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In Structural Integration the first three sessions are
often referred to as “Opening the Sleeve”. The human body is
enveloped in a fascial sheath that for many feels like a tight garment, restricting movement.
This layer of tissue lies just under the surface of the skin and has a major role in shaping the body. Sessions 1, 2 and 3 release this outer layer of connective tissue, the source of many of our aches and
pains. Here we can address ankles, wrists, lower back, neck, and knees—problem
areas for many people.
Session 1 - Free The Breath
Session One involves making more room for the breath
by lifting the external fascia around the chest, and releasing muscles within the armpit.
The fascia is released around the hips, freeing the leg from the hips from the side and from the back at the hamstrings.
Session
2 - Provide the Foundation
The foundation
of the human structure is formed by the feet you stand on. Creating a balanced
foundation is the primary goal of the second session by working on the arches of the feet, the ankles, legs and knees. With our feet in balance, as in the foundation of a house, gravity flows through our
structure more efficiently.
Session 3 - Freeing the
Hips and Ribs
Session Three opens the sides of the torso from hip to shoulder and further releases
the shoulder and back. We aim to establish a front-to-back balance across the
torso and the shoulder girdle, and to create more length in the muscles that lie on either side of the spine (the spinal erectors).
Now that we have released the outer layer of fascia that controls our voluntary
movements with the first three sessions, we move now into deeper layers of fascia to organize the inner thigh, the iliopsoas,
the posterior pelvis and finally to organize the head on the neck. Sessions 4, 5, 6 and 7 are about organizing the core
of the body.
Session
4 - Preparing the Core - The Medial Leg
One of the primary goals of Session
Four is to create a horizontal pelvis by releasing the knee from the groin. We do this by working on the inner thigh
muscles (the adductors) which attach at the inner knee at one end and the pubic bone at the other. Also, the adductors
may be meshing with the quadriceps on the front of the leg or with the hamstrings on the back of the leg. We take this opportunity
to release the adductors so that they can operate independently from their neighboring muscles. With the inner leg exposed
we also work on the fascia of the inside muscles of the lower leg and the heel.
Session 5 - Freeing the Abdomen
In Session Five
our goals are to continue to horizontalize the pelvis and to lengthen the lumbar spine. This session moves from the
outside in. We start by lengthening the most superficial layers of muscle that cover the ribs and gradually sink down
deep into the belly to touch in to the iliopsoas, which spans from the inside of the femur (the thigh bone) through the pelvis
to attach to the front of the lumbar spine. The release of the psoas creates span between the femur and the spine, allowing
truly erect posture and freedom of movement. As clients integrate these changes they may report a feeling of being
able to walk with a longer stride, or a feeling of lifting out of one's step in walking.
Session 6 - Balancing the Hips
In Session Five we worked on the pelvis from the front. In Session Six, we continue our
work on the pelvis, balancing from the back what was accomplished in the front in the previous session. With the client
lying prone (or face down) the back of the legs are released all the way up to and including the glutes. The sacrum
is freed of restrictions where it joins with the pelvis at the sacroiliac joint. The session finishes with detailed
work on either side of the spine.
Session 7 - Balancing the
Head and Neck
Now that we have balanced the pelvis across a horizontal plane as
a result of the first six sessions, it is now time to balance the cranium on top of the spine. When we are able to relieve
the tension and stress held in the muscles of the neck, shoulders, face and cranium, muscles that have been working overtime
in order to support the upper body, our energy is released. Instead of using our energy to "hold" ourselves up, we find
we have more energy available to enjoy our lives.
Sessions 8, 9 & 10 - The Integration Phase
The
first seven sessions are about “taking the body apart” as it were.
We are freeing up restrictions in muscle groups, in joints and in patterns of movement that have created the body we
have been living in. We have been re-creating the length and space in the body
that is our birthright—our body, which over our life time, has taken on the contours of our thoughts and actions. In sessions 8, 9 and 10 we are going to “put the body back together” to
fine tune the relationship between the segments of the body. In Session Eight
we may focus on the lower body to integrate the entire leg from foot to sacrum. In
Session Nine we may focus more on the upper half of the body, the torso, shoulder girdle, neck and head, looking for integrated
movement of the entire arm from hand to spine. Session Ten integrates the upper
and lower portions of the body, seeking overall integration and balance through all of the joints. It’s Graduation Day and your “new body” is ready to take you on the rest of your life’s
journey. It can be a new starting point full of promise.
Life After 10
First of all, by completing the 10 sessions,
you have given yourself the gift of a lifetime!
The connective tissue of your body is
living tissue which is constantly being re-created by your activities, habits, thoughts and attitudes. The process of integration should continue long after the last session, as the body assimilates a new way
of moving and being. There will likely be a new awareness of oneself that was
not there before. Everyone is going to experience this integration differently,
depending on the body you had at the beginning of Session One. We are not
trying to make you perfect, but to bring you to a more comfortable state in your body than when you started out, to help you
experience gravity flowing through your body rather than weighing you down.
As time goes on, you may want to return
for some fine-tuning work about twice annually to keep you aligned and flexible.
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