I came to Alex feeling fairly desperate. Two years prior, I had been in an accident, and had not felt full recovery, though my functionality was normal. My body felt tight, even though I was reasonably flexible, and more striking, my body didn’t feel normal to me. It felt as if my nervous system was on overload, a constant uncomfortably caffeinated state that affected my ability to feel relaxed and comfortable during the day. I found Alex online while looking for bodywork in Madison. The term “Structural Integration” called to me. My body felt like it needed work on a level of deep, physical, re-structuring. What came as a surprise was that working with Alex would help me heal on levels I didn’t even know needed healing.

I didn’t quite know what to expect on the first visit. I had heard of Rolfing, knowing its reputation for intensity, but I was not sure what Integral Bodywork Structural Integration would feel like. In my first few sessions with Alex, I was in excruciating pain. Multiple times I considered quitting, wondering why I was making a significant investment to be tortured. The mind loves to make up stories, and mine was convinced this work would lead to more damage than healing. Alex would ask me to share a number, on a scale of 1-10, for intensity of sensation. I extremely disliked this process. I didn’t want to be thinking about the pain! I wanted to avoid the pain! I have no doubt that Alex could feel the resistance in my body, probably knowing that I was actually creating more pain for myself by fighting his pressure.

One might wonder why I continued. There were a few key reasons. Firstly, after some evaluation, I decided Alex was not mean or sadistic. In fact, he was one of the gentlest people I knew with ridiculously strong hands. His calm, deep resonating voice was my tethers through those first few sessions, comforting my discomfort. Secondly, I started to notice change. By the end of the session, my body felt remarkably different than when I came in to the session. With Alex’s guidance throughout, I also took time to notice how my body felt after he worked on different sections. The change was not always describable, nor what I anticipated; I didn’t leave feeling my body reshaped, like clay, into a new form. Instead, I felt an incremental sinking into my own skin, reintegrating parts of my body that I had unknowingly rejected because they were “dysfunctional.”

Each session has a different focus, with similar routines threaded throughout. In one of my earlier sessions with Alex, we focused on my chest. I was unaware of how much tension I held in my chest and neck. As soon as his hands pressed into the area around my collarbones, I started sobbing, heavy heaves. Alex kindly placed a blanket around me and allowed me to cry. We agreed to continue the work, feeling it was important to unlock the emotional tension stored there. I once again knew this work was important for me; it was sinking in to new levels of the body, all of which affected my well being, and often went ignored. Throughout many of the sessions intense emotions would arise: grief, anger, sorrow. This, too, became a part of my process in reintegrating with my body. Alex was there as a remarkable therapeutic support, no matter what arose.

Over time there was a clear shift in my structure, my nervous systems started to calm down, and I even felt a shift in how I greeted the world every day. I was becoming more comfortable in my skin. In session seven, both Alex and I felt a huge shift in how my body received the work. No longer was my body (seemingly out of my control) clenching against the pressure, but was releasing in response to Alex’s hands. Not only could we both feel this physical change, but also a mental change was very apparent. Like my body, my mind no longer clenched against or avoided the intense sensations. Instead, I was able to stay present with the sensations, feeling their magnitude, and inviting a calm breath without running away. 

By the end of the tenth session, I could hardly believe the transformation that took place over time. Only by looking back to session one can I truly appreciate how far I’ve come. The changes were incremental, and miniscule at times, but that’s how lasting change eventuates. I will be forever grateful to Alex for his ability to give (it takes a special kind of person who can dish out pain because he knows it’s going to help you!), his immense expertise, and his beautiful presence of heart. He’s become a dear friend, and I would not have been able to make these changes without him. Today, my body enjoys ease and relief, calm and center, and a new sense of allowing, even when things become challenging. There’s always more work to be done, and I am excited to continue working with Alex on an even deeper level, which is only possible through our progression of the 10-series Integral Bodywork Structural Integration. 

Enjoy your journey! 

“You were always hyper self-aware,” said my father when asked what I was like as a teen. My sensitivity to life, my emotions, anxieties and pain had always seemed extreme and over recent years continued to build despite my efforts to mentally analyze and deconstruct my situation and the reasons behind them. The intensity peaked when I contracted Lyme disease two years ago while working tirelessly to get a growing business off the ground, which was difficult to say the least. It was my strong self-analytical traits and sensitivities which brought awareness to the mental and physical pain I was in each day, and I think it was these same traits which allowed me to experience my overwhelming sense of relief after just one session of Integral Bodywork with Alex Greene.

Prior to my visits with Alex, I would wake up every morning feeling uncomfortable, unrested and wound up. With crackling head rotations, jaw openers and stiff rolling shoulders-my morning ritual, I’d coax my body in to feeling “sorta good,” or at least better than I had felt lying down. My stress was through the roof. What might seem to others as non-issues, were boulders in my daily path to getting things done. I was so close to the edge that every little thing put me over the edge. My creativity was nil. I couldn’t even imagine random word sequences, like the password I needed to create for a new work account. Couldn’t do it.

Before the work, I lived a pretty “organic” and natural lifestyle — my husband and I farm and own two growing businesses. We’re active and we treat food as our medicine. I wouldn’t say I was healthy person pre-Alex, but to others I probably looked so. To my husband, myself, and anyone paying close attention my uncomfortable-ness was apparent, the shifting back and forth, lack of patience, short attention span and knack for being quick to anger were clear signs. Yoga and running seemed to make things worse which stumped me. “How come I feel more tense after that jog?” These things were supposed to make me feel better!

Needless to say I was ready for a change and willing to pay any price to recover my good health. A friend introduced me to Alex. I knew what I wanted and I knew he could help me. And he did! Our first session was intense to say the least and our time together evolved into many outcomes:  I had more sensitivity in some areas, willingness to let him work in others, head spinning and un-grounded at times, intense emotions, nausea, relief, unhinging of the jaw, descent of the pelvis, release of the neck, shoulder blades down the back, openness, warmth, blood flow, tears. Session after session, unleashing stored emotions, my life began to change.

