be encouraging clients to look at longer treatment programs because the changes can be truly profound, and that I am in need of working outside and in the water more. The Dolphin Accompanied Therapy Program for clients, BioAquatic Exploration classes for CranioSacral Therapists, Veterans PTSD program, and Comprehensive Therapy programs for clients are available through Integrative Intentions.
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The Upledger Institute, where I received my CranioSacral Therapy training, has a phenomenal Dolphin Therapy Program known as "Integrative Intentions International" located in the Bahamas. When I first started my training this program was on the top of my list and this summer I'm making it happen. At the end of June I will be out of the office for two weeks to complete a Dolphin accomapanied SomatoEmotional Release course followed by a 4 day intensive therapy program as a support therapist. These Intensive programs are available to ALL and the Veterans with PTSD program offers financial assistance. To learn more check it out: https://www.integrativeintentions.com/programs My hope is to do more CranioSacral Therapy in the water and after this program I'm hoping to find a therapeutic pool and try a few sessions to see how things go. If you are interested in trying a water session or know of a business with a therapeutic pool I'd love to hear from you! Want to see some dolphins? Wondering how a CranioSacral Therapy Session looks in the water? Check out this video from the Integrative Intentions youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFWyoIkRA6I Want to follow along on the trip? You can follow True Blue Wellness on Instagram @truebluecst  This year to celebrate my concussion recovery and injury anniversary I wanted to put together a treatment giveaway for someone in need. To be eligible to enter you or the person you are applying for should currently be diagnosed with a concussion or post-concussion syndrome, be able to demonstrate financial need, and share the impact that their concussion has had on their daily life. The winner will receive 3 FREE session of CranioSacral Therapy and 1 Free Bodywork session for their caretaker/applicant submitter/or partner in crime. All applications are due by March 26th and the Winner will be contacted on March 31st to schedule their sessions. All information shared will be kept confidential. Entry form is available here. Finding CranioSacral Therapy was a turning point in my concussion recovery and literally helped me get my speech back. I'm so grateful for the introduction to this bodywork modality during my time of need. My nervous system was on overdrive from the injury and couldn't tolerate much of anything (restrictive clothing, fans, riding in cars) let alone Massage or Physical Therapy. CranioSacral Therapy is a light touch modality that helped calm down my nervous system so I could better focus in Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, and get back to my daily life. *All information shared on the entry form is kept confidential and the winner will be contacted via phone and email. *All sessions will take place at True Blue Wellness at 550 Elm Street in Manchester NH. Applicants should be New England residents that are able to attend treatment sessions in Manchester New Hampshire.  Let's face it. Heading back to school can be stressful for everyone involved even during a normal year. Now with the pandemic and so much uncertainty around returning to school it can feel particularly overwhelming for Parents, Guardians, Caretakers, Teachers, and Kids or Teens. Here at True Blue Wellness we're looking for a way to help everyone out with the transitions to come. Reiki can be an excellent way to help reduce stress, bolster the bodies immune system, and work on personal goals. Reiki energy is very gentle and nurturing and a full body treatment can induce a calming meditative state that can help promote focus and create ease when faced with transitions. Reiki is suitable for all ages and has no contraindications. CranioSacral Therapy is a gentle form of bodywork based in Osteopathic Medicine and has been utilized in the treatment of ADD/ADHD symptoms. Dr. Upledger found during his time studying at the University of Michigan that many children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD had the same restriction pattern at the base of their skull and if the ADD/ADHD was indeed caused by the restriction symptoms resolved over the course of treatment. That being said not ALL ADD/ADHD cases are linked to that restriction in the base of the skull but CranioSacral Therapy can still help with focus, memory, and offer relief for many symptoms or stress. Want to learn more about CranioSacral Therapy as a treatment option for ADD/ADHD check out this article. CST sessions are suitable for ages 9 and up. If you have a younger child you are interested in having treated I'd love to help you find a CranioSacral Therapist who has the training in pediatrics to treat ages 8 and under. Our Kids and Teen Sessions of Reiki and CranioSacral Therapy can be a great resource for those feeling the strain. Both Reiki and CranioSacral Therapy are extremely relaxing and can help support the body and brain during times of stress. The Kids and Teen Sessions are designed to be short and sweet and budget friendly and we would only charge for treatment time. For example if your child isn't quite ready to get on the table that first session and we spend most of the session getting to know each other and maybe demonstrating some techniques we would only charge for treatment time. For example you book a session but your child is only on the table for 10 minutes of treatment that session would only be $10 ($1/1minute). 
