Personal Life Media

Charles Ridley’s love for cranial work began 36 years ago in 1973. For fifteen years, he studied with Dr DeJarnette--a student of the founder of cranial work, Dr Sutherland--and with Dr Marc Pick, author of Cranial Sutures.

From 1981 to 1989 Charles' cranial practice in Manhattan served some of the most famous celebrities of that time.

Beginning in 1985 until 2002 Charles mentored with renouned Jungian therapist Robert Johnson author of 14 books.

In the early 1990's, he took a series of courses that combined Dr Frymann’s tutorials in cranial osteopathy with all of Dr Upledger’s courses. Then in 1997, Charles trained, certified, and became a teacher of Hugh Milne’s cranial osteopathy--Visionary Craniosacral Work.

For four years, while in Iowa, he worked closely with the founder of wholistic dentistry, Dr Alerod Fonder--author of The Dental Physician, and in Manhattan he worked with the famed voice specialist Wilbur Gould, MD, who gave Charles full access to his Vocal Dynamics Laboratory at Lennox Hill Hospital to research the effect of cranial work on 20 professional singer's voices.

He wrote a column for three years for the national publication Whole Life Times as well as lecturing nationally at the Whole Life Expo's.

In 1985 he co-founded Whole Life Medical Center with Ronald Hoffman, MD in Manhattan

Charles has written two books:

STILLNESS: Biodynamic Cranial Practice and the Evolution of Consciousness

(North Atlantic Books, 2006), and

Beyond Stillness: A Biodynamic Practitioner Workbook,  available as an E-book on the site store.

Presently, Charles is working on a book about the relationship between infinite Stillness and Breath of Love, the 'all that is,' as the connecting link to the body as an expression of consciousness.

 Part of Charles' clinical experience includes five years working with Waldorf school children in collaboration with Ingun Schneider, the head of teacher training for Remedial Education at Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento, CA. This extensive experience continues to inform his work with adults who have suffered difficult births and trauma, or who have special perceptual, attention deficit, and remedial needs.

Charles has taught thousands of hours over the last thirty years, including being a full-time teacher internationally for the Milne Institute for six years, during which he developed a post graduate biodynamic course, "Beyond The Stillpoint," that he taught internationally. Charles was honored to teach his biodynamics to Hugh Milne, and to the Milne Institute teaching faculty in the United States and Europe.

He founded his Biodynamic Cranial Touch Mentor program and the school Dynamic Stillness in 2002, and due to its popularity Charles had to discontinue teaching for the Milne Institute in 2005. However, Giorgia Milne continues to offer Beyond The Stillpoint, now called the Biodynamic Cranial Touch Initiatory Course, for the Milne Institute: (www.milneinstitute.com/classes_BTSP.php)

His year-long, four level Mentor Course, Biodynamic Cranial Touch, continues to be refined and articulated, based on actual body-felt direct contact with the Breath of Life. So, even though his mentor course abides by the definitions and principles of Dr Sutherland's original cranial transmission, Charles does not teach biodynamic cranial osteopathy.

Rather, he offers a non-medical, evolutionary approach to touch that explores the 'body as consciousness,' be it through presence, words, movement, or direct hands on contact. Inevitably, body itself leads us on the mysterious 'silent' inquiry of, 'what is body?'

He supports practitioners of any modality by providing specific inner spiritual practices that deepen a practitioner’s body-felt, living connection to the Breath of Life through an emphasis on abiding in the heart's sinoatrial node in neutral.

Presently, Charles teaches in Muir Beach, CA, and internationally.

 He is in private practice in Larkspur, CA.

In fall 2009 Charles launches a post graduate course, "Opening Heart Embracing Depths," with Neil Steven Cohen author of 'Voice of Heart.'

A new course for non-practitioners begins this year:

Stillness: Practices and Touch

Date: June 27, 2009 in Berkeley, CA. Stillness Courses

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For the most recent news and updates, Go to "Home" page and review 'Latest News' for class schedules and locations.

Office address:

119 Ward Street Larkspur, CA 94939

415-342-1149

email: [email protected]