Reading resources

Sills, Franklyn: Craniosacral Biodynamics, Vol 1
Draw from the work of Still, Sutherland, Becker and Jealous and synthesizes some of the more esoteric concepts. Wonderful books containing years of teaching and clinical experience, insights, and practice protocols.

Sills, Franklyn: Craniosacral Biodynamics, Vol 2

Shea, Michael: Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Vol 1.
Some comprehensive chapters on embryology as well as and some attempts to clarify the non-linear aspects of CST.

Becker, Rollin, DO: Life in Motion
One of the best books on being a practitioner with an emphasis on learning to listen to the client's system. Part philosophy, part poetry, this is a rare delight

Becker, Rollin, DO: Stillness of Life.

Insightful private writings of Sutherlands' protegé, dealing with more esoteric aspects of the "Breath of Life" as well as the practical aspects of being a practitioner.

Sutherland, William, DO: Contributions of Thought
Collected papers of Sutherland. Newly edited hardback showing the progression of his work from 1914 to 1954. Includes the famous "Liquid Light" references.

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Sutherland, William, DO: Teachings in the Science of Osteopathy
Transcribed from his last lectures. A brilliant book and one of the definitive texts. Discusses the "Breath of Life," the fluid tide and other key understandings of this work.

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Alexandersson, Olof: Living Water
A book about the secrets of natural energy that were understood by the naturalist Viktor Schauberger from the last century.

Arbuckle, Beryl E., DO: The Selected Writings of Beryl E. Arbuckle
Osteopathic writings with an emphasis on treating children and infants. Based in an understanding of Cranial work, Somatics, and Polarity Therapy. Discusses the healing of trauma in very practical terms. With case studies.

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Blechschmidt: Beginnings of Human Life
Lays out the basic concept that essential early embryological development is epigenetic, derived from fluid dynamics and energy patterns, not based the contributions of genes,which have a later impact. Easier to read than his longer "Differentiation," but still a stiff scientific language journey.

Blechschmidt and Gasser: Biokinetics and Biodynamics of Human Differentiation
A brilliant treatise on Embryology written from a fluid based approach. Blueprint is in the fluids and DNA is secondary.

Coates, Callum: Living Energies
The primary introduction to Schauberger's work, by the Scottish author responsible for saving it from obscurity. Schauberger explores the basic rules of energy movement into form, palpable in humans as an essential blueprint for forms.

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Coates, Callum: The Water Wizard, Nature as Teacher, The Fertile Earth, The Energy Revolution translated and edited by Callum Coate:
This is the whole Schauberger series. Schauberger intuited and observed as a naturalist, the principles which later, Dr. Sutherland received and observed, which we now understand as principles of creation in Craniosacral Biodynamics.

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Cornell, Ann Weiser, Ph.D.: The Power of Focusing
A practical re-statement of the theory and technique of Eugene Gendlin's "focusing" therapy, one of the cornerstones of body-centered psychotherapy and Craniosacral Therapy.

Dossey, Larry, MD: Reinventing Medicine
A book about wholeness and health in a new era of "nonlocal" dimensional understanding. Scientific proof that spiritual dimension is at play in our healing.

Dossey, Larry, MD: Space Time and Medicine
A fascinating book showing the correlation between New Physics and Healing work. An exposition on the wider implication of new physics. Translates quite well to Cranial work.

Finet, George, DO and William, Christian, DO: Treating Visceral Dysfunction: An Osteopathic Approach to Understanding and Treating abdominal Organs
This is a different slant on the visceral work by the Belgium osteopaths so well known for their unique teaching illustrations. Fluid based.

Fitzgerald, M.J.T.: Neuroanatomy: Basic and Clinical
A wonderfully organized approach to functional neuroanatomy beginning with the embryological formation of the nervous system. Contains informative clinical discussions and has a excellent cross referenced
glossary of neuroanatomical/neurological terms. Clearly written with a different slant on cranial nerves.

Gendlin, Eugene: Focusing
An introduction to bringing attention to the subtle arising of process with awareness, a basic healing skill.

Handoll, Nicholas: Anatomy of Potency
Explores the complex question, "what is really being palpated when we contact the 'Breath of Life.'?" Great coverage of Quantum Physics and its implications for Craniosacral therapy.

Ho, Mae-won: The Rainbow and the Worm
A fascinating but difficult book to take in. A new breed of physicists like Mae-won Ho, are providing evidence that a field is generated in all organisms, and that field is what creates form.

Keleman, Stanley: Emotional Anatomy
A thought provoking book with amazing visual images. Shows different body types and postures indicating emotional constructs.

Larsen, William: Human Embryology: 2nd Edition
One of the best embryology texts available. Clearly written with great photos and illustrations. New edition is about 20% larger.