 The truth is I didn’t find CST at all when CST came into my life I was severely injured and barely able to care for myself. A severe concussion left me alone, jobless, and struggling with Post Concussion syndrome. While far away from family and friends I received a phone call from my Mom saying she had booked an appointment for me and it was right by my apartment and could walk to it (I wasn’t able to drive at that time). I didn’t really understand what I was going to have done but I didn’t understand much at that point. My first appointment offered deep relief I was able to relax fully and felt like it would be possible to make it through this injury. Before my CST session my speech was very slow and delayed due to aphasia after my first session my Mom could hear the difference in my speech the next day and was able to speak more smoothly and find words easier. Although I had a long way to go in my recovery it was the first positive progress I had seen since the injury over a month ago. CST quickly became the cornerstone of my concussion recovery and found it to be one of the few treatments that offered relief from symptoms and, I believe, sped up my recovery time. As I was dismissed by Doctors and Neurologists and Counselors with my various symptoms I found that CST remained one of the few things that offered relief and allowed me to see and experience progress in my recovery. Most of all I wasn’t dismissed by the many talented and compassionate CranioSacral Therapists I had the chance to work with during my recovery. Once I had recovered from my injury I began looking for ways to rebuild my life around my new normal and kept coming back to how important the CST work and therapists were to me during that difficult time. The more research I did into CST that more I came to understand that this is an extremely important skill that is deeply needed in the world today. A few months later I was enrolled in my first Human Anatomy and Physiology classes and signed up to study with the Upledger Institute. And now here we are, trying to get CranioSacral Therapy to as many people as possible in order to facilitate, empower, and support them to go after their healing goals.  Put simply, positive creative community is important. There is so much support and warmth already in this building and I’d love to share that with as many people as possible. Since my time working in remote Alaska with some seriously phenomenal people I’ve felt like I’ve been on a search for a similar upbeat, fun, active community of people in the creative world and I feel so grateful that I was able to find that at Studio 550 Community Art Center. In my own life I’ve found that the combination of art and bodywork has a tremendous impact on the mental, emotional, and physical healing process I just wasn’t quite sure how to bring it all together in a way to offer to others but am very excited to be taking steps forward. At this time I’ve been working as a pottery instructor at Studio 550, making my own work, and working with CranioSacral Therapy and Reiki when a room became available at the center it made sense to take the next step in working on bringing both art and bodywork together. True Blue Wellness is located in the sunny studio 3 and on your way in you’ll get to stroll through the gallery filled with local artists, peek into the clay studio, snoop past the stained glass studio and by the time you reach the treatment room you’ll be brimming with inspiration. In addition to these great art studios there is also a movement studio available for yoga classes, social dance, and private parties. We look forward to seeing you there!  CranioSacral Therapy - Is a gentle form of body work that is based in Osteopathic Medicine that treats the CranioSacral System and tissues of the body. It is a whole body experience and can even be used to treat the mouth and teeth. While the therapist touch is very light and it is a very different experience from a massage the work is still done deep within the body and can have a profound and positive impact on your overall health and wellness. It is particularly well suited in treating difficult or chronic symptoms that may not be responding to other forms treatments. CranioSacral System - Refers to the cranium (head) and sacrum (tailbone) and is a fluid filled system that protects and nourishes our brain and nervous system. When you have a lumbar puncture (or spinal tap) this is the system that they are drawing fluid from to test. CST - Short for CranioSacral Therapy Fascia - Super cool interconnected tissue all over your body. Because of fascia an injury in our leg can show up over in our elbow. It’s all connected! Release - A release is when areas that are restricted or have lesions are able to relax and move easier. Sometimes this will feel like heat, pulsing, or the muscle relaxing. Sometimes it’s a deep breath, your stomach gurgling, or twitching. Restriction - Areas of tension within the body and it’s tissues that can limit mobility (on either a large scale or a small scale). Lesion - When your tissues or sutures get stuck and don’t allow as much movement from the filling/draining of the CSR. Diaphragm - Not just the one under your lungs. Diaphragms refer to areas in the body where tissues run across the body connecting your back to your front. Stillpoint - Therapeutic stopping of the CranioSacral Rhythm. It's like rebooting a computer - everything works much better after you turn it off and back on again. CranioSacral Rhythm (CSR) - Is a slow pulse of the cerebral spinal fluid as it fills and stops filling (it’s always draining) within the CranioSacral System. CST practitioners use this rhythm to evaluate what is occurring in the body. There are 6-12 cycles of filling/draining per minute. Sometimes you can feel this VERY subtle movement while lying in shavasana pose in yoga class. Palpating the CSR is one of the first things a CST therapist learns. Palpating - Feeling, observing, and learning using your sense of touch. Mouthwork - CranioSacral techniques that take place by working in the clients mouth. Interested in learning more about mouth work? Click here. Sacrum - This is your tailbone and part of your CranioSacral System. SomatoEmotional Release (SER) - Experiencing an emotional response (big or small) to a CST technique. Want to learn more click here to read about my own SER response to a positional tissue release technique. SER’s are great things!!! It means we’re able to release some deep tensions that are being held onto in the body.  |
AuthorJazmine Jade is a Techniques Certified CranioSacral Therapist, Licensed Massage Therapist, and Reiki Master. She lives and works in New Hampshire. Archives
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