Structural Bodywork has had a reputation for being painful. While there is often an intensity that accompanies this work, sustained discomfort or pain during a session should not. It is our aim to learn the language of each client's nervous system and work within a range that is comfortable. Sessions begin and end with a quick viewing of the client's alignment, and proceed with manual manipulations while the client is lying in different positions on a therapy table, or while sitting or standing. Clients need to be active participants during sessions, and are asked to make movements or provide feedback about his/her experience. Within this dynamic, the relationships between tissue, breathing patterns, nervous system response, and the body's organization in gravity are keenly engaged.
Structural Bodywork Series: While clients are welcome to come for a single session to see if Structural Bodywork or the practitioner is a good fit, Structural Bodywork is most effective in a series of sessions. Because this work is very focused, there isn't time in just one session to address the entire body, in addition, too much input during one session can be overwhelming and can negate the goals of the session.
3 Series: A series of three Structural Bodywork sessions (spaced 1 to 2 weeks apart) is a good way to address specific concerns, injury, or alignment patterns.
The Rolf 10 Series of Structural Integration is a systematic sequence of theory and technique that Ida Rolf referred to as The Recipe. It consists of ten sessions (spaced 1 to 2 weeks apart) that build upon each other and seek to thoroughly reorganize patterns of strain and dysfunction in the body. This series can be considered the foundation of Structural Integration.
Post Session: Every body responds differently after a Structural Bodywork session. Some people instantly experience a feeling of lightness and freedom, some people experience tenderness in the areas that had been manipulated, or even in areas that had not been touched. Other responses might include tiredness, immune system strain, hunger, or mood swings. We recommend light exercise and extra hydration after a session and to give the body up to a week to integrate the structural changes. Please feel free to contact your practitioner if you have any concerns or feedback after a session.
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Attire for Structural Integration sessions should be comfortable and elastic. For women this can be running shorts and a sports bra, a two-piece bathing suit, full coverage bra and underwear, or similar apparel. For men, this can be running shorts or briefs.
New Client Intake: Intake and Consent forms are available under the "Schedule an Appointment" pages. Print and complete both of these forms and bring them with you to your first appointment, or arrive a few minutes early to fill them out in office.
Suggestions:
- Arrange some quiet time before and after each session to orient to the changes that are happening. - While it is recommended to engage in walking or light movement after a Structural Bodywork session, do not engage in heavy exercise one day before or after your session. - Do not receive deep tissue massage or chiropractic work one day before or after your session, or during the entire cycle of a Structural Bodywork series. - Do not apply body lotion, oil, sunscreen, or heavy make-up before your session. Further Reading: Wellness Through Structural Integration by Marcella Durand.
"Structural Integration is about the whole person . . . the sensation of moving from weakness into strength, the exhilaration of owning a new part of oneself, the immediate and simultaneous re-education of one's being and action with the joy of self-empowerment, waking up. These are the experiences of Structural Integration." - Emmett Hutchins
"The wonders are occurring only because of gravity and only because we know how to use gravity to create wonders. It is gravity that is the tool; it is gravity that is the therapist. All we (as practitioners) are doing, is directing the flow of gravity by virtue of organizing the body as though it were an electric wire so that gravity can flow through it." - Dr. Ida Rolf
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