After circulating around the spine, the CSF moves back upward from the sacrum to the brain in a rhythmic cycle of approximately 6-9 times per minute. This continuous flow nourishes the nerves and tissues and helps cleanse the craniosacral system by flushing out cellular waste and toxins.

The distinction between soma and body. Somatics is the study of the soma—the body as experienced from within. When we look at a person from the outside, we see their physical body. But when we experience ourselves from the inside, through our own senses, we perceive something quite different: our soma.

Creating new pathways for sensory awareness and fluid movement. Somatic learning is a process that expands our conscious awareness and control over our own movements. It’s important to distinguish this from conditioning, which is a more passive process where external influences shape our responses without conscious involvement.

Our muscles don’t operate on their own—they rely entirely on signals from the brain and central nervous system to contract and move. This is how we learn to walk, dance, ride a bike, or play a sport. However, the brain can also teach the muscles to remain involuntarily tight due to factors such as emotional trauma, injuries, repetitive tasks, or ongoing psychological stress.