To The Point PDX Practitioner Spotlight: Sarah Grumbling, LMT

How did you get started on your path to becoming a bodyworker?

A few years before I began bodywork training, a friend offered me a few minutes of craniosacral work as a migraine was beginning to set in. Very quickly, I felt my whole system relax and a sense of a subtle energy moving through my head. There was a familiarity to this sensation and it sparked a curiosity in me. A few years later in 2011, a desire to shift careers to a more service oriented role led me to study massage at East West College. I knew early on that craniosacral was the direction I wanted to go in and in addition to our massage curriculum, I began taking craniosacral courses outside of school. A lifelong student, I have not stopped and am immensely grateful for the years of training and deepening my practice.

How would you describe your approach to bodywork?

This work is a conversation between your tissue and the body’s innate wisdom. My role is to listen deeply and help facilitate that conversation while holding a compassionate yet neutral space for each individual’s process. By engaging the tissue with a very gentle touch, listening and following the body, there are opportunities for re-organizing restrictions, deep unwinding and healing.

What can craniosacral help with?

Craniosacral is really fantastic for anyone who wants to reconnect with their body on a deeper level and bring balance back to the nervous system. Some of the most dramatic shifts I’ve witnessed are from treating clients with severe chronic migraines, TMJ pain and babies with breastfeeding issues. Craniosacral also has a large emotional release component that can help with “stuck” emotions manifesting as physical pain (often mysterious in origin). Overall, my clients share that they feel more spacious, integrated, and whole after treatments.

What do you like to do when you’re not in the treatment room?

I love being outside and connecting with nature. Mt. Tabor is one of my favorite places in Portland and my partner and I try to get up there multiple times a week. Creative pursuits really fuel my fire and I enjoy dancing, yoga, singing kirtan, painting, knitting and throwing pots in the ceramics studio.

__________________________________________________________________________________________
Sarah offers 60-minute craniosacral therapy sessions for adults and will be offering home visits for infant craniosacral in March 2024 Book now.