From Chaos to Action: The Power of Organization

I’ve been thinking a lot about organization: specifically, how an organized system can enhance our capacity for turning intent into action. Let’s use my garage as an example. It is a multi-use space for creation and storage. When organized, I can envision and enact my intention with ease. But when it’s disorganized, I’m tripping over boxes, hunting for tools, and losing my mind in the visual chaos. Nine times out of ten this is when I get hurt. Awkward movements, repetitive workarounds, or frustration leading to distraction. I suspect there is an equivalent space in your life.

Disorganized spaces bring activity to a halt and invite danger. The body is no different. An achy knee is like a box in the middle of your path, an obstacle. Your afternoon tension headache is the distraction preventing you from experiencing focus and calm, cluttering your thoughts and communication. But when the body is organized, aligned, and balanced, we feel efficient, fluid, and ready for peak performance. As a living system this body and mind actually improve with use. Organization leads to possibility and possibility leads to growth. Neither the mind nor body should ever feel like that messy garage. We deserve better. Let’s make it happen.

Your Body, Your Vehicle: Why Organization Matters

Because the body is the vehicle through which we experience and travel through life, we cannot be reckless when faced with structural disorganization. If you’ve worked with me before, you know Rolfing Structural Integration is not massage, the entire paradigm is different. At its core massage is about relaxation: reducing tension, softening muscles, and punctuating a tough week with long sighs of relief. Rolfing, on the other hand, is a continuum of transformation where we dive into the depth of what’s possible. We reestablish order into your body’s fascia, the connective tissues holding everything together. The goal of Rolfing is not to reduce tension but to challenge why it exists in the first place.

Dance with Gravity: Rolfing and “The Line”

As a Rolfer, my focus is on “the line,” that ideal balance point where your whole being can dance with gravity. Dr. Ida Rolf, the originator of Structural Integration, said it best:

“We are not truly upright, we are only on our way to being upright. This is a metaphysical consideration. One of the jobs of a Rolfer is to speed that process along. We want to get a person out of the place where gravity is their enemy. We want to get them into the place where gravity reinforces them and is a friend, a nourishing force.”

When you are organized on the line, you’re not fighting yourself. Instead you are flowing, grounded, and strong. But when you’re off, it’s like navigating that cluttered garage and every step is a struggle. The body is always seeking balance, we call this homeostasis — the process by which we maintain a stable internal environment. Our movement patterns, injuries, and life experiences create an ever changing landscape of internal obstacles. Ideally we clear these over time through the healing process. But often we never truly heal, instead we adapt. This is a topic for further exploration but for now we will use another analogy.

Picture this: your body is like a backpack you carry every day. Small stuff like a paper cut or a bad day is like tossing in a few pebbles. Not a big deal, and you keep moving. But then a heavy hit lands, a car accident or months of grinding stress, and that’s a boulder. Most of us don’t stop to reorganize. Life keeps pushing, so you trudge on. Now your shoulders are in your ears, you push through knee pain to keep up and ignore the urge to rest until the bag gets brutal. You’re still moving, but even a small misstep risks danger.

Rolfing is like sitting down with me in the shade to open that backpack and sort it out. We ditch what you don’t need, repack the rest so the weight sits along your line, that sweet spot where gravity lifts you, not drags you. I’ll teach you how to carry the load and adjust on the go without wrecking yourself. Suddenly, you’re moving lighter, stronger, with so much possibility.

Finding your Line: Shift Outside, Grow Inside

Take a moment to clear one obstacle and step closer to “the line”— making a small change can open new possibilities.

Now it’s your turn to find “the line” in your own life. Start outside of yourself by identifying one clear obstacle in your daily grind: perhaps a pile of clutter on your kitchen table, a workflow snag that slows you down, or a clock stuck on the wrong time. Fix it by enacting a simple solution and notice what new possibility enters. Does that cleared table give you space to enjoy a family meal? Does setting the clock help you feel grounded, on top of your day? That’s the power of organization to create possibility.

Now go within yourself and identify something physical that trips you up: that plantar fasciitis, jaw pain, or snoring and fatigue. Close your eyes and envision a life without that impediment. Where would you be? Perhaps hiking that trail you’ve avoided or dancing at your daughter’s wedding without a second thought. What could you achieve? Maybe you’d finally finish that project (like cleaning the garage!) or simply wake up feeling rested with less weight on your shoulders. Maybe you would just feel more present, moving through your day with a quiet grounded calm that’s been out of reach.

See Your Line: A Mirror Exercise for Truth

Sometimes we don’t know what is holding us back. If we did, obviously all our energy would go there towards a solution! To catch a glimpse of the Rolfer’s eye and see where you may be “off the line,” try this activity. First, be alone  — this is not a time for opinions. Be brave and stand in front of a tall mirror, nude would be best because we’re not interested in the superficial, but fitted clothing works if that’s more comfortable. With a soft gaze, see deep, almost past yourself. By what contours do you organize? Just see, without thinking. There’s a knowing in the eye beyond your logical mind. What is there? Maybe you’ll notice a shoulder hunching forward, a hip tilted just enough to throw you off balance, or a heaviness you’ve carried so long it feels normal. What shift would create possibility and growth? That’s where the Rolfer steps in (just put your clothes on first), meeting you in that raw, honest space; helping to clear the clutter so you can step onto your line.

Take the Next Step: Schedule Your Rolfing Session

Don’t let the clutter of disorganization hold you back any longer. Give yourself the gift of possibility and schedule a Rolfing consultation. This work looks different for everyone and every body. For some the goals are unraveling physical complaints and achieving lasting relief from muscle pain and various -itises (inflammatory conditions). Other seek Rolfing for posture correction or a holistic approach to wellbeing. Wherever your journey begins I am here serving as your guide. Let’s clear the path together so you can step into a lighter, stronger, more vibrant you.

Walking that line with you—Eric