Cranial Medicine Wheel Assessment and Treatment

Woo Woo meets Grounded Reality

The forehead of the horse contains a highly accurate, effective assessment and treatment tool that I have named the “Cranial Medicine Wheel”.

It is very effective in assessing and mobilizing purely physical dysfunctions but is particularly efficacious in empowering emotional letting go.

It is aligned with the ancient Five Element Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and especially the Indigenous Medicine Wheel of the Four Directions.

I know of no absolute direct physical structural connections from Cranial Wheel to organ, such as we see with craniosacral (cranial vault to spinal cord to nerve), or vascular (heart to larger to smaller vessels away from the heart). However, there is more than enough evidence to point towards this superseding wheel as part emanating from the brain, (particularly the pineal), and having the blueprint for our complete vitality that is held in the DNA itself, and what is know as the “Luminous Field”. What is clear is that when a skilled therapist “hooks the appropriate aspect of the cranial wheel to a dysfunctional area, it creates an efficient, rapid process of emotional/mental acknowledgment, and letting go. Each individual may or may not be drawn to its efficacy.

When I was first shown this wheel by Domino, an older Peruvian Paso, I had no idea it was an eminence for the entire body to assess and assist in treatment. Indeed, I recorded my initial “download”, but my skepticism, and need for instantaneous results- caused me to put it aside- until years later.

It wasn't until I realized that TCM Five Element Wheel, was another look at the Native Medicine Wheel, and that the earth element was center of the four directions, did I begin to actualize the efficacy of this wheel. The Cranial Wheel is based upon the four directions/seasons, where a new cycle begins in the spring and ends in the winter.

Traditional Chinese medicine uses Five Element Theory as a means to diagnose and guide treatment strategies. Five Elements are based on the idea that all energy (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual) follows an elemental path of balance in a cyclical manner.

These cycles are interwoven as daily, lunar, annual, lifespan, and beyond. When all energies are in balance there is health/vitality, when in imbalance there is dis-ease.

Five Element Theory looks to restore balance by either using a controlling element, or reestablishing flow by opening a blocked energy.

There are specific meridians, organs, tissues, and emotions associated with each element. Note, this model has been in existence for over 5,000 years.

The Indigenous or Native Medicine Wheel is very aligned with TCM Five Elements but is vastly older and deeper with an emphasis upon Path and body as a vessel for development. Indeed, the very concept of “medicine” to native peoples has always been about spirit, emotional/belief and physical enhancement.

Like Five Elements, the energy flows clockwise, has daily, lunar, annual cycles; and every being completes a cycle in lifetime.

Spring/East represents beginning (new year, sunrise, birth), embodied by “wood or life structure”, having liver and gall bladder organs/meridian energy, with rapid growth and exuberance for what is to come.

Summer/South represents maturing growth and development (adulthood, proficiency, intense work, career), where we practice and become what we intended to be in the spring. Embodied by “fire” and having the organs/meridians of heart, pericardium, small intestine and the illusive triple heater (thyroid, Thymus, adrenals).

Autumn/West represents the harvest (mature energy, holding all that was gained, late midlife, towards retirement), embodied by “air and metal” and having the organs/meridians of lung and large intestine.

Winter/North represents slowing down, the integration of all that was learned/ completed, and that which will be discarded and retained to become anew in the spring. Embodied by “water” having the organs/meridians of kidney and bladder.

This is an eloquent process, form and reflection. None of that matters unless it has true profound, repeatable efficacy, or what Native Americans say, “Growing Corn”.

Assessment using the Cranial Wheel- Is done by merging (aligning below the surface and bone) with the entire wheel, and by asking the innate intelligence where the Area of Greatest Restriction (AGR) is. Your hand will unwind, gravitate to the area of the wheel involved. From there you can fine tune which organs are involved. You should also feel a cranial vault restriction associated with cranial wheel dysfunctions.

Next verify the organ or associated structure is in dysfunction, it will always have a positive flinch response, and the craniosacral rhythm of flexion and extension should be null. The referred spinal segment/vertebrae should have a dura tube adhesion present, as well as referred muscles, and other nonobvious connective structures.

Wheel direction/organ, AGR causation (physical emotional, mental, or spiritual primary issue). One must verify by other direct palpation assessment, and/or treatment outcomes before you truly own this technique.

Treatment using the Cranial Wheel- Can be done by directly assessing the wheel and then “hooking it up” to the associated organ/structure. Then allowing the wheel to help you mobilize rebalancing.

A more common approach is during treatment session flow- where you are treating a dense tissue spasm, energy cyst, or simple an area that intuitively speaks to you. These areas are usually stuck emotional patterns (SER’s). By connecting them to the corresponding aspect of the wheel can prove invaluable.

If you feel, sense an emotional dense stagnation in an area (predominately organs), engage it fully with absolute, yet compassionate intention- while not allowing any transfer into your arm and body. Next hook it up to the wheel, but above the cranial wheel aspect. Emotional disturbances create magnetic energy waves that protrude beyond the cranium usually 1-4 inches. “Evoke Emotional Acknowledgment, message understanding, reconciliation, and “letting go”. This process in equines is surprisingly fast, and as you see, feel this acceptance, your hand will follow the magnetic protuberance back and INTO the cranium. Ground it home here, then proceed to work directly on the organ or structure fully.

You will observe that it is more common to have specific organ dysfunctions during their time of year/day, than not. For example, its common to see an array of lung and colic in the fall, kidney stones in the winter, liver stagnation in the spring etc...