First off if you know me, you know I LOVE Yin Yoga. It’s a very still yoga style to counterbalance our Yang (vinyasa flow) practice. I fell in love with it for two main reasons. It really made me go inside and be with myself. After all, I’m holding poses between 3 – 20 minutes. Also, I was having so much pain in my shoulders, hips and back from teaching so much. I took care of by body but what I was doing wasn’t enough. I needed connective tissue work. I needed to gently stress the soft tissue around my muscles and release the tension it was under. It worked like magic.
With Yin I became more focused in every aspect in my life, my body’s flexibility increased like crazy and I found clarity and purpose in my life because I was making myself slow down. However, I was recently approached by a friend Shari about Structure Integration. Shari and I actually just met about 3 weeks ago and we talk almost every day now. Our paths were meant to pass at this particular point and it’s becoming more clear why.
You see Yin stresses the tissue beautifully. It’s amazing, but Shari’s system, Rolf SI she releases the soft tissue and also redirects it back to it’s proper place. I’ve had many friends do this 10 session system with Shari and their before and after picture are almost unbelievable. Their postures change, their butt changes, their legs and torso look longer and even their face changes. So, a butt and face lift with no surgery? Where do I sign?
Today was my first session with Shari and her Rolf system. I kinda knew what to expect b/c I’ve had a little soft tissue work done in the past but nothing comprehensive like this will be. Our first session was amazing. She started with my right side in the hands. It was lovely. If felt like a release of tension in the palms of my hand. Then she moved up to my forearm, elbow and into the shoulder. Wow, very intense but good.
What happened next was a unbelievable. She had completed my upper body for the time being and she asked me to take a deep inhale. As I felt I was at the end of my inhale, it kept going. In fact, the last part of that inhale made a little rattle sound. Like the first time in years air had gone that deep into my lungs. I couldn’t believe it. My chest felt soft, open and I could REALLY breath deeply.
Once she completed the upper and lower body some more ‘magic’ happened. After all was done my right side felt used. Used as in, I put weight on my right leg and didn’t just depend on my left leg. The constant pain in my upper back was gone and I even walked differently. On the drive home I felt lopsided to my right side but I was not at all, I was finally even and it just felt lopsided. I had to raise my rear view mirror in the car because I was sitting taller.
I feel like each session is going to be like unwrapping a gift! Each session bringing a new gift of effortless movement and feeling more structurally sound. I’m very excited to do our next sessions. Like Shari says, it’s about releasing trauma that we’ve put on our bodies over a life time. I know that is exactly what we are going to do from here on out because I can feel it after just one session.
After our tenth session, I’ll have before and after pictures. I’ll also write again about the entire experience. For now, you better believe I’m telling all my friends about this. It is too life changing to not share.
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