Craniosacral Biodynamics

8/18/2019 Craniosacral Biodynamics

1/12

Prof essional Training In

Cran

iosacral Biodyn

amics

Karuna Institute


2/12

The two year training leads to a prof essional

qualif ication in Craniosacral Therapy

consisting of ten f ive-day residential seminars

The Karuna Institute is a postgraduate

training centre located in the beautif ul

Dartmoor National Park in Devon, England.

The Institute endeavours to provide a saf eand stimulating learning environment f or its

students. Students stay at the Institute during

seminar times and all f ees include residential

accommodation at the Institute.

Frank lyn Sills MA, RCST is the course director.

He, along with the Karuna teaching staff , has

pioneered the theoretical and clinical teaching

approaches used in this course, which have

inf luenced trainings around the world. Thecourse is recognised by the Craniosacral

Therapy Association of the United Kingdom

and the Craniosacral Therapy Association of

North America, among others. Successf ul

completion of the course leads to a diploma in

Craniosacral Biodynamic Therapy and

eligibility f or accreditation by these and other

practitioner Associations.

The training is also aff iliated to other

biodynamic training institutions worldwide via

the IABT, the International Aff iliation of Biodynamic Trainings.

Prof essional Training

In Craniosacral

Biodynamics

2 www.k aruna-institute.co.uk

Karuna Institute


3/12


4/12

The prof essional training in Craniosacral Biodynamics is taught in ten

f ive-day seminars, over two academic years, meeting approximately

bimonthly. During the course, students are required to produce

homework assignments and a clinical pro ject, and to undertak e

practice sessio

n

s betwee

n

semin

ar meetin

gs. Su

pervision

, f eedback an

dcourse handouts are provided throughout the training. Students are

continuously assessed and are required to achieve a prof essional

standard of practice bef ore graduation. Formal tutor assessments occur

half way through the course and towards the end of the training. Upon

successf ul completion of the course, graduates are eligible to join the

Craniosacral Therapy Association UK and some other international

practitioner associations. The Institute is also aff iliated with the IABT,

the International Aff iliation of Biodynamic Trainings.

Purpose Of the Training

v to provide a nurturing and saf e residential learning environment in

a setting of natural beauty;

v to nurture and encourage the personal development of both tutor

and student alik e;

v to provide an integrated training in Craniosacral Biodynamics that

includes the insights of many practitioners in the f ield, with

inf luences f rom other relevant f ields, and clearly orients to the

healing principles of the Breath of Lif e and its manif estation in the

human system;

v to provide an in-depth understanding and appreciation of these

principles and to be able to saf ely apply them within a clinical context;

v to teach, within this context, clearly def ined palpation and

therapeutic sk ills with the ability to apply these sk ills in a clinical

context;

v to graduate sk illed, saf e and therapeutically eff ective practitioners.

T

eachin

g Forma

t

v Small class sizes of up to 22 students are maintained.

v A minimum of a f ive-to-one student teacher ratio is maintained in

order to provide in depth f eedback on palpation and clinical sk ills

during practical sessions.

v Small and large group f eedback generally occurs af ter practical

sessions.

v Teaching and learning methods include lectures, the use of visual

aids, demonstrations, guided sessions, visualisation work , small

group, exploration and f eedback , table exchange sessions,

supervision f eedback , all with an emphasis on student observationand exploration.

THE TWO-YEAR

PROFESSIONAL

TRAINING

Comprised of ten f ive-day

residential seminars



5/12

v Tutorial and supervision sessions are included in each training

module. Each student is assigned a tutor who may be consulted f or

personal f eedback .

v Practical clinical applications are emphasised with over f if ty

percent of class time given to hands-on practical work .v Students are encouraged to meet as a peer group each seminar and

to elect a student representative. This representative is nominated

to give course f eedback and suggestions f rom the peer group to the

course co-ordinator. Students are also encouraged to individually

give course f eedback at any time. Written course f eedback f orms

are part of some homework assignments.

Course Work and Student Evaluation

v Homework is assigned each training module. This includes both

written work and reading. Students are ask ed to write up a

minimum of two practice sessions as part of each assignment.

Students are expected to complete all homework on time.

v Students are expected to undertak e a minimum of two practice

sessions a week outside of class time. These are with practice clients

who enter into a non-paying, non-prof essional relationship with

the student. Practice clients must understand that the purpose of

sessions are solely to support the student's learning process. If the

practice client needs prof essional help they are ref erred to a

qualif ied practitioner. Students will receive supervision f eedback in

small groups during seminar time.

v Students are continuously evaluated throughout the course.

