The body is a teacher – a powerful resource of information for growth, change and for being fully alive.

As we shape our lives, our lives shape us. Our responses to the forces of life, its joys and challenges, shape physical individuality. Our structures, contours and movements become a living map of who we are, a reflection of our habits, patterns, goals and experiences.

As children, we model our behavior and posture after our caregivers, creating stances and habits that identify yet often limit us. The impact of traumas – accidents, injuries, illnesses and threatening experiences – leave imprints through the body’s structure long after the trauma has passed.

Our personal histories also reflect a larger body, that of our culture and times; posture often reflects culturally distorted notions of strength, weakness, ugliness and beauty.

Yet we seldom consider how these habitual patterns influence us. Frequently, it is the ‘gift’ of pain and injury that brings our attention to our structures, offering the opportunity, at times the necessity, to open and awaken to new possibilities.

The healthy body is highly adaptive, receiving new input as an opportunity toward freedom and maturity, regardless of age. To be fully alive is to be responsive and aware, to have the capacity to learn and relearn.

Rolfing/Structural Integration and Hakomi Therapy are two powerful resources for accessing and supporting the natural intelligence and adaptability of the human body and the experience of being fully alive.