As Structural Integration became better known, the necessity for a formal organization became apparent. The first Guild for Structural Integration was formed and headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Until her death in 1979, Ida Rolf had made a lifelong commitment to the development of Structural Integration. Today, there are two primary schools that offer training and research on Structural Integration. There are approximately 1000 practitioners worldwide.
Integration includes the concepts of balance, symmetry and wholeness.
A misalignment of the body can prevent an individual from being fully integrated and from achieving one's full potential. It is believed that changes in the physical structure will have an impact on the whole person, not only the physical body but also the mind and the spirit. Structural Integration is a tool to overcome physical and mental obstacles and concentrate on personal growth. People who experience a life change may turn to Structural Integration because they get a sense that there is a pattern in their physical body that no longer represents who they are. Structural Integration can assist an individual in bringing to the surface what Wilhelm Reich called body armor, unprocessed emotions that are stored in the body's tissues.