To Resonate Together with Structural Integration / Rolfing

The Magic of Four Hands

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Albert Einstein

One dimension of our collaboration together as Symphonein is for the two of us to work together in a session with our clients. These collaborative encounters unleash dramatic changes in our clients' bodies and heighten their awareness, which is why we have labeled the process "The Magic of Four Hands." That is, the positive structural and functional changes to the body along with an expansion of one's somatic awareness, and the sense of 'ease of being' within the body appear to transcend rational explanations. 'Magic' refers to the nonlinear, noncausal, and dramatic leaps in ones own personal evolution of his or her own structure, experience, and attitude towards life

Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. - George Bernard Shaw

There are many benefits from two practitioners working together with a client in a Structural Integration session. Anyone receiving the work from the two practitioners can enjoy the advantages of two complimentary viewpoints, intentions, knowledge, experience, touch, stimulation, relaxation, and support. This gives the client the opportunity to synthesize, in a short period of time, the complimentary polarities of the two practitioners into one integral experience as a basis for growth and change.

You create your opportunities by asking for them. - Patty Hansen

With two practitioners engaged with a client in a session, the deeper dimensions of opening, balance, and integration emerge within the clients' somatic awareness and experience as a result of the exchange of informational and energetic polarities from the practitioners. These polarities can often be expressed within themes such as The Flow of Intentions, The Diversity of Touch, The Dynamics of Movement, and The Integration of Somatic Education. Following is an expanded description of these four themes:

The Flow of Intentions

With two practitioners working together in a session, a person benefits from two complimentary intentional perspectives committed to fulfilling the client's goals and needs of the session. Whether working together in the same area of the body or at opposite ends of the body, or even through the body, the session's goals for the client are powerfully reinforced and supported by both practitioners. This is also true in the sense that one practitioner may focus to work with specific areas of the body; while the other chooses to maintain a holistic view of the entire body in support of the overall intentions of the session.

The Diversity of Touch

Two practitioners can offer a diversified range of touch intended to not only compliment each other experientially, but to also better satisfy and fulfill the desires and goals of the client receiving the work. Examples of this range of touch orientation can vary from strong intentional touch focused on opening the body's tissues and structures, to supportive touch intended on energetically grounding and stabilizing the body. Touch also possesses a dimensional range in which one practitioner can choose to work with the deeper core structures, while the second practitioner may work with the complimentary superficial outer tissues and structures in order to balance and deepen the integration of the work.

Although it would seem that a session with two practitioners would tend to be more intense experientially, most clients are pleasantly surprised to find the sessions flow smoothly as the polarities of touch given by the practitioners balance the flow of sensations experienced by the client. Two practitioners offer more options in meeting a client's specific structural goals while not overpowering their body's capacity to receive the work.

The Dynamics of Movement

There are many more combinations of movement and tracking repatterning options available in conjunction with therapeutic touch when two practitioners are available. These combinations may include active and passive manipulations joined together with the client's movements which helps to integrate the structural layers of the client's body into a balanced holistic expression of postural equilibrium and flow.

The Integration of Somatic Education

In order to concretize and embody more effectively the changes and benefits of Structural Integration, a client needs to cultivate a deeper awareness of his or her own somatic structure. Two practitioners offer a diversity of experience, knowledge, and intentions which allow the client to broaden and deepen their own educational process.

All we are given are possibilities to make ourselves one thing or another. - Jose Ortega Y Gasset

Finally, 'The Magic of Four Hands' we offer as Symphonein, our Structural Integration practice, is a unique opportunity for the two of us to share with the world the loving, creative, and collaborative dynamics we enjoy together as a couple. We originally found each other at our Advanced Structural Integration Training in Hawaii. Not only did this experience bring us closer together into our own union of possibilities, but it paved the way for us to offer a service to the world that neither one of us could ever provide on our own. For that opportunity to offer our services together, we are full of gratitude and eagerness to share our collaboration with the world.

There came a time when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. - Anais Nin