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A cluster of monarch butterflies gather on a eucalyptus branch

Every fall and winter, Natural Bridges State Beach welcomes back monarch butterflies to their winter habitat in the eucalyptus grove, the only State Monarch Preserve in California. It is like watching a beautiful ballet choreographed by nature itself. Thousands of delicate wings flutter in perfect synchronization like a theater company moving across the stage as they move gracefully from one tree to the next and then land there, looking like orange and black leaves. In this grand performance, they not only engage in the vital act of pollination, enriching the genetic diversity of numerous plant species, but also play the role of nourishing providers for local predators and scavengers. Their migration reminds us that the delicate flutter of their wings holds the balance of life itself.

Every fall and winter, Natural Bridges State Beach welcomes back monarch butterflies to their winter habitat in the eucalyptus grove, the only State Monarch Preserve in California. It is like watching a beautiful ballet choreographed by nature itself. Thousands of delicate wings flutter in perfect synchronization like a theater company moving across the stage as they move gracefully from one tree to the next and then land there, looking like orange and black leaves. In this grand performance, they not only engage in the vital act of pollination, enriching the genetic diversity of numerous plant species, but also play the role of nourishing providers for local predators and scavengers. Their migration reminds us that the delicate flutter of their wings holds the balance of life itself.

A Safe Haven

Over twenty years ago, I began experiencing significant chronic pain, specifically in my spine and hips. For a competitive surfer and avid skateboarder such as myself, this development in my young life was a tough pill to swallow. So tough that I began to swallow pills. Lot’s of pills. I didn’t have the maturity to process my sorrow, so the narcotics seemed to help, at first.
As time went on, the pain became unbearable even with the dope, and, after a series of scary misdiagnoses, it became clear that I was suffering from Scheurmann’s Disease, a painful juvenile disc disease, in my thoracic spine, along with bilateral femoral acetabular impingement in my hips. While there was nothing I could do for my spine besides rest, yoga, and physical therapy, I was able to find relief in my hips through arthroscopic surgical intervention.  Those only provided temporary relief, so, after many years of suffering, I had a bilateral hip replacement surgery at Stanford to take care of my arthritic hips once and for all.
I still hurt, all the time, and was given the frustratingly useless diagnosis of Fibromyalgia to explain the cause of my constant aches and pains. Luckily, during this journey I was introduced to a subtle, yet transformative form of body work known as craniosacral therapy. It seemed to not only allow my body to let go of my tight and sore soft tissue and muscles, but of the tension and disfunction being stored in my nervous system as well.
During craniosacral therapy sessions, I would have these monumental experiences of letting go in which that vice-grip would release, dropping me into profound states of peace and much needed relaxation. Magical is the only word I know that can accurately describe those blissful moments, and these sessions would become vital components of my extensive self-care routine. 
Disappointingly, my craniosacral therapist began phasing out her practice as she reached retirement age, so I was no longer able to get regular treatment. Fortunately, my good friend and massage therapist, Meghan Robinson, had also fallen in love with the gentle therapy in recent years, and has since altered her practice to begin focusing on craniosacral therapy entirely. Since then, I’ve been seeing Robinson regularly, and have found highly positive results with her thoughtful and thorough approach.
Unfortunately, the medical scientific community has some strong words to describe craniosacral therapy, including “pseudoscience” and “quackery”, but as myself and many others can attest to, the rigidity of “science” has repeatedly failed to recognize tons of different treatments and therapies that benefit millions who suffer needlessly. Just because modern medicine can’t quantify or explain just why it is that treatments such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Reiki, and certain diets and supplemental regimens work for so many people, doesn’t mean they’re invalid.
In an effort to spread the word about craniosacral therapy and hopefully expose some open-minded individuals to it’s healing powers, I decided to interview Robinson to get her take on the value and merits of this criminally under-appreciated treatment for well-being. And if that’s not enough to sway you, I advise you to put all your biases and preconceived notions away for just one hour-long session with a therapist as adept as Robinson, and then tell me what you think. I have a feeling you’ll be owing me an apology.

