Customer Reviews

The Heart of Listening: A Visionary Approach to Craniosacral Work, Vol. 1: Origins, Destination Points, Unfoldment

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Milne,a 3rd generation Scottish osteopath, has the celtic gift of healing through word and touch. He shares the long multi-cultural history, precise techniques and profound implications of cranial work with quiet passion and reverence. His approach is an extraordinary blend of clinical expertise and spiritual authenticity. A must for any therapist using this approach.

Well written with a good index, bibliography and footnotes for each chapter. The author's analogies are also quite helpful as it is really a book that tries to teach a feeling, hands on, touch subject. The diagrams are accurate and easy to follow. At times there are references to techniques that are in the next volume. Volume one deals with the background, history and cerebral/philosophical aspects of craniosacral work. These aspects are a key to how the author practices craniosacral work. This is not just a technical manual of how to shift bones. It deals with energetic aspects of healing as well. As I am a veterinarian, the medical aspects were easy to follow. I cannot speak to how someone with less anatomical training would see the text.

As an aspiring Yoga practitioner since the 1960s I've approached meditation from many directions and with varying degrees of success. Hugh Milne's book, which serves as a basic text for his discipline of Visionary Craniosacral Work (VCSW), is an amazing collection of lore from many valuable sources and a self-help tool for many aspects of the practice. But for a serious student of VCSW there can be no substitute for an accredited guide. His coaching in meditation here, however, is the very best I've ever seen in print. Following his step-by-step instructions in breathing methods (he gives several) and visualization, there is hope for many of us to achieve the state of clarity that Hugh equates with samadhi. For me, that alone would be sufficient justification for acquiring this book.

This book and the 2nd volume are both great books, well written, and include great levels of information. Hugh is also a fantastic teacher (the only challenge is that he doesn't travel to the northeastern US). It deepens the work for the student with experience and includes lots of information that you can never write down in class. He's also a fantastic and inspiring teacher while also being very personable and approachable.