Relational, palpation and clinical sk ills and the student's personal

readiness to practice, are track ed by tutors and appropriate

f eedback and help is off ered

v There are two f ormal practical assessment / f eedback sessions

scheduled during course time. These are individual sessions where

students practice the work on tutors f or approximately 30 minutes.

Clin

ical palpation

sk ills are the f oc

u

s of the assessme

nt sessio

n

s.Students are given tutorial f eedback and their sk ills are assessed.

These occur towards the end of each training year.

v There is a written clinical pro ject in the second year of the

training.

v There is a f inal exam given as a closing homework assignment at

the end of the training.

v Students are encouraged to f orm local study groups that meet

between seminar times. Study groups with tutors can also be

arranged at extra cost.

v Students are required to experience at least ten sessions f rom a

qualif ied practitioner within the two years of course time.

Karuna Institute - 0044 1647 221 457 5

F r a n k l y n i s t r u l y m a s t e r f u l

in a r t i c u l a t in g an d

c l a r i f y in g t h e in h e r e n t f o r c e s

t h a t h e h a s i ll u m ina t e d a s

C r ani o s a c r a l B i o d y na m i c

T h e r a p y . H e b r i n g s b o t h

m e d i t a t i o n an d h e a l in g

t o ge t h e r an d f o r ge s t h e a r t

o f t r u e h e a l in g in a s i m pl e

y e t p r o f o un d m ann e r .

F o r h i s t e a c h i n g I a m

t r u l y g r a t e f u l .

Tez Sawick i

Craniosacral Student

“

”


6/12

Seminar One

Relationship, the Neutral and the Breath of Life

The intention of this f irst seminar is to create a ground f or the rest of

the training. The development of awareness, the growing ability to

rest in stillness, and relational and perceptual sk ills are the heart of

course work . Interpersonal relational sk ills are introduced in seminar

one, as are concepts of the nature of being and self . Within this

context, students learn to enter a neutral “being” state f rom which to

meet and relate to the client's system, and f rom which to establish a

saf e and empathetic listening f ield. The nature of empathy within

relational contact is discussed and explored. Sk ills of negotiation of

contact and of palpation are introduced. The encouragement of both

practitioner and client resources is also explored. The importance and

sk ill of maintaining a wide perceptual f ield is introduced and the

perception of primary respiration and its various tidal manif estationsis also introduced. Within this context, a perceptual awareness of the

f luid tide is initially emphasized. The role of stillness within the work

is also introduced as a f undamental concept, perception and sk ill

within Craniosacral Biodynamics.

Seminar Two

The Ground of Resource and Motion: The Holistic Shif t, the

Mid-tide and Motility

The intention of this seminar is to begin to appreciate the specif ic

tissue manif estations of the action of the Breath of Lif e within the

human body. Students learn to relate the f luid tide to tissue motility.

All tissue structures express an inner motility, or inherent motion.

Initially, palpatory awareness of intraosseous motility is explored

within the major bony structures of the cranium and pelvis. Specif ic

palpation sessions relating to the reciprocal tension membranes and

the temporal, f rontal, parietal, occipital and sphenoid bones and the

sacrum are undertak en. The dynamics of the sphenobasilar junction

are also introduced. The importance of embryologically derived

organizing f ulcrums is also introduced. Within this context, students

begin to explore the overall organization of the f luid-tissue f ield.

COURSE SYLLABUS

Ten Five-Day Seminars



7/12

Seminar Three

The Heart of Healing: the Neutral and the State of Balance

The potency of the Breath of Lif e naturally expresses itself within

states of wholeness and equilibrium. This seminar introduces some of

the most important clinical concepts within craniosacral biodynamics:

the neutral, the state of balance and the role of stillness. These are

explored within the understanding of the inherent treatment plan.

Rather than having to resort to the use of analysis or diagnosis to gain

inf ormation, students are oriented to perceptual processes that directly

allow them to observe the arising of healing intentions f rom within

the client's system. The concept and perceptual experience of natural,

automatic shif ting f ulcrums is explored along with reciprocal tension

motion within the tissue f ield. Student's are taught initial processes

that help them orient to inertial f ulcrums f rom which an awareness of

inertia and inertial issues is developed. From this base, students learnto appreciate the state of balance, a systemic neutral oriented to

particular inertial issues in the system. It is within this state that the

healing f orces of primary respiration can manif est within particular

conditions. An introduction to Dynamic Stillness as a ground of

emergence f or healing processes is also undertak en. Focusing sk ills are

reviewed and their use within a therapeutic context is explored.

