What is Structural Integration?

Anatomy Trains Structural Integration is a fascia-focused bodywork approach that considers global relationships within the body to address postural patterns. It is based on the work of Ida Rolf, the founder of Structural Integration (sometimes called Rolfing), but also takes modern movement science into consideration. The goal is to create more balance and ease within the tensile system of the body as it relates to gravity.

Structural Integration (SI) is project-based bodywork, and as so is organized as a deliberate series of sessions, typically consisting of twelve sessions but sometimes less or more based on the specific client and their body.

The 12 Series is a deep dive into every aspect of the body, with the ultimate goal being a total body rebalancing. The first four sessions focus on the superficial tissues and unwrapping the outermost layers to create space. The next four sessions help to reawaken and balance your body-wide core (from the soles of your feet to the roof of your mouth!) so your tissues can support your bones with ease. The last four sessions integrate the new patterns and reorient you to moving in space so you feel empowered to experience in the world in a different way. 

What is Fascia?

Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds and extends into every bone, muscle, and organ in our body. It organizes our body into compartments based on function, gives us shape and support, and acts as a body-wide communication system. Our superficial fascia, which can be dissected like a wetsuit that covers our entire body, is highly innervated and sends many messages to our brain about our environment.

Fascia can be thought of like an orange. The peel surrounds the whole orange, but inside the peel, the membrane divides the orange into segments, giving them shape and structure. If you peel this membrane off, the segments lose their shape. Even inside each of these segments, though, are even smaller segments organized by smaller membranes. Our fascia is arranged in much the same way.

What can I expect in an SI session?

All SI sessions start with BodyReading (a standing postural assessment) and movement assessments to help us gauge what areas of the body are “short” or “stuck.” We use this BodyRead as our map for the work to be done during the session, with the client periodically standing up to move and reassess the work throughout the session. Most of the work is done on a massage table, but working with the client seated on a bench or standing is also part of the SI protocol.

The therapist cues specific movement for each area of the body as we work. By doing this, the client and therapist work together to move dense tissue, free adhesions, rewrite the neurological connection, and create better balance in opposing relationships in the body. This is a collaborative effort between client and therapist, where we are working towards a common goal. It is also a somatic experience for the client, helping to enhance the brain-body connection.

Every session ends with integration to ground the nervous system and bring a sense of wholeness back into the body. Then the client is often assigned an awareness or movement exercise to focus on until the next session. In this way, they build a small library of resources they can pull from in the future when their body needs support.

What do I wear for SI sessions?

SI is performed in minimal clothing. All clients receiving SI should wear either full coverage underwear or loose, soft shorts like a running or pajama short. Clients with breasts should wear a nonrestrictive bra or camisole-type tank top. You will need to stand up and move periodically throughout the session, so feeling comfortable is important. However, we also want as much access to the skin as possible to reach the areas that need work and be able to clearly see how the body is moving.