The path of Pilates and Structural Integration
The Spiral Line - created by Thomas Myers
Pilates has always been my passion, from the very first Pilates session I had as a 17-year-old, I knew this was the career path, and it has been unbelievably rewarding.
As the 20 years rolled by, I started to notice in my clients, areas of their body that didn’t seem to be moving as well as they should. I started to question why, and tried many ways to increase their awareness to the part of the body that wasn’t moving as effectively as it should have been.
I introduced different exercise variations, gave a variety of verbal cues, increased proprioceptive awareness with hands-on placement using touch techniques, I educated them about posture and anatomy, but still, certain clients seemed “stuck” in their ineffective postural pattern.
Something looked like it was restricting them. Was it physical? Was it emotional? I remember thinking to myself if only I could get my hands into the tissues and open them up, maybe their movements would seem easier, and more fluid.
I had never considered going down the path of manual therapy, but I knew I had to discover more about the body. I reviewed my bookshelf and discovered I had the Anatomy Trains book by Tom Myers, I opened it up and started reading and couldn’t put it down. I had found what I had been looking for, an option to do hands-on manual therapy to help my clients further. I booked onto the Anatomy Trains Australia Structural Integration course and am so glad I did.
I had all sorts of insecurities starting the course, I didn’t know much about the fascial system, I don’t have any sort of background in manual therapy or soft tissue release, I felt like I was stepping into the unknown, but at the same time was very grateful and excited for the opportunity to be learning something new.
During the first part of the Anatomy Trains course, I was amazed by the immediate changes in my structural alignment. My feet felt like they were more connected to the ground, my pelvis felt like butter when I moved, I was now aware that I had a pelvic rotation, and surprisingly when my pelvis was better aligned, my neck rotation increased and the tension in my neck disappeared. I had this newfound feeling of lighter and lifted through the front of my body when walking, and I was excited that I had found exactly what I had been looking for.
Pilates has a unique method that stretches and strengthens the entire fascial system due to its many different exercise variations. It has an effective way to keep our fascia supple and hydrated as we move through all planes of motion. Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds the muscles, bones, nerves and organs. It is web-like and complex throughout the entire body from the head to the toes.
Body Reading by Thomas Myers
Structural Integration is a form of bodywork that reorganises the connective tissues called fascia. Structural Integration (SI) or “Rolfing” was founded by Dr Ida Rolf, who received her Ph.D. in biochemistry from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University in 1920.
Throughout most of her life she was intrigued with and explored many forms of alternative healing including homeopathy, osteopathy, chiropractic and yoga. The notion that proper alignment, physiological function and anatomical structure are related, and are the basis of many of these healing methods.
“She believed that the imbalances in the structure placed demands on the body's pervasive network of soft tissues: muscles, fascia, tendons and ligaments, thereby creating compensations throughout the body structure.” - Rolfing Institute
Using manual therapy techniques to move the fascial layers, SI aims to create length in the fascial tissues, essentially creating space in the body to allow the organisation of the body to occur with gravity.
Restrictions in fascia can be due to daily work practices, our emotional state, past injuries, trauma, scar tissue, lack of proprioceptive awareness and inefficient movement patterns. As with Pilates, SI uses movement re-education to establish better functional patterns within the body.
SI systematically addresses your body as a whole, usually over a series of 12 sessions.
The first four sessions are known as the sleeve sessions, the aim is to free up the front, back and sides of the body, bringing awareness to the breath and finding support through the feet.
The middle four sessions are known as the core sessions, these sessions address the core of the body, working into the central stabilisation muscles closer to the spine helping to unwind hidden rotations and find support from within.
The final four sessions are the integration sessions, they aim to bring balance back to the body and integrate the core and the sleeve sessions to improve co-ordination and posture.
We are, essentially body architects, looking at the symmetry and recognising that structures need balance to prevent wear and tear. Like a bridge or a house, our bodies are no different.
SI differs to massage as the client during an SI session is up and down off the table frequently to check alignment and assessing how they feel. Specific movement actions are made by the client to assist the practitioner in the release of the fascial tissues.
The combination of both Pilates and Structural Integration is perfect way to integrate both of my favourite modalities, giving my clients a better understanding of themselves as a whole unique person.
As a fully qualified Anatomy Trains Structural Integration Practitioner, every day is a joy going to work, helping people to discover who they potentially can be.
If I can encourage you to learn a new skill that will assist you in delving deeper into the body in front of you, take the first step towards a combining movement with a manual therapy career, you will not regret it.
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Catherine Wilks is a Pilates Instructor with over 25 years international experience. Previous clients include Elizabeth Hurley, Pat Cash, The Wimbledon Football Club, The English National Ballet and The British Olympic Rowing Team. Author of the p-i-l-a-t-e-s Instructor Manual Series, over 50,000 sold worldwide.
East Gippsland Structural Integration and p-i-l-a-t-e-s Studio
For further information about courses or to find your nearest Anatomy Trains Structural Integration Practitioner contact:
Anatomy Trains Australia and New Zealand