Structural Integration (a.k.a. rolfing) is a method of soft tissue manipulation that restores your natural physical balance. Balance meaning your body can be more uplifted and light, your centre of gravity or core can become stronger, and your movements can become more efficient, graceful, and relaxed. This is accomplished through gentle yet deep hands on manipulation of your body’s soft tissues. Created by Dr. Ida P. Rolf, Structural Integration has been scientifically validated, and is widely respected as an effective modality by both the mainstream and alternative healing communities.

Your Body’s Balanced Pattern
There is a natural, balanced pattern to how your legs, hips and lower back work together. The same is true of your rib cage, arms, and neck, and also your feet, ankles and legs. This whole-body balance is characterized by straightness, length, and ease of movement. It just doesn’t make sense to say our bodies are naturally twisted, compressed and restricted in movement.

However balance is compromised by various factors, including accidents, habitual movement patterns, and every day stress and strain. All of these cause our muscles and connective tissues to tighten in rigid patterns which spread throughout the body, much like the way a pull in a sweater will be visible at a location far away from the original pull. Thus any attempt at rebalancing must involve an understanding of the whole structure, and not just focus on symptoms.

As a practitioner of Structural Integration, I am trained to recognize balance in your body, and also to recognize how it has been compromised. But more importantly, I am trained to help you restore your body’s natural balanced pattern. Working together, we do this through manipulation and re-education of your body’s muscles and connective tissues.

Structural Integration Works with Connective Tissue
Dr. Rolf referred to the connective tissue system as the 'organ of structure'. This is an extensive web-like matrix that weaves throughout the body, and includes tendons, ligaments and a thin translucent layer of connective tissue that envelops every bone, muscle, nerve and visceral organ. Connective tissue works similar to how the pulp of an orange separates the cells of juice. The connective tissues taken together form a unified system or network, whose functions include giving us our shape and lifting us up against the downward pull of gravity.

The characteristics of healthy connective tissues are flexibility, elasticity, length and hydration. However, the tissues are highly responsive, and factors like trauma, illness, gravitational imbalances, and everyday stress cause the tissues to become dense, thicker, and dehydrated. This is felt in the body as chronic pain, stiffness, and impaired movement.

Connective Tissue is Changeable
One of the remarkable qualities of connective tissue is its tremendous capacity for change; its plasticity. Fascia is very responsive to stress demands in the body, quickly adding more tissue when stress in an area increases. Fortunately for us however the reverse is also true, in that connective tissue will loosen up and melt when stress in an area decreases. And it is this process which is at the basis of how Structural Integration achieves its results.