The Dr. Ida P. Rolf method of Stuctural Integration is a unique system of deep tissue work and movement education. Structural Integration practitioner work on the fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds all muscles, organs, blood vessels, and nerves. Tendons and ligaments also consist of connective tissue.

As we use our bodies, connective tissue tends to loose elasticity. This tightness can lead to loss of mobility and eventually to injury. Such patterns are commonly seen in overuse injuries of athletes or in repetitive strain injuries of computer users or other professionals. The body also uses connective tissue for repairs in areas of stress or injury.

Structural Integration loosens and releases the chronically tightened connective tissue. Mobility returns, and people often report an increase in energy.

Structural Integration is similar to a massage in that we spend time working your body's tissues. An SI session is also different from most massage sessions in a number of ways:

• A large part of the SI practitioner's education is spent on analyzing the body, both with the eyes and by touch.
• Based on what the analysis tells us, we work on bringing the body into better alignment with gravity. Ida Rolf said: "What gravity doesn't support, it tears down". We work on allowing that support for your body.
• Ida Rolf considered SI practioners educators, not manipulators. My clients are active participants in their sessions and I teach both their bodies both by touch, by talking, and by showing stretches.
• My clients tell me that the results of an SI session can last for a long time.

The intention of Structural Integration is to resolve underlying imbalances in the whole body and bring permanent relief. As your body becomes more open and more aligned, strain and tension are reduced everywhere. Even though a practitioner does not focus exclusively on the area of discomfort, most clients find relief and improvement after just one session.

For example, my friend Sylvia tore a ligament in her knee in a skiing accident. She treated the injury with rest, ice, and elevation and soon followed up with Structural Integration treatments and some strengthening exercises. Because her knee was not compromised by undue stresses coming from misalignment, and because scar tissue and compensation patterns were addressed, she can move easily without the ligament she no longer has. After a period of recovery, she has been able to continue dancing, her great passion.

Structural Integration involves the whole body because symptomatic pain often points to a problem in a different area of the body. Knee pain may be the result of fallen arches or a misalignment in the hip region. Painful wrists may indicate tension in the shoulders. Before each session, your practitioner determines the areas of imbalance, and emphasizes those areas.

The Rolf Method of Structural Integration uses a sequence of ten sessions. Each session has a particular focus, and is related to all other sessions in the sequence.

The sessions of the ten series are cumulative, and often one session prepares your body for the next. For example, a session with a lower body focus is usually followed by a session with an upper body focus. Superficial and deep work are interwoven in a way that allows your body to optimally receive the work.

The first three sessions open up and balance the superficial fascia, just below the skin. The next four sessions work deeper; each session releases tension in several areas. The final three sessions integrate the opened areas so the body can become more aligned.

After a sequence of ten sessions, many clients return for additional or advanced work three or four times a year. If there are special demands on the body, additional work might be useful.

Because the work relies on gravity as the therapist, your structure will continue to improve after you receive the work. Photographs of clients taken years after the basic then series show that changes were still present or even enhanced. Clients come for additional work because they want to become even more aligned and at ease or because injuries or other trauma cause scarring or fascial build up and require attention.