Craniosacral Therapy Training in Costa Rica
CranioSacral Therapy: Foundations for Massage Therapists, Yoga Therapists and Yoga Instructors
This course has been designed for you – a professional who is curious, ready and willing to bring your practice to the next level. I work in a small group format – with never more than 6-8 students per class cycle.
The whole-body CranioSacral therapy techniques you learn during this long weekend workshop will add a powerful dimension to your existing skill set, greatly enhancing your effectiveness as a hands-on therapist. This course is purposely practical in nature, so that you are able to integrate CST techniques directly into your current massage or yoga sessions. You can count on plenty of guided hands-on practice time during this course – and plenty of receiving time, too!
We will move through this powerful, 3.5-day retreat-style course focusing on the following topics:
- History of CST
- Therapeutic Intention vs. Neutrality
- Cultivating Cranial Touch
- Anatomy of the CranioSacral System and the Fascia
- Rhythms – Long tide, Mid-tide, CranioSacral rhythm
- Still Points
- Treatment of Fascial Restrictions via Fascial Diaphragm Releases
- Specific Cranial Vault work, including Occipital Base release and Temporomandibular Joint decompression
- Dural Tube Rock and Glide
- Mentoring sessions – Practical, hands-on session work for Yoga therapists/teachers and Massage therapists
A $450 investment includes your study manual, an in-season, locally sourced and prepared lunch each day, and a 30-minute mentoring session within one month of course completion via phone/Skype. You will receive a certificate of completion.
Why I Love Craniosacral Therapy
Nature is a constant concert of movement and rhythm. Along the shore we observe the ebb and flow of the tide. The rainforest pulses every evening with the song of cicadas and tree frogs. Even the wind in the canopy evokes a sense of rhythmical motion.
In stillness we become aware of the more apparent rhythms in our bodies – our hearts beat, our lungs breathe, our bellies digest, we wake and sleep. There are other, more subtle rhythms that move through us daily, hourly, minute by minute, whether or not we are consciously aware of them. For example, the cerebrospinal fluid which surrounds the brain and spinal cord flows with its own unique tides, which are palpable anywhere on our body, sensed with cultivated touch.
Craniosacral Therapy (CST) recognizes and works with the craniosacral rhythm as well as the fluids, membranous tissues and bones of the body. Using extraordinarily gentle touch, paired with keen hands-on listening skills, CST facilitates dynamic, positive structural change in a client’s body via contact points on the skull, sacrum, along the spine and across the major fascial diaphragms of the torso.
If you are a massage or yoga therapist, or a yoga instructor who specializes in private yoga sessions, your hands are on people. A lot. CST is the #1 hands-on tool I use to listen in and converse with a client’s body in order to offer and facilitate change in the tissues.
Learning CST allowed me to a new way to dialogue with my clients’ bodies via the cultivation of highly sensitive palpation skills. “Cranio-touch” is subtle, yet profound, and offers both space and guidance as a client’s body unwinds its restrictions and compensation patterns from the inside out – whether on a massage table or on a yoga mat.
From the moment I walked away from my first CST course, my hands-on work with clients completely changed . . . and my practice and classes filled.
Integrating CST into massage sessions and yoga classes where manual adjustments/refinements are offered allows me to meet and match my client more effectively – resulting in structural and energetic openings that are more profound, more complete.
Karen comes to her teaching with passion, sensitivity, patience and enthusiasm.
I recently had the good fortune of attending Karen’s craniosacral long weekend course in Monteverde. A true professional, she is articulate, compassionate, intuitive, knowledgeable, focused and organized – an excellent combination for a stellar teacher! But it’s clear the reason for this is because she LOVES what she does and she wants to share it ALL. She doesn’t hold back. Even though there were many other students in the room, I never once felt like I was lacking in attention. And, her enthusiasm is contagious – you fall in love with the work, too.
SO… if any of you out there is even considering a craniosacral course, I cannot emphasize this enough: you will not regret being under the tutelage of this fine and accomplished teacher and healer. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend Karen’s comprehensive CST courses.
What is CranioSacral Therapy?
Since you are already an experienced bodywork therapist, let’s dive right in...
At the level of the fascia, CST works to unwind restrictions and compensation patterns in the body via enhancing greater range of motion in, for example, a shoulder, hip, lower back or neck. Think of it as deep, myofascial release using a "force" of 5 grams.
At the nervous system level, CST works to optimize the flow of cerebrospinal fluid around the brain and spinal cord, providing a more balanced physical habitat for the central nervous system. We all know that when the central nervous system moves toward homeostasis, the ripple effects felt throughout the body are numerous: for example, stress and anxiety are reduced via tissue relaxation, improved sleep and a more balanced parasympathetic system response – diffusing the vicious cycle of “fight or flight” within which our modern-culture bodies often stall. At the energetic level, CST enhances greater balance and increases a sense of overall wellness to our entire being.
Frequently Asked Questions
For those with great questions, please take a moment to read the following thoughtful expansions. After all, being well informed is quite lovely!
I know you are not a student/professional who makes a habit of collecting certifications, but your question is valid. This IS an introductory course in CranioSacral therapy which will provide you with practical skills that WILL change the way you approach and work hands-on with clients, and will increase your effectiveness in creating positive change in their bodies.
This course also provides you with the opportunity to not only give but RECEIVE plenty of CST – which makes it both a learning and a healing retreat for you as practitioner. After this course, you will fully be able to declare that you integrate and practice CranioSacral therapy techniques within the scope of your work (massage, yoga, etc.) And, you will have a much better idea if you are drawn to pursue CST certification in the future.
This is NOT a certification course, as most respected CST certification programs are 1-2 years in length. However, if you are interested in entering a CST certification program after this introductory course, I would be happy to guide you to a quality program.
Do I need to be a manual therapist or yoga teacher to participate in this course?
Because a key part of practicing CST involves cultivating very fine hands-on listening skills, this course is appropriate for those who have working knowledge of anatomy and hundreds to thousands of hours of touch already in their toolbox. This course has been designed to be practical in nature, specifically for manual and yoga therapists. We will be focusing our practice sessions as if we were working with our clients from home, on the table or on a mat. The best part – the students in this class are also the clients during our practice sessions– win-win!
Great question! Please read about my teaching experience and philosophy here. Monteverde as a learning platform, is unparalleled if you are drawn to adventure and a mountain experience.
As a graduate of a 2-year program in Integrative CranioSacral therapy, I hold one of the highest levels of CST training in Central America. I share this only to demonstrate that that I am passionate and dedicated about the art and science of CST. I have been invited numerous times by the Costa Rica School of Integrative Massage to teach their introductory class in CranioSacral therapy, and I approach your instruction during this unique course here in Monteverde from a place that speaks not only to your mind, but also to your soul.
I am completely here in service, to help your gifts blossom forward into the world.
Take a look at the red bar at the top of this page for my next craniosacral training dates. Please fill out my training request form and I will be happy to send you information regarding other upcoming CST courses during 2018! Semi-private (you+a friend) and private class options are also available, scheduled at according to your availability.
