Craniosacral Biodynamic training in Austin, Texas

The Wellness Institute/Roger Gilchrist is offering training in Craniosacral Biodynamics (BCST) in Austin. This is exciting because he’s one of the most experienced teachers on the continent (30+ years, trained as a practitioner and teacher by Franklyn Sills, founder of this modality, and a master teacher).

We are fortunate to have him teaching in Austin. This level of training hasn’t been available in Austin or anywhere in Texas since 2019.

Seminar 1 was held in late September, and students were very enthusiastic about the skills they learned over the four days.

It’s not too late to join. Seminar 1 will be offered again Dec. 9-12. The remaining 9 seminars in this certification-level training will be offered every three months, in February, May, August, and November, ending in February 2028.

Teaching assistants provide support between classes.

For a description of the seminars, click here.

I did this training in Washington, DC, in 2021-23. It deepened my skills immensely. For more about this practice, click here.

Here’s what some students from Seminar 1 in September have to say about it:

“Several factors influenced my decision to choose The Wellness Institute. It’s an established institution, and Roger’s experience, along with the supporting faculty, was a significant draw. The proximity to my home was also a convenient factor.

“After completing the first seminar, I am confident that all participants will be well-prepared to become excellent practitioners. This is a thorough program that offers a personalized approach and ample opportunities for hands-on practice.” ~ Diana Tono, Norman, OK


“I feel so blessed to be learning BCST from Roger Gilchrist. He is a true master. With the help of his co-teacher, James Foulkes, you feel truly seen and heard. The teachings are clear, easy to understand, and grounded. I am excited to continue to learn and practice this work.” ~ Tempera McCarron, Sedona, AZ


I began training with the Wellness Institute after becoming deeply fascinated with BCST through the sessions I received from MaryAnn Reynolds. The work had such a powerful impact on me that I wanted to learn more about it. When I found out there would be a training in Austin, I was so excited to have that opportunity, especially since there wasn’t another training in town. I read about Roger and picked up his book, and after reading his work and receiving his very thoughtful class communications via email, I knew I wanted to learn from him and from the Wellness Institute.

After completing the first seminar, I couldn’t be happier with my decision. Roger and James did such an excellent job teaching the material and keeping everything engaging. They gave everyone individual attention and created a truly safe space to learn and experience. I reached a level of stillness that has never come so easily before. I feel confident that anyone who takes this course will become a highly skilled practitioner, if that’s the path they choose. I feel very grateful to be learning from such gifted teachers and to be part of this community. ~ Ariel Matthews, Austin, TX


I have received several treatments & taken several classes w Christian Current, one of the TA’s for the training. I have worked w several other colleagues who are also BCST certified over the yrs.

I have been asking Christian & Ryan Hallford (host of The Craniosacral Podcast, who also taught in TX) for yrs when a BCST certification training would be offered in Austin. Due to the interest of myself & many others, MaryAnn & Roger were able to organize this one. It is a special opportunity to get to study w instructors & TA’s who studied under BCST founder Franklyn Sills, who also bring their own unique knowledge, experience, skills & wisdom to this training.

The first training was quite informative, interesting, enjoyable & inspiring. A lot of information & technique was imparted for an introductory training, but the atmosphere & pace felt relaxed & comfortable. Part of the preparation involved in sensing & working w such subtle & deep mechanisms, dynamics & energy in the body requires one to slow down, to quiet oneself, tune out internal & external interference & distractions, & to be able to be attentive, present, open-minded & neutral. This in itself is therapeutic for both the practitioner & receiver, & a welcomed contrast to the daily hustle of demands, expectations, agendas, pressures, conflicts, attachments, stresses & anxieties. I love Craniosacral Therapy bc it means listening to the body & tap into its infinite inherent healing potential & wisdom. To go into this journey of discovery w this particular group of educators & students was special & powerful. There was a positive, supportive & productive dynamic & group discussion & reflection.