1) Tell me about your journey as a body-worker. When did you embark on your career? 
I discovered massage therapy as an option back in my late 20s when I was practicing hot yoga in Aptos. There I ran into a classmate from high school who mentioned that she had traveled to South America for a few months and she kept her cost down by exchanging bodywork for accommodations. I was intrigued. I was sitting on the wait-list for the nursing program at Cabrillo, but that had always seemed like a plan B. I loved studying anatomy and kinesiology in preparation for nursing so I already had a pretty good background on the human body. I checked out one massage school, National Holistic Institute in San Jose, as a way to get out of the SC bubble and meet new people. Shortly after visiting the school, my sister and I went down to Ecuador for a couple months. Two weeks in, I sent my deposit into the school with the promise that I&#8217;d be back by May to start the next program.
2) What kinds of benefits do people pursuing massage receive? Do you have any noteworthy examples of profound results experienced by your clients?
There are so many but the main result across the board would be stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. Everyone drops into a more relaxed state than when they walked through my door. Other benefits people are pursuing could be pain relief, feeling held and supported in a safe space and increased body awareness and connection to the body.
One of my favorite benefits came from an elderly client of mine. She has outlived three husbands and told me that she never receives touch from anyone outside of her massage hour.

3) Your focus has now shifted to cranio-sacral therapy, a far more subtle form of body-work. What led you down this path? Where did you study and do your training?
With a good friend and colleague of mine, Maria Fernandez, I started taking Visceral Manipulation courses through the Barral-Upledger Institute. This was my first taste of working on the body in other ways than focusing on muscles and joints. In these courses we learned about the organs and their connections to each other in the abdomen and thorax and how adhesions or tension in the organ tissues could present as joint pain or physiological issues elsewhere in the body. This style of bodywork is very gentle, whereas I have found in my career so far that people generally wanted more pressure because of the &#8220;no pain, no gain&#8221; mentality. I LOVED the profound effects of this gentle style and in searching for more courses to take, I found craniosacral therapy.
4) Can you explain how cranio-sacral therapy works? What types of bodies and or personalities are good candidates for this technique?
On the most simplest level, CS targets the central nervous system directly. Mechanically, the CS rhythm is initiated by two bones in the skull, the sphenoid and occipital bones. Their hinging movements create and start the pumping of cerebral spinal fluid throughout the skull and spinal column. We can feel the rhythm from anywhere on the body. If there&#8217;s a lack of movement or a sluggishness in an area of the body, there might be something there&#8230; I think the best candidates for this type of bodywork are those who respond to subtle changes, whether physical or emotional or those who are looking for help releasing old trauma from tissues in a very gentle manner.

5) What&#8217;s the reception been like so far with your craniosacral practice?
People are loving it. In the past, I’ve had clients express that they want deep or intense pressure thinking that suffering though the session will make them better tomorrow but that’s not always the case. The biggest feedback has been how surprisingly profound the changes can be with such a gentle touch.
6) Do customers ever leave feeling underwhelmed by the treatment as it can be far more subtle than traditional massage?
Absolutely! I have had people leave after a session and they don&#8217;t notice anything different, or felt underwhelmed at what their experience was on the table, whether it was a lack of bodily sensation or visuals/emotions but then they’ll send me a text a few days later saying that they slept better than they had in a while the night after the session, or that they started processing something after the session that has been really profound. That’s something I love about this style of bodywork- their experience has nothing to do with me other than what I can control (room ambiance, comfort level, music, etc). How much or little the client feels is totally determined by them.

