Does Structural Integration (SI) hurt?
Mostly no, but sometimes yes. We are often walking the line between pleasure and pain. For most people, it’s manageable—and we’ll keep checking in to make sure it stays that way.
Do I have to do the Ten-Session Reset to get results?
No. It is a reliable way to get comprehensive full body work, but it isn’t necessary. Your body will know if it’s right for you after one to two sessions.
What do I wear for a session?
For the bottoms, I recommend either athletic shorts or boxers/underwear. Women should also wear a sports bra, regular bra, or tank top. Please don’t wear yoga pants spandex material as it can hold me out, but I can work with most anything else.
If I do the ten-sessions, how often should I come in?
It seems to work best if you come in once a week or every other week. Longer gaps are sometimes ok but there is a momentum we are working with that’s important.
When/how did Stuctural Integration begin?
Structural Integration was intuitively discovered/invented by Dr. Ida Rolf in the 1940’s. Dr. Rolf was a PhD biochemist and studied yoga and homeopathy in her formative years. She very much saw the work as restoring order to the body.
How long is each session?
75 minutes.
What are you really doing to the tissue you’re working on?
There are a lot of words that could be used here, as it’s not really one thing or always the same thing: Hydrating, smoothing, combing, listening, differentiating, balancing, shifting, and organizing are words that come to mind.
How long do results last?
It’s hard to put a specific timeline on results, because everyone’s body and life are different. That said, Structural Integration tends to create changes that last longer than people expect.
For those who complete the Ten Series, the body you finish with is genuinely different from the one you started with—and it generally has no reason to return to old patterns. Structural Integration works with chronic posture and movement habits rather than short-term symptoms.
The more awareness and understanding you develop—both in how you move and how you perceive your body—the more likely the changes are to hold, and in many cases continue to deepen over time.
Who is this work for?
Most people (from children to the elderly) can benefit from Structural Integration. See the below paragraph for potential contraindications. A series of work seems most effective for people that are interested in transformation/growth with or without SI.
Who is Structural Integration not for?
While most people have the capacity for SI - for those dealing with serious medical conditions, I recommend you contact both me and your Medical Doctor to confirm if SI is a good fit.
Outside of serious medical conditions, it’s important to understand that SI resides in the transformational paradigm of healing. While I believe SI could be appropriate for most anyone, the timing that it is appropriate for a given individual is an important factor. You need to have some space in your life to notice yourself (ex. if you’re going through a tough divorce and working two jobs and caring for a sick parent - now may not be the best time to fully reap the benefits of this work because your awareness will be preoccupied).
How is Structural Integration different from massage?
Massage is often either relaxation based or therapeutically based in acute disruptions. SI is a more collaborative process that is best applied when working with chronic patterns. There are no lubricants (oil, lotion) used in SI. SI clients wear some clothes so they can move and change positions as needed (ex. a woman might wear running shorts and a sports bra). There is also assessments and awareness work before, during, and after the session.
How is SI different from chiropractic work?
Again I would argue standard chiropractic work is best for acute disruptions. It can be a valuable tool but if the soft tissue has its own engrained chronic pattern and this isn’t accounted for, it will inevitably pull the adjusted bone back.
What is Lightbody Integration?
It is a trust in presence. On my end I am conciously receiving you and experiencing the present with minimal delay. It is space that allows for what is meant to come through. Lookswise, I am likely placing my hands on different places and cranking up presence/receptivity. Less doing, more receiving.
What does the Ten-Session Reset look like?
Sessions will always vary a bit between individuals. All sessions have some back and neck work. Below are very general descriptions of each session.
Session 1 - Superficial tissue. Aims to allow for easier breathing and to begin leveling the pelvis (so it’s not tilted up or down).
Session 2 - Mostly superficial tissue. Aims to allow the feet and lower legs to better support the body and more comfortably connect to the ground.
Session 3 - Superficial tissue. Lengthens the sides of the body, this often allows for better relational stacking of the body in gravity.
Session 4 - Focuses on establishing the core on the insides of the legs from feet to pelvis.
Session 5 - Continuing from session 4, establishing the core further up the body through the hip flexors and abdominals. Sessions 4 and 5 are often significant in walking functionality.
Session 6 - Focuses on the deeper tissues in the back of the body from head to toe, with an emphasis around the sacrum.
Session 7 - Neck and head integration.
Sessions 8-9 - Re-examining where the individual is at, and integrating/educating the body to be more functional in moving from the core.
Session 10 - Putting the polish on, zipping things back up, and preparing the individual to take their changes into the world.