The Wisdom of Water

Out of the four elements of earth, wind, water and fire - water is my favorite. Some of you

may have already guessed that after my newsletter about the class I took with the dolphins in the Bahamas! One of the essential ways in which I take care of myself is by swimming. I swim three mornings a week with my fellow master's swimmers at 6 am. One of my lane buddies who I have swam with for almost 20 years and we have supported each other through many different life events. It is while I am in water that I can process difficult decisions and emotions as well as helping me find ways around issues that I feel blocked around.

The body has so many different types of fluids moving throughout us and on average we are made up of 65% water. One of those fluids in our body is the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) that flows around our brain and spinal cord, bringing in nutrients and taking away the waste. My favorite fun fact about cerebral spinal fluid is that 96.5% of all the Earth's water is contained within the ocean as saltwater, while the remaining 3.5% is freshwater lakes and frozen water locked up in glaciers and the polar ice caps. That percentage composition is reflected in the human body. Approximately 96.5% of bodily fluids are more saline in nature than the 3.5% of the CSF that is more like river water. Every time I share that fact I marvel at how the earth is reflected within us.

To find out more, this is a wonderful video explaining how the cerebral spinal fluid flows through our nervous system done by Upledger Instructor, Tad Wanveer. It will help you get a sense of just how complex and essential our cerebral spinal fluid is. One of the primary results of receiving CST is a decrease in restrictions, pulls, and tugs on the dural tube via its fascial connections in our body, therefore enhancing the flow of CSF throughout our nervous system, and that is always a good thing!

I have noticed that many of my new clients recently have had surgery on their brain either to remove a tumor or for a blood vessel anomaly. The common theme I have heard from them all is the level of fatigue they felt after the surgery. I think it’s amazing that medicine has progressed to the point where we can so precisely go into the brain and remove anomalies, but recovery is often a long process. Helping the body remove any restrictions it may have been holding over a period of time can help to provide the body with more energy. It can now use this energy towards healing after the brain surgery as well as helping the bodywork through some of the restrictions it develops from where the surgery took place.

I am looking forward, next month, to assisting a CST class where we work and learn in-depth the functioning of the nerve cells within the brain and spinal cord. Stay tuned!

Love from my hands and heart,

Kate xx