The Cranial Connection

30/07/2026

Nice to see an article about Craniosacral Therapy in HELLO magazine!

Craniosacral Therapy in Hello magazine:
https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/health-and-fitness/915003/craniosacral-therapy-nervous-system-stress/

29/07/2026

An interesting read worth sharing.

🧠💓 Could One Gentle Technique Reset Autonomic Imbalance?
CranioSacral Therapy might hold the key.

A published case study in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science explores how a 39-year-old man suffering from Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)—a form of dysautonomia that spiked after COVID—found lasting relief not from medication, but from osteopathic manual therapy, specifically the CV4 technique (Compression of the Fourth Ventricle).

🌿 What’s compelling?
✅ Symptoms improved after the first CV4 session
✅ Heart rate response normalized over a series of sessions
✅ Symptom-free for over 6 months

This case proposes CranioSacral Therapy as a viable standalone modality for managing neuropathic POTS—an increasingly common challenge in post-COVID patients.

✨ For manual therapists, it’s a powerful reminder: the body has the potential to reset, given the right support.

🔗 Read the full open-access article:https://www.iahe.com/storage/docs/articles/CEREUS-Management-of-Post-Viral-Postural-Orthostatic.pdf

🔍 Or search in the article database at upledger.com

21/07/2026

Watch this and I’ll let you decide which state we are forgetting to live in.

The nervous system is not spoken about enough. But it’s my passion. I see so many people desperately looking for the instant fix to their problems, solutions that are external, short lived and ineffective.. not realising the biggest change can be activated from within … your body just asks you stop and listen once in a while ❤️

20/07/2026

📞 Please contact directly for availability and cost.

🚙 I’ll be heading out Stratford way and Derby way next week.

20/07/2026

Currently taking on new clients.

📞 FREE 15 minute consultation
🗓️ Appointments available in August

09/07/2026

“I honestly can’t thank Niki enough. My mare is the sweetest horse, but she’s incredibly sensitive and takes a long time to trust. She’s had a really difficult few years following treatment for severe ulcers, and despite seeing so many vets and therapists for her ongoing mild lameness, we still felt like we weren’t getting anywhere. As time went on, her behaviours were becoming more difficult with each passing month.

Niki is different. She met my mare exactly where she was, gave her all the time she needed, and made her feel safe (even though it meant her journey home was much later than planned!). Watching my mare relax and start to let go of things she’d been holding onto was amazing, and for the first time in a long time, I genuinely feel hopeful that we can help her get back to full health.

I can’t explain what she does, but if you’re lucky enough to find Niki, your horse will be in the kindest, most intuitive hands. She has a truly special gift. 💛”

06/07/2026

“ Can’t recommend Niki enough. I met with her at a difficult time in my life and she has stuck with me for 3 years….. and even worked with my aged dog. Niki is professional but human. She will work with you, where ever you are in that moment- whatever that means for you. Her care and practice have given me space to grow, strength to lift my head and belief in my own ability to use my resources. Thank you! “

20/06/2026

Sometimes the most powerful sessions are the ones you never planned.

Recently, I was faced with a brave question: How do you explain to an owner that they are the focus of the session, not their horse?

What unfolded was one of the most beautiful experiences I've had in my work.

I arrived expecting to support a mare who needed help. But very quickly, she made it clear that her human needed me first.

Before we could address the horse, there was sadness to acknowledge. Grief. Guilt. Confusion. The lingering weight of a difficult 12 months. While the worst had passed, the nervous system was still carrying the impact.

To her immense credit, this new client trusted the process and allowed the session to unfold exactly as it needed to.

What happened next is something I wish had been captured on camera.

As I worked with my client in the stable, the mare and companion horse in the stable next door quietly moved closer, standing with us and simply holding space. There was no agenda, no expectation. Just presence. A beautiful co-regulation of nervous systems, all settling together.

The mare was incredibly clear. When her human had received what she needed, the mare effectively "ended" that part of the session. As always, I am humbled to be guided by a horse. They are unapologetically present. Some are gentle teachers. Others leave no room for misunderstanding. This mare was the latter!

Only then did the mare invite me to work with her.

