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Clinical
Perhaps one of the most common questions I hear from students of biodynamics and, surprisingly often, from seasoned practitioners is: I feel something. Is this the Tide? Part of the confusion comes from the fact that there is actually little consensus about what exactly we mean when we say the Tide. In biodynamics, we are taught to…
Why does Biodynamics work? I’ve heard many practitioners say it’s effective because it regulates the nervous system. Indeed, that’s an essential aspect of any healing modality, especially in the frenzied atmosphere of sympathetic overload that burdens many of us. Some practitioners are particularly skillful in working therapeutically with specific elements of the nervous system. For…
Have you seen the documentary film My Octopus Teacher? In it, Craig Foster develops a relationship with an octopus. Although an octopus is simply a sac of fluid, it can respond to circumstances with impressive shifts of appearance. It can take the form of a muscular sprinter, a barnacled rock, a predatory cloak, or a…
Early in my career I knew so much. Now, it’s almost laughable how little I know. Yet I’m confident that my sessions are fruitful for my clients; and they seem satisfied with the results. I’m describing a part of our skill development in which the practitioner’s perception of nitty gritty phenomena gets muffled by an…
The Biodynamic Craniosacral community has settled on four embodied qualities to which we aspire and to which we attune. They are: We could also refer to the biodynamic qualities as four substances: tissue, fluid, potency, and void. What is their relationship to one another? Is there a bigger whole in which they participate? Biodynamic author…
What is a body? What is your felt experience of the substance your body is made of? Does that substance ever change in feeling, texture, tone, or quality? Does the body have boundaries? Where are they? What is healing? What embodied disposition is necessary for healing to happen? What are signs that that disposition is…
Biodynamic Craniosacral Work is about wholeness. So why does our field emphasize cranial bones, dural membranes, and cerebrospinal fluid? Books, education, and practice all place a high priority on these parts of the body. Biodynamic pioneer Dr. James Jealous memorably quoted a friend of his: “A visible segment is a segment in trouble.” But what…
A reader asked about the terms Cranial Wave, Fluid Tide, and Long Tide. Biodynamic Craniosacral Work typically uses these terms to describe three subtle motions, which we feel in or around the body. I use them in a more wide-ranging context. Yes, they are the foundation of Biodynamic practice. But I actually understand them as…
Biodynamic Craniosacral Work introduces us to four qualities of body: Neutral (Tissue), Fluid Tide (Fluid), Long Tide (Potency), and Dynamic Stillness (the non-physical dimension). Do these four universal expressions of embodiment represent something that everyone can enjoy? Or are they evolutionary steps that require a leap of consciousness? To both of these seemingly opposite questions…
Biodynamics abounds in paradox. Perhaps the most counterintuitive element of our work is that we don’t seek a shift in our clients. At least, we don’t seek a shift in the moment, while we’re in session. (I’ve written a previous blog about overarching intentions, which I distinguish from efferent activity.) Seeking for something to shift…