Lisa Prentice Craniosacral Therapy
2678 W Broadway, Suite 204 Vancouver, BC, Canada

Research in osteopathy and manual therapy, where practitioners have been working closely with neuroscientists on affective touch, suggests that the beneficial effect of massage therapy goes well beyond the actual manoeuvre performed by the therapist. Rather, there is something special simply in the act of resting one’s hands on the skin of the client. There is no care, there is no cure, without touch.

I have learned so much from Tad Wanveer about the chemical and microanatomical relationships found within the CNS and the CSF system. His commitment to lifelong learning, study and research is an ongoing inspiration (not to mention that he came to cranial work not from a science background, but like myself, as an artist). Here's some of his very latest sharing. Thanks Tad!

A repost of this wonderful illustration of the always connecting, synthesizing, sensing Vagus nerve

Life is Movement, Movement is Life

The urgent pressure we're now experiencing relative to social dimensions of health (racism, classism, environment) has meant I've had much less time and attention for studying the minutiae of the body and its workings -a study that restores me and elevates me. I've given myself permission to dive in again this past week, it's my happy place and my self care. For others who may find support in the same way, Here's a fun overview of fascia from Anatomy Trains. https://www.anatomytrainsaustralia.com//emag-7th-edition-f

Whether or not you identify as a trauma survivor, almost everyone can benefit from non-invasive gentle stimulation of the safe/calm neural circuit. Another great resource from Trauma Geek

Dissociation might sound scary or confusing, but it is a necessary function of our nervous systems. Here's a very helpful and demystifying resource on dissociation.

I greatly appreciate Tai's perspective on cranial work and the role of cultural and intergenerational perspectives in supporting health. I invite you to listen to the conversation between Tai and Ryan Halford here, it's wonderful <3

Helpful references! Sensory menus and opportunities for soothing sensory activities are a staple in our home.

Helpful references! Sensory menus and opportunities for soothing sensory activities are a staple in our home.

Stress has physical repercussions. If you're struggling with new or returning symptoms during the pandemic, you are not alone.

What Karish Ma said <3

Anti-racism resources for therapists and those who offer support.

Black community access to culturally competent therapy is crucial and greatly needed. Please consider donating or raising awareness towards this Vancouver fund.

Racism and its effects are fundamental in their impacts to human health, at both a personal and public level. This is important to understand. As a health care practitioner, I can't claim to be serving the goal of "health" if I do not amplify this truth. I'm sharing with gratitude the work of Jacqueline Ogorchukwu below, originally shared by Laura Khoudari.

Black community access to culturally competent therapy is crucial and greatly needed. Please consider donating or raising awareness towards this Vancouver fund.

Touch (sensory stimulation), breath, and awareness (perception) are the foundations of our somatic experience. Youll find Im usually posting here about one of these three foundations.

"When we talk about touch, most of us think of the immediate feeling the nerve in the skin that informs the brain of the sensation quick-sharp. But McGlones area of interest lies in a different nerve altogether the C-tactile afferent. This touch-hungry nerve fibre responds specifically to gentle stroking and, unlike its counterpart, does not send this information to the brain straight away it takes several seconds to arrive. The nerve fibre fires up areas of the brain that connect to reward. Theres a release of oxytocin, a hormone that plays a fundamental role in our social behaviour. It has an effect on our dopamine levels, which is the brains reward system; it impacts on the release of serotonin, which is connected to our happiness and wellbeing; it has an impact on our stress system; and it helps lower our heart rate.

Place, perception, people as continuum.

Our neurophysiology and behaviour is highly dynamic, which means "attachment styles" are too.

Such a helpful post that speaks to and offers support for the nervous system dysregulation many of us are experiencing at this time, in particular, the freeze state.

This is a good primer on stress and the nervous system, except for the title which I totally object to because it's terrible. Forget about "activating" your vagus nerve, please. I encourage you to develop and nurture a relationship with your nervous system and vagus nerve (as a part of such) instead.