7) What is it about cranio-sacral therapy that intrigues and inspires you the most? Do you feel like there are some mystical or spiritual components of the technique that can&#8217;t be quantified by traditional science?
My favorite part about CS is that I&#8217;m not doing much on my end and it seems like magic to the clients. I&#8217;m setting up the body or holding the tissues in a particular way that allows for an unwinding, or release, or “a-ha moment” for the client. What the client feels may seem mystical or spiritual and what I’m doing is listening to the body through my hands in very specific positions or locations. I constantly ask myself if I can do less: can I lighten my pressure, can I speak less, etc..
8) How do you plan to expand your business in the future? Do you have any plans for further training and education?
I take a few classes every year and since 2019, most have been either Visceral Manipulation or Craniosacral trainings. I’m a traveler and when I can find a class to stack a vacation onto the end of, I want that! I spent a week south of Todos Santos last October in a week long intensive reiki retreat where I was trained up to Reiki Master. Now, I cant not add reiki to the sessions and feel that CS and reiki go very well together.
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Follow Meghan on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meghan_robinson_therapies/">@meghan_robinson_therapies</a>
Or, better yet, book an appointment today! <a href="http://www.meghanrobinsontherapies.com">www.meghanrobinsontherapies.com</a>
<h5>The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Santa Cruz Vibes Media, LLC</h5>

EDITORIAL: Craniosacral Therapy

Every child on this Earth becomes acquainted with it’s wonders through the acquisition of language. Verbal language, or the way in which we string together words in order to do things like describe our needs and ask important questions, allows us to interface with others as we go about the doings of our day. Words, however, can only go so far in expressing the enormity of an emotion, or conveying the importance of an idea. Sometimes, the language of art proves to be just as, if not more, effective than that of the spoken word.
Brittany Costanzo, of Costanzo Creative, considers herself lucky that the language of art was one shown, and encouraged to her by her parents at a young age. They fostered a creative home life for she and her siblings and her mom, in particular, had no problem letting them take over the kitchen table with markers and clay or any other sort of craft they could get their hands on. She also remembers one of her fondest childhood memories being that when he dad’s best friend, Mike Erickson, who was a cartoonist, would come over and spend time sketching with she and her siblings.
“He would take our requests for the craziest, most outlandish things we could come up with and then he would bring those requests to life in the most incredible little cartoon doodles,” she remembers.
“I think that he, along with my parents of course, played a really significant role in the reason my siblings and I love to draw so much.”
Growing up in Santa Cruz, there is no shortage of natural beauty for inspiration, so as a kid, Costanzo really liked getting outside to sketch whenever possible. While in school, she was always most excited about the projects that involved art and says that she would always find ways to incorporate art or illustrations into her work as a way to better understand what she was learning. She believes that this practice is what led to her interest in art and undoubtedly influenced her decision to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Art and Visual Culture from UCSC and later, a certification in Scientific Illustration from CSUMB.
“While I was a student at UCSC I had the opportunity to teach classical art lessons to children and adults at a wonderful local art studio called Drawn2Art,” she recalls. 
“It was during that time that I discovered now fulfilling it was to teach others how to draw and paint.”
Now, Costanzo is inspiring kids everyday with her latest mural offering at Soquel Elementary, which highlights the importance of our natural world in a fun and colorful way. Using her artistic language, she’s planting a seed in the mind’s of tomorrow, one that will hopefully continue to take root and grow for years to come.
“As an artist I value the ability to use visual art as a tool to teach and inspire others of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds.  One of my goals is to find fun and imaginative methods to connect with the natural world, and to also find ways to connect the community through a shared appreciation for art, learning and our environment.”
I recently caught up with the prolifically positive pintadora to get further insight into her methods and approach to this stunning piece of visual education. Enjoy!

This mural was designed for the Soquel Elementary community. The garden teacher at the time, Megan McElroy, came up with the idea of adding a mural to their garden space and quickly got the ball rolling to make that happen. I later met with Megan to brainstorm ideas and together, we thought it would be really fun to create something that not only involved the student body in the planning process, but also included a design that was engaging and possibly educational at the same time. We really wanted this mural to not only add to the existing beauty of the garden, but to also help create a rich and meaningful place to gather and learn. 
It was intended to create a space for students, grade K-5, to learn about the basic components of a garden ecosystem. It was designed in a way that would hopefully educate students on the inner workings of the garden and also encourage them to get up close and personal with the natural world. This project was unique for me in that we actually created a basic garden curriculum, including lessons and activities about science and nature using themes from the mural. The curriculum is broken down into four basic themes: Patterns in Nature, Garden ecosystems and life cycles, Botanical breakdown and Pollination.

