Structure, Function, Integration: Journal of the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute

The August 2021 issue (Volume 49, No. 2) of Structure, Function, Integration: Journal of the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute® (DIRI)is a collection of three themes starting with trauma-informed Rolfing® Structural Integration (SI). Rolfing SI has become trauma-informed manual therapy through the hard work of many researchers and Rolfers®; in this issue we feature contributions from Dr. Stephen Porges (pioneering researcher responsible for polyvagal theory, a critical contribution to understanding the autonomic nervous system and its responses to social engagement, safety, and fear); Dr. Pedro Prado, an Advanced Rolfing and Rolf Movement® Instructor who recounts how Rolfers manage trauma from both his Rolfing SI point of view as well as his knowledge as an instructor of Somatic Experiencing®; and Dr. Anngwyn St. Just, author and trauma specialist who alongside Peter Levine first brought an understanding of trauma and its specific needs to our community. We have numerous other contributors to the theme, all offering nuance and support about how to face our present moment with presence, resilience, and embodiment.

Our second theme, Diversity and Inclusion: Joining the Conversation, was inspired by the cultural reckoning beginning to take place in the United States and around the world. DIRI joins the numerous institutions worldwide that are affirming a commitment to engagement. Also in this theme, we introduce you to a group of SI practitioners who have united under the banner “Liberation Somatics” to explore the inherent bias and racism in our lives and work.

Our third theme, It’s a Family Affair, features authors where Rolfing SI is the family business. We hear from two couples where both spouses are Rolfers: they speak about how Rolfing SI’s Principles of Intervention truly marry well with principles of life. Also, we have a contribution from Dr. Frances Demmerle, granddaughter of Ida P. Rolf, PhD. She reflects on her grandmother’s influence on her own professional development to become an osteopathic physician.

In material apart from our three themes, we invite you to enjoy poetry by Rolfer Kathy McConnell, and we celebrate the life of Dr. Thomas Findley, who championed fascial research and left a significant legacy of knowledge for the Rolfing and manual therapy communities.