The 10 series is where you start to get your body opened, aligned, and integrated. It creates the foundation for lasting balance. No two sessions are the same and each one builds on the order and alignment created in the last. By the end, your patterns of tension and pain are replaced with a pattern of increased length and greater openness.
Practice makes permanent! After every SI session, we have you walk so you can feel the changes from the session while in movement. We will give you a specific cue relevant to your body and the session so the feeling of balance becomes a permanent part of your body.
We recommend getting an advanced series (3 series or 5 series) every 2 to 6 months. How often you get work depends on how much SI work you've had. Each series builds on the balance and openness that was achieved in the last, allowing you to keep getting to new levels of freedom and movement.
I started working with a personal trainer after the 10 series, and my trainer always uses me as the example of good form.
“ ”I had another x-ray of my spine, and my doctor is convinced the x-ray was taken from a different angle because the position of my spine has changed.
“ ”After 1 session, I can actually feel what my pilates instructor has been telling me to do for years.
“ ”I didn't know you could fix that. My doctor and physical therapist just said it was aging.
Organize the rib cage
Free the hips
Balance the torso over the pelvis
Improve breathing capacity
Ribs, hips, femurs, neck, back
Top of head
Direction: up
Untwist lower legs
Open and align knee and ankle joints
Balance relationship of heel, foot, and ankle
Lengthen the spine from the legs
Lower legs, ankles, feet
Heel
Direction: down(grounding)
Organize the rib cage
Free pelvis from torso
Organize arms to torso
Create front-to-back balance
Torso, pelvis, arms, neck, cranium
3rd-hour line
Direction: out (lateral)
Organize the pelvis over the ankles
Lengthen the spine from the legs
Balance the front and back of the body through the inner legs
Inner legs, ankles, feet
Sitting bone
Direction: back
Balance the space between the spine and belly
Open the neck to balance it with the belly
Belly, ribs, neck
Front plane of torso
Direction: out (of the spine)
Free the sacrum
Open and balance the pelvis
Lengthen the spine from the legs
Untwist the legs from the pelvis
Posterior legs, sacrum, ankles, feet
Sacrum
Direction: back, down
Open and organize the neck and head
Align the head and neck with the rest of the body
Lengthen the spine through the head
Clavicles, neck, head
Top of head
Direction: up
Create movement connection through the legs
Pelvis, legs
Balance the arms to lie evenly between front and back of the torso
Create movement connection through the arms
Ribs, arms, neck, head
Elbows
Direction: out (lateral)
Integrate the entire body, from superficial to deep
Leave the body at peace
Whole body
The 3 series is more than just a tune up. Just like in the 10 series, there are places throughout the body that can always use more up, down, or out. Translation, you can keep on gaining openness and length. With each advanced series you complete, your body achieves increasingly higher levels of alignment and freedom, while you gain greater awareness and connection.
After completion of the 10 series, a 3 series is usually done every 2-4 months.
The 5 Series creates the most significant structural change of any SI work. Unique body positions and your movement while in gravity, unlock structural tension patterns like nothing else can.
Because this series is very demanding to receive, it’s not for everyone. For those who are candidates, the 5 series can be done once a year in rotation with the 3 series (3 series - 5 series - 3 series). For those who aren’t candidates, great structural advancement can continue with additional 3 series.
- Briefs/boxer briefs are preferable to boxers
- No long compression shorts
- Non-underwire bra (regular, sports bra, bandeau) that’s not too tight around the band is ideal
- Full coverage underwear (briefs, bikini, boyshorts)
Your practitioner will go over your health history form as well as answer any questions you have before your session begins. For your practitioner to assess your structure and movement, you will be asked to stand and/or walk periodically through the session. This also allows you to feel and give feedback on changes that are occurring in your body.
Sessions take about 80-100 minutes. This includes hands-on work and movement education and practice.
If you'd like photos taken before and after your 10 Series, please let your practitioner know.
Do I need a consultation?
