The Work
The 10 Series of Structural Integration is a profound and effective sequence of bodywork sessions. It is a major upgrade to your well-being. Through this process, we work different segments of your body in a specific order that allows each session to build on its predecessor and prepare your body for the next. This format also provides a container in which we explore your unique patterns. We will work together for ten sessions, and I will be present for them as you move through your challenges and experience growth and expansion.
In the first three sessions, we organize your superficial, or extrinsic, layers of fascia, akin to your body’s fascial wetsuit, balance the pelvis and shoulders, and free the trunk from the legs. We start in this outer layer so that the deeper structures addressed later can freely lengthen. Once completed, sessions 4-7 are devoted to working the deeper, intrinsic fascia in a way your body can take in and understand. This consists of gaining length through the core, spine, and neck. The final three sessions are where the magic happens, as we integrate the intrinsics with the extrinsics and fine tune your patterns, allowing movement to emanate from deep within and expansion to happen in all directions.
The 10 Series
Awaken
To start we free the breath. You will get a sense of lift in your body. Your breathing pattern will be addressed by releasing superficial fascia around the ribs and thorax.
SESSION ONE
Balance
SESSION TWO
We support the body by establishing a relationship to the ground, including balancing the arches, resulting in a sense of grounding in your whole body. Your feet will be more fluid and adaptable as they support the vertical dimension of your body.
Reach Out
SESSION THREE
Here we work the lateral line, creating front/back dimension. You will experience the dimension of depth, front to back balance, and freedom of the arms and shoulder girdle from the spine.
Ground
SESSION FOUR
The inner leg and pelvic floor are worked to build up core support and strength from your feet through your legs to the bottom of your core. You will experience more lift in your body and start to get a sense of "the Line."
Orient Upward
SESSION FIVE
We work the anterior line of visceral organization and core activation. You will extend the line of support up to the head along the front of the spine. This will further your sense of front-to-back balance in your body. You will also get a sense of leg movement from the core, rather than from the hips.
Release
SESSION SIX
We work the posterior line, creating a vertical line of symmetry. You will feel a sense of length in the front and the back of the core. You will experience movement from your legs to your undulating spine.
Crown
SESSION SEVEN
We work here with a sense of adaptability by balancing the neck and head on the spine. You will feel the relationship of your head and neck as a fluid extension of your spine.
Be
SESSION EIGHT
A new, deeper layer of integration begins as we work primarily with your pelvis and legs to bring about stability and adaptability. You will experience a secure foundation in the upper body, neck and head to be supported. this creates a sense of stability and adaptability in your body.
Do
SESSION NINE
We begin functional integration. You will experience contralateral movement as you walk and feel the transfer of motion and energy from the core to the sleeve. All movement will initiate from the front of the vertebra at the mid to lower back.
Integrate
SESSION TEN
Graduation day! We approach the horizontal lines from the ankles to the cranium. You will have a sense of "the Line" and of everything being connected and whole. You will have a full sense of your body in 3 dimensions and move in any direction with equal ease.
See Advanced Rolfer Judith Roberts explaining the sequence of the 10 Series
Workshops
Posture, Awareness, and Inner Strength
Sometimes this is a class, sometimes it is one-on-one sessions, sometimes it is a demonstration. This knowledge comes to those in the form they ask. It is built upon principles from Structural Integration, Feldenkrais, and Physio-Synthesis. Each are massive contributions to self-transformation in their own right, and together, these three models deepen and propel each other. They are appropriate to do whether or not you’ve had a series. If you’ve already had a series, the movement can bring the work further. If you haven’t yet, it will open your experience up in new and beneficial ways.
Family Constellations
Drawing from the work of Burt Hellinger, Family Constellations invites us to work with the reality that issues in our current lives are nested in the histories of previous generations. When this work unfolds, suffering is revealed in a whole new light, as is the reconciliation of that suffering.
Group and Corporate
Joe is available for events for groups of people and their leaders, such as those working in a corporate setting. These can be hands-on sessions for individuals or group movement classes. Call to discuss options.
FAQ
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Anyone will benefit from this work, but most people come to me when they’re ready to make a big change in their lives. Often, this is after trying other modalities and practitioners, or who are frustrated with the standard medical approach.
For everyone these changes apply to their structure, posture, and movement patterns. For some it may also be changes in their thinking and emotional patterns, their patterns of relating to others, and their patterns of self perception. It’s common for people going through the 10 Series to make significant lifestyle changes as we unwind the patterns they’ve held in their bodies, possibly for decades.
I work with all ages, from infants to those nearing the end stages of life, all identities, and anyone else living in the field of gravity.