I can’t relate my overall Integral Bodywork “results” to anything more universally understood than feeling “kid-like” again. Do you remember that? Of course you do: ready to play, ready to investigate, ready to be curious about life again. I began to laugh more easily (realizing I hadn’t belly laughed in a really long time, thank you Alex, you’re a fun person to laugh with!) music and songs flowed freely through my mind, and then there was work: pick a password, any password: I could do it! Watch me: birdBRAIN787!

My balance is back. When I listen to friends talk (I can listen!) I can feel the soles of my feet, the arches and heels rooted into the ground my body in perfect balance. I feel the energy of the earth below me, rising up through my arches. Bending my knees, my hips and spine I feel balanced with space and freedom to sway wherever I want to take them. The shoulder blades and collarbones and arm sockets and neck vertebra that were once tangled in a tight web of fascia tissue now float freely in space. No crackling, crunching or crispy morning rituals.

I remember asking Alex “Why don’t more people do this? This is the magic pill to feeling better!” Of course everyone’s experience is different. Not everyone will have this experience and that’s why I don’t recommending this to everyone. If you want to get a lot out of it you need to take it seriously and show up to your session having done your mental homework. I knew that my sessions came at the right time for me and I did my homework. I know the sessions have done other things too like lower my risk for certain cancers, prevented me from having lower back issues and carpal tunnel, bettered my menstrual cycles, sex life and reduced my depression and anxiety levels. Yep, all of those things.

Alex can be a goof at times, but when he’s there with you in his feng-shuied room, with pictures and lighting so purposefully placed, with crystals and filtered water and the intention to help whoever walks through his door, he’s all about you, your energy and the areas where he can be of service. He’s become a brother to me over our time together. Without words I felt an overwhelming sense of genuine compassion and care eminating from this guy who was once a stranger. I felt an overwhelming sense to bear hug the man after each session, and to explode into tears of gratitude (I refrained from the tears of joy until I got to the car). Looking back I remember my first session sheepishly peeling off clothes, half-naked, shy and shallowly self-aware. The last, stripping almost before walking in the door, walking upright with chest broad and heart open. A mirror in one session room reflected the pure raw energy of the real “me.” Alex helped me to find that.

I won’t give Alex all the credit though. As I said before, I was ready for this and my journey wasn’t always about feeling good. For instance, typically 30-60 minutes after each session a headache would come on, I needed to get home and get home fast to take a saltwater bath, to soak away the toxins. I needed to hydrate and eat or I’d be a wreck the next day. There’s a mental preparedness I did before each session, if I skimped on this I didn’t get as much out of the session and my pain tolerance was much lower. Now that I’ve completed the 10 sessions, I have some work to do on my own. To take some pressure off of the guy, this is only the beginning for me. I have muscles to build and nutrients to obtain and emotional and spiritual undertakings ahead, but I’ve got the energy and mental power now to do all of that.

This work is amazing and Alex is an amazing steward of it. He is eager to learn and to help. He is in constant training, bettering his practices and remains open to new clients with a variety of needs, issues and goals. He’s a brother and a friend, one I am able to share intimate details with about the changes in my body and my life. He collects these stories and data and uses them to better himself and his practice. He doesn’t preach and he doesn’t tell you what to expect. He allows you to experience your own journey and take what you will from each session. This was my bodywork experience and the work I will pursue for the rest of my life. Thank you, dear Alex.

Although a deep lover of bodywork, I approached the 10 session series of Integral Bodywork with some skepticism regarding its ability to turn around my long-standing pain and postural issues and remained so until late in the process.  By session 9, though, there was no doubt that I was standing straighter and feeling more centered and grounded.  After 10 sessions, I note with surprise and gladness that my shoulders feel lower; my jaw is miraculously aligned; my neck is less stiff in the morning; and my spine doesn’t crack when I turn in the car to look over my shoulder.  Changes seem to have come on subtly, but they are real and they remain.  This form of bodywork is different than any I’d experienced.  The client is an active partner in a process that can be painful at times, but Alex is a highly skilled and caring guide.  Any discomfort was well worth it;  I want more!

The experience that I had with Alex was incredible. I went through the 10-session program and my life and perception of my body will forever be changed.

Eleven months ago, at the age of 22, I had a spinal repair of my L5-S1 vertebrae. This was the last resort to continuing back issues from the age of 10. Unfortunately, only one side of my back healed and I was left with a decision. I could either have my doctor go in and repair the other side or I could learn to live with a cracked vertebrae in my back.

I had decided to see if I could live with the fracture in my spine because I could not imagine another eight months of no physical activity. At that moment I had been recommended to see Alex through a friend. This was pivotal to my recovery.

Working with Alex has allowed me to workout pain free. I back squatted for the first time in two years after my last session! I am currently pain free and have not felt this good in a very long time.

I highly recommend bodywork and structural integration to anyone. Everyone has stored up tension in muscles and in order to eliminate some of the movement deficiencies of the body, proper tissue alignment needs to be restored. Alex takes a lot of pride in his work and one can tell by the amount of time he spends continually learning new approaches/techniques, not to mention the proven results. If bodywork is desired, then Alex is the person to see.

I will forever receive bodywork because of the time spent with Alex! My life has truly changed for the better. Thank you Alex!

I had a deep groin injury that had lingered for two and a half years, and had come to accept that there was nothing that could be done to alleviate the symptoms from the injury. I was skeptical that body-work massage could provide any relief that I hadn’t been able to receive from other forms of treatment. Then I tried working with Alex. After a few sