and Energy Medicine
By Certified Advanced Rolf Practitioner, Jean Louise Green
As a bodyworker, when I touch a person I am touching not only that person’s skin and physiological flows, I am also touching their emotions, mental activity and spiritual essence. And just as the physical body seeks organization at all levels, so does a person’s mental and spiritual body continually seek higher levels of balance. We are the composite of them all; body, mind, emotion and spirit working together.
We well know that bodies become organized and disorganized. Many forms of stress can disorganize the body. Stress can take the form of a major disaster, accident, illness, fall, repetitive injury or emotional trauma. We all have felt its affects in our bodies. And when that stress from the outer world embeds into our bodies, it is known as strain.
Intelligent and Thorough Bodywork:
Intelligent bodywork can help organize the body. Structural Integration is the genius of Dr. Ida P. Rolf, a woman biochemist who developed this work in the 1960s. Dr. Rolf has been described as the founder of the deep tissue movement. We have much to thank Dr. Rolf for, as her work has inspired many other deep-tissue therapies.
In Structural Integration, a practitioner uses their fingers, soft knuckles, and forearms to ease strain in the connective tissues of the body. Strain in the body is addressed in a three dimensional manner. A practitioner organizes the body around a central vertical line so that the center of gravity of the major body segments of the head, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles are directly over each other. Dr. Rolf said that when these major segments are properly aligned over each other, gravity can flow through and become a beneficial force to the body. What did Dr. Rolf mean when she referred to gravity being a “beneficial force?” This is something to ponder.
Strain is also released within the three dimensional layers of a person’s connective tissue. Included in this is the superficial fascia at surface layers of the body and the deeper core structures located next to the spine. This makes for very complete, thorough bodywork.
Because of the thorough balancing and de-straining of a structurally integrated body, that person will have more organization than disorganization in their tissues. If they were to become injured, their body would have a tendency to resolve itself in a faster, more resilient way. The greater organization in the person’s body will help their traumatized tissues remember their original shape and function.
The words Structural Integration refer to form and function. Dr. Rolf said that when you change body structure, you affect its function and visa versa. Affecting the functioning of the body will change the form or structure. Integration implies a relationship of parts relating to a whole. The work of Structural Integration gets the body parts relating to each other in a wholistic way.
2019, A Professionally Big Year:
In January of 2019, I published a book titled Structural Integrationton and Energy Medicine: A Handbook of Advanced Bodywork. I also had a wonderful book launch at the Chico Women’s Club in March. Following that I completed a six-week advanced Structural Integration training with the Guild for Structural Integration in Salt Lake City, UT.
An Owner’s Manual for the Body:
When biophysicist James Oschman first read my manuscript for Structural Integration and Energy Medicine, he commented, “I really like what I am reading. You have captured the essence of SI in a clear way that I have not seen before. I have needed this book for a long time. It is delicious!” In his Foreword for the book, he stated, “An awareness of the concepts presented in this book can benefit anyone, and can also enhance the work of all health care practitioners. The reason for such a bold claim is simple: all healing methodologies and practices affect anatomical balance, whether or not one realizes or intends it. The mechanism: all of the systems in the body are interconnected. Bringing balance to any one system affects all of the others.”
Structural Integration and Energy Medicine has been likened to an owner’s manual for the human body. It contains comprehensive informatin on the significance of the body’s structural alignment and its relationship to the gravitational field. This book is a great resource for a wide range of bodywork profesionals including Myofascial Release Therapists, Acupuncturists, Chiropractors, Craniosacral Therapists, Certified Massage Therapists, Reflexologists, and Yoga and Pilates instructors. It is also designed as a handbook to accompany a person through their c series, being valuable for both clients and practitioners. Clients have described Structural Integration and Energy Medicine as a great reference that they keep going back to.
Optimize Your Body:
This new year is a great time to upgrade your structure and receive some thorough bodywork. My patient hands and years of experience will be honored to accompany you through the work of Structural Integration. With my upgraded skills, I am now pleased to offer people both the Basic Ten Series and the Advanced Five Series. I would also love to speak with groups about my work and my book Structural Integration and Energy Medicine, which can be purchased online through my website at jeanlouisegreenauthor.com. Have a great New Year!
Jean Louise Green, Certified Advanced Practitioner of Structural Integration
(530) 899-7653
jeanlouisegreen.com
jeanlouisegreenauthor.com