CranioSacral Therapy – The Body is Speaking

-Written by Cherry Cheung(RCST)

In my practice, I have been fortunate to experience deep and heartfelt "conversations" with many bodies during CranioSacral Therapy sessions. From these, I have gained great wisdom about the nature of illness and a deeper understanding of the true root of health. While illness can be troubling and painful, it is also a key that can unlock the door to our inner truth, guiding us to become aware of and respond to deeper needs, release unnecessary burdens, and create a healthier emotional and mental state.

Symptoms Are Actually Kind Messengers

Over the years, I’ve come to understand that symptoms are a kind of reminder. They act as messengers, pointing out issues in our lives that we may not have noticed, ringing the alarm to tell us that "something isn’t quite right," and inviting us to take responsibility, examine our state, and make better choices. When we pause to listen, rest when needed, and respond to our body’s messages with a responsible attitude, many symptoms naturally ease and even disappear. On the other hand, if we ignore these gentle reminders, symptoms tend to become more intense, like shouting louder and louder, until we can no longer ignore them. But even then, the nature of these symptoms remains kind—they are simply asking us to see the real problem.

Case Study: A Lady with Kidney Issues

I once worked with a Lady suffering from severe kidney disease. Her kidneys were tense and overworked, almost as if they were speaking of deep-rooted insecurity and a constant state of defense. Her body was stuck in a "fight or flight" mode, where her sympathetic nervous system was constantly activated. This happens when a person experiences prolonged anxiety, leading to excessive adrenaline production, which in turn stresses the kidneys even more.

I asked her, "What is your body constantly defending itself from?"

After a moment of thought, she revealed something she had been avoiding facing: she had been in a toxic, verbally abusive relationship for years. The ongoing stress had kept her body in a constant state of "battle mode," with high levels of adrenaline, leading to rapid heartbeats, shallow breathing, anxiety, insomnia, and even impairing her body’s detox functions. In other words, her kidney problems were not just her kidneys crying out for help, but a message that the real issue was not the kidneys, but the toxic relationship and the stressful environment she was living in.

Instead of Fighting Illness, Listen to Its Message

Many people, when they fall ill, blame their bodies and desperately want to "get rid" of the symptoms. However, the more we resist, the more persistent the symptoms become. As the saying goes, "What you resist, persists." If we take the time to slow down and "talk" to our body, asking what these symptoms are trying to tell us, we often find that we understand our needs more deeply. Sometimes, it even takes a serious illness for someone to learn to let go and change.

For example, I’ve seen many cancer patients change their lives after their diagnosis—they start eating healthier, find the courage to say a long-held apology, let go of past grievances, and heal relationships they thought were beyond repair. They begin to declutter their lives, letting go of people and things that made them feel anxious or sleepless. As a result, the illness helped them rediscover the value of life, and their lives were forever changed.

We all have the power of self-healing. Our bodies have always had the wisdom to heal themselves. When we begin to truly listen, healing quietly begins to unfold.