The Line
You uniquely perceive the environment within and beyond your body. Verticality naturally arises from orienting to our horizontal physical environment. Dr Rolf called this “the line”. The line is a personal experience moment by moment. There is no one or any correct way to find your line.
Structural Integration is a process of Inquiry. Some people call it Mystery School. It’s literally finding yourself and noticing the world above and all around.
It helps to slow down as you read this next part. Ask to feel a physical, individual, moment by moment relationship to the ground and sky. Orient to the environment within and beyond your body. Keep listening to each moment asking for senses to engage. The first thing happening on the line that we point toward is breath. Not necessarily a deep breath, just something that allows movement of your ribcage and includes a complete exhale. Beyond the rib movement, spontaneous movement through your whole spine: cranium to sacrum. Layer in a free and easy breath together with sensing the top of your head. Free flowing breath, plus a sensation of support under you. Support that can hold you no matter how much you need to rest into it. Free breath scalp to feet, and support to rest into. Layer in more dimensions to explore. What is it like to expand to the sides? What is it like to find more support through the inner line of the leg? Support from the front of the spine? Support and length and freedom in the inner line of the leg and the front of the spine? Include more from the back line of the leg, extend awareness and reach through the heel. Can your sacrum experience a movement-without you trying to move- by relaxing enough to feel the wave of breath? Can your cranium feel more of that wave of breath also? Please notice cranium to sacrum to heels.
Put it all together and try things out. Take your line for a walk. What is it like to notice that wave of breath or that endlessly strong support underneath you while you read this? When you go about your day today, please don’t pull your shoulders back, or squeeze your buns (If you really want to squeeze and pull yourself, please experiment gently). Please do take a moment to notice the very top of your head. You can find this place by going straight up the sides of your head from the center of each ear. Find a place that might feel like it is towards the back of your dome. It might feel slightly sensitive. Reach through that point by feeling how your spine can lengthen and shorten with support from below. Open your awareness to the space you have all around you. You are this incredible dimensional being!
“Noticing my line, I feel instantly different, and I move differently. Structural Integration has helped me to expand what I can perceive in myself and the world around me.”
-Sarah