Again, she set the boundaries.

Sometimes that means explaining to an owner why I'm standing several feet away from their horse at the end of a lead rope, seemingly doing very little. Nervous system regulation doesn't always require hands-on contact. The horse decides what feels safe, and my role is to listen.

This mare reminded me to trust my instincts. To trust what I was seeing. To trust that the way I needed to work that day was exactly right for both of them. Not always easy when people sometimes have understandable ‘expectations’.

And the most rewarding part?

Hearing how they both were the following day.

The changes. The shifts. The evidence that regulation had begun—not just for the horse, but for the human too. Together. In partnership.

Thank you to this wonderful client and to her incredible equine teacher for your trust. I look forward to the next part of this journey with you.

Image for attention only.

15/05/2026

💛 5 Ways Your Nervous System Impacts Your Success in Career & Finances 💛

1️⃣ Survival mode blocks creativity.
When the body feels unsafe, it focuses on protection — not expansion, growth, or possibility.

2️⃣ Stress reduces clarity & intuition.
Chronic stress makes everything feel urgent. You lose the ability to hear your inner guidance and make calm, aligned decisions.

3️⃣ Burnout destroys consistency.
You can push through for a while… but when your body is running on stress, eventually your energy crashes. True consistency comes from regulation, not force.

4️⃣ Stored emotions can lead to self-sabotage.
If success, visibility, money, or responsibility feels unsafe in the body, you may unconsciously procrastinate, undercharge, avoid opportunities, or hold yourself back.

5️⃣ Your energy affects trust & opportunity.
People feel your nervous system through your voice, posture, breath, eyes, and presence.
A regulated nervous system creates safety. Safety builds trust. Trust opens doors.

✨ Most people think they need a better strategy…

But often, the body you’ve been operating from is simply exhausted.

When your nervous system begins to regulate:
✔️ Your decisions become clearer
✔️ Your energy feels more stable
✔️ Your presence deepens
✔️ Success feels safer and easier to hold

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, emotionally drained, stuck in survival mode, or disconnected from yourself… this is your reminder that your body is not working against you — it’s asking for support.

Craniosacral Therapy offers a gentle, calming space for your nervous system to slow down, reset, and heal.

💛 Imagine moving through life achieving greater success, while enjoying more calm, clarity, energy, and ease.

📞 I offer a FREE 15-minute consultation to see whether CST feels right for you.
🏠 Sessions available in Bromsgrove & Knowle, Solihull
📩 Send me a message to book your consultation or ask any questions

Credit - Jules Horn & Freepix

13/05/2026

✨ The nervous system matters more than we realise ✨

We often underestimate the power it has over wellbeing, behaviour, movement and the way we experience the world.

Horses are deeply sensitive, present beings… yet they live in an overstimulated, dysregulated human world.

So when a horse isn’t quite right, it’s not always something we can simply 'train through' or ignore.

Stress has a profound effect on the body.

The science part! The body’s response to stress involves a complex relationship between the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis and the autonomic nervous system. The pituitary gland signals the release of cortisol and other hormones to mobilise energy and help the body cope with stressors, while the autonomic nervous system releases adrenaline to prepare the body for fight or flight. A cycle so many of us are often stuck in, accept and normalise.

At the same time, areas of the brain are also affected:

• The amygdala becomes hyperactive, heightening emotional responses
• The prefrontal cortex — responsible for focus, decision-making and emotional regulation — becomes compromised
• The hippocampus, essential for learning and memory, can become impaired under prolonged stress

Stress also negatively influences the release and function of serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, inflammation, the insula and even epigenetic expression.

The impact of stress on the body is significantly complex and should never be taken lightly.

One of the most important starting points can simply be supporting the nervous system — helping the horse feel safe, settled and regulated before diving deeper into physical restrictions or compensation patterns.

Because safety is survival.

Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs happen when the body finally feels safe enough to let go.

If you have an over stimulated, anxious horse or maybe you yourself can identify with this, please get in touch.

📞 Free phone consultations available.
🚗 All locations covered.

Credit: Thanks to a client for sharing some wonderful moments working with her mare who was not keen on being caught or touched that day