Roger & James did an excellent job of teaching, presenting, leading & facilitating the learning & practice. The flow w which they alternated, complemented & built upon one another’s information & ideas felt very natural & dynamic. They both bring a calm, grounded, experienced respect & enthusiasm for the work & their students, & a well-rounded, holistic, eclectic knowledge based in the science of human health & various physical, psychological & spiritual teachings. They are attentive to, & interested in, each student & help them feel seen, heard, recognized & supported. Their love for what they do helps spark the interest & passions of others for it. We are fortunate to have educators of their caliber & I am grateful & appreciative for their teachings. ~ Jesse Crandall, Austin, TX


I was directed to Christian Current for craniosacral biodynamics when I needed brain surgery in 2016. It was helpful and I felt more in control of my body and more comfortable with what was to come. 

It also helped when my infant daughter needed a frenectomy. My mother (very conventional) saw the difference in the baby’s response after the session and started getting sessions herself. 

I learned that our bodies can do more healing than our medical system gives it credit. I’m a female engineer but am planning to practice Biodynamics after training in it so I can have a 100% fulfilling career.

I was a little intimidated in the classroom on the first day because I don’t have any bodywork experience, but it was refreshing to me to instantly jump into hands-on practice twice a day. I did a lot of self-discovery in the class. I didn’t expect to know myself better in the classroom, but I did.

The benefit of this training is it’s a safe space with endless hands-on support. Plus, you’re healing yourself while you’re working on others. ~ Adrianne Marcum, Bella Vista AR


If you have any questions, please contact me. I can send you an application and answer most questions.

Roger is teaching in Prague and Sydney for the next month but is checking email. His email is wellnessinstitute@yahoo.com.

Craniosacral Biodynamics training in Austin, Texas

I am working with one of the most experienced teachers of Craniosacral Biodynamics in North America, Roger Gilchrist, to offer a foundation training in Austin, starting in 2025.

I completed his foundation training in Washington DC in 2023, because no training was available in Texas that I hadn’t already taken.

If you’re wondering, a foundation training consists of 10 four-day seminars spread out over 2.25 years. It meets the requirements of the Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy Association of North America for certification — RCST® after your name indicates you completed this training and registered with BCTA/NA.

Roger is a master teacher who has taught numerous students around the U.S. and abroad. His team of teaching assistants are all RCST® certified teachers.

Where we are now:

I am gathering names and email addresses of those interested in doing such a training. So far, I have 30 names — optimal class size is 16 to 24. Not everyone who’s expressed an interest will be able to actually take the class at this time. If demand is high enough, Roger may consider adding another training later.

I am looking for a suitable location to do this training. Preferably it will be a massage school or acupuncture school — a place with classrooms and massage tables.

If you’d like to add your name to my list, please email me at mareynolds27 @ gmail . com.

If you want to know more about Roger, go to https://wellnessinstitute.net.

If you want to know more about BCTA/NA, go to https://www.craniosacraltherapy.org.

If you’d like to experience a session before deciding, you can schedule with me at https://maryannreynolds.com.

Craniosacral Biodynamic training in Austin, Texas

The Wellness Institute/Roger Gilchrist is offering training in Craniosacral Biodynamics (BCST) in Austin. This is exciting because he’s one of the most experienced teachers on the continent (30+ years, trained as a practitioner and teacher by Franklyn Sills, founder of this modality, and a master teacher).

We are fortunate to have him teaching in Austin. This level of training hasn’t been available in Austin or anywhere in Texas since 2019.

Seminar 1 was held in late September, and students were very enthusiastic about the skills they learned over the four days.

Seminar 1 will be offered again December 9-12, so it’s not too late to join. The remaining 9 seminars in this certification-level training will be offered every three months, in February, May, August, and November, ending in early 2028. Teaching assistants provide support between classes.

For a description of the seminars, click here.

I did this training in Washington, DC, in 2021-23. It deepened my skills. For more about this practice, click here.

Here’s what a couple of students have to say about it:

“Several factors influenced my decision to choose The Wellness Institute. It’s an established institution, and Roger’s experience, along with the supporting faculty, was a significant draw. The proximity to my home was also a convenient factor.