Below are some common conditions people bring to me:
Allergies/Sinus Pain
Arthritis
Big life changes
Living with cancer
Chronic Illness
Chronic Pain (general, idiopathic)
Depression/Anxiety
Fibromyalgia
Feeling small
Growing Pains
Headaches
Herniated disc
Impaired movement
Insecurity/Self-Esteem
Issue of relating (to oneself, family, the world, etc.)
Joint-related disorders
Muscle Stiffness/Soreness
Plantar fasciitis
Posture
Pre- and Post-Surgery
Running or sports performance
Scars (see Scarwork)
Sciatica
Shallow breath
Stress
Vertigo/Dizziness
and many others
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Rolfing is manual therapy with the intention of sinking into layers of the body in order to open and create a connection with the nervous system, releasing old patterns. Some may experience brief and occasional discomfort as letting go of old patterns can be uncomfortable both physically and emotionally, but it will be manageable. In fact, most actually enjoy being able to feel the changes that occur deep in their bodies! The key is the relationship between the client and the practitioner. A good practitioner knows the appropriate pressure and communicates well with their client, meeting them wherever they can tolerate and breathe. Working deeply can mean simply a profound connection, not necessarily intense pressure.
Many times I get asked whether my work is appropriate for older clients, and my answer is always "Of course! It will only make them feel more energized and whole, especially if doctors have been taking them apart their whole lives." Even in cases of, say, osteoporosis, this work adapts based on what is appropriate for each client.
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No, you will! When we work together we make the possibility for change to happen where it otherwise couldn't.
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They can be, yes. Once the tissue has changed, we work on developing new patterns to reeducate the nervous system so you can move and maintain posture with ease. Life will still happen to you and present challenges, but the goals of Structural integration are to make you more adaptable, which is something you can take with you the rest of your life.
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Structural Integration considers the architecture of the body and changes it through a relational view of the joint system. It shares some DNA with traditional osteopathy, yet takes a more global approach. Unlike massage and chiropractic, which lend themselves toward relaxation and ongoing maintenance, the goals of SI are to work with the root of structural dysfunction and provide the body with a more harmonious relationship to gravity.
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You have probably tried many 'do-it-yourself' techniques that have all been great for some reason or another. If, however, in the long run you still feel stiff, limited, and like you are dragging your body around rather than like your body is your life's springboard, then there are deeper structures that you need a practitioner to address.
We are often bombarded by misinformation telling us we can change the structure of our bodies simply by changing what we do with them. However, in order to alter physical functioning in any meaningful way, you must alter physical structure first. Hands-on bodywork, in particular Structural Integration, accomplishes this sort of change most effectively.
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You are not.
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Joe Perullo not a psychotherapist in the traditional sense. Instead, he brings all of himself to his work with clients. You can find out more about his training and background here. What’s important to note is the fact that our character or personality manifests directly in the physical structure. This means that working with a Structural Integration practitioner gives you a tactile way to affect psychological patterns of behavior. Rather than starting with thoughts or emotions, and tracing their effects of the body, we can begin with the structure of the body. A person who is more integrated physically, meaning that they have freer movement, more bodily awareness, and better alignment around the vertical axis, are more aware on the mental and emotional level, and freer in the way that they relate to their environment and with others. As Structural Integrators, we can see that enabling the body to take a more appropriate relationship to a vertical line of motion begins to allow movement in the mental and emotional layers as well.
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Since Structural Integration works with connective tissue, which bridges all parts of the body with one another, it's possible to have a pronounced effect on other tissues and systems. By switching from a framework that’s exclusively chemistry to one that includes physics, the function of, for example, the lungs as a mechanism of gas exchange improves with improved function of the rib cage. That is to say when the functions of the rib cage improves, the efficiency of the entire respiratory system is enhanced. Again, when we see the intrinsic functions of the intestines or stomach as not merely chemical, treatment can look like releasing pressure in the smooth muscles of these organs and the connective tissue surrounding them, improving peristalsis and the efficiency of the entire digestive system.
”There is but one disease, and its name in congestion." - Paracelsus
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Tipping is not necessary for Structural Integration.
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I do. This is a beautiful gift to give and receive.
If you are not a current client, contact me through my contact page and request either a virtual emailed gift certificate or a physical one through mail. You can purchase them through Paypal or Zelle.
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Because I operate outside the scope of insurance, I can offer specialized care that is not covered by insurance companies. Still, some clients have been able to get reimbursed by their insurance. My massage therapist license is MSG013676
I accept any card payment. For those looking to pay with HSA (Health Saving Account) or FSA (Flexible Spending Accounts) cards, which are offered by employers and are tax-deductible, know that coverage varies agency to agency. I can provide receipts as needed.
** Please note that sessions are non-refundable and non-transferrable to other parties. **