Structural Integration
What is Structural Integration?
More than fifty years ago, Dr. Rolf recognized that the body is inherently a system of seamless networks of tissues rather than a collection of separate parts. These connective tissues surround, support, and penetrate all of the muscles, bones, nerves, and organs. Structural Integration (SI) works on this web-like complex of connective tissues to release, realign, and balance the whole body, thus potentially resolving discomfort, reducing compensations, and alleviating pain. SI aims to restore flexibility, revitalize your energy, and leave you feeling more comfortable in your body. Essentially, the process enables the body to regain the natural integrity of its form, thus enhancing postural efficiency and your freedom of movement.
Structural Integration (SI) has the ability to dramatically alter a person's posture and structure. SI can potentially resolve discomfort, release tension, and alleviate pain. SI aims to restore flexibility, revitalize your energy, and leave you feeling more comfortable in your body. The genius of the work rests on Dr. Rolf's insight that the body is more at ease and functions most effectively when its structure is balanced in gravity.
Athletes, dancers, children, business professionals, and people from all walks of life have benefited from SI. People seek SI as a way to ease pain and chronic stress and improve performance in their professional and daily activities. It's estimated that more than 1 million people have received SI work.
Research has demonstrated that SI creates a more efficient use of the muscles, allows the body to conserve energy, and creates more economical and refined patterns of movement. Research also shows that SI significantly reduces chronic stress and changes in the body structure. For example, a study showed that SI significantly reduced the spinal curvature of subjects with lordosis (sway back); it also showed that SI enhances neurological functioning.
“Structural Integration” is a term used by practitioners trained in this technique but not affiliated with the Rolf Institute.
Structural Integration Aligns Bodies in Gravity
The Benefits
Assist in learning to “let go” of chronic stress and tension
Supports better posture and movement
Improved breathing capacity
Decrease painful symptoms and chronic issues
Optimize flexibility and mobility
Increase vitality and wellbeing
Connective Tissue Manipulation Session Recipe Overview
Step 1:
Expand the chest to allow deeper breathing. A balanced ribcage supports the shoulder girdle and relieves the spine in back. More oxygen results in greater life force. Lift in the front body supports postural alignment. Back and neck work.
Step 2:
Improve the base of support in the arches of the feet, ankles, and lower legs. Imbalances in the arches and misdirection of the feet affect alignment and movement in every joint above, particularly the pelvis, thus the spine. Back and neck work.
Step 3
Evoke a lateral line by organizing the large superficial muscles groups around the pelvis and thorax so the front and back of the body are balanced including the head and feet. Back and neck work.
Step 4:
Organize the inner line from inner arches, medial calves, and thighs to the pelvic floor to support the spine. Back and neck work.
Step 5:
Organize the front line from knees, thighs, through the groin, the iliopsoas, abdominals, diaphragm, and front of the chest. Back and neck work.
Step 6:
Organize the back line – working from heels through calves, posterior thighs, gluteus, lateral rotators, low back, paraspinals, shoulder attachments to the base of the skull. We should see plumb lines straight through the major joints. Neck work.
Step 7:
Organize the neck and head – having established order and support through all the weight blocks beneath, we can now do the fine detail work around the deep core muscles of the neck as they attach to the clavicle, ribs, and spine. Work proceeds into the jaw, facial muscles and inside the palate and nose if required. Subtle cranial work establishes even flow of cranial sacral rhythm as it pumps cerebrospinal fluid up and down the spinal cord assisted by the sacral pump below. The result is a face in balance and the top of the head lifting skyward.
Step 8:
Upper extremities – coordinate hands, arms, shoulder muscle origins with the spine and core. Look for movement originating from the spinal level. Back and neck work.
Step 9:
Lower Extremities coordinate feet, legs, and buttocks with muscle origins at the pelvis and core. Look for movement originating from the psoas. Back and neck work.
Step 10:
Whole Body Integration – organize front-back so the lateral line reflects balance. Get right and left sides balanced around horizontal planes. Get the plumb line to align feet, knees, hip joints, shoulders, and temporal bones of the head. Check that the sine is straight as possible. Establish horizontal lines between arches, ankles, knees, iliac crests, ribcage, shoulder girdle and facial bones. Top of the head rises in gravity.