“After completing the first seminar, I am confident that all participants will be well-prepared to become excellent practitioners. This is a thorough program that offers a personalized approach and ample opportunities for hands-on practice.” ~ Diana Tono, Norman, OK


“I feel so blessed to be learning BCST from Roger Gilchrist. He is a true master. With the help of his co-teacher, James Foulkes, you feel truly seen and heard. The teachings are clear, easy to understand, and grounded. I am excited to continue to learn and practice this work.” ~ Tempera McCarron, Sedona, AZ

If you have any questions, please contact me. I can send you an application and answer most questions.

Roger is teaching in Prague and Sydney for the next month but is checking email. His email is wellnessinstitute@yahoo.com.

New offering: Biodynamic Meditation class on Zoom

I am offering an online class in Biodynamic Meditation, every Monday night at 9 pm for 10 weeks, starting on Monday, May 26.

The format for the class is to start with inquiry and guidance. We will sit for 20 minutes while we practice, followed by discussion. The Zoom session ends at 9:45, but it’s okay to leave earlier. You also aren’t required to attend all 10 sessions.

This could become a daily practice, especially recommended for self-care and practicing Craniosacral Biodynamics.

Teaching this is a learning experience for me, but I’ve been practicing for several years. I’ve spent time exploring various types of meditation, including Zen and Vipassana (Goenka) since 2007.

When I started training Craniosacral Biodynamics in 2013, my meditation practice grew more toward the practice of pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses from external stimulation), also called interoception.

In this practice, we let go of conceptualization (as much as we can) and pay attention to the sensations in our bodies. We are polyrhythmic creatures! We notice our breath rhythm, our heart rhythm, our craniosacral rhythm — maybe all at once! We notice our autonomic nervous systems moving into parasympathetic mode. We notice tides within, fluids/energies surging, chakras. Every session will be different.

If you’re interested, my Schedule page allows you sign up. There is no charge for this series.

How does meditation influence Craniosacral Biodynamics?

After I started training in Craniosacral Biodynamics in 2013, I was curious about some of the terms that were used, like “the Breath of Life,” “primary respiration,” and “dynamic stillness.”

How would I know if I was experiencing these states that are considered integral in practicing Craniosacral Biodynamics? I was meditating a lot, often for 45 minutes or longer, partly because I was on a mission to discover how relaxed I could get while lucid and partly because I believed that there was likely a sensory component for these nominalized terms.

When I asked my first Biodynamics teacher about a state I’d experienced in meditation in which felt akin to sitting on the bottom of the ocean with multiple currents flowing within, through, and around me, his eyes lit up and he affirmed that I was sensing something important in the practice.

Craniosacral biodynamics and meditation overlap each other. After reading the book Craniosacral Therapy and the Energetic Body: An Overview of Craniosacral Biodynamics by Roger Gilchrist, I understood more about the spiritual dimensions that these practices have in common, one often practiced alone and the other using hands-on connection with a receiver.

I later completed a foundation training with Roger.

Here are some quotes from the book’s Chapter 18, “Spiritual Dimensions of Craniosacral Therapy”:

  • When one encounters the essence of the life force moving, it is a deeply humbling experience, as there is the immediate recognition that something moves through us that is beyond us as individuals, and beyond the conditions that we hold.
  • Note that this approach to therapy is not about a therapist working on a client; it is about a therapist coming into a direct relationship with what is here in the present moment… In a biodynamic approach there is the recognition that experience arises mutually between the client and the therapist.
  • Often as clients receive this work they come in contact with levels of their being that were previously unavailable. Many times there is a sense of depth and wholeness that is beyond anything they have encountered before.
  • Through specific training and personal guidance, we cultivate our skills of direct awareness… This way of perceiving is cultivated through personal practice… This field of perception then becomes a dynamic process of awareness that is an unwavering therapeutic ally.
  • Biodynamic craniosacral therapists, in particular, practice refining their ability to stabilize their perceptual fields at a wide level of awareness.
  • In these ways biodynamic craniosacral therapy has important overlaps with meditative practice. Many of the types of practices are similar. Even the nature of the work elicits fairly meditative states a great deal of the time… The process of this type of craniosacral therapy often takes both client and therapist into qualities of awareness and states of being that in other contexts would be described as meditative.

