From Andes to Treaty Territories

I've always been drawn to Indigenous healing practices. I travelled to Peru and Bolivia in 2015 for a month-long spiritual training with the shamans of the Peruvian Highlands. In ceremony, we connected with Mother Earth and Father Sky, the Elements, the animals, and the ancestors. We were invited to witness the interplay between the physical and ethereal worlds. It was a deepening of my awareness of our connection to Spirit.

Closer to home, I sat intrigued as Indigenous colleagues shared stories of their healing rituals, and wanted to learn more - and still do. I have a passion to connect to our innate healing capacities - what we call “the inherent treatment plan” in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST). For the inherent treatment plan to unfold, as practitioners, we connect to the Relational Field - an energetic field that supports safety, presence, and the deep connection that forms between the practitioner and the client. This connection, similar to the spiritual connections shamans make in their healing ceremonies, invites the body’s healing mechanisms to emerge.

We are, in fact, all connected, the Field sustains this, it connects us to the land, the Elements, of which, we are all a part. So, when I learned the founder of osteopathy - a practice to which we trace our biodynamic craniosacral roots - spent time among Indigenous peoples, and studied and learned their healing rituals, I felt a deeper appreciation for the work, a greater reverence for what unfolds in the sessions.

This approach to healing through deep listening and connecting to the inherent treatment plan is profound and transformative. The work replenishes our individual vital resources. It anchors us to the land, enabling us to be more embodied. It helps strengthen our bonds to our community and sense of belonging. In short, it incorporates the wisdom of indigenous healing practices.

Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, osteopathy's founder, immersed himself with the Shawnee and his Lumbee ancestors and integrated their holistic approach to healing in the development of his life’s work. BCST is rooted in this Indigenous healing wisdom. So, to the Lumbee and the Shawnee - from whom we biodynamic craniosacral therapists draw our foundational wisdom - thank you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and healing practices. Many have learned, grown, and healed as a result of your gift.

This approach to healing through deep listening and connecting to the inherent treatment plan is profound and transformative. The work replenishes our individual vital resources. It anchors us to the land, enabling us to be more embodied. It helps strengthen our bonds to our community and sense of belonging. In short, it incorporates the wisdom of indigenous healing practices.

Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, osteopathy's founder, immersed himself with the Shawnee and his Lumbee ancestors and integrated their holistic approach to healing in the development of his life’s work. BCST is rooted in this Indigenous healing wisdom. So, to the Lumbee and the Shawnee - from whom we biodynamic craniosacral therapists draw our foundational wisdom - thank you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and healing practices. Many have learned, grown, and healed as a result of your gift.

And as I practice on Treaty Territories, on ancestral lands and on the Homeland of the Red River Métis, I honour all who have sacrificed for me to be here, including my own ancestors, and humbly continue to do my part to assist those on a healing journey. I invite all who resonate with traditional and natural healing practices to reach out and rekindle your healing light within.

Whether seeking relief from stress, trauma, disconnection, or acute or chronic pain, BCST holds space for you to enter the Relational Field of healing and transformation. Book a session or join our newsletter to learn about upcoming events.