While making this, we tried to evoke a sense of curiosity and inclusion. This mural design and concept represent the imagination of the entire Soquel Elementary student body. Each student, grades TK-5, was asked to sketch their own version of the Soquel Garden Mural. Their ideas and sketches were the foundation for the design. It was very important to both Megan and myself to make sure the kids not only felt like their input was heard, but for them to also see their ideas and drawings represented within the mural.  
I did all of the preliminary design work in my sketchbook and Adobe Illustrator.  The actual mural was painted with Behr Exterior house paint. I tried my best to incorporate as many of the common elements from the students as possible. The majority of their sketches included giant flowers, plants growing above and below the surface, garden critters (bugs, birds, snakes, etc.) and mushrooms. The text at the bottom, “watch us grow” came from one of their sketches.

After meeting with Megan, and going through all of the student sketches, I began sketching out a general composition in my sketchbook, then later brought that into Adobe Illustrator.  Megan and I worked together on a few revisions, then we presented two options to the Soquel Elementary staff.  Based off their input, we continued to refine the design until we settled on something that worked for everyone.  Once we got the green light to start, the actual installation took 3-4 weeks.
I’m so fortunate to have the most incredible family who never hesitate to step in and support me in all of my artistic endeavors.  There were a ton of unforeseen steps in the installation process and there is no way I’d be able to accomplish any of these large projects without their help and continuous encouragement.  My two sisters, Nicole and Tina, helped from start to finish with prepping the wall surface, leveling the ground, meeting me at 10pm to project and sketch my design on the wall— the list goes on.  I also had a bunch of help from a few talented friends who came out periodically to help with the painting (Bridget Bailey, Kristen Burroughs, Taylor Friend), and not to mention the handful of students who came by to paint a few things of their own as well.

While I’m painting, I usually listen to Santa Cruz Voice. I always start my mornings off with Rosie and Bill on their morning show and I try not to miss the Dr. and Mrs. Future show. 
Like any other artist, I’m continuously inspired by what is around me. I would take occasional painting breaks to stretch and just walk around the garden. As a result, I was constantly fighting the urge to include literally every plant, insect, or animal that I noticed. Side note- have you ever seen a Great blue heron completely chow down on a gopher? I saw this happen almost daily and had no idea they were such effective gopher hunters. I would also notice something like a perfect tendril on a pumpkin vine and say, ok we need more tendrils. Or I’d ask myself why I didn’t include corn? I have a hard time with calling a project complete. There will always be more I would have liked to add, or things I wished I painted differently, but at some point, you just have to call it.

It’s hard to pin point the most enjoyable part. Honestly, this entire project was really heartwarming from start to finish. I loved the enthusiasm from the kids and was so inspired by all of their artwork. My daughter is a student there and she also helped a bunch with the planning and painting, which was really special for both of us. I really loved spending so much time in the amazing garden that Megan created with and for the students. If I had to choose, I think the most enjoyable part would probably be just making the mural happen. This project was in the works for about two years and it involved a lot of help and support from the community, the Home and School Club, the staff and mainly Megan McElroy. So many people made it possible and just being able to actually bring this idea to life as the culmination of everyone’s persistence and tenacity, it really evoked for me personally, a sense of community and togetherness. 
I’m pleased that we were able to pull it off and that it represents what we envisioned. I hope that it brings some joy to the community and sparks a little interest in art, science, and the natural world.

Be sure to follow Brittany on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/costanzo_creative/">@costanzo_creative</a>
Or her website! <a href="http://www.costanzocreative.com">www.costanzocreative.com</a>

A Safe Haven

The annual monarch butterfly migration to Natural Bridges means Fall has landed in Santa Cruz.