Flow Zone Craniosacral Therapy

One thing I notice with a large proportion of clients I treat is that, what almost always accompanies stress related symptoms, fatigue disorders, anxiety, trauma, chronic pain and auto-immune problems is…..disregulated breathing.

Many of us, myself included at times, do not know how to breath properly and effectively.

This can exacerbate our symptoms, or even be a direct cause sometimes.

For this reason, I’m a big advocate of breathwork, but it HAS to be functional breath training, which assists us on a day to day basis.

I’m not a qualified breath coach (maybe one day 💙🙏) but I’ve spent YEARS studying the breath and breathing.

My go to for this work is a wonderful functional breath coach and manual therapist called Tara Bianca.

I highly recommend you check out her webpage, YouTube channel and Instagram
💙👌💙

About Tara Bianca Read about my journey into holistic health and wellness. From a shy, little girl who suffered with low self-esteem, lack of expression and debilitating gut dysbiosis. To a female business owner, sharing her wisdom and guidance in order to empower others on their journey to optimal health.

Craniosacral therapy and biodynamics in particular can seem like a complicated business and sometimes difficult to convey what it can do 🤔😵

In fact, the wellness and health care industries in general can feel like a rabbit hole of scientific and technical information these days, overwhelming when you’re not in the best place physically or mentally 🤯🤨😫

So, in a nutshell, without any woo-woo or technical jargon, how can Craniosacral biodynamics help you, the person coming for treatment?

✨ Increases energy ⬆️
✨Reduces stress levels ⬇️
✨Improves hormonal balance ✔️
✨ bolsters immune system ✔️
✨Supports self healing and resilience 💙

If you would like to see potential improvements to general health in the above ways, please contact me as follows:

Website: flowzonecraniosacral.co.uk
Telephone:07528674795
Email: [email protected]

My fees are

First appointment (60 mins including free Case History) £50

Subsequent appointments 50 mins/£50

Package: 5 x 50 min appointments paid in advance at the end of first appointment £225

Payment by cash, card or bank transfer.

Please note, I have made some changes to the times I run private practice. I now can be booked as follows:

Mon-Fri: Evenings 6-9 pm
Sat/Sundays: 9 am-7 pm by arrangement

💙🙏

Wonderful description of the stress cycle. The Tibetan Buddhists call the getting ill part ‘purification’. Keep up the good work Tree of Life - Perinatal Support 👌💙🙏

Why, when we finally slow down and rest, do we end up feeling ill? That's me and River run down with a cold 🤒 😴

Anyone else notice that when you finally take a break or slow down, your body seems to fall apart?

It's an actual thing!!!

When you're constantly busy, your body stays in "fight or flight" mode, pumping out stress hormones that temporarily suppress your immune system. Once you finally relax, your body shifts gears, and the immune system starts catching up on all the imbalances it ignored. This can trigger illness or fatigue as your body finally processes what it's been holding back - 👌 good one body 🤣

✨ Spiritually slowing down allows your energy to rebalance. When you're always on the go, you might block emotions or spiritual needs, and rest gives your body the space to heal, sometimes bringing up symptoms as part of a "spiritual detox".

Whether it's your body finally dealing with stress or your spirit calling for deeper rest, getting ill when you slow down is your system's way of asking for care and healing.

Embrace the rest—it's part of the journey to a healthier you in your mind, body and soul 🌱💫

Essential reading

Dynamics of Stillness The Dynamics of Stillness aims to help us find inner peace and connect with the stillness within us

Craniosacral therapy has been integral in my recovery from a herniated disc 👍

https://www.craniosacral.co.uk/resources/research-studies/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27347698/

You can tell the quality of a therapy centre by the inspirational quotes in the toilets….😆👌💙

Another wonderful Friday offering biodynamic Craniosacral therapy at The Quiet Mind Centre, Exmouth 💙💙

Less Machine more Orchestra (A Poem)

It be like this with the Cranio
You have to get with the flow
Then deeper forces will show
How you’re bodies meant to glow

Steven Sear-Williams (flowzonecraniosacral.co.uk)

After two months off due to a herniated disc in the lower back, I will finally be back where I love being on a Friday……volunteering my Craniosacral therapy services at The Quiet Mind Centre, Exmouth. I have missed my work there so much and look forward to seeing current and future clients.

To find out more about this wonderful charity please see their page https://www.facebook.com/QMCexmouth

and their website https://www.thequietmindcentre.co.uk/

The Quiet Mind Centre, Exmouth has really been integral in my development as a therapist 🙏💙

I am delighted to announce that after an assessment process, I have now been made a full member of the Craniosacral Therapy Association (CSTA)!

