Diagnostic baselines in biodynamic craniosacral therapy

This came out of a recent undergraduate seminar I did for Body Intelligence in Vancouver. They are things that I think are useful to name before and after a treatment to establish some sense of change.

Appreciation of the whole organism as an amoeba that feels open or closed 

Moving towards, creative, consciousness is expansive, open to new experiences 

Moving away, contracted, fearful, fixed 

Two poles of the Autonomic Nervous System 

Busy, activated, adrenal, racing hard to settle, tight, buzzingDiffuse, hard to contact, hidden, fragmented 

Ability of practitioner (and client) to be aware of whole body 

Holistic shift as presence of the whole bodyEasy to find the whole outline of the body, no parts are missing, especially feet and back and abdomen are presentIs the client dissociating? 

Resources 

Can this person orient to resources in their body in present time?Is there a sense of lots of potency in the system, even if it is blocked?Embodied resources are often easiest to find via mid tide and a sense of settling in the fluids 

Tide 

Can you get a sense subtle rhythmic phenomena?Ability to express primary respiration and changes in the tide are an essential feature of cranial work

Stillness 

Can the system go still?Any possibility of stillness during a session is useful 

Midline 

Any expressions of midline phenomena are fundamental to healthChange is often experienced as a coming back into relationship to the midline 

Shapes and shifts in shapes 

Is there a change in the shapes in the body?How does this person's unique history alter the pattern of tidal movements of the body?How precise can you be with awareness of the shapes?