Seminar Four

Augmentation Skills

In this seminar students learn additional clinical sk ills. The work

f rom the previous seminar is continued as students explore f urther

ways of relating to inertia and conditional f orces. The concept of the

state of balance as a gateway to deeper embryological organizing

f orces and the Long Tide is explored. Various clinical approaches to

f luids and tissues are taught as sk ills that resonate with and augment

naturally occurring processes and organizing f orces. As this process

deepens, students learn to off er options within the natural pacing of

healing processes and to help the system access its innate potential

f or health. These sk ills include the augmentation of space within the

f orces and conditions present; and f luid augmentation sk ills such as

amplif ication of f luid drive and the use of lateral f luctuations in

clinical process. Additional attention is also placed on the therapeutic

role of deepening states of balance and stillpoints. Students explore

the nature of inhalation and exhalation oriented stillpoints. Trauma

sk ills based on the work of Dr. Peter Levine are also introduced.



8/12

Seminar Five

Birth Process and the Coalescence of Structure

In this seminar, students are oriented to the shif ting of potency within

the f luids as a particular f ocus in clinical work . The main emphasis of the

seminar is birth dynamics and the impact of birth process. This is

introduced as a theme that continues throughout the second year. The

pre- and perinatal experience is discussed as a f ormative ground f or

personality development. In this context, the dynamics of the occiput,

atlas and axis are explored via palpation. Cranial distortion patterns are

explored and clinical approaches presented. The inf luence of birthing

f orces, trauma impacts and clinical issues relating to cranial base patterns

are presented. Trauma sk ills relating to hyper-arousal states are discussed.

Seminar Six

Around the Core: The Midline and Vertebral Axis

In this seminar, orientation to the Long Tide as a stating point in

session work is introduced .Concepts of midline phenomena and

embryology are also explored as a vehicle f or understanding the

organisation and health of the human system. The midline as an

archetypal concept is explored. The primal midline, an embryological

ordering principle at the heart of tissue organization, is introduced

via direct perception. Within this context, the motility and mobility

dynamics of the dual tube, pelvis and vertebral column are explored.

The embryology of the vertebral column and its relationship to the

n

otochord is emp

hasised. S

tudents are i

ntrod

u

ced to cli

n

icalapproaches to f ixation and inertia within these dynamics. Trauma

sk ills are continued as clinical approaches to states of hypo-arousal,

immobilization and f reezing states are introduced.

Seminar Seven

Introduction to the Central Nervous System and Birthing

Impacts f urther Explored

In this seminar Dynamic Stillness is explored as a starting point in

session work and the innate ground f rom which all healing processes

emerge. The main emphasis then f ocuses on the dynamics of thecentral nervous system. CNS motility is explored f rom an

embryological viewpoint and the palpation of its motility is

emphasised. Issues of CNS f acilitation and hypersensitivity are

explored clinically. Students learn to orient to CNS shock aff ect and

shock discharge within healing processes. Students also learn to

f urther orient to the Long Tide and to f ield phenomena that it

generates as initiating f orces in healing processes. Birth related issues

are also f urther explored. The concept of birth f orces as traumatic

impacts that lodge within bony tissues is introduced, and the

intraosseous dynamics of the occiput, temporal bone and sphenoid

bone are explored. Clinical trauma sk ills in relationship todissociative states are also introduced.

COURSE SYLLABUS

continued



9/12

Seminar Eight

The Face. Hard Palate and TMJ Dynamics

Students are introduced to the dynamics of the f ace, hard palate and

TMJ. The relationships of the f ace and hard palate are presented as a

unif ied dynamic. Students gradually build up a complete picture of

these relationships as they explore the specif ic motility of the f rontal

bone, ethmoid bone, sphenoid, vomer, palatines, maxillae and TMJ.

These are seen to be a unit of f unction whose dynamics are totally

inter-dependent. Clinical sk ills already learned are applied to these

relationships and to the inertial patterns f ound within them.

Seminar Nine

Conn

ective Tissues, Joi

nts and Visce

ra

Students explore the f ascial dynamics of the body via its f ascial tracts

and transverse diaphragms. Clinical approaches to joint dynamics

and relationships throughout the body are explored within the

context of sk ills already learned. An introduction to the organ system

and visceral relationships is explored via palpation sessions. Dynamic

Stillness is f urther oriented to in the context of “reciprocal balanced

interchange”.

