Structural Integration (SI) is a form of hands-on bodywork whose goal is to open, balance, and align one’s body primarily through working with the fascia, or connective tissue. Because we are working in the connective tissue, we are therefore interested in taking a broader view and understanding how things are intertwined. The cause and effect relationships that one’s alignment and movement patterning can have on a body can perhaps best be described via a suspension bridge analogy. We are actually built a lot like suspension bridges on the inside (well technically more like tensegrity bridges, but suspension bridges simplifies it!). If you picture the Golden Gate Bridge in your mind’s eye, the reason why you would drive over that bridge is because every single cable is doing its job. If that weren’t the case- if some were too short and others too long- you would never think of driving on it! Alas, in our bodies we often have “cables”, or lines of support in gravity, that are too short or too long, which leaves us with cranky bodies that are riddled with exhausting compensatory patterns.
SI addresses this by working in the connective tissue to unglue* the areas that have become short, dense, and adhered, as well as to wake up the areas that have fallen asleep on the job. In short, SI is very specific, strategic, and holistic in how it approaches the body. Our goal is to unwind the less-than-helpful patterns that have been imprinted through a lifetime. We do this because this creates deeper and longer lasting change, which ultimately transforms your body into a better self-healing organism. With SI people will see alignment and posture improve, pain significantly decrease or disappear, and movement become more supported, balanced, and fluid.
Why Choose Structural Integration?
SI is a good choice for people who are dealing with:
- Chronic pain or discomforts
- Injuries that beget other injuries and heal slowly or not at all
- Repetitive overuse and postural strain problems
- Chasing pain: as soon as one ache or discomfort clears up something else gets uncomfortable
- Poor posture and alignment
- Recovery from a surgery (even many years later)
- Stress and anxiety
Some of the issues that SI is frequently utilized for include:
- Back and neck pain
- TMJD
- Tension headaches
- Shoulder problems including rotator cuff injuries
- Sacroiliac dysfunction
- Knee problems
- Plantar fasciitis
- Hip pain
- Postpartum recovery after childbirth and C-sections
Concepts like having your connective tissue “unglued”- can unfortunately bring to mind a painful or aggressive scenario, this is not at all the case. While SI is deep work, it is also very slow, patient work that is deeply relaxing to one’s nervous system. Client’s usually leave saying they have never felt so relaxed.
Learn more about Jessa Zinn, The Yinova Center’s resident Structural Integrator. Jessa trained at The Rolf Institute of Structural Integration in Boulder, Colorado and has been in practice since 2000. She is devoted to helping people discover how to live more happily in their bodies.
