Unwinding

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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Yon on December 29, 2009 at 8:28am

I experienced an unwinding in my neck (really, in the suboccipitals) during training for craniosacral therapy. I had received a lot of work over the course of the class, and we were practicing the occipital base hold when I, as the "client", felt my chronically tight suboccipitals let go. I hadn't expected much since always before when anyone worked in the area, my fascia and musculature remained pretty rigid and stubborn. But, as my partner's fingers seated themselves gently in my occipital base, I felt my head begin to fall slowly toward the table on a neck like a melting candle! Fantastic, and the muscles have remained quite receptive a year later.

From a therapist's perspective, I was using mfr work on a new client with a very tight and rigid neck. This was his first experience with any kind of bodywork. Suddenly, his eyes popped open and he asked if I was gently tapping his neck and making sweeping circles with my thumbs (I wasn't). He was unwinding, and I could feel his neck soften and become more mobile. Sweet!

Permalink Reply by Frances Nicolais on August 18, 2010 at 9:55am

Hi Stephen...I have had many experiences unwinding... from both sides of the coin. I have experienced my own unwinding, regionally (neck, arms, legs, etc.) and complete fully body unwinding taking me back to previous accidents and even some pre-verbal times. As a John F. Barnes' trained Advanced Myofascial Release Therapist, I have facilitated many client's unwinding, as well. I teach an unwinding class at a massage school, and host a MFR work study group, as well. The biggest key to unwinding, is to allow your right brain freedom to guide your physical body. This is a challenge for a lot of people (myself included), but when you finally allow that, unwinding can free up some long-held patterns resulting in amazing results!