Biodynamic Meditation is a way to learn to experience awareness of the healing currents of life force energy within your own system.

To inquire, schedule a discovery call with me.

Reasons people sought Craniosacral Biodynamics, Summer 2023

I compile a seasonal summary of the types of issues that my Craniosacral Biodynamics clients have sought my therapeutic help with. Creating these lists reminds me of the wide range of issues that respond to Biodynamics.

Craniosacral Biodynamics works with the body-mind-energy system’s rhythms, patterns, and physiology from the inside out in these ways:

  • deepening the parasympathetic relaxed state in which healing occurs
  • strengthening the coherence of the internal systems (nervous, digestive, etc.), improving regulation
  • facilitating the system’s ability to heal, thus increasing overall health

The list below is for sessions given between early July and September 15. Some clients had multiple issues, and in some cases, multiple clients experienced the same issue.

Maintaining wellness.

Curious about experiencing Craniosacral Biodynamics
Deepen coherence and relaxation
Deepen meditative connection
Increase sense of well-being
Prevent migraines

Recovery.

Recover from 10-year-old head injury
Recover from a fall
Recover from bump on head

Relief for specific areas of the body.

After-effects of Bell’s palsy
Back pain
Bruxism (teeth clenching/grinding)
Constipation
Pain from degenerated disc
Diarrhea
Discomfort in chest
Ear issues
Eye issues
Feeling of fullness in one ear
Headaches
Hearing loss
Hip pain
Intestinal parasites
Intracranial pressure
Jaw issues
Mast cell activation syndrome
Menstrual discomfort
Neck pain
Pain pattern on right side of body
Plantar fasciitis
Severe neck and jaw pain
Sinus congestion

Whole body issues.

Anxiety
Brain fog
Brain-based pain
Depletion
Dysregulation
Fatigue
Fibromyalgia/central sensitization
High blood pressure
High emotions
Inflammation
Insomnia
Menopause
Overwhelm
Relationship breakup

Click here to read my previous seasonal summary, for spring 2023.


Reasons people received Biodynamics, Spring 2023

Recovery

After dental work
Difficult home birth recovery
Full moon eclipse overwhelm recovery
Post-COVID recovery
Recovery from brain surgery
Recovery from hernia surgery
Releasing anesthesia after dental work

Specific Areas of the Body

Back pain
Cranial tension
Diagonal strain pattern (L hip, R shoulder)
Emergency neck pain
Headache
Intestinal upset
Jaw issues
Joint pain (shoulders, elbows, hips, knees)
Low back pain
Memory loss
Mid-back pain
Migraine prevention
Osteoporosis pain
Pain from dental work
Poor digestion
Release of force vector after injury
Respiratory allergies
Sacrum pain
Sinus congestion
Spinal pain
Tachycardia
Upper neck tension and pain

Whole Body Issues

Anxiety relief
C-PTSD relief
Long COVID relief
Depletion
Dysautonomia
“Everything”
Grief after loss of pet
Healing
Insomnia relief
Marital separation
Mast cell activation syndrome
Renewal
Seeking calm after a shock
Seeking calm before making major decision
Stress relief
Wellness boost

Click here to read my previous seasonal summary, for winter 2022-23.


Reasons people sought Biodynamics, winter 2022-23

These are the reasons people received sessions from me between December 3, 2022, and March 17, 2023. I compile these to show the range of issues that Craniosacral Biodynamics can help with.

Some people had multiple issues. Some issues were experienced by multiple people. Note that issues range from physical to emotional to energetic.

Because Biodynamics increases coherence and optimizes homeostasis, it is able to address this wide range.

