Cranial Massage. That's what we did in hands-on class last Thursday. I enjoyed it immensely, both giving and receiving. I do believe that cranial massage will be a focus -- if not the focus -- of my future in massage therapy. I have much to learn, of course, but for now what I'm referring to by "cranial massage" is just that: massage of the skull. The scalp is naturally massaged in the process, and the face is or can be massaged as well, but the focus is on the cranial sutures, those lines where the skull bones come together.
In class, each student gave and received a full one-hour cranial massage. Receiving the massage was an amazing experience; my whole body relaxed, tension melted away. At one point, it felt as if my spine slowly lifted off the table and then slowly sunk into the table, as if my spine itself inhaled and exhaled.
Giving the massage was also a wonderful experience. My eyes went blurry, and that's a good sign. Blurred vision during massage tells me that my focus has moved to my hands, and that I've let go of the mental noise, the worrying and wondering whether I'm doing this the "right" way or feeling what I'm "supposed to" feel. I've come to believe that my hands know and recognize far more than I give them credit for.
2 comments:
Hello -
I stumbled upon your blog while researching cranial massage and continuing education. I'm a certified massage therapist in Wisconsin. I'm interested in learning more about Cranial massage (not cranial sacral)and am trying to locate a continuing ed class to take. By chance did your school provide references for learning more? Or were you given any information on extensive training?
Hi Mama Kel,
Unfortunately, my school did not provide references or further information on cranial massage. I, too, have searched the web for more information on cranial massage and have come up empty. Seems every "cranial massage" search takes me to craniosacral therapy, which is not what I'm looking for.
A search for "cranial reflexology" will lead to a laminated poster by Jan van Baarle. I just ordered one. It's a start, anyway.
Please keep in touch and let me know if you find anything. I'll post any news here, of course.
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