What are the Ten Sessions of Structural Integration?

Often people ask; “Why does Structural Integration use the same ten sessions for each person, since after all, everyone is different?” Yes, everyone is different, and yet in another very fundamental way, everyone is the same. We are all the same in that most people have two legs, a pelvis, rib cage, neck and head, etc. The ten sessions reflects this level of sameness we all share. And yet the way the ten sessions are performed is different according to the uniqueness of each individual. One analogy is that the ten sessions are a map, a basic guide for balancing the human structure. Like any map, you use it to get to the general area you want to visit. But once you get there, you put the map away, and you start exploring what you see around you.

Structural Integration straightens and untwists a body, restoring its natural balanced relationship with gravity. It does this in a very systematic manner. Part of the reason for the effectiveness of Structural Integration is because of this systematic approach. It is somewhat like the process of tuning the drum skin on the frame of a drum. The way to tune a drum is very symmetrically, a little on one side, a little on the opposite side, then a little at right angles, and then opposite to that, and so on, all around the drum. Then you start over and tune a little more, very carefully, symmetrically all the way around again. The reason for this approach is that to do a good job, you want to make sure the skin fits the frame properly, and in a balanced manner. It is similar with Structural Integration. There is an artful intelligence to how SI gradually opens and restores a body it to its naturally balanced pattern.

Following is a very general description - a rough sketch - of the ten-session map of SI:

Session #1: The first goal of the ten-session process is to free the rib cage so that breathing capacity can increase. This sets the tone for the rest of the ten sessions, as the SI process uses breathing as part of the process. The front of the rib cage is lengthened which allows the neck to come back and up into a more natural and relaxed position. The remainder of the first session deals with the relationships of the pelvis to the rib cage, and the legs to the pelvis. Overall the first session creates a general whole body opening, which establishes a context for the work to come in the rest of the sessions.

Session # 2: Session two deals primarily with the relationships of the lower leg and feet with the ground. The connective tissues and muscles of the entire lower leg are reorganized to achieve better functioning of the feet, ankles, lower legs, and knees. The remainder of the session is devoted to educating the spinal column. The spinal erector muscles and connective tissues are brought to a more vertical and extended pattern. This is accomplished through the ‘back work’ which clients love so much for the deep sense of relief and length it creates in the spine. The back work in this session is a beginning, and the process of lengthening the spine and its associated soft tissues continues throughout the ten sessions. Also, the back work in this session balances the work of the first session, which was more focused on lengthening the front of the body.

Session # 3: The third session is the completion of a cycle. It brings together the work of the first and second sessions. Work in the third session is largely on the sides of the body, bringing more depth and mobility to the lateral structures, including the arms, shoulders, rib cage, lower back, hips, and legs. By the end of this session, the superficial layers of the entire body have been worked with and brought to some degree of balance.

Sessions # 4, 5, & 6: These three sessions bring balance to the relationships of the pelvis with the legs, rib cage and spinal column. The pelvis is a keystone in the Structural Integration process, since the state of the rest of the body is dependent on balance in the pelvis. As such it demands a great deal of attention. In order to balance the pelvis, these three sessions include work on the legs, abdomen, rib cage, arms, shoulders, back, and of course the pelvis itself.

Session #7: Now that the pelvis and spine have been balanced, the neck and head are the next area of focus. This session deals with the relationship of the neck with the rib cage and shoulders, the neck with the head, and within the head itself, the bones of the cranium are released to achieve maximum balance and ease. This session is a turning point in the ten-session process, as it completes the focused work on what are called the “core” structures of the pelvis, spine, neck and head.

Sessions #8, 9, & 10: The objective of the entire ten session process can be found in the definition of the word ‘yoga’ which is “to bring together, to unify.” This ‘bringing together’, or causing the body to ‘unify’ is particularly emphasized in the last three sessions, and there is a shift in emphasis from the specific to the more general.