Liza Borodkin has studied craniosacral work with Franklyn Sills, Mike Boxhall, and other prominent figures in the field. She has also trained in yoga, Vipassana and Transcendental Meditation, and has extensive experience with the Feldenkrais Method and Alexander Technique. As a world traveler, her practice has naturally evolved to a point where the majority of her therapeutic work is now done remotely. In this interview she talks about her history with craniosacral biodynamics and how she has adapted its principles for therapeutic interactions that do not involve physical touch.
Liza is interviewed by Dawn Sofia, a craniosacral practitioner from New York City.
liza@sacredrecreation.com
For this episode we take a closer look at the prana vayus, the currents of vital force spoken about in the yogic and ayurvedic traditions. Yoga teachers Cator Shachoy and Christian Current explore areas of overlap with primary respiration and craniosacral practice.
Cator Shachoy: www.youthyogadharma.org/catorshachoy
Christian Current: www.christianmichaelcurrent.com
Etienne Peirsman returns to the podcast to share more about his 30 year history in the field of craniosacral therapy and his approach to teaching. Etienne heads the Peirsman Craniosacral Academy, which has outlets in Europe and the United States. In this interview he discusses many topics relevant to cranial work, emphasizing the importance of being in an instinctual and sensual "no mind" space while employing craniosacral-style touch.
Sophie Rieu is a biodynamic practitioner who lives and practices in Ireland. Her blog "My Cranio Sacral Life" details her personal and professional experiences through the lens of biodynamic cranial work. Sophie's writing is intimate, poetic, and informative. In this interview she discusses a wide range of topics including how biodynamic theory and practice have changed her life.
Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/sophierieucreates
SOPHIECRANIOSACRALBIODYNAMICS@GMAIL.COM
Jennifer Song, a founding member of the Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy Association of North America, joins us to talk about the 2020 Virtual Breath of Life Conference. The conference is a creative response to the Covid-19 outbreak, and is a great opportunity to connect with some of the leading teachers in the global craniosacral community.
More info:
https://www.craniosacraltherapy.org/2020-conference
Tai CK is a Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist who centers LGBTQ and POC communities in her work. She is a young activist and passionate craniosacral therapist who sees individual bodily systems as inseparable from collective systems of trauma, fulcrums, and healing. She lives and practices in New York City.
Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger
White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide
My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies
Frances Reed is the founder of Freed Bodyworks, a body-positive and queer-focused holistic wellness center in Washington DC. Frances has been specializing in transition-related bodywork for gender non-conforming people for almost a decade and has recently launched HealthyBinding.com to promote healthy binding practices to transmasculine individuals and health providers. Frances teaches courses for a variety of holistic providers to become more knowledgeable in cultural competency in order to work with trans clients as affirmatively and knowledgeably as possible.
You can learn more about Frances and their professional offerings here:
www.freedbodyworks.com/frances
An enjoyable Illustrated overview of Gender:
https://thegenderbook.com/the-pages
Washington Post article about Frances' work.
Susan Raffo practices craniosacral therapy in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has studied with Hugh Milne, The Upledger Institute, and Body Intelligence. While cranial work is her primary modality for individual healing work, she largely sees the world through the lens of social justice. Of special interest to her is the exploration of where systems of power and oppression are held in the tissues of the body. She also facilitates groups and organizations in matters of conflict support and cultural change, and is passionate about healing justice for all people of color. In this episode I ask Susan to share with us some of her perspective on what is happening on the ground in Minneapolis through her cultural lens. We also discuss the importance of taking a closer look at the roots of Osteopathy with a more sensitive and honest evaluation of the role of indigenous spirit in its birth.
White Fragility: Why It's So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism
Safa Boga is back on the podcast to share what's she's learned about building a rewarding, potent, and authentic healing practice. She talks about the importance of knowing who you are, being transparent with clients, and focusing your energy to be a powerful agent of change. She also shares her perspective on evaluating new clients to determine if they are a good fit for your particular style of practice.
My previous interview with Safa: Episode 117
Liz Hartshorn practices Biodynamics, massage therapy, and Somatic Experiencing in New York City. She is also a recognized teacher of The Realization Process. In this interview she'll tell us about her history in healing work and elaborate on why she finds Judith Blackstone's Realization Process such a powerful tool for self-development and client care.
Hear a sample of The Realization Process in Episode 127.
Michael Shea is back on the podcast ... to talk about life during the pandemic and share some thoughts about spirituality, death, humor, and distance healing.
This episode is a live recording of Ryan Hallford leading a group through a simple Tonglen exercise, a meditative practice for transforming the suffering of oneself and others.
Charles Ridley takes us through a meditation on three potent areas of the midline ... the head, the heart, and the gut.
Brigit Viksnins takes us through an examination of shadow archetypes that may be limiting our success in business.
A spontaneous talk and meditation about isolation, perception, and non-doing in the time of pandemic ... recorded in the Australian bush.
Read more about Andy here.
These meditations are live recordings of Etienne Peirsman in the classroom in March, 2020. He touches on the topics of safety, midline, and the fluctuating relationship between mind and body.
First meditation 2:00 – 16:00
Second meditation 16:00 – 30:00
Learn more about Etienne in Episode 88.
Ged Sumner, founder of Body Intelligence Trainings and co-author of the book Cranial Intelligence: A Practical Guide to Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy walks us through awareness of the cardiovascular system and bone marrow.
More of Ged's awareness exercises are available here.
Meditation on the CV system: 2:10 - 17:40
Meditation on bone marrow: 18:20 - 30:00
In this meditation Hugh Milne, the author of The Heart of Listening: A Visionary Approach to Craniosacral Work takes us on a journey through the energy centers of the heart.
Andy Pike connects us with our senses and then offers his interpretation of Rupert Spira's poem "I AM," pointing us towards non-dual awareness of THIS.
More info about Rupert Spira available here.
For today's meditation, Ryan Hallford leads us through a simple practice of settling into natural awareness and accepting the healing influence of primary respiration on the nervous system. This is a slow and spacious exploration of our sensory experience.
In this collection of talks, Brigit Viksnins walks us through practices for accessing safety and building resiliency. Brigit is the creator of the professional training Alchemical Alignment: Bodywork for Trauma Resolution and Embodiment of Spirit
1st meditation 2:25-17:30
2nd meditation 17:45-38:00
3rd meditation 38:20-57:15
4th segment 57:30-end
In today's meditation Michael Shea leads us through a practice to soften the hands. Rigidity in the hands prevents us from accurately feeling the subtleties of cranial respiration, so this is a great exercise for both new and experienced practitioners.
Today's audio is a live recording of Margaret Rosenau taking us through a practice to find natural fulcrums in the tissue field of the midline.
Liz Hartshorn is a Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, and authorized teacher of Judith Blackstone's Realization Process. The meditation in this episode is designed to attune our awareness to "fundamental consciousness."
This episode is a studio recording of Jane Shaw leading us into a state of fluid perception ... within which we may notice rhythms, stillness, and the relationship between these two omnipresent phenomena.