Four
Principles of Structural Bodywork Structural bodywork has its own specific set of distinguishing images
which sets it apart from other kinds of physical therapy. These images
were Ida Rolf's initial discovery. They deal with: a. the human skeleton,
b. concepts of geometry, beginning with the most basic fact of gravity,
pressing us against the earth, and the nature of three dimensional space
resulting from that orientation of gravity; c. concepts of movement
- how the skeleton is designed to move in space; and d. ideas of how
the body is shaped to support habitual movement. These images can be
introduced in terms of four principles which seem to form the basis
of Ida Rolf's method. 1. The Primacy of Gravity It is part of the elegance of Ida Rolf's vision that gravity is placed
at the center of the system. Other methods focus on energy or the release
of emotions, et cetera, but these are difficult to see, and there is
considerable room for subjectivity in making inferences about them.
But Ida treated the body first of all as a physical object in a gravitational
field, and let the emotional releases take place as a secondary result. Every physical creature is subject to the effects of gravity throughout
life. It is the one unrelenting stimulus to which we must relate. The
skeleton has evolved primarily in response to the various demands placed
upon it by different systems of dealing with gravity (that is, a quadrupedal
skeleton differs from a biped's in ways which are predictable on the
basis of their different relations to the ground). Gravity determines
what is physically efficient or inefficient. When the human body is
inefficiently organized, effort is required to resist the effects of
gravity. Eventually gravity wins, and the tragically bent bodies of
some elderly people are the results. When the structure is efficiently
organized, the flow of gravity can be a source of energy. 2. Geometry: The Relation of the Skeleton to Space The skeleton is a structural framework enabling the body to move in
space. In each creature, the skeleton is precisely designed to permit
geometrically accurate movement. There are differences, especially deriving
from whether the creature is a quadruped walking on land, a monkey swinging
in the branches of trees, or a human walking upright. But in each case,
the skeleton is quite precisely arranged to support movement which is
adapted to geometric space. This means that, if we can understand the geometric concepts underlying
the structure of the skeleton, we can analyze distortions in the people
we work with and thus understand what must be reorganized. For example,
in looking at someone's legs, we refer to the bisecting planes of the
legs. If the hinges of hip, knee and ankle are lined up on a single
plane, then it has tremendous internal security and balance. When the leg is not balanced across this bisecting plane, when the
hinges are not working on a single plane, then the feeling of security
and balance is lost. It becomes appropriate to speak of "random"
or "chaotic" or "disorganized" physical structure.
As will be seen in the chapter on psychology, disorganization on the
physical plane shows up as insecurity and confusion on the psychological
level. It is no abstract matter. Throughout this book we will be referring to a small number of geometric
concepts: l. The Vertical Polarity 2. The Horizontal Polarity 3. The Bisecting Planes of the Legs (and other sagittal planes) 4. The Side Planes (and other coronal planes) 5. Transverse Planes at: a. The Pelvis b. The Diaphragm c. The Shoulder Girdle d. Various other places as needed 3. The Role of Fascia in Shaping the Body Most anatomy books do not emphasize fascia. Muscles and bones seem
much easier to recognize. They are the evident figure, while the fascia
are in the background. However, the connective tissue system, including
the fascia is the all-pervasive prima materia of the body. Each muscle
and each muscle fiber is enveloped in fascia. In response to habitual
movement, fascia alter in length and flexibility to support that movement.
If the movement deviates from the optimal geometry of the skeleton in
space, then the fascial system slowly binds the skeleton to a shape
which supports that movement. Thus function alters structure. The energy
of movement becomes reflected in form, which parallels Einstein's formulation:
e=mc2. 4. The Use of Movement to Reorganize the Body. Since disorganized movement creates deviated structure, then the reverse
should also be true. If the body is induced to move in a way which is
geometrically correct, then the fascial tissues will alter to support
this better movement. Thus the skeletal structure can be altered to
approach the optimal organization for which it was created. Ida Rolf
said (approximately) "Hold structures where they are supposed to
be and induce movement." This is the basic principle of change. These are the four principles which define structural body work. In
subsequent chapters we will be studying geometric concepts of movement,
fascia, and an approach to touch. Excerpt from "The Structural
Metaphor", |
©Archie Underwood, HHP
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