In a CST session, we can notice changes in our bodies, and get new insights and ideas. Sometimes it is the beginning of a new discovery. Afterward, there are many ways to improve upon the changes that happened during a session.
Low back pain with discomfort in the hips and pelvis is a common experience, which I have experienced myself. I remember a CST session I received where I felt my pelvic bones open and widen, especially on my right side. The experience was wonderful, my low back rested completely on the table as if my back had melted into the bed!
“If only I could keep this feeling,” I thought to myself, concerned about what would happen once I got up and walked out the door.
Before I got off the table, I took my time to soak in the new sensation as if I could imprint it into all the cells of my back, pelvis, and hips. Practicing yoga for many years helped me maintain the new alignment. I committed to rolling out my mat at home each day and carrying out poses that deepened my exploration of my low back and hips. I found that I could drop deeper into the poses with less discomfort and more symmetry. Each day I found new movement and my body settled into a new normal, solidifying the changes I got on the table.
Not only can there be physical changes during a CST session, but there can also be emotional ones too. The body works very hard to protect us from harmful, unpleasant experiences. For example, the body will tighten and grip as a response, feeling like a fist in the belly or a constriction around the heart. As a CST session progresses, more information on the reasons for such patterns may appear, sometimes through colors and other imagery. I encourage my clients to journal and/or draw about what they experienced on the table. This encourages the new, more relaxed state to embed itself and for more information to come forwards. A young client who had been diagnosed with Bell's palsy made this video describing the powerful imagery in her CST session.
Other times, some practical information shows itself. In one session, I had one hand placed on the upper chest and another underneath the upper rib cage. Noticing that the top hand matched a feeling of pressure on the chest, I asked how that hand felt to her. She told me that it felt heavy and weighted.
"How do you feel about this heavy hand on you?" I asked.
"I like it. It’s comforting and I feel less anxious," she replied. To me, this was surprising since I’ve had clients share the opposite. Whether the sensation is comforting or not, it can lead to a deeper understanding of ourselves.
At the end of the session, my client decided to try out a weighted blanket at home to see if that helped her sleep and overall anxiety, along with reading more about sensory integration issues. This insight led to the establishment of some effective self-help tools.
There are many ways to enhance your CST session and use it to improve your life. I would love to hear about your experiences.