History

Dr. Ida P. Rolf (1896 to 1979) developed Structural Integration in the 1940's. After years of exploration and sharp insight, Dr. Rolf developed a system of body work that creates profound change. She referred to the work as an inquiry into the human condition.

As a biochemist she understood the relationship of structure and function and the relationship of the body to gravity. We feel either supported and nourished by it, or we feel heavy and dragged down depending on our body's alignment.

She was aware of the relationship of the body and the personality, and that touching the body in a skillful and compassionate way integrates the physical structure and allows for release of long standing tension patterns. The person as a whole experiences profound healing and a change for the better.

"Fascia is the organ of posture. Nobody ever says this; all the talk is about muscles. Yet this is a very important concept, and because this is so important, we as practitioners must understand both the anatomy and physiology, but especially the anatomy of fascia. The body is a web of fascia. A spiderweb is in a plane, this web is in a sphere. We can trace the lines of that web to get an understanding of how what we see in a body works." -Ida Rolf.