CSTA are the leading accrediting body for Craniosacral Therapy in the UK https://www.craniosacral.co.uk/

I obtained my Professional Diploma with the Craniosacral Therapy Educational Trust (CTET) in July 2023.

However, even after graduating, my primary goal has been to achieve CSTA Full Membership status. This is because we all need a tribe to support us and most importantly, our clients and I believe CSTA fulfill that role. To quote their website

‘The CSTA sets the highest UK standards of training and ongoing development for its practitioners. These include: the length and scope of the initial training; requirements for continuing professional development and supervision; being bound by our Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice; keeping up-to-date with legal obligations. As a regulatory body, adherence to these standards is backed up by our complaints process.’

I fully aim to embody these principles as a therapist, whether that takes the form of my community volunteering roles (https://www.thequietmindcentre.co.uk/) or private practice (https://thepracticerooms.co.uk/room-rental/centres/exeter) 🙏💙

Please contact me as follows for more information about Craniosacral therapy and to book a session 🌈✨💫

Website: flowzonecraniosacral.co.uk
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07528674795

My main practice locations in Exeter are The Practice Rooms and Massage & Wellbeing and Hands-on Health in Exmouth.

I also volunteer weekly at The Quiet Mind Centre, Exmouth.

FlowZone Craniosacral Therapy I am a craniosacral therapist working in Exeter. My interests lie in working with stress, anxiety, emotional disturbance and how these effect the body. Your body has its very own healing story which i work with. A sense that you have been truly heard sets the ground for profound and deep healing, wh...

I have posted a lot recently about pain science and my own anecdotal experiences of how Craniosacral therapy can help with pain.
Here are some clinical trials looking into craniosacral therapy and chronic pain

Craniosacral therapy for chronic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31892357/

My motto whilst currently injured and in rehabilitation from a herniated disc is this:

‘Good movement above poor exercise’

Exercise is only good for us if we are doing it correctly. That means not over-training. It means moving and lifting with good form and correct posture. Healthy diet. Maybe not battering ourselves and our joints with cardio masochism that may not be in our best interests. Especially if we are no longer spring chickens and/or have a history of certain injuries.

I have learnt all this the hard way. But also, everybody’s individual situation is unique.

I’ve not been paying due care and attention to the fact that I had a back operation in 2006 and a history of relapses.

In the past two-three years I’ve done Kick Boxing, returned to six a side football and until recently hit the gym hard, doing a mixture of cardiovascular and strength training. Fitter than I’ve ever been. Or so I thought.

I still ended up crocked, so far, coming up for two months.

So being well-exercised is not necessarily synonymous with being healthy. And vice-versa. Think about this for a minute. It’s counterintuitive.

‘Good movement trumps poor exercise’

Enjoy activity, movement, training, sport, hobbies, running, lifting, all these things. But be careful, don’t overdo it. Don’t have a mid life crisis like me.

Do my current injury problems mean I’ll never go to the gym again or lift weights 🏋️‍♀️ in the future? Absolutely not!!

I’ve become a big fan of strength and resistance training over the past twelve months and every physiotherapist, osteopath and doctor I’ve spoken to recently nod with approval when I tell them what I do.

If you want some scientific evidence of this, here is a fantastic in depth guide written by PainScience.com which explains why it’s one of the best things to do health wise.

https://www.painscience.com/articles/strength-training.php

So on that note, see you at the gym/pilates class/yoga class/circuit training/cycle path as soon as I can 🤞🥰💙.

Keep active folks 🙏

Take the pressure off with Craniosacral Therapy

Nasal Lymphatic Network Crucial for Brain CSF Drainage

Researchers discovered a crucial network of lymphatic vessels at the back of the nose, which significantly contributes to draining cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the brain. This study reveals a previously unknown CSF outflow route, offering insights into neurodegenerative conditions.

https://neurosciencenews.com/nasal-lymphatic-network-csf-drainage-25530/

My Instagram feed

www.instagram.com

Do you suffer with lower back pain?

In this post I explain how Craniosacral therapy can provide much needed light at the end of the tunnel…💙🙏💙

Lower back pain is very common. Almost 2 in every 3 people are hit by it at some point. Lower back pain is often referred to as lumbosacral pain. There are a myriad of causes, not all necessarily directly linked to the lumbar vertebrae or sacrum of the spine.

The single most common cause of lower back pain is a torn or pulled muscle and/or ligament. Strains occur when a muscle is stretched too far and tears, damaging the muscle itself. Sprains happen when over-stretching and tearing affects ligaments, which connect the bones together. These problems can often be acute but usually short term (1-4 weeks).

