When Birth Leaves an Imprint — A Gentle Journey of Healing

-Written by Cherry Cheung(RCST)

Birth can be an extraordinary journey — but for some babies, it can also be a challenging one. Sometimes a baby may spend a long time making their way through the birth canal. During a difficult or prolonged labour, the baby's delicate body is surrounded by powerful forces: the contractions of the uterus, the pressure of the surrounding tissues, and the natural movements involved in being born. For a tiny body, this can be an intense experience.

One area that I often pay particular attention to in CranioSacral Therapy is the suboccipital region — the area at the base of the skull and back of the neck. From a CranioSacral perspective, when a baby experiences a challenging birth, there may be a sense of compression, strain or tension around this area. If the body does not fully settle after the experience, some practitioners understand that these early patterns of tension may continue to be reflected in the body's way of holding itself.

As the child grows into adulthood, this may sometimes be experienced as tension around the neck, shoulders or upper body. Of course, neck and shoulder discomfort can have many different causes — posture, injury, stress, work, lifestyle and many other factors. Birth is only one possible part of a person's story. But sometimes I find it helpful to ask:

Could there be an earlier chapter of the story that the body still remembers?

Reconnecting with the Birth Journey

Many of us do not consciously remember our birth for our bodies to have experienced it. However, the body remembers a story that the mind cannot put into words.

In CranioSacral Therapy, we do not try to force a memory or recreate what happened. Instead, we create a quiet and supportive space where the body can gently communicate what it is ready to explore. Through very light, non-invasive touch and a deeply respectful approach, we invite the body to slow down and listen. Rather than telling the body what it should release, we allow it to lead. Sometimes there may be a subtle building up of tension and softening around the base of the skull with support. Sometimes the shoulders begin to tighten and let go. Sometimes the breathing changes, the body settles more deeply, or a person becomes aware of sensations or emotions that have been quietly present for a long time. For me, this is the beauty of CranioSacral work.

Giving the Body a New Experience

When we gently revisit an early experience through the body's present-day sensations, there can be an opportunity to develop a different relationship with what has been held.

The birth journey cannot be changed — but our relationship with our body and our early experiences can change.

In my work, I sometimes witness a beautiful sense of softening, grounding and spaciousness as the body begins to feel more supported. It can feel almost as though the body is saying:

“I don't have to hold this in the same way anymore.”

And perhaps this is what healing can sometimes look like — not erasing our history, but meeting the body with enough kindness and safety that it no longer has to carry everything in quite the same way. When we gently listen, without judgement or force, we may discover that the body has its own wisdom about how to move towards greater ease, safety and connection.