Yes, but it only takes 5-10 minutes and can be done by phone or email. We will answer any questions you have as well as make sure you're a good candidate for structural integration.
What conditions do not make me a good candidate for structural integration?
SI requires some amount of pressure to be applied to your bones throughout the process. Therefore, it is not indicated for people with advanced osteoporosis or other diseases that make the bones very brittle or fragile.
Can I do SI if I'm pregnant?
Although it is safe and very effective to receive this kind of work during pregnancy, we do not take pregnant women through standard SI series work. The body is already going through dramatic changes and some sessions would not be appropriate to receive. Instead, sessions are meant to relieve symptoms of pregnancy, such as back pain and restricted breathing. We do recommend receiving standard SI series work after pregnancy as it will restore the proper balance throughout the body.
Do I have to commit to doing the whole 10 series?
No. You can do the first session or up through the 3rd session to see if you like it.
Does insurance cover SI?
SI may be covered by your health insurance, but it generally isn't. It's best to check with your insurance provider directly. We do not submit claims to insurance companies on your behalf, but we can provide you with an invoice for your treatments.
What do I wear?
Please make sure your skin is free of any oil or lotion. Men, briefs are best. Boxer briefs are okay as well. Women, a non-underwire bra (regular, sports bra, bandeau) that is not too tight around the band is ideal along with full coverage underwear (briefs, bikini, boyshorts). No compression shorts please.
How long is each session?
Sessions are anywhere from 80-100 minutes long. This includes intake, table work, and movement education.
How long do I wait between sessions?
One session per week is standard, but you can do more or less time between depending on your schedule. Longer than 3 weeks between sessions is not recommended (though it can be done) because each session builds from the previous one. If too much time lapses between sessions, they can lose their cohesion.
What comes after the 10 series?
The 3 series. It builds on the foundation of balance created in the 10 series, bringing your body to a greater level of alignment and openness.
After the 10 series, how long do I wait to get advanced work?
Most people feel they are ready for additional work 2-4 months after they finish the 10 series. On average, people complete 2-4 advanced series (3 series or 5 series) per year. In general, the more ordered your body becomes, the less often it needs work.
Can I share my 10 series with someone else?
No. Because the 10 series is a process of organizing and aligning the whole body, each session is different from the last and builds on previous sessions. Therefore, sessions are not stand alone and can not be shared.
Is structural integration safe for children?
Yes. In general, we work with children and young adults ages 15+. SI can be very helpful for children's development, especially if they are active in sports or have certain physical conditions that have the potential to lead to more aggressive interventions.
I have seen a Rolfer in the past. Do I still need a 10 series?
Maybe. Some Rolfers do not follow the 10 series protocol and instead do treatments based on where symptoms are felt. The 10 series is necessary to establish the foundation for balance through the whole body. If you have not received a 10 series, or do not know if you have, we may recommend you do. If you know you have gotten a 10 series, unless it has been several years since you last received work, most likely you can start with a 3 series.
Can SI fix my scoliosis?
Maybe, depending on the severity. Because the process is one of unwinding fascia and alignment of the bone structure, it has helped many people with scoliosis feel better and move better. Mild scoliosis has been corrected with SI. Moderate to severe scoliosis has also been helped, but to a lesser degree in how straight the spine looks and more with how the person feels and moves.
What should I do between sessions?
During the movement education portion of your session, we give you specific movement cues that you should practice outside of sessions. Practicing cues is one of the most helpful things you can do to reinforce your body's new pattern and rewire the mind-body connection.
Is there anything I should avoid doing while going through a series?
Most therapies don't work in the same way SI does to open and align the body. Instead of being complementary, they end up opposing each other. Therefore, we don't recommend doing several hands-on therapies at once, eg. chiropractic, physical therapy, massage therapy, and structural integration. If you're interested in trying different therapies, we recommend doing each of them individually so you can assess how each works for you. Energy therapies (acupuncture, reiki, craniosacral therapy, etc.) are fine to receive with SI.