Lee, Paul: Mechanisms of Spirit in Osteopathy
Fascinating description of the esoteric origins of Andrew Taylor Still and his osteopathic colleagues. The title refers to the perceptual link between visible (physical) and invisible (spiritual) factors in health, the interface being palpation of very subtle movements in the body.

Levine, Peter A., Ph.D.: Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma
A great resource for understanding trauma and body-centered therapies for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Liem, Torsten et al.: Cranial Osteopathy: Principles and Practice
Unique in the field, an encyclopedic summary of techniques. Includes a book within a book (about 150 pages) on TMJ, perhaps the only resource of its kind, and an excellent chapter describing the biodynamic approach.

Magoun, Harold I., DO: Osteopathy in the Cranial Field, 1st Edition
Contains many references to the Energetic Component and Breath of Life not found in later editions. Discusses the more esoteric aspects of the work. This is the only edition approved by W.G. Sutherland.

Martini, Frederic: Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology
Beautifully written with a section on the embryological development of each system at the end of each chapter. Clearly illustrated with excellent cross referencing. Comes with an Applications Manual.

McMinn/Hutchings/Logan: A Color Atlas of Head and Neck Anatomy
One of the best adjunct anatomy texts. Shows the relationships of the cranial bones and gives anatomical details not found elsewhere. Great dissections.

Milne, Hugh: The Heart of Listening, Vol 1
Vol. I contains stories and a shamanic approach to cranial work. Talks at length about the sense of altered perception that comes with the work. Vol. II has very clear anatomical illustrations with great information on each cranial bone. Covers the bone and tissue relationship and gives a good overview of the entire system.

Milne, Hugh: The Heart of Listening, Vol 2

Moore and Persaud: Before We Are Born: Essentials of Embryology and Birth Defects
The title says it all. Well written. Large format.

Muller, M. L.: Somatic Re-Sourcing
Explores the practitioner and client's interaction in the healing field.

Nolte, John: The Human Brain: Functional Anatomy
An excellent exposition of the central nervous system written in plain English.

Ogden, Pat: Hakomi: Integrative Somatics
A compilation of articles on Somatics and trauma resolution.

Oschman, James: Energy Medicine
A scientifically grounded work about the therapeutic aspects of energy. Pertains to acupuncture, Polarity Therapy, Cranial Therapy, and bodywork.

Ridley, Charles: Stillness: Biodynamic Cranial Practice and the Evolution of Consciousness
Commentary on the nature of the biodynamic approach and how it is different form other branches of craniosacral therapy. Offers the opinion that any intention is still too interventionist to qualify as pure biodynamic.

Schwenk, Theodor: Sensitive Chaos: The Creation of Flowing Forms in Water and Air
"Water is the bearer of the living formative process. The Fluid element is the universal element, not yet solidified but remaining open to outside
influences, the unformed, indeterminate element, ready to receive definite form. It has been called the 'sensitive chaos' (Novalis Fragmente)"-From the foreword - Contains wonderful photos and illustrations that show air and water patterns in nature. Many of these patterns you feel under your hands. Helps give a different perspective to cranial work.

Sills, Franklyn: The Polarity Process
Before Sills learned Craniosacral therapy, his foundational health training was Polarity Therapy. This is the definitive award-winning summary of Polarity principles.

Sutherland, Ada: With Thinking Fingers
Sutherland's wife (and first student) recounts her experiences in a charming Victorian writing style.

Sweeney, Lauren: Basic Concepts of Embryology
A student's survival guide. Well written and understandable. Discusses transitory structures and unlike most embryology texts, tells you what happens to them. One page of illustrations for every page of text.

Talbot, Michael: The Holographic Universe
Exposition on the wider implication of new physics. Translates well to Cranial work.

Taylor, Kylea: The Ethics of Caring
A well written text on the client/practitioner relationship with emphasis on boundaries, safety, and confidentiality.

Upledger, John, DO: Craniosacral Therapy Vol. II
Excellent summary of fundamental concepts, by the man who raised Craniosacral Therapy into public awareness.

Upledger, John, DO: Somato-Emotional Release and Beyond
Psycho-Emotional explorations from the Craniosacral perspective.
Wilson- Pauwels/Akesson/Stewart: Autonomic Nerves
The best on the autonomic nervous system. Contains an entire section on case studies that includes diagnosis and problem solving. Well organized with beautiful color illustrations. Comes with a CD-ROM disc for either Mac or Windows.

Wilson-Pauwels/Akesson/Stewart: Cranial Nerves: Anatomy and Clinical Comments
This is one of the best texts on the cranial nerves, with its clear illustrations of the nerve pathways and detailed text.