STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION
Structural Integration in Portland, Maine.
Who is this for?
This work is for anyone who has tried massage, chiropractic, or physical therapy and found relief that didn't hold. It's for the person who suspects their body is capable of more ease, more freedom, and more resilience than they're currently experiencing.
It may be especially helpful if you're living with:
Chronic back, neck, or shoulder pain
Scoliosis or spinal imbalances
TMJ pain or jaw tension
Headaches or migraines
Digestive tension or gut issues
Whiplash or unresolved injury
Pelvic tension or imbalance
Postural challenges that affect how you move and feel
Stress and trauma held in the body
It's also deeply resonant for people who aren't in acute pain but feel disconnected from their bodies — who want to move with greater ease, stand taller, breathe more freely, and feel genuinely at home in themselves.
You don't need a diagnosis or a specific complaint. You just need a body and a readiness to listen to it.
Structural Integration is hands-on fascial therapy — slow, intentional work with the connective tissue that holds your whole body together. It relieves chronic pain, restores postural balance, and changes how you move and feel. Not temporarily. Lastingly.At K'intu Healing Arts, Board Certified Structural Integrator Kat Narvaez offers this work to the Portland, Maine community through the Anatomy Trains (ATSI) 12-Series.
What can I expect?
I wish I could promise unicorns. But as a very close second, when you book an Structural Integration session, you can expect to be seen — live and in full color. Which can sound a little intimidating. But witnessing is where this work begins.
Sessions start with a thorough body reading — taking detailed note of your form, structure, and movement. We honor your life story and how it expresses itself through your body. We notice what's working well. Catapulting off those resources, we make a plan to help your body release stuck areas, reconnect with underused muscles, redistribute strain, and experience ease, alignment, and flow.
Structural Integration is both deeply restorative and insightful — an opportunity to slow down, be present, and support lasting change in body and mind. Most clients notice meaningful shifts within the first three sessions. By the end of the series, the changes in how you stand, move, breathe, and feel are often visible not just to you, but to the people around you.
Active engagement, both in and outside of sessions, is what makes these changes last.
Is Structural Integration the same thing as Rolfing®?
Structural Integration and Rolfing® are closely related — Rolfing is the trademarked name for the work as practiced by graduates of the Rolf Institute, named after its founder Dr. Ida Rolf. Dr. Rolf developed this work in the 1940s, creating a 10-session series that reorganizes the body through hands-on fascial manipulation — working with the connective tissue that surrounds and connects every muscle, bone, nerve, and organ.
Structural Integration is the broader family. Same foundational principles, practiced by graduates of other schools and lineages.
At K'intu Healing Arts, Kat practices Anatomy Trains Structural Integration (ATSI) — developed by Tom Myers, a student of Dr. Rolf. Myers expanded her original work by mapping the body's myofascial meridians: continuous lines of fascia that connect tissues throughout the entire body, transmitting strain and stress as we stand, sit, and move. Tension anywhere affects everything else.
ATSI builds on Rolfing's foundation with a more detailed anatomical map and a 12-session series. The same work — taken deeper.
The Recipe: ATSI 12-Series
Life leaves patterns in the body. Some areas are chronically overused while others go quiet. Restricted movement, habitual postures, and accumulated tension create strain that compounds over time — often in ways we stop noticing because they've become so familiar.
The 12-Series addresses these patterns in a deliberate sequence, organized in three phases:
Sessions 1–4: Opening We begin with the outer layers — releasing the superficial sleeve of the body and creating more space and breath. You begin to feel lighter, taller, and freer.
Sessions 5–8: Core We move deeper, working with the core structures: psoas, diaphragm, spine, and pelvis. This is where longstanding holding patterns begin to unwind and structural relationships start to reorganize.
Sessions 9–12: Integration The final phase brings it all together — superficial and deep, upper and lower, front and back. We revisit what's shifted, address what remains, and support your body in integrating these changes into daily movement and life.
Sessions are typically scheduled every one to three weeks, and the changes build cumulatively across the series.
Not ready for the full series? A 3-session introductory series addresses the outer sleeve of the body and gives you a genuine taste of what this work can do. Many people choose to continue into the full 12-series from there — but there's no pressure, and no agenda.
Is ATSI right for you?
The ATSI 12-Series is a commitment — to your body, to the process, and to yourself. Sessions are typically scheduled every one to three weeks, and the changes build cumulatively across the series.
Most clients notice meaningful shifts within the first three sessions. By the end of the series, the changes in how you stand, move, breathe, and feel are often visible not just to you but to the people around you.
If you're not ready for the full series, I also offer a 3-session introductory series that addresses the outer sleeve of the body and gives you a genuine experience of what this work can do. Many people choose to continue into the full 12-series from there — but there's no pressure, and no agenda.
The work meets you where you are."
Ready to begin? Book your first ATSI session in Portland, Maine at K'intu Healing Arts.
ATSI/12 SERIES FAQs
-
During the series, we explore whether your body can learn new patterns, freeing stuck areas so your system has more options and flexibility. Once your body is more adaptable, we focus on building stability and safety in these changes. From this stable foundation, your body can release deeper, long-held patterns and habits. Finally, we work on integrating these changes into your daily life, helping you make them your new normal.
Active engagement of the client, both in and outside of sessions, is essential for ensuring that these improvements are lasting.
-
Sessions are usually scheduled every 1–3 weeks to keep the momentum going. Many people find the best results when we meet every 1–2 weeks. If travel or illness interrupts your series, we can add a “stitch session” to get you back on track.
-
If you’re curious about the 12-series, start with the first 3 sessions. If you’re only able to commit to 3, there’s a specific 3-series we can do. Just note: if you later choose to continue into the full 12-series, we’ll begin again with session 1.
-
ATSI (Anatomy Trains Structural Integration) is based on the same foundational principles as Rolfing, developed by Dr. Ida Rolf, but it incorporates Tom Myers’ Anatomy Trains myofascial lines to guide the work.
While Rolfing focuses on overall body alignment and fascial release in a structured 10-session series, ATSI uses myofascial meridians to understand how tension and movement patterns travel through the body. This allows sessions to target specific patterns of restriction, improve movement efficiency, and enhance structural integration.
In short: Rolfing is the original method; ATSI is an evolution of Rolfing with a focus on myofascial anatomy and whole-body movement patterns.
-
It’s fine to receive sessions while on your cycle—just let Kat know if you’re experiencing pain or discomfort. A full series is not recommended during pregnancy, since your body is already focused on a very special project.
-
While massage often focuses on relaxing muscles and easing tension in a localized area, Structural Integration (SI) looks at the whole body and how it moves and functions as a system. SI works to reorganize posture, improve alignment, and restore balance, helping the body find more freedom, stability, and efficiency—not just temporary relief.
-
Myofascial release focuses specifically on loosening tight fascia—the connective tissue surrounding muscles and organs. Structural Integration may use myofascial release techniques, but it goes beyond just releasing tissue. SI is a systematic, full-body approach that includes movement, sensory awareness, and integration, helping your body learn new patterns of support and alignment so changes last.
-
Structural Integration is best received when wearing minimal clothing, such as underwear, a basic bra and shorts. For clients who wear bras, please choose one that gives as much access to the back and spine as possible. A two piece bathing suit is also appropriate. Most men receive the work in boxers, briefs or shorts. No one is compelled to disrobe beyond their comfort level, other options include form fitting clothing such as running shorts, sports bra or close fitting tank top. Spandex is okay if it’s the only option, but not ideal. On the day of your appointment, please do not apply moisturizers, lubricants, creams or oils to your skin, as it will impede our work together.