The craniosacral system was discovered around the year 1900 by an American osteopath named William Garner Sutherland. While studying the sutures of the cranium, he concluded that these bones were designed to "breathe" and move, against the common belief that adult cranial bones do not move because their sutures (joints) become fused. Further investigation revealed that underlying the more obvious body rhythms such as respiration, peristalsis and heartbeat, lay a more subtle pulsation. This pulsation expressed itself as a system in its own right. Over the next fifty years, he learned to feel the motion of the cranial bones and discovered the effect that this pulsation has upon the whole body. He discovered that the cause of the movement was the cerebrospinal fluid which, as we know today, is essential for maintenance of the nervous system.

Dr. Sutherland saw the craniosacral system as containing our primary life force, which he called the "Breath of Life." The fluctuation of the cerebrospinal fluid within the dural membranes takes up the vital energy or potency of the Breath of Life, distributing it to the rest of the body. This means the craniosacral system represents a bridge between anatomy, physiology and pure energy medicine.