The field of Yoga and Structural Integration are significantly closer than several are conscious of. Dr. Rolf herself practiced Hatha Yoga extensively in the 1920’s and 1930’s. She studied with Pierre Bernard who was a Yoga teacher in Nyack, N.Y. Dr Rolf applied her Yoga observe as a indicates to handle back complications she experienced as a consequence of a scoliosis. Dr. Rolf used significantly of the information she acquired from her observe of Yoga, Osteopathy, and Homeopathy to formulate Structural Integration. Structural Integration shares the frequent value with Yoga in that when the physique is lengthened and well balanced, the person will accomplish harmony and relieve both equally in system and spirit.
“In Structural Integration, we assume to give a cycle of ten periods. There is a cause for this. We are not working with regional problems. We are not dealing with the variety of point that you can say, “Perfectly, I fastened that, which is all.” We are dealing with an intent to make a body a lot more secure, far more suitable in the discipline of gravity. This demands that muscle mass be well balanced, and have to have to be balanced about a vertical line. And, when I converse about balancing muscle tissues, I’m speaking about balancing the appropriate side towards the left aspect. About balancing the entrance of the body versus the back again of the overall body, and lastly, about balancing the innermost muscle tissues from the outermost, the within versus the outside, this is the most crucial of those people balances, and we start off from the outside the house working in, and it normally takes us ten several hours prior to we can get to the position where by we can genuinely stability the outside towards the within.” -Ida P. Rolf, Ph.D.
For people unfamiliar with Structural Integration, Structural Integration as intended by Dr. Ida P. Rolf is a 10 session systematic system of deep bodywork that increases the structural and purposeful qualities of the human physique in its partnership to the gravitational subject. By the systematic technique of reorganizing major joints, and body segments, although releasing the chronically held stress and torsion designs we are in a position to accomplish a swift change in structural mechanics and correction of long-term musculoskeletal suffering or dysfunction. Athletes complete improved although strain is considerably reduced. Postural harmony and versatility are improved with each session. Professional athletes, dancers, and efficiency artists in the course of the planet have properly utilized Main Structural Integration. Organization and skilled leaders have located that the advantageous benefits have enhanced their aim and attention, their vitality, and their resourceful qualities. Core Structural Bodywork can noticeably equilibrium the emotional and cognitive skills of anyone who completes the 10-session sequence.
“This is the gospel of Rolfing (Structural Integration): When the entire body will get working correctly, the drive of gravity can flow through. Then, spontaneously, the entire body heals by itself.”
– Ida P. Rolf
When you take into account the fundamental intentions of both equally Structural Integration and yoga – to endorse heightened self-consciousness and optimized human likely by doing work towards overall flexibility and balance in the physique – it’s simple to see why so many people have located these two techniques to be a normal in shape.
Quite a few of the concerns I’ve discussed in earlier articles or blog posts about the bodily ramifications of bad alignment turn into exaggerated in an individual who techniques yoga. Flexibility, array of movement, energy, and balance are significant elements of an successful yoga practice – so when these factors are out of kilter, a yogi’s exercise is not up to its greatest probable stage.
Structural Integration improves yoga observe in many methods, like the progress of further, fuller respiratory the increased variety of motion and overall flexibility that will come from releasing certain fascia and the increased consciousness of symmetry and movement that results from each individual physique section becoming realigned to its proper area.
Conscious, managed breathing (pranayama) is a principal concentrate in yoga. My perform to no cost the diaphragm to permit fuller breathing starts off in the really first session and continues all through the series of ten. This is a person element of Structural Integration that gets an ongoing benefit for yogis, who locate that the increased lung capacity can help in all regions of their practice.
A different advantage is found in the way Structural Integration empowers the yogi to achieve and hold postures (asanas) that were being beyond his or her capability prior to our sessions. This happens for several good reasons.
“Just after our session on Saturday I felt 100x far better. I discovered a remarkable enhancement in numerous yoga postures as very well. My hamstrings felt wonderful I can virtually do a full break up! Also, my neck and shoulders in Downward Going through Dog, felt phenomenal, I felt like there was no stress or tension in individuals muscle tissues and joints. You might be a wonder employee!”
Lauren Egavian
The initially, most evident, motive is when a physical criticism stops the yogi from undertaking asanas the right way. For instance, again troubles or pain in the feet or hips might result in the yogi to avoid particular asanas, or, even worse yet, try them and worsen the issue that is causing the soreness. My function that addresses these ailments will for that reason totally free the person to observe yoga without having concern for this discomfort.
If you can consider how it feels to have a fluid, light, balanced overall body, absolutely free of ache, stiffness & serious tension, at relieve with by itself and in the gravitational field, then you will recognize the targets of Structural Integration.
Dr. Ida P. Rolf, PhD
The second explanation that Structural Integration benefits in improved yoga functionality relates to versatility and variety of motion. Just as breathing is a aim of my get the job done from the 1st session on, so is manipulating fascia that might be restricting areas of your physique from doing work correctly. As muscles are freed to do their proper jobs, and human body areas are realigned to their good locations in connection with 1 a further and in relation to gravity, you can discover that the muscle tissues become more robust, your overall body feels for a longer period, and your adaptability raises. With these outcomes comes an improved assortment of movement. For the practitioner of yoga, this suggests an ability to achieve postures that are important to development and progress in one’s follow.
A 3rd explanation for this increased performance is associated to the initially two, but can be fewer conveniently apparent. The home-on-defective-basis metaphor I have referred to in before posts applies listed here. When your physique is out of correct alignment, the relaxation of the human body compensates for the ill-aligned part’s incapability to perform the right way. In yoga, this can mean that a person is making use of incorrect posture by avoiding specific parts of the body, or by unintentionally making use of overall body sections improperly. A final result of the function I do during the 10 sequence is to realign just about every component to its right position and functionality, and this restores the right marriage amid all important segments of the human body returning equilibrium and symmetry to the composition of the overall body. In limited, when all body elements are wherever they are meant to be, they perform in the fashion they had been meant to. In yoga, this translates into asanas that are executed appropriately and often with better depth and relieve.
These benefits also relate to practitioners of Pilates, Dance, Martial Arts or any other specific whose overall performance depends on balance, power, and overall flexibility.