‘There is a voice that doesn’t use words, listen’, Rumi.
Have you ever had the experience of being deeply listened to by a friend. Someone who remained attentive and present throughout your conversation. Instead of interrupting or presenting solutions, they left pauses for you to think, and then listened some more. Because you knew that they were really hearing you, you shared more of what was on your mind. In doing so, perhaps some clarity arose for you. Some unique solutions emerged from who-knows-where. A clear direction from what previously felt like being lost in a dense forest.
In a hands-on way, this is the heart of Craniosacral therapy. It involves the therapist ‘listening’ to your body in an attentive, non-judgmental way. There is no pressure to change, more of a kindly, tactile invitation. This supportive touch harnesses the body’s natural healing mechanisms. As the tissues offer up their tensions, telling their story, the hands follow until there is a sense of ease. It can feel very gentle.
Despite this gentleness, powerful changes can ensue, often in ways that surprise us.
One of the benefits of listening carefully, without agenda, is that the client gains the opportunity to connect with their body wisdom. Inside all of us there is an ocean of intuition or ‘wise knowing’ just waiting to be heard. Sensitive touch simply provides the mirror through which to see it more clearly.
What this means practically is that a process unfolds. The held patterns of tension in your body start to unravel in a unique symphony that leads towards greater integration and balance. Connections, memories & emotions can arise allowing a greater sense of meaning and understanding. ‘Ahh, I’ve held tension in my jaw ever since those teeth were removed when I was young.’
This can be a route of deep healing and repair involving both body and mind. Looking back, it’s clear that we couldn’t have predicted the order of events. It had to unfold, organically, according to its own particular wisdom.
This body wisdom can be a vital ally on any healing journey. As a therapist, I don’t imagine I have all the answers for my clients, but I aim to give space for their body wisdom to be heard. Surprising discoveries can arise even amidst complex health challenges. As long as we listen to the gut and the heart and the places that ‘know’.