Fantastic Fascia First
“There is a pattern, an order, in human bodies... When the body gets working appropriately, the force of gravity can flow through. Then spontaneously, the body heals itself.”
Ida P. Rolf, PhD
What is Hellerwork SI?
Dr. Ida P. Rolf developed the process of Structural Integration as a holistic system combining soft tissue manipulation and movement education to restore the body to its natural state of alignment and balance - by lengthening, restoring, and reorganizing the FASCIA, the connective tissue matrix of the body.
Fascia surrounds and supports all of the muscles, bones and organs in your body in continuous web-like layers. This fascial net, or connective tissue matrix, is the body's internal system of flexible support - giving it strength and shape. The fascial system responds to injury, chronic tension and habitual movement patterns by shortening from both the forces of gravity and the mechanical forces of habitual movement patterns.
When your fascia shortens, thickens and becomes glue-like, it locks in less-than optimal patterns of strain and pulls your body out of alignment. Hellerwork SI is based on the insight that your body is more at ease and functions most effectively when its structure is balanced along the vertical line of gravity.
In this place, gravity gently lifts and supports your body rather than pulling it down. By systematically restoring the integrity of your fascial system, your body becomes aligned and the entire system can be a smoothly functioning and coordinated whole.
Gravity - The Great Equalizer
Dr. Rolf believed form determines function. Hellerwork SI can create a more adaptable and supportive form that can function more optimally in the field of gravity.
In Structural Integration, the idea of the primacy of gravity is central. Gravity is a constant unseen force acting on us every moment of our lives. When our body is well-aligned and balanced, gravity actually supports us—helping us move with ease and efficiency. But when the body is out of alignment, gravity works against us, creating strain, compression, and fatigue. Structural Integration aims to bring the body into a better relationship with gravity, so instead of fighting against it, we are supported by it. This shift can reduce pain, improve posture, and allow movement to feel lighter and more natural.
Gravity is The Therapist!
The Line
In Structural Integration, The Line refers to your body’s central vertical axis—the natural alignment that runs through the core of your body from head to feet. When your body is organized around this Line, gravity flows through you in a supportive way, rather than pulling you down. The Line is less about a rigid posture and more about a felt sense of balance, ease, and lift. By aligning with the Line, your body can move more efficiently, feel lighter, and experience more ease, because gravity is working with you instead of against you. Your individual Line is an event on the greater Line of gravity.
Tensegrity
Tensegrity is a way of understanding your body as a balanced network of tension and compression, much like a suspension bridge or a geodesic dome. In Hellerwork SI, this concept explains how changes in one part of your body affect the whole system. The bones act like struts, providing compression, while the connective tissues and muscles create a continuous web of tension that holds everything together. When this balance is off, strain or misalignment shows up. Hellerwork SI helps restore tensegrity, so your body can work as an integrated, resilient whole, moving more easily and efficiently in gravity.