Structural Integration (SI) is a form of touch therapy that realigns the structure of the human body to attain optimum health and vitality. All SI modalities including SOMA originated from the pioneering work of Dr. Ida Rolf. Ida Rolf was a research chemist and later, an important figure in the human potential movement originating in the 1950's.

All SI modalities share several key concepts. The first concept is that gravity has an adverse affect on the structure of the body. Gravity compresses and folds the body over time, which reduces vitality and health. The second concept is that gravity extends through a center of effort in the body, and then into the ground. By aligning the body's center of effort with gravity, greater ease of movement and vitality will be available to the body

There are other ways in which the body may become misaligned or bound. Physical trauma can cause structural changes in the body that last long after the acute stages. Likewise our daily stress and emotional traumas are also often reflected in our bodies. Stress causes profound changes in the structure of the entire body including the skeletal system. Muscles may be chronically tense and contracted which can lead to structural changes.

The goal of SI is to re-orient the client to their natural body alignment with gravity and the body-mind connection within all of us. With active participation from the client, long term structural changes can be achieved, as well as increased ease of 'being'.

Fascia is a form of connective tissue composed primarily of collagen. Fascia is found nearly everywhere in the body. All muscle tissue is wrapped by fascia at three levels: individual muscle fibers, collections of fibers called bundles, and collections of bundles as individual muscles. Fascia provides support and structure while the muscle fibers contract and release. Fascia is thus plastic or moldable and also, because it is made of collagen, it is 'sticky'. The downside of being sticky is that this can cause restrictions within and between muscles.

Fascia also covers all the entire nervous system. The same organizational pattern of muscles is also exhibited in the nervous system as nerve fibers, bundles and nerves. Thus the term "mind and body connection" has a scientific basis in the human body, as expressed by the intertwining of fascia between the skeletal and nervous systems.