Module 10

Earth Element, Mandible & Temporomandibular Joint

Reading	Preview: Sills: Foundations of Craniosacral Biodynamics, Vol 2, Chapters 3–6 – Working with Birth Dynamics in Babies and Adults Review: Sills: Foundations of Craniosacral Biodynamics, Vol 2, Chapters 9 & 15 – Pelvic Dynamics & TMJ Review: Sills: Polarity Process, Chapters 4 & 6 – Earth Element Review: Milne: Heart of Listening – Mandible
Drawings
Practices
Writings	Write a paragraph about your experience of beginnings, middles and endings. What is your experience of Earth element when it is in balance – in your body, mind & emotions? What is your experience when it is out of balance? How has this impacted your life?
Projects	- Tutorial #3 - Cranial Nerve Project catch up (whichever nerves you haven’t completed)
TA Check In	- Write up 4 practice sessions or call and discuss with your homework TA. - Report includes what you noticed initially, what you did in the session, any results or outcomes observed or reported, and questions that arose for you. - Make arrangements to contact your TA twice between now and the next module. - Please don’t wait until the week before the module.

Sections in Bold Green are required for BCST practitioner certification and to be able to register with BCTA/NA.

Write a paragraph on the following topic: What is your experience of Earth element when it is in balance – in your body, mind & emotions? What is your experience when it is out of balance? How has this impacted your life?

Sills: Foundations of Craniosacral Biodynamics, Vol 2 – Chapter 3 (Working with Birth Dynamics in Babies and Adults)

Sills: Foundations of Craniosacral Biodynamics, Vol 2 – Chapter 4 (Working with Birth Dynamics in Babies and Adults)

Sills: Foundations of Craniosacral Biodynamics, Vol 2 – Chapter 5 (Working with Birth Dynamics in Babies and Adults)

Sills: Foundations of Craniosacral Biodynamics, Vol 2 – Chapter 6 (Working with Birth Dynamics in Babies and Adults)

Parasympathetic hold
Sitz bone – slightly to the inside of the bone (2nd and 3rd finger)
Holding sore spot on neck
Strong pressure in both places
Earth line on outside of the leg
Find sore spots along the leg
Firm pressure or rocking from that place
Colon – knead/massage from ascending to transverse to descending colon; then hold gently
Neck – massage sore spots on the neck, hold sore spots tamasically, wait for a pulse and then hold gently
Knees – rock/massage the knees, hold sore spots, then hold both knees with full palm and wait for pulses to balance
Connect the Triads: Knees – Colon, Colon – Neck, Neck – Knees

Hold either the heels or the little toes
Sitz bone and neck – start with tamasic contact, soften to sattvic as the tissue softens
O/A Hold – feel for spreading/softening
Sitz bone and Jaw
1, 2, 3, 4 (1 is always closest to the joint) – can go to corresponding points around the body
Palm on side of jaw
Massage temporalis and masseter
Bi-lateral Mandible Hold – feel for motion present
Modified Cradle with Mandible & Cervicals – underside of jaw with pinkies on the neck
O/A Hold
Sacrum

Do a TMJ assessment using the criteria we practiced in class
Hip range of motion assessment – pick a side to work on
Listening to hip: ball and socket joints – listen for unwinding, softening, spreading
Bi-lateral TMJ hold – index fingers on TMJ; see which side calls your attention
One Sided TMJ contacts (do one side or both – depending on what you felt at the TMJ)
- V-Spread: Temporomandibular Ligament – one hand holds the head, the other has index and middle fingers spread between the mandible and the temporal bone, across the TMJ joint and ligament. Feel for a lengthening down
- Intra-Oral – Sphenomandibular Ligament: one gloved finger on the back molars, the other hand on the wings of the sphenoid bone at the temple. Feel for unwinding or lengthening
- Stylomandibular Ligament: one hand on the back of the mandible, the other hand on the temporal bone at the mastoid. Feel for unwinding or lengthening
Modified Cradle: Cervicals & Mandible – see if any unwinding wants to happen between the cervicals and mandible after the TMJ work
Bi-Lateral TMJ hold – see how the jaw feels similar or different
Sacrum/L5 hold – feel for spreading between your hands indicating lengthening at the joint
Repeat the TMJ assessment – how are things similar or different?