Yes! Photographs taken after the Basic Ten Series show that the changes were not only still present but often improved. Keep in mind, however, as life changes, bodies change in response. All injuries, accidents, lengthy illness and emotional stress may necessitate additional work.

I am best able to help people with a series of sessions. A series of sessions allows me to very thoroughly work through your entire body to release hidden restrictions and to bring your whole body into balance. Because fascia is continuous throughout your body, there can be connections between what seem at first to be unrelated areas. Pain in a specific part of the body is certainly an indicator that something is wrong, but it doesn’t always point to the location of the problem. The whole body can be involved in creating a pattern of tension that results in localized pain. A series of sessions allows me to work on body-wide fascial relationships and to unravel a lifetime of strain and compensation.
That said, you don’t need to be certain from the beginning that you want a whole series of sessions. If you are curious, you can try 1-3 sessions. Within a few sessions you will be able to feel for yourself if SI is a good match for your current goals and desires.

Sessions generally last 75 minutes. Sessions are spaced anywhere from 7 to 10 days apart, and a series consists of 10 sessions. People commonly feel a difference in alignment, movement, body awareness and/or pain levels immediately during and after each session; these differences accumulate and can be experienced more deeply as the series continues. Each session focuses on  different parts of your body, and cumulatively the sessions build upon one another to create thorough and lasting changes in your body.

SI has the potential to create significant changes in your body. This process can be accompanied by changes on other levels of your being as well. It is not uncommon for people to experience emotional, mental, social, and/or spiritual growth during the time they are undergoing an SI series. My focus as your practitioner is always on your physical structure, however  I simultaneously support and encourage growth in other areas of your life.

While SI is deeply transformative work. it is not the painful process that some have heard it to be. That reputation stems largely from SI’s early years, but fortunately since then many practitioners have helped to refine SI, developing more subtle ways of working with soft-tissue while still effectively changing structure.

An SI session with me ranges from feeling pleasantly relaxed to momentarily uncomfortable. People who have heard of SI’s painful reputation are often surprised at how  subtle and pleasurable SI can be. If I am working in an area of significant restriction or holding, it will likely feel more intense, and that intensity should always feel appropriate, welcome and manageable, and should quickly pass as your tissue releases.

Tension, aches and pains:
When your basic structure is out of balance, your body has to work very hard to keep you upright and moving around. Over time, this extra effort may result in chronic tension, strain, and pain. Further, an off-balance body is already overextended and has a reduced capacity to tolerate or to heal from accidents and other traumatic events. By improving your whole body alignment, Rolfing can release tension, aches and pains without creating strain elsewhere in your body.

To improve posture, balance or flexibility:
Many people find that balance, posture and flexibility get worse as they age. As common as this is, many of these changes are not an inevitable part of aging. Rolfing can help you find better posture, flexibility and ease of movement at any age.

To liberate restricted movement patterns:
Nearly all of have activities in our lives that can lead to restricted movement patterns. A mail carrier with a heavy bag, a dental hygienist stooping and twisting to work with patients, a violin player, parents carrying children, anyone who uses a computer at length—all of these people ask their bodies to repeatedly move in specialized ways that can become limiting over time. Rolfing can unwind problems created by a lifetime of activity and create a body that is better able to perform movements like these without strain.

To improve athletic and everyday performance:
Balancing your structure can enhance athletic and everyday performance by improving body awareness, movement patterns, and range of motion. Athletic endeavors and life’s everyday activities—from running a marathon to doing housework—are easier when your body is more comfortable and when less energy is required to move with more ease and power.

To support other personal growth practices:
The time when you are going through an SI series has the potential to be a time of significant personal transformation and change. SI is very compatible with many personal growth practices, like yoga and therapy, that likewise promote insight and transformation.

Massage seeks to relax the body as it is; SI asks the body to reorganize itself. In general, the many therapeutic benefits of massage come from relaxing muscle tone and increasing circulation—from relaxing, but not changing the overall way the body is organized. SI changes your whole body’s structure so that old habits of tension and strain are no longer necessary.