Other very common causes of lower back pain include mechanical issues such as damage to the intervertebral discs, spinal stenosis, sacroiliac joint issues, compression of nerve roots, and improper movement of the spinal facet joints. These issues tend to be more chronic, taking weeks, months or even years to address or may even be degenerative. In most cases they DO eventually heal with the correct care.

(ref https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/lower-back-pain/causes-lower-back-pain ).

I will be writing future posts specifically relating to sciatica caused by mechanical issues.

Whatever the cause or specific nature of the lower back pain, one thing they all have in common…..they hurt and they are often a barrier to us doing the things we need to do, and the things we enjoy.

How can Craniosacral therapy help?

✅ Gentle and non-invasive, utilising therapeutic touch, excellent for calming the central nervous system’s pain alarms by imparting feelings of safety in the client . When we feel safe, the body feels able to move out of protection mode-which means less pain.
✅ CranioSacral Therapy promotes soft tissue release in a very natural way, so that the affected areas muscle and connective tissue can relax and realign.
✅ If the root cause of the problem is the membranes underlying the vertebrae (dural tube), the Craniosacral therapist can skillfully work with any restrictions or compressions here, helping to decompress and correctly stack the spinal column. If the dura is tight in one part of your spine it can potentially pull the vertebrae together, squeeze the nerves and cause pain.
✅ Craniosacral therapy encourages improved fluid exchange in the body, so that the blood supply, lymph and cerebrospinal fluid flow through the affected area is increased, encouraging nutrient supply and waste removal. This greatly facilitates the healing process.
✅ Some key clinical studies show supporting evidence that CST is effective for reducing lower back pain. See for example
https://digitalcommons.pcom.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1495&context=pa_systematic_reviews

I have also recently posted on the topic of pain https://www.facebook.com/share/p/ZRVia1R2mJyy1ETW/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Contact me as follows:

Tel: 07528674795
www.flowzonecraniosacral.co.uk
E mail: [email protected]
Exeter: The Practice Rooms
Exmouth: Hands-on Health

I recently posted that Craniosacral therapy is akin to a Golden Key 🔑 that can unlock 🔓 your healing process and de-escalate your pain. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/mZtpmab1zmWihEEU/?mibextid=WC7FNe

I was discussing the relationship between my current recovery from an L5/S1 herniated disc, pain, how we relate to pain through pain science, pain education and how this relates to Craniosacral therapy.

As well as extremely useful treatment options such as physiotherapy, osteopathy and Craniosacral therapy (preferably combinations of all three), there is one other factor that trumps ALL of the above.

Any guesses?

IT’S WHAT WE DO TO HELP OURSELVES.

That’s right, pain science has proven that what we do inbetween seeing all the health professionals is what has the greatest effect.

This is usually directly related to our coping styles. Research has shown for most people, these fall into two categories:

-Active Coping Strategies
-Passive Coping Strategies

Examples of Active Strategies

✅ Seeking better understanding of your
condition and pain
✅ Exploring different ways to move and do
things
✅ Nudging the edges of pain safely (neither
avoiding nor exacerbating it)
✅ Staying positive
✅ Making short and long term plans/goals

Examples of Passive Strategies

🤔 Doing nothing/continuous rest
🤔 Avoiding activity
🤔 Waiting for something to change
🤔 Waiting for the right person to change it

(Reference: Explain Pain, pages 298-302)

Large amounts of research shows that, long term, active strategies are better than passive strategies for managing pain.

This is not to say that rest and support, medical intervention and sometimes even surgery are not sometimes needed!

But there is a lot we CAN and SHOULD be doing for ourselves to take control of the situation. It’s counter intuitive because for safety we tend to gravitate towards passive methods.

Which brings me onto another book recommendation! As I’ve said previously, I have had fantastic support from various health professionals, including Craniosacral therapy.

However, inbetween Craniosacral sessions there is a lot of gentle soft massage and holding techniques that we can safely perform on our own bodies to facilitate healing. I’ve been a big advocate of the following text (see picture):

Harmonizing your Craniosacral System: Self-Treatments for Improving your Health by Daniel Agustoni

Not only does this give a wealth of ways of making contact with your own body for self-healing and relaxation but it also serves as a very accessible introduction to the principles of Craniosacral Therapy 🙏👍👍🔑🔓

I’m recovering from an L5/S1 herniated disc at present, which can be a long and debilitating process. I’ve been supported by some fantastic physio therapists and osteopaths.
However, I can safely say that Craniosacral therapy is the one treatment practice that has created the greatest positive shift in my healing process, with a big reduction in the severity of sciatica symptoms.

