Hellerwork Structural Integration

Joseph Heller, the creator of Hellerwork, was born in Poland in 1940. After moving to the United States and graduating from Caltech (the California Institute of Technology), he worked as an aerospace engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He later changed paths to work with the body and began practicing as a Rolfer (a Rolfing practitioner) in 1972. He studied directly under Ida Rolf.

Heller is said to have found one aspect unsatisfying during his many years of practicing Rolfing: even when releasing fascia changed the body's structure, people would eventually return to their old posture if their habits of sitting, standing, and walking stayed the same. He therefore developed a method that added movement education and dialogue exploring emotions and thoughts held in the body to the hands-on work of changing structure, and called it Hellerwork. He developed its framework in the 1970s and established a training institution in 1978. Today, practitioners around the world continue the work, centered around an organization called Hellerwork International.

The book on Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT) mentions Hellerwork in its introduction to approaches that work with fascia. It describes it as an approach that brings mechanical and movement aspects together.

Like Rolfing, Hellerwork views the body as a structure that needs to find balance within gravity. It holds that when fascia shortens or becomes stiff and adherent, the body tilts to one side, causing joints and muscles to keep exerting unnecessary effort. Its first pillar is to help the body align with gravity by lengthening fascia and allowing its layers to move more smoothly against one another.

Hellerwork takes this a step further. It holds that releasing structures alone is not enough, and that the way a person uses their body must also change for the effects to last. It therefore brings three elements together as a set.

• Structural work — The practitioner uses their hands, fingers, and elbows to work slowly and deeply with the fascia.
• Movement education — Practitioner and client observe and practice everyday movements such as sitting, standing, walking, and breathing, using a mirror.
• Dialogue — Based on the view that bodily tension is connected to thoughts and emotions, each session includes conversation around a particular theme.

A session usually lasts about one hour to one and a half hours. Clients often lie on a massage table in underwear or comfortable shorts. The practitioner works area by area, from the feet and legs to the torso, neck, and face, slowly applying pressure along the fascia. The pressure can be deep, but it is applied gradually to give the body time to respond. If you feel pain, you can tell the practitioner and have the pressure adjusted.

The series usually consists of 11 sessions. The early sessions are said to address breathing and outer structures such as the outer layers of the torso, the middle sessions the legs and pelvis, and the later sessions the torso and head, with the final session integrating the preceding work into the body. Because each session includes movement practice and dialogue, it is closer to a process of learning about your body together than a one-off massage. Whether any sessions beyond the 11 are needed, and how many, varies from person to person and is decided in consultation with the practitioner.

• People whose neck, shoulders, and lower back are always stiff and achy from prolonged sitting at work
• People who want to improve their standing posture or gait
• People who use their bodies extensively, such as athletes and musicians
• People who feel that bodily stiffness makes their breathing shallow

• Since this approach follows a series of sessions, consider the time and cost involved in advance.
• At your first meeting, tell the practitioner about any current areas of discomfort, your medical history, and any medications you take.
• After fascia work, your body may feel unfamiliar or achy for about two days. Drinking plenty of water and taking a gentle walk can help you feel more comfortable.
• Checking that the practitioner has completed Hellerwork International training can offer reassurance. Practitioners may be difficult to find in Korea.

The closest technique is Rolfing. While Rolfing focuses on organizing fascia through a set sequence of 10 sessions, Hellerwork uses an 11-session format and includes movement education and dialogue as formal components. It shares its roots with Rolfing within the broader field of structural integration, but takes a different direction in seeking to address habits and the mind as well. It is also worth comparing with Rosen Method Bodywork, which engages the body through gentle touch and movement learning.