This is written primarily for practitioners in the field of Rolf Structural Integration. It's on the question of "Random Body" posed by Ritchie Mintz; he's a teacher with the American Guild for Structural Integration.
The accompanying video is a recording of an online meeting in early December 2024 in which Ritchie Mintz presents his understandings around the idea of the "Random Body". He also invited comments, and this article aims to provide a few.
This article is long, so maybe read it first; then, if you want to dig deep, watch the video.
"Random Body."
A little background will be helpful for context. Long ago Dr. Ida P. Rolf made this prescient observation: Some individuals may perceive their losing fight with Gravity as a sharp pain in their back, others as the unflattering contour of their body, others as constant fatigue, yet others as an unrelentingly threatening environment. Those over forty may call it old age. And yet all these signals may be pointing to a single problem so prominent in their own structure, as well as others, that it has been ignored: they are off balance; they are at war with Gravity.
In other words the average individual is off balance in respect to the demands of Gravity. This is the usual condition, but it is taken as normal. Dr. Rolf's view is evolutionary. That is, we Humans are still evolving in our relationship in respect to the dictates of Earth's energy field. Her common sense insight is the direction of Human evolution in physical terms is toward balanced vertical uprightness.
Ida being anything if not practical, she originated a formalized hands-on approach for assisting individuals in evolving the makeup of their body to an effortlessly upright, unstressed stance. All based on the same basic core idea known to stucture designers and building from time immemorial. Yet, this is a new idea. In terms of the human body it is. And, it's new that sort of possibility can be easily available to anyone regardless of age or life circumstances. It certainly makes sense. Acute medical conditions ... no. You have to be healthy to balance your body. At least, healthy enough to not have medical conditions which need first attention. Chronic conditions ... yes. Nota bene: this is not a substitute for appropriate medical attention or other therapies. It's more in the category of education.
Dr. Ida P. Rolf's is the definitive and peerless approach to assist individuals to raise the level of the organization of their bodies from a random mix of accumulated imbalances to the kind of simple vertical, even, and level stance called for for all structural arrangements in Earth's Gravity field.
Dr. Rolf used the term "Random Body" in her class discussions. Probably making the point in her brilliant lectures to wide audiences. It's a well known idea among Rolf Structural Integration practitioners, but not in the common domain. Ritchie Mintz intends to get it out to the general public. That living with bodily imbalances is usual, but taken as normal. And, of course, there's an option to correct the situation.
Packed into the term "Random Body" along with the general condition of imbalance, is how imbalances in the fabric of the body vary individual to individual. Not only in terms of typical external expressions, but importantly in the compensatory patterns as well. Structural Integrators invest a lot of inquiry into identifying general patterns of imbalance and their underlying compensations. In the video Ritchie Mintz gives a long list. Brilliant.
Imbalances in the arrangement of the body have many causes. We are shaped by our experience(s). Repeated habits. A mix of good and bad. Repetitive usage patterns get fixed into the fabric of the flesh. Factor in unresolved accidents and traumas. Insufficient or incorrect learning. Modeling significant others who themselves may not manifest sound structure.
The subject of Human balance in respect to Gravity opens up into a lot of territory. There's so much more, but let's stick to the point of this writing. More information is available online everywhere, and in the many articles on this website.
Ritchie Mintz invited discussion and comments on his idea(s) around this "Random Body" idea.
Here goes ...
While this term is full of meaning for professionals in the field, my view is unpacking it to become a commonly understood term/idea as such among the general public is a project with built in obstacles. Because the term in unfamiliar it becomes more of a project to anchor a set of words than getting across the essential idea in more familiar terms. So, let's keep it simple.
And, simply put, Humanity is not in balance. The news gives ample evidence of that. But, in this case, we're referring to something which has yet to make the news. Could it be being out of balance in the makeup of our body structure colors our perception(s) and fashions our world into a reflection of those imbalances? This is Psychology 101; not at all a new idea. Just maybe not one given sufficient due.
Or, maybe stated more positively and constructively, Humanity is not yet at its potential for living into its birthright of vertical uprightness and balance. My sense of it is focusing on the constructive option is the better sell. The one often too easily comes to mind is "Problem/Solution". You're off balance in that random body, I have the solution. The other is based on "Opportunity/Choice". The positive one is, You do better in such bodily balance, so chose to cultivate it. It's healthy, actually it is normal; the design of the human body calls for it, Physics demands it. Also, such balance gives full range of motion and opens up higher levels of performance and creative expressiveness. As an inner issue, having an active conscious relationship with the force of Gravity is freeing; from outdated, outmoded mental constructs and false identifications. Net, net it's about becoming truly Human. Not someone's idea of what that is, just someone's idea Gravity is a sustainable energy source which can be enlisted with assurance toward becoming true in every sense of the word.
My idea is to flip the issue entirely. Rather than pointing out the problem, how about pointing out the possibility? The possibilities. The potential(s). Sell the sizzle as it were. There's always the steak. [But, some are vegans.] Once someone is in the question, and open to consider making changes, then we can discuss options.
It's probably a general assumption among Structural Integrator professionals the solution to an imbalanced structure is to undertake a series of Rolf Structural Integration. It's certainly a good option. It's what we do. It's how we earn a living. But, if suddenly the world awoke to the need and potential of living in balance with the Gravitational field of the Earth, there wouldn't enough practitioners of the Rolf Method to meet the demand. There are things to do right now to meet a wide audience of prospects.
That's why my suggestion is to start a conversation about the benefits of living with a balanced body structure. First things first. Many self-help options can then be offered.
Some obvious big ones which come to mind are concerned around our use of IT devices. Basic idea: the eyes are meant to look straight forward, not head down toward your smart phone or laptop. Unless this gets into the public mentality — like car seat belts — there's gonna be a lot of sore heads and necks and shoulders.
Each of us has patterns we repeat in life. Like my Uncle Stash. Flat forehead and round shoulders. Not too bright. Every time you ask him a question he shrugs his shoulders. Give him the answer, he slaps his forehead. It's a joke. But, it makes the point. The shape you're in is a living testament to your unique personal history. Unresolved imbalances just keep you running in circles. Repeating the same mistakes. Acting out unconsciously. Psychologically it's like living under a cloud, or in a fog. In short ...
So, in my own way, here's the pitch ...