Why might this be?

Well……the answer is in the ouch!

It’s a well known fact amongst pain science communities that understanding how pain works, reading about the science of your pain, can reduce it dramatically. It changes how you relate to your pain and helps you manage it.

The text that I turn to for this is Explain Pain by David Butler and Lorimer Moseley, a team of renowned and globally recognised pain science experts from Australia (see photo).

So what’s that book got to do with Craniosacral therapy?

Well….it validates why Craniosacral therapy is so incredibly effective at reducing and managing chronic pain.

Let’s dive into this in plain English, without getting too technical..

From a pain science perspective, the alarm system in the body responsible for producing pain gets magnified by a dysregulated nervous system and vice versa. Chronic pain also dysregulates the nervous system.

Everything becomes sensitised and the levels of pain experienced are not always a true reflection of tissue damage. Pain signals can get ‘stuck in the on position’ facilitated by the chronic stress caused by pain. It becomes cyclical and self feeding. A chicken and egg scenario.

The therapeutic touch used by skillful Craniosacral therapists is ideal for down regulating the nervous system. This calms our systems down long enough for a sense of safety to return. This reduction in chronic stress response in turn facilitates the reduction in pain signals and an improved ability to manage our current pain levels.

I will be getting another session on Friday as I not only have faith in the power of CST, but experience it firsthand when I experience relapses with my physical and emotional health. It’s like a golden key 🔑 that unlocks pain 🔐

Read the book…it will help you understand and manage pain. There is also a newer, more technical version of the book called Explain Pain Supercharged.

And when I’m back on my feet, come and see me at The Practice Rooms for a Craniosacral session….because I understand your pain.







Website: flowzonecraniosacral.co.uk
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07528674795

More pictures from my new practice space at The Practice Rooms.

You can gauge a healing space by its kitchen and this place has THE best kitchen I’ve ever been in. Lovely place to drink tea between practice sessions ☕️

The Practice Rooms is a wonderful space to experience Craniosacral therapy.

See my website flowzonecraniosacraltherapy.co.uk to find out more

Acceptance AND Dynamic Stillness, massively relevant whilst I’m trying to deal with a major lower spine relapse at the moment. I had a back operation in 2006 but have come majorly face to face with the concept of pain today. I’ve never cried because I’ve been in so much pain before but I did an hour ago.
However, I saw a wonderful osteopath today, Theo at Heavitree Osteopathic Clinic and I’m working with the rhythmical motions of my body and the inherent tides of life to return to my original blueprint of health. I believe in this and feel in safe hands 🙌

PS visit The Dynamics of Stillness and read Ian Wrights books. Life changing






‘One of the simplest mindset shifts you can make to find greater success is to simply extend your time horizon. Measure your major decisions not in months or years but decades. You will be amazed..’ Mark Manson

Forest bathing. Good for the spine, good for the soul, leaning against a tree is really helping with my sciatica.

In Craniosacral biodynamics we have the concept of the ‘long tide’, an inherent, rhythmical motion in nature, of nature, that is profoundly healing to our systems.

It naturally regulates our nervous systems if we can hitch a ride with it. This is why as biodynamics practitioners we advocate getting out in nature. It’s the long tide we’re forming a connection with.

The term ‘tide’ is reminiscent of a wave or the ocean, powerful, moving in and out as directed by the forces of nature.

However, I tend to experience it as a calming mist, warm, fluid like. It moves out to the horizon from my midline then back in again, in cycles of 100 seconds.

This cycle is well documented in more underground, leading edge science. But it also has a mystical, ancient, even timeless quality. Shamanic and alchemical.

Very poetic descriptions have been used to describe it. I’m not much of a poet. It’s very ordinary and simplistic in nature. That’s how I experience it in life.

How do I get close to it?

The forest 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳

Meditation 🧘🧘🧘🧘

The tribal hush of a football stadium the millisecond before a goal ⚽️⚽️⚽️

The wife experiences it strongly in connection with the ocean and water 🌊🌊🌊

All these things have healing and connecting qualities if we take the time to tune in

I have had problems with the base of my neck, C6/C7 vertebrae recently. The C7 vertebra is the pronounced knobbly bit that protrudes at the bottom of the neck. It’s a distinct anatomical landmark and common point of dysfunction.

Symptoms include reduced mobility, especially side to side and pain when hyper extending the neck, which, unsurprisingly, is the posture we take when looking at mobile phones/screens.

Massaging the occipital muscles at the base of your skull, whilst looking from left to right can help. The way to do this is lie on your back on the bed, interlock the hands and lay the back of the head gently in them. Then look down your right, arm towards the elbow, holding the gaze for 30-60 seconds. Repeat on left side.

