Structural Integration




Frequently Asked Questions
What is Structural Integration?
Structural Integration is a therapeutic bodywork developed by Dr. Ida Rolf. The human body has a natural capacity for effortless support and efficient function. However, life circumstances challenge this on a daily basis. These challenges include our adaptations to accidents and injuries, occupational hazards(sitting at computers), surgeries and emotional traumas.
Over the course of our lifetimes our collection of adaptations can lead to pain, discomfort, decreased energy and poor health.
Reported benefits of SI include:
Better balance and coordination
Decreased pain and discomfort
Deeper sense of breath
Increased mental focus
Greater range of motion
Increased flexibility and fluidity of movement
Improved athletic performance
Calmer, more centered mind
Structural Integration(SI) supports overall well being. The process is designed to unwind fascial patterning and restore organization to the body. The goal of SI is to instill and support a more resilient, proper functioning physical body.
Is this like massage or chiropractic work?
SI is unique from other modalities of bodywork. The focus of this work is on the fascia. This means that we are working with every part of the body, including skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, organs as well as the circulatory and nervous systems. Since the fascia is everywhere, the work is global in nature. Which is why its benefits can be so far reaching. Also, the client is an active participant in the sessions. Our desire and willingness for change dictate the results we receive.
What is fascia?
Fascia is connective tissue. You can think of it as protein tubes filled with water molecules. These tubes create a lattice throughout the entire body, connecting cells to one another. It literally holds us together and gives us our shape. This lattice can be loose or tight, thick or thin depending on what the body needs. If you removed all of the cells from the body and only the fascia remained, you would still be physically recognizable as yourself.
The fascia is always responding to structural events in the body, such as movement, pressure, tension, torsion and stretching. The fascia also responds to psycho-emotional events such as fear, anger and sorrow. It is the repetition of these events that cause the structural imbalances that we address in this work.
Is SI painful?
Historically, this work has had a reputation of being painful. However, this is no longer the case. With an understanding that intention and time effect change in the fascia, practitioners have turned away from muscling into the tissue of a client. This evolved approach allows change to occur at a pace which is manageable. Most often, clients describe the sensations as therapeutic with an edge of curious intensity.
How many sessions should I receive?
Almost every client will sense that something in them has changed at the end of the first session. However, SI is process oriented work. Dr. Rolf developed what she called The 10 Series, which are ten goals that are addressed in corresponding sessions. Each session prepares for the next and build off the previous. By committing to this process, clients will have the chance to experience the full potential this work can offer. Post 10 Series work can be weekly, monthly or at whatever pace desired. Once the initial work is received, the client will have an intuitive sense of what they need and how often.
Check out the link below to hear Bill's interview on Sacred Body Podcast!
Contact Bill here to schedule your session or a free phone consultation.