Yes, vaccination has its roots in traditional practice and the forms of healing now labeled "complementary" medical practice. A limited or partial knowledge of medical history and medical science breeds fear and misunderstanding, please don't let it. "The practice of immunisation dates back hundreds of years. Buddhist monks drank snake venom to confer immunity to snake bite and variolation (smearing of a skin tear with cowpox to confer immunity to smallpox) was practiced in 17th century China."

"There are no guidelines for how to manage the whole world shutting down at the same time. Studies on war and natural disasters dont speak to the emotional toll of fighting an invisible enemy, one that lives inside ourselves and everyone we love. Weve been asked to abandon closeness in favour of isolation and withdrawal. For many of us, the impacts have yet to arrive. Mostly were just waiting. If anxiety were a wave, its peak would be right before the event that we fear actually happens. This waiting is keeping us collectively at that peak, for an uncertain amount of time. Sustained anxiety is taxing, yet were expecting ourselves to carry on like everything is normal. Its not."

Manual therapist fingernails for everyone are a good idea now.

A helpful visual illustrating 6 ft distancing.

Are you sure your hands are clean? Heres how to do it right.

To my treasured clients, friends and colleagues, by now many of you are aware that as of Mar 13 I have cancelled pending appointments and closed the doors of my office for the immediate future. For anyone in need, you are welcome to call me, I will continue to support my community with my connection and self-regulation tools at no cost. May all be well, and I look forward to the moment we connect in person again. With love, Lisa

What to do in a Pandemic... You are welcome to share with attribution. If interested in prints, or free download for noncommercial use, visit RLMArtStudio.com.

Now is a time for complementary care practitioners to be extra vigilant about what information they choose to share. Complementary care can play a role in supporting public health, even in crisis situations, but that role begins with accurate information that doesn't serve to put others at risk. To my fellow practitioners- Please inform yourself, don't pose as an expert in areas where you have no qualifications, stay humble.

I love this interview that ranges from Cranial work, to Lynda Barry, the Healers journey and the importance of questions (with a little bit of Polyvagal in there too ) Enjoy!

Some great Polyvagal basics here.

Coming to know your nervous system is the simplest way to begin supporting your own heath and healing process.

I love this exploration of how CST and visceral work can be used together in combination. Its my experience as well that they act to complement each other in powerful ways.

Following from my last post of the vagus nerve, here's a (very) simplified overview of Polyvagal theory, which describes how the branches of the vagus interact with physiology and behaviour

Sharing this post for this helpful image of the (paired) Vagus nerve. Ive got lots more to add about Vagus function and effects on health, I might do it in the comments if I find some time

In our clinging to neuroscience having all the answers and fixes for the struggles of the human condition, we arent always travelling forward. In some ways, we... are travelling backwards into late 19th neurophysiology and 20th century theories of neurosis, or nervous sensitivities with flavours of hysteria lurking just beneath the surface. The obsession with nervous system optimization can lay far too much responsibility for a individuals reactions needing to be brought into acceptable range, sometimes looking only for organic sources (via nervous system issues) instead of including spiritual, existential, creative sources of becoming more whole. By clinging to neuroscience at the expense of less rational views of the human condition and the complexities of the body, we are inadvertently moving away from a more expansive view of the soma that pays reverence to the power of the unconscious and the less explainable. One where there are truths that extend beyond science and beyond the rational. Whenever we become one sided in our understanding of self or others, we lose access to a more whole and accepting vision of Self. I reject the obsession with nervous system health being the WAY. It is only one small part of a much larger picture. See more

A wonderful essay exploring how therapy "works".

I feel very fortunate to count Somatic educator Amy Kiara Ruth as a friend. I so appreciate her depth of wisdom and her sensitivity in understanding the body in motion. Here she shares some practice-experiments; enjoy!

Somatics pioneer Elsa Gindler repost "Partly in reaction to Nazi demands, she refused to give her work a name. Sometimes she called it "Human Work" or "Unfolding at a later stage of Life". All of her writings save one were destroyed when her studio was burned by Nazi soldiers during the final months of the war" - Don Hanlon Johnson

AAotD (Anatomical Art of the Day), the Fasciculus Medicinae.