"We are not truly upright, we are only on our way to being upright. This is a metaphysical consideration. One of the jobs of a Rolfer is to speed that process along. We want to get a man out of the place where gravity is his enemy. We want to get him into the place where gravity reinforces him and is a friend, a nourishing force"
-Ida P. Rolf, Ph.D.

What is the Rolf Method of Structural Integration? and How does it work?

Structural Integration (SI) deals with the whole body as a single integrated system, rebalancing the whole body to a state that is more aligned within the gravitational field of the earth, while supporting a consciousness of how emotional stress adds to the muscular rigidity and tension. When the human body is unbalanced or out of alignment, the muscular tension magnifies and unwarranted amounts of energy is spent just to hold oneself upright against gravity. This is not only physically fatiguing, but the limited flexibility caused by chronic postural deviations leave us more susceptible to future injuries and pain. Often times, standard forms of stretching and strengthening exercises cannot overcome these limitations due to the tenacious yet dysfunctional rigidity of the restricted tissue. SI is a dynamic, diverse system of apparent and profound manipulation of the fascial layers, which enable the relieving of the strained, tensed, twisted, compressed, rotated, and misaligned body parts. SI centers on the fascial web and not on the muscles as in traditional massage framework. This continuous fascial web or sheath, is present in the entire body and acts like an internal wetsuit. It is this tissue that will determine your structure, not your bones. Picture yourself wearing a wetsuit that was too tight and compressive in particular areas. In a more general sense, SI reshapes that internal wetsuit so that it fits more comfortably allowing for more ease and better movement in your body.

This discovery about the importance of fascia by Dr. Rolf was centered on a different perception. Dr. Rolf acknowledged that gravity has a major effect on the body. It is within the gravitational pull that we balance our bodies, and as a result of this, whatever change is made to any part of the body will surely affect the remaining parts of the body. While the human body is so plastic that its alignment can be brought into harmony with gravity at practically any time of life, the whole body will increasingly change its form to adjust to the deviation resulting from the disturbance of the natural body balance and a misalignment within the skeletal geometry of the body.

An instance of this occurrence is when a child falls and injures an ankle while climbing a tree. The child then tightens the muscles that surrounds that part of the leg. Since the body is balanced within the gravitational force, the whole fascial system and musculature increasingly move to pay for the major change. It will be observed that there is compromise in the movement through the pelvis, likewise the breathing pattern and the head position. Due to the inability of the muscles to withstand the tension alone, the shortening of the fascia occurs, so as to support an altered pattern in movement, which will then effect the function and shape of the entire body.


The human body is just like a house which is structured in such a way that each part of the body has its own appropriate place and position. These parts are connected in one way or another to form a unit which offers supports from each other. Just as the way a well-structured house has well-positioned posts and beams to hold the whole building balanced and secured, so also is how a well-structured body gets balanced and secured. Since gravity influences everything, any part of the body that does not align itself properly with the whole body unit is likened to a house beam that is not supported by a post; that part is pulled into a painful, odd position. The objective of a Practitioner of Structural Integration is a return of the construction to its original design specification. Generally, it is not adequate enough to put only one piece back to its position because before a house can stand or a body can effectively work, every part of the structure is required to be totally integrated. This type of arrangement consecutively results in what Dr. Rolf referred to as “the gospel of Rolfing: When the body is working properly, the force of gravity can flow through it. Then spontaneously, the body heals itself.”  And this is why Structural Integration uses a more underlying, straightforward way of addressing the human structure more so than any other approach. This way is more straightforward because it is understood that the way a body relates to the gravitational field has a direct effect to the structure as a whole. It is also realized that the gravitational field of the earth cannot be changed, but the way body segments align and fit closely together can be, in a way for gravity to flow right through it, offer vitality to the entire being. Here gravity can become your friend.

The Rolf Method of Structural Integration was based around the idea of a core structure. Dr. Rolf called it "The Line". Although The Line cannot be physically viewed since it is not a thing, it surely may be felt, as it is a relationship. This vertical or gravitational line which passes through the top of the head, in front of the spine, and to and through the bottom of the feet, is also the point at which everything falls around. Not only is this Line the center of our energy, but responsible for our emotions and our spirit. Once a human body is balance and organized around this Line, sensations of lightness can be experienced within. When the body's units are stacked appropriately it can then relate to this Line, gravity will flow through it.
 
However, we can not place blame for all our pain and suffering on gravity alone. We must take ownership for how we present ourselves to the world. The physical self is excellent at reflecting the emotional self. Dr. Ida P. Rolf would say "the body cannot lie." Therefore, we must acknowledge and alter our patterns of behavior. These patterns would include and not limited to, the way we sit, stand, walk, eat, sleep, and work. As you read this sentence right now, you are in a behavioral pattern. SI works to change these patterns as well as lengthen the spine, straighten joints, strengthen the core, while it also restores the balance, flexibility, and alignment to the muscles, while leaving you centered and grounded. This, likewise, is an educational process where a practitioner of Structural Integration offers assistance to a client in discovering the best working means of making use of his or her body, where the virtues, liabilities, and limitations of the body were given. When SI treatment is carried out, the body is physically and systematically handled through a series of ten sessions that Dr. Rolf termed her “recipe”.  In this recipe each session takes up to ninety minutes and could be scheduled to occur as often as twice every seven days, although most people may require a full week between sessions for the purpose of processing and acclimatization to the “new being”. The design of SI was made to reveal a structural ease and body balance distinctive to respective bodies.