Whole body issues

Anxiety
Chronic stress
Travel stress
Stress from caretaking
Stress from power outage
Dysautonomia
Autoimmune issues
Mold allergy
Menopause
Trauma
Depression
Deeper relaxation
More coherence
Needing renewal
More equanimity
More balance
Post-surgical relief
Grief
Abandonment
Loneliness
Recovering from abusive relationship
Clarity about enmeshed relationship
Adjusting to new baby
Balance yin and yang
Depletion
Fatigue
Fibromyalgia
Chronic fatigue
Sore muscles
Curiosity about Biodynamics

Specific parts of the body

Cranial tension
Brain fog
Sudden hearing loss
High pitch tinnitus
Migraines
Headache
Dizziness
Vertigo
Congestion from allergies
TMJ issues
Neck pain
Bitten by horse and shaken
Neck tension affecting voice
Shoulder pain
Heartache
Digestive issues
Herniated disc
Pain from scoliosis
Back pain
Nerve pain
Spinal tension
Spinal cord injury
Sacroiliac joint pain
Sciatica
Leg pain
Neuropathy

Here’s the list for Fall 2022.

How can Biodynamics help with well-being?

For a year now, I’ve been summarizing the reasons people have sought Craniosacral Biodynamics from me and felt better afterwards.

The range is wide.

That may be surprising, but if you understand how it works, it makes sense.

Our systems at all times try to maintain homeostasis.

Picture your body as having many systems — digestive, endocrine, nervous, immune, etc. — that have individual functions but also work in harmony with each other to maintain your well-being.

Every hour of every day, your body is working to keep these systems operating harmoniously.

And yet, things happen that can impair the functioning of your systems: illness, stress, injury, insomnia, exposure to toxins, trauma, etc. Life brings challenges, and homeostasis — while still working to harmonize your systems — doesn’t always function optimally.

If your systems are functioning well, you are resilient, recover from challenges, and return to high-functioning homeostasis.

If you experience too many challenges too close together, or too severe a challenge, your homeostasis doesn’t just automatically bounce back to good health. Although it’s still trying its best to keep your systems working harmoniously, it can be a real struggle to recover.

This is where Craniosacral Biodynamics helps. It improves coherence, which allows your wholeness to reset in the direction of optimal homeostasis.

https://psychcentral.com/lib/your-sense-of-coherence#1

Those who receive Craniosacral Biodynamics sessions report feeling more relaxed after a session, sleeping better, and feeling more whole. Their symptoms lessen, and their well-being increases. Their homeostasis shifts toward coherence and greater health.

Regular sessions (every 2, 3, or 4 weeks) work cumulatively over time to increase your sense of coherence and well-being.

This is why Craniosacral Biodynamics works well with integrative medicine, which focuses on treating the whole person to improve well-being.

This is why I’m grateful to work with the practitioners at West Holistic Medicine in downtown Austin, as well as in my private practice in West Lake Hills.

If you are interested in giving it a try, click here for West Holistic Medicine, or click here to schedule at my office in West Lake Hills.

Reasons people received Craniosacral Biodynamics, Fall 2022

These are the issues that people came to see me for between September 26 and December 6. Several people had more than one issue, and several people identified the same issues.

I use the terms here that clients used to describe their primary reason for seeking sessions.

Specific parts of the body

Atlanto-occipital joint misaligned
Sinus infection
Pressure in head and ears from recent flu
Imprint of being force-fed bottle as infant
Past physical abuse to head
Migraines
TMJ issues
Jaw tremors
Upper palate tension
Neck pain
Shoulder pain
Upper respiratory illness
Mast cell activation in lungs
Stuck energy in chest
Heartbreak
Broken heart syndrome
Digestive issues
Back pain
Herniated disc nerve pain
Hip pain
Knee pain
Feet pain

Whole body issues

ADHD
Acute anxiety
Acute stress
Anemia
Autoimmune issues
Chronic stress
Curious about modality
Depletion
Desiring stillpoints
Early onset Parkinson’s
Family stress
Fatigue
Grief
Lack of motivation
MRSA
Memory issues
Menopause
Pain all over
Perimenopause
Reboot nervous system
Recovery from cancer treatment
Severe mold allergy
Stage 4 cancer
Stress
Stress reduction/bliss uptake
Travel stress
Work stress

Here’s a link to the summary for summer 2022.