The eye movements engage the occipital muscles. Reducing tension in these muscles helps the cervical vertebrae stack correctly, restoring proper alignment.

Many yoga poses also help but I’ve found the stretches in the video below really really help also.

How to Fix Pain at the Base of the Neck in SECONDS Dr. Rowe shows how to quickly relieve pain at the very bottom of the neck (especially around the C7-T1 area).Each one of these exercises works a little diffe...

You got this? I haven’t….

Nope. No. Not here. And not on our watch. It's really, really ok if you haven't got this. Most of us don't. This attitude is the kind of toxic positivity that forces mental health and emotional wellbeing undercover, that stops it being heard, acknowledged, and supported.

That stops people asking for and seeking help.

So, our message throughout is to welcome and offer space for everyone who is saying 'we haven't got this', and letting you know that we hear you.

Ours have always been spaces for wellbeing, and that includes the bad days as well as the good ones, the self-doubt as well as the self-care, the anxiety as well as the aromatherapy, the crisis as well as the counselling.

Ours are spaces to hold you - or for you to hold your clients - in love, compassion, empathy, openness and curiosity. You 'don't' got this? That's ok. These are spaces where you can take your time to gather what you need around you to heal and grow.

If you are looking for help this week, the search function on our website allows you to search by symptom, issue or therapy-type, as well as location.

We've got you. https://thepracticerooms.co.uk/find-a-therapist/search

What is your body trying to tell you today?

🆘 Are you in pain somewhere?
❌ Struggling with fatigue/exhaustion?
🆘 Emotionally overwhelmed?
❌ Having trouble sleeping?
🆘 Feeling anxious, irritable or depressed?
❌ Over run at work and burning out?
🆘 Not looking forward to the weekend?
❌ Racing thoughts or brain fog?

These symptoms and many more can be messages from your body that you need to slow down and re-evaluate life.

These days we tend to run on empty for extended periods, in fight, flight or freeze, with high cortisol levels.

What can we do? 🤔😳😩

Some things to try could be:

✅ Meditation or simply taking time out
✅ Am I eating healthily?
✅ Yoga or another gentle movement
practice
✅ Get out in nature, the woods, the coast or
a green area such as a park
✅ Breathwork/breathing exercises
✅ Cuddling family, friends and pets
✅ Any hobby you love doing

All these activities help regulate the nervous system and bring some much needed respite from difficult symptoms.

Be kind to yourself 🙏🙌❤️

❗️PRACTICE UPDATE 2❗️

For my clients in the Exmouth area, I can now hire a room at:

Hands-on Health, 16 Victoria Road, Exmouth, EX8 1DL.

This is on an ad-hoc basis, so please contact me direct for an appointment rather than the Hands-on Health reception.

Background:

Hands-on Health is a modern, spacious clinic creating a healthy oasis of calm in the heart of Exmouth!

It boasts a smaller carbon footprint, using local suppliers and eco-friendly, sustainable or recycled products as first choice for everything from building work to cleaning materials.

The studio and clinic treatment rooms have underfloor heating, energy-efficient appliances, high levels of insulation in floors, walls and ceilings and windows that are double glazed with low-emissivity glass.

The clinic is close to the train station and just a short walk from the Imperial Road car park.

Hands-on Health, like myself, are members of the British Complementary Medicine Association (BCMA) who uphold professional standards of practice (https://www.bcma.co.uk/)

If you would like more information on the therapy I offer, please visit my website:

Flowzonecraniosacral.co.uk

Alternatively, please feel free to email or ring to discuss.

Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07528674795

❗️PRACTICE UPDATE❗️

From the 1st of May I will be taking clients at another beautiful venue in Exeter.

The Practice Rooms (15-16 Castle Street, EX4 3PT) occupies a lovely listed building opposite the library, adjoining Rougemont Gardens.

There are eleven practice rooms, so booking sessions will always be an easy process.

The Practice Rooms is centrally located with several car parks close by charging from £2.00 per hour. The closest ones are John Lewis Car Park (EX4 6PD), Guildhall Car Park (EX4 3TT), Howell Road Car Park (EX4 4LZ) and Bampfylde Street (EX1 2AR).

Please see the links below for more information:

https://exeter.gov.uk/car-parking/car-parks/find-a-car-park/

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Gk9RreiMyPJGMEBY7?g_st=ic

If you would like more information on the therapy I offer, please visit my website:

Flowzonecraniosacral.co.uk

Alternatively, feel free to give me a message or ring to discuss.
Tel: 07528674795
Email: [email protected]