Structurally Informed Bodywork…
is more of a philosophy of approach than individual techniques. It supposes that the body is more the sum of its parts and their interactions than simultaneously parallel systems existing in the same space without interplay or effect. It takes the ideas presented by Ida Rolf (creator of Rolfing) and Thomas Meyers (creator of anatomy trains and KM - Kinesis Myofascial Integration) and encourages practitioners to see systematic connection and relationship instead of localized trauma or injury. Practitioners of structurally informed bodywork see the body as a whole and interconnected environment.
The body as a “rock cairn”
If we imagine the body as this “rock cairn”, the structurally informed bodyworker sees the connection not just between top and bottom rocks but [how the rocks interact with each other,] the wind and currents of the river.
If a rock shifts, it affects not just that rock but the structure, function, and constitution of the entire cairn. So does dysfunction and restriction within the human body. Our bodies are amazing at compensation. Evolutionarily a small injury or a tweak in the body was adjusted for quickly. Small issues were nothing compared to the harsh lifestyle of the time and the danger of being unable to gather food, shelter, or defend yourself. The body is so good at this compensation that sometimes we don’t notice an issue until it hits a critical point or is so bad we can’t compensate around it any longer. Many of us have experienced the “I don’t know what I did but such and such suddenly hurts really bad!’ Work at the area may make it feel better for a little while but never seems to “fix it.” Often this is because the “injury” is actually elsewhere.
The relationship of the torso in someone with feet and ankle pain is a good example of this. The torso is the connection between the upper body and lower body. Our pelvis, diaphragm, and thoracic are cogs that need to be aligned for our bodies to function in the proper planes. If one cog is off it affects the entire body. With the images below we can see how the muscles, organs, and fascia have to work differently when those cogs are not aligned.
Image A
In image A, the cogs are aligned and there can be ease of movement within the body.
Images B, C
But when one or more cogs are off (like in images B and C) we can see how organs literally face a different direction and the muscles and fascia around the area are strained.
This strain will continue throughout the body - like the outer portion of a spider’s web. A structurally informed bodyworker could see how pain in the feet and ankles could be affected by these misaligned cogs (not immediately near the area of pain). The structurally informed bodyworker can then affect the ankles and feet by working the misalignment of the affected cogs.
Likewise structurally informed bodywork on a regular basis can keep these cogs aligned and help prevent issues before they occur. Structurally informed bodyworkers work towards better communication and function in the body. Success is a body that can move more easily and with less pain.
