HELLERWORK STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION: Uncovering Change That Lasts

Personal growth does not always mean changing from the inside out. The transformational approach of Hellerwork begins from the outside in and can offer powerful results.

Many people start the new year with the intention of following through with resolutions of health and wellness. Dieting, exercise and nutrition are excellent solutions to improving overall wellbeing. However, beginning a lifestyle change can challenge even the most determined and resolved: sustaining a lifestyle change can take something most of us feel incapable of, so we stop before we even start.

Many people can still feel tired, unbalanced and stressed after altering aspects of their lifestyle, especially regarding dieting. This may lead to old familiar patterns that eventually reclaim their hold and leave us feeling powerless. This is not successful change; it’s a growing cycle of frustration. From the perspective of nutrition, if we look at our bodies as a vehicle, our diet is our energy or fuel. However, if our vehicle has a suspension problem, we will struggle to get around, even on a full tank of gas.

A recent European fascia research project report, presented at the Fifth Annual Interdisciplinary World Congress on Low Back and Pelvic Pain, revealed soft cell fibers in our connective tissue systems. This means that fascial contractility (fluidity or ability to shrink and contract) serves as a secondary and adaptable tension control system in the body, concluding that working with fascia can have profound effects on the whole organism. That is why including Hellerwork and Body Centred Somatics is such a vital ingredient to any successful lifestyle change.

Why not begin the journey towards personal growth by addressing the imbalances that exist in our bodies first? Poor posture affects our relationship to gravity which when in alignment offers us fundamental structural support. This is good news. Being in alignment gives us access to moving, expressing and being in ways that are truly infinite. Being out of alignment can keep us stuck in our movement patterns, but just as importantly, feeling stuck in our lives. This fact is often overlooked.

Personal growth or change needs the right environment to be successful. Without balance both internally and externally the change we are seeking will not last. Bringing balance to our bodies obviously involves the physical body: the way we move and the emotions we manage. Working on balancing the physical body will provide a more stable environment for the internal personal growth to occur.

Hellerwork offers personal growth with an integrated mind-body approach. Deep tissue body work (myo-fascial release) is designed to release the tension that currently exists in the connective tissue, returning the body systematically to an aligned position. With the movement education aspect of the work you can become profoundly more aware of your body as well as your unhealthy movement patterns. You can also release latent emotional residue.

Our bodies retain old injuries and traumatic events on a cellular level. We compensate in a number of ways including altering how we move and physically function throughout our day with often dramatic negative results to our health. Deep tissue bodywork will often evoke an emotional release that has long been overdue. Much of the body's pain and tension is directly related to our emotions and attitudes. Hellerwork offers clients the chance to explore this relationship and create new resources and movement patterns to successfully adapt in an increasingly stressful world.

Ivan Duben is a certified Hellerwork practitioner living in Vancouver, B.C.
www.ivanduben.com