Seminar Ten

Ignition Processes and Completions

Sutherland oriented practitioners to a dynamic ignition of potency

within the f luids of the body. Three primal ignition processes emerge

during embryological development and birth process. The f irst

primal ignition occurs at conception, with the ignition of the

energetic blueprint that supports the generation of the f orm of the

embryo. A second primal ignition occurs at the end of the f irst

month in utero, as the embryonic heart enf olds into the f orm of the

embryo and meets the midline. This is called heart ignition and

signals the embodiment of being, or spirit, in f orm. An amplif ication

of the ignition process naturally occurs at birth, where there is an

intensif ication of potency within the f luids of the inf ant which

empowers the new being to be an independent physical entity. The

augmentation of the ignition process at birth is explored as a clinical

priority. Issues related to umbilical shock are introduced in this

context. Clinical sessions oriented to conception issues are

undertak en. Approaches to work with inf ants and children are also

reviewed. Practice management sk ills and ethical issues are discussed

within the context of a prof essional craniosacral clinical practice.



10/12


Course Director

Frank lyn Sills M A, R C S T ,

C o u r s e

Di r e c t o r .

Frank lyn is the

author of

Craniosacral

Biodynamics

Volumes One and

Two, and has been

work ing in the

f ield f or over

25 years.

He has 25 years experience in teaching on-goingtrainings. He is considered to be one of the

innovators in the f ield and his energy has helped

nurture the development of the work by mak ing its

principles available to a large variety of teachers and

practitioners. He was one of the early teachers of the

work of Dr. Randolph Stone DO and has written a

book on his work . Frank lyn is also a qualif ied

psychotherapist and teaches on the prof essional

training in Core Process Psychotherapy, a Buddhist

inf luenced therapy f orm. He has a back ground in

Buddhist teachings and considers them the

f oundation of his approach to being in the world.

T h e a mb ian ce w e w e r e l oo k in g f o r

w a s a s p a ce t h a t c o u l d h o l d a q ua l i t y

o f a tt e n t i o n an d s t i ll n e ss . W e k in d o f

w an t e d i t t o f ee l l i k e a m e d i t a t i o n

h a ll . A s p a c e w h e r e p e o p l e c an s e tt l e

in, t h a t c o u l d h o l d t h e s t i ll n e ss ..

T h a t h a d a c e r t ai n q u a l i t y t h a t

a c t u a ll y b

r

o u g h t t h a

t o u

t .

Frank lyn Sills, interview with Tommy

Walsh, Channel 4 Programme

“

”


11/12

Application Form

The Application Form together with the dates and

course cost is contained in the accompanying disc.

Advanced Post-Graduate Seminars

Every year the Karuna Institute presents continuing

prof essional development seminars f or practising

Craniosacral Practitioners. These are f ive-day

residential courses that vary each year. For f urther

details, please visit our website and look at the

accompanying disc.

Advanced Diploma

Qualif ied Craniosacral Practitioners can earn an

advanced diploma in Craniosacral Biodynamics.

For f urther details please see the accompanying disc.

Admission Requirements

Required:

v Submission of the Institute's application f orm f or

the train

in

g in

Cran

iosacral Biodyn

amics v Practitioner status in orthodox or complementary

f ields of medicine or therapy is highly

recommended.

v A sound training in and k nowledge of anatomy

and physiology is required (extra tuition may be

required of you if your anatomy and physiology

is not up to practitioner standards).

v Understanding of pathology and symptomology

is recommended (extra tuition may be required

of you if you have no experience in this area).

v At least two years prof essional practice in yourown f ield is recommended.

v An interview is required. Ideally this occurs in

person at the Institute, but can be given via

telephone f or f oreign applicants.

Highly Recommended:

v Experience in a body oriented

therapy f orm.

v Personal experience of

Craniosacral Therapy.

v Experience of other holistic

f orms of therapy.



12/12

Natsworthy Manor,

Widecombe-in-the-Moor,

Devon, England, TQ13 7TR, UK

Telephone

Within UK: 01647 221 457

From North America: 01144 1647 221 457

Email

off ice@k aruna-institute.co.uk

Web

www.k aruna-institute.co.uk

Printed on recycled paper

Karuna Institute

Documents

Craniosacral Biodynamics