Why Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST) is Unique – and What "Orienting to Health" Means

Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST) is a unique healing modality that distinguishes itself by focusing not on chasing symptoms, but on orienting to health. The core principle of BCST is grounded in the belief that health is never truly lost; it can only be obscured. Health, in this context, is synonymous with consciousness or energy—something innate to every living being. BCST helps to restore your connection to this core health by working with the body's natural rhythms, such as the “tide” that flows throughout the body. By attuning to this rhythm, BCST works to remind the nervous system of its original, unaltered state of health.

Understanding Health as Energy and Consciousness

To understand why BCST is so effective, we first need to recognize the concept of health as more than just the absence of disease. Health is an energetic presence, akin to consciousness, that exists within every person. Imagine a bright sun hidden behind a cloud—though the clouds may obscure its light, the sun is still there, unchanged. Similarly, our health may be obscured by layers of trauma, illness, or disease, but it is never lost. Just as the sun will shine again when the clouds part, your inherent health can be restored when the layers of obstruction are addressed.

An analogy often used to illustrate this process is that of a crumpled piece of paper. Imagine a pristine blueprint of your original self, a perfect representation of your health, but over time, this blueprint gets crumpled by life’s experiences and traumas. The imprint of these experiences obscures the original form, yet beneath the crumpled paper, the blueprint still exists, untouched and intact. BCST works to smooth out those crumples, gently reorienting you back to your original blueprint of health.

Focusing on Health, Not Symptoms

One of the key differences in BCST is its focus on the core of your being, rather than directly chasing symptoms. Symptoms are certainly acknowledged, but the approach is to move beyond them to the source where symptoms simply do not exist. This isn’t to suggest ignoring symptoms, but rather setting the intention to move towards health, rather than focusing on the pathology. When we focus on health, trust in the process, and allow the body to orient itself toward that state of health, the symptoms begin to dissolve, untangle, and transform on their own.

The Layers of the Human Being

In order to fully grasp the impact of BCST, it’s helpful to consider the layers that make up a human being. The term "human being" is intriguing, as it comes from the verb "to be," suggesting that our existence is not a fixed point in time and space, but an ever-unfolding process. We are multi-layered beings, comprised of energy, psychology, emotions, biology, fluids, and mental states, all of which shift and interact with each other. At any given moment, one of these layers may be more dominant, and at other times, another may come to the forefront.

From the perspective of quantum physics, the act of observing a particle changes its behavior. When applied to the human body, this suggests that our focus, our awareness, can influence our state of health. Energy follows awareness. Therefore, if both the practitioner and client focus on the health of the individual, it allows that health to grow and expand. It is this health, once nurtured, that naturally dissolves illness and disease.

The Power of Consciousness and Self-Healing

This brings us to the idea of core wholeness, which is consciousness. Consciousness, or the universal life force—whatever name resonates most with you—cannot be destroyed, only obscured. At the deepest level of the self, this core wholeness is self-perpetuating and self-healing. It is this inherent health and consciousness that does the healing, not the practitioner.

To demonstrate this natural regenerative ability, think of how all living things orient toward health. When you cut a tree branch, it produces sap to seal the wound. If you cut yourself, your body produces a scab, sending antibodies and regenerative cells to heal the injury. In the same way, the body’s innate intelligence naturally works to restore health when given the proper environment and support.

The Path to Healing: Orienting to Health

“Orienting to health” in BCST is like taking a direct path toward the desired outcome. Rather than focusing on the symptoms of illness, we focus on the end result—health and wholeness—and move backward from there. When we contact and observe this core health, it is ignited. It is this self-healing energy that begins to dissolve the layers of illness or disease.

BCST is not about bypassing the layers where trauma, illness, or disease reside. Instead, it works through these layers, guiding you toward the deeper layers where illness does not exist. The healing is not the work of the practitioner alone, but of the patient reconnecting with their own capacity to self-heal.

Conclusion

Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy is a profound healing modality that facilitates the body’s natural inclination to return to health by focusing on the core of a person’s being. By orienting to health, rather than symptoms, BCST helps restore balance, ease, and vitality, allowing the body to do what it is innately designed to do: heal itself. The healing process is a reminder that health, energy, and consciousness are always present, even when they may be obscured by life’s challenges. By reconnecting with that inherent health, we unlock the body’s transformative power, allowing it to return to a state of wholeness and well-being.