Daniel Gilbert, an HHP San Diego Structural Integration Practitioner says, “The goal of Structural Integration is to bring the human body back into a more ideal form, so your body is working in concert within the field of gravity versus fighting against it.”
Structural Integration, commonly called “The Rolf Method” or “Rolfing” is named after it originator, Ida Rolf who was born in 1896. The terms “Rolfing” and “Rolf” are trademark and copyright protected terms owned by the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration or “RISI.”
Many people mistakenly identify Structural Integration with massage or Chiropractic. In fact, all three are totally separate disciplines but can be grouped under the term “body work.” Anything you’re doing with the body affecting the tissues, affecting the energy and the structure fall into this category.
In traditional massage work, you’re using oil or lotion and working on the musculature of the body, relaxing the person, calming the nervous system. A Chiropractor is adjusting bones, primarily the vertebrae and the spine, but can do other joints, knees, wrists, etc.
The Structural Integration Practitioner, using the Rolf method, as originally developed by Ida Rolf, will use the bone structure of the client to get an idea of where there may be some asymmetries. Ideally, a body should have a nice, upright posture, whether you’re standing or sitting, with a horizontal pelvis, feet parallel and symmetrical with one another. The position of the head should be stacked directly above the shoulders versus the head forward posture, which is very common in our society because of extended time in a sitting position.
The two shoulders should be horizontal, level with one another, versus one higher than the other, and they should also be nice and square versus being pulled back like a military posture or curled forward, which is very common in our sitting-induced society.
The focus of the Structural Integration Practitioner is the connective tissues, which are called fascia. The easiest way of describing the fascia is that is it’s almost like a shrink wrap. What it does is wrap each individual muscle fiber, wraps muscle groups, and ultimately, it ties your entire body together inside the skin, but it’s pervasive through your entire body on many different layers and levels.
The process itself is somewhat intensive, but it is very, very slow. That allows the client to absorb the work versus having a heavy hand as in massage or quick stroke as in a Chiropractic adjustment. If the Practitioner is working along the ribcage, you may be asked to breathe in to the Practitioner’s fingers. If the focus is on a shoulder, you might be asked to move your head side to side slowly. If attention is being focused on the gluteus and the hip socket, you may be asked to step down into your heel and rotate your thigh bone.
“The Rolf method of Structural Integration is much more specific,” says Gilbert. “Very, very clinical, and because it’s very interactive clients find they come away from that experience feeling empowered because they’re part of their own process.”
You can see more about Daniel Gilbert by visiting the website: http://www.liveyourhighestpotential.com/.
The office is located at: 609 So. Vulcan, Suite 201, Encinitas, CA 92024. Or, call (949) 302-0745.