Massage therapy on average works more locally with broader and general goals, Structural Integration on the other hand seeks to restore and balance the whole system, the whole person to achieve the greatest potential for that individual, whether this be a mother, office manager, athlete, student, etc. SI is goal oriented. We are seeking to restore the integrity of an individual as he / she relates to the gravitational field,  and we have specific goals, techniques, objectives for each session to accomplish this end according to what that person’s body brings to the session.

One important principle of SI is that the body is significantly affected by the powerful force of gravity. In a misaligned state, the body’s valuable resources are used inefficiently, laboring to keep the body aligned and upright. In addition, the stresses of daily life, physical injuries, unhealthy movement patterns and attitudes are things that can bring one’s structure out of alignment. Over time, the body will shorten and tighten to accommodate stresses, creating stiffness, pain, fatigue and lack of well being.

As tissue is being released, you may experience a number of sensations. Physically, sensations range from warm and pleasant to feelings of discomfort or burning. I will apply appropriate pressure during the session based on your feedback so the pace of the session is under your control. Sometimes, as the tissue is released and balanced, clients experience the release of emotions, memories or traumas that have been stored in the fascial tissue. Such releases can create the opportunity for change and/or resolution surrounding the issues

Movement education may also be a part of your SI series. I can help you become aware of your habitual and inhibiting movement patterns and help you change these patterns to achieve more fluid movement. Movement education can affect your level of daily functioning by helping to change unhealthy patterns in common activities such as sitting, walking and breathing.

SI is typically performed in a series of ten sessions to systematically release the myofascial tissue. Each session builds upon the last, unfolding layers of tissue as the series progress. The series is designed to balance your body in segments, with each session addressing a different aspect of your structure and movement. Though the SI series is designed to work in sequence, I will  recognize your unique needs and address these needs throughout the series.

In the process of SI, changes in posture and structure are achieved by manipulating the body’s myo-fascial system. The focus of SI is on the fascia rather than on the muscles (as in massage). The fascia is a protective layer of connective tissue that surrounds each muscle and muscle fiber. Fascia gives the muscles and bodies their shape.

I use a range of techniques to lengthen and reposition the fascia and the body. The amount of pressure used and techniques applied varies . Sometimes I may use slow, deep, stretching strokes, or constant applied pressure. You may also be asked to move as pressure is applied or to stand and move during a session.

At the beginning of a series, I will often spend some time discussing your health and personal history. It is important that I know significant pieces of your history including major accidents, traumas, surgeries, conditions and diseases as well as any medications being taken.

Sessions are often done in underwear. You will be observed as you stand and move to assess levels of  balance, alignment and movement patterns. In some cases, if appropriate, photographs may be taken for the benefit of both of us, so that we can see the changes as they become more obvious.

The Process of SI:

The process of SI is an individual and personal process with a wide range of effects and benefits. In general, a body that is aligned and balanced in gravity moves with more ease, fluidity, efficiency and grace. Movement is a pleasure, breathing is easier and good posture is effortless.

In addition, more efficient use of your muscles allows the body to conserve energy, and creates more refined and economical patterns of movement. This can result in increased levels of energy and alertness. Feelings of stress can also decrease while your level of relaxation can increase.

SI aims to affect the whole person, emotionally, physically and energetically, by way of altering the physical structure. Our emotions and behavior patterns for instance, are often related to our physical being. As impediments to balance are removed and the body comes into greater alignment, aspects of the self may also become more aligned. An experience with SI may help release an individual’s potential, promoting positive change, lowering anxiety, improving sleep, increasing confidence, and maturing emotional expression. Finally, the SI series provides increased body awareness and presence allowing for a feeling of finally being—at home…in your body.

All types of people have benefited from the process of SI. Some come to ease chronic pain and stress; others are hoping to improve their athletic performance. Children and older people alike can benefit from increased structural alignment.

SI is contraindicated for those with infections, fevers, acute inflammation and recent trauma. Some forms of rheumatoid arthritis, severe osteoporosis or osteomyelitis are also to be avoided with this work.