Craniosacral Therapy at Vita Nova Spa
I always thought Craniosacral therapy was a different kind of massage and in practice, it is but, in theory, it goes beyond knots in your muscles. When I read the spa menu at Vita Nova Spa, I saw they provided services in the healing arts. Here, Craniosacral therapy is described as “a subtle hands-on technique that uses a light touch, energy work, and gentle pressure to examine membranes and movement of the fluids in and around the central nervous system. This treatment soothes the nerves, relaxes the mind, and balances energy leaving you feeling rested and centered.”
I’ve been treating Restless Body Syndrome with sedative medication and floating. The medication gave me unwanted side effects and floating helps curb its symptoms but I saw that this could address my nervous system on a different level.
I decided to book an appointment before my road trip from Seattle to Los Angeles. Sitting and driving for days on end would not only diminish my nervous system but wear me out entirely. I was open to observing this specific healing technique on an energetic and physiological level.
The atmosphere set the tone for my first craniosacral treatment. Located on the ground floor of St. Edwards Lodge, Vita Nova Spa is designed for hotel guests, brides, and locals alike. Lucky for all guests, St. Edwards Lodge is nestled amongst a Washington State park with a maze of hiking trails that neighbors Bastyr University, a school known for alternative medicine and healing arts. I arrived an hour early, parked with my Discovery Pass, and walked under a canopy of leafy lace and social birds.
When you enter, the environment is transformed from a bustling hotel to a serene spa. Draped in chiffon curtains, and dotted with quartz crystal clusters, the interior design welcomed me for a healing treatment.
Down the entrance hall are separate locker rooms each with a vanity sink, bathroom, shower, and lockers. The website says to wear comfortable clothing but they provide a robe and slippers to change into. Continue down the hall into the open meditation room with a hydration station stocked with hot teas and lemon water, a seating area for two, and three lounge sofas with plenty of throw pillows and blankets. Here I filled in the waiver intake, journaled, and sipped chai tea.
Attached to the meditation room is a private outdoor patio with seating areas around a fire pit or under an umbrella. I was the only one there on a Tuesday afternoon in late June and I felt like a royal spa warrior in the long jade robe and emerald rubber slippers.
When the practitioner was ready, he walked me past the sauna room down another hall to the massage room. He explained that craniosacral therapy is designed to move the fascia tissues around the skull and back of the neck. I mentioned my Crohn’s and Restless Body System and that I wasn’t expecting a cure but that my goal was to relax my nervous system.
For the session, I’m out of my robe and under a blanket on a heated massage table. He spent the hour working on the back of my neck, around my skull, behind my ears, and on my forehead and cheekbones. I’ve had deep tissue massages before where they knead knots in the muscles, often feeling like I have to take deep breaths through the pain to reach a release. Craniosacral therapy was simple and calming at first and then I started to notice a shift. I kept a steady breath through my nose but at one point there was one spot in the back of my neck that allowed me to draw a deep inhale. It unlocked a full breath that elevated my authenticity. I felt even more present and grateful that a simple healing practice could bring forth such relief.
Craniosacral therapy is a bridge from a massage to Reiki. I started to understand what energy work felt like, I came out buzzing. The practitioner is also a master in Reiki healing and he offered to walk me through ways of sensing my energy.
I sort of saw a puffiness of fog around each finger and felt a warmth between my palms. As I’m currently reading about Reiki, I’m not exactly sure what to do with my energy but I felt that I had more ownership over the energy that I give and take.
My internal positive energy went from a 3 to an 8 and now that I’ve felt the shift from one session, I might see myself booking craniosacral therapy one to two times a year, depending on how well I maintain my own self-taught Reiki and breathwork.
As I’d hoped, my first session in craniosacral therapy relaxed my nervous system and set a foundation for my road trip, float practices, and other therapies. I feel less susceptible to the control of others and more driven toward my path.
July 9, 2022
