​Intrinsic Touch Institute

There is more to life than increasing its speed.   Ghandi

Intrinsic Touch is a biodynamic approach to fascial release, combining the listening skills of Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy and indirect engagement techniques with the connective tissue. Biodynamic refers to the healing life movement and energy that is intrinsic in each one of us. Throughout history, practitioners have observed that there are subtle inherent healing rhythms and movements happening within the body at all times. Given the right conditions, these unfold into a core of stillness which allows the system to resolve conditions and reorganize itself in a healthier way.

In Intrinsic Touch we learn to perceive and support these movements by using the practice of dropping into a fluid and holistic awareness. This allows us to connect with and support the body’s inherent healing processes (biodynamics). By listening to and following the body’s own wisdom, even entrenched conditions can be assisted in letting go. The work is done clothed on a massage table, or sitting or standing. The touch can range from very light and energetic to deeply stretching or pressing or rocking. Indirect engagement with connective tissue is a technique developed by John Barnes, PT, that stresses following the body's inherent unwinding healing movements which can be elicited with gentle sustained pressure held over a length of time.

Founded in a combination of scientific knowledge about connective tissue and age-old understandings about body healing, Intrinsic Touch can help with the resolution of chronic pain and traumatic patterns. It is also useful for injury recovery, visceral work, craniosacral therapy, and stress reduction. A common response in clients is a sense of well-being, wholeness, and relief.

Intrinsic Touch is simple to learn; practitioners can be immediately effective in combining these techniques within their current modalities. With practice, intuitive abilities amplify and the work refines in profound ways. Intrinsic Touch supports both the practitioner and the client in coming to a greater level of personal coherence and a deeper felt-sense of embodiment.