Compassion and Healing

How one of the key elements of Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy helped me through a distressing event.

I was recently left stunned and horrified when a close acquaintance of mine unexpectedly launched into a racist tirade that seemed completely out of character. This is a person, who over the past three years I’ve come to know as a warm, caring and diplomatic individual, yet here they were mocking a particular ethnic group’s accent in a public forum, speaking about people currently affected by war with utter contempt and displaying a chilling disregard for their suffering and loss.

It’s a moment I’ve ruminated on non-stop since it happened last week, my mind squeezing itself for all the ways I could have and should have challenged his ignorance and held him accountable for his behaviour if only my shock hadn’t rendered me frozen at the time. Disappointment, anger, shame and sadness all vied for a place in my body while negative thoughts tormented my brain with the persistence of a playground bully. I felt like I’d lost control, spinning in the eye of a tornado, head about to evaporate into the ether.

Fortunately, my experience both as a patient and as a practitioner of craniosacral therapy enabled me to slow this internal chaos down, preventing a full-on melt down. This would not have been the case 10 years ago, when I hadn’t yet begun to regard my body as a safe place. Years of ‘male conditioning’ and struggling with the symptoms of a chronic health condition meant that the relationship I had with my body was everything but compassionate. Yet, in this particular moment of difficulty, what brought me out the other side was compassion for the self. Being able to shift my focus away from chaotic thoughts onto the accompanying bodily sensations allowed me to start a process of healing and recovery. Acknowledging what was present in my physiology in that difficult moment with courage and compassion and allowing it to be without any judgement opened a doorway for things to change. Like the 13th century Persian poet and mystic, Lumi put it “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” My capacity to hang out with those difficult sensations from a place of resource – much like a mother finds the means to acknowledge and meet the needs of her unhappy new born, despite the physical, emotional and mental strain she may be under – told my nervous system that I was safe, and as it down regulated, my bodily functions were able to return to an optimal state, and I was soon able to enjoy being me again. No more torturous ruminations about the earlier regrettable event, no more feeling like I wanted to become a hermit and withdraw from this "cruel world", just a calm, considered approach to moving forward in a healthy heart-led way.

"It’s important that we give compassion to ourselves so that our hearts remain open to love."

As a Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist Compassion is at the heart of what I do. Firstly, being compassionate with myself affords me a sort of spiritual cleansing that enables me to be fully present with my clients. Meeting them with openness and empathy, without any agenda or judgment creates a sense of safety and trust, and only then may the things that need healing arise from their bodies. Compassion enables the practitioner to meet all levels of the client’s experience with equal respect — whether that’s physical pain, an emotional release, or a spiritual awakening and with time, as the client learns to become more embodied, their ability to self-regulate outside of therapy sessions increases, putting them at the helm of their own wellbeing and leading to a more grounded, peaceful and happier life.

I’ve recently noticed how more and more people are coming into practice weighed down by the current state of affairs in the Middle East and in Europe, so I know that my aforementioned upset is merely a single drop of water in a sea of collective trauma extending from the battlefields of war. While my ultimate wish is that the atrocities end immediately, I find some solace in the idea that we as craniosacral practitioners can create a microcosm of a healing world through compassionate, affirming touch that has the power to heal the body, mind and soul.  

At times when it seems like the world lacks compassion, it’s important that we give compassion to ourselves so that our hearts remain open to love.

If you’d like to find out more about how craniosacral therapy can help you, please have a look at my website and reach out for a friendly informal chat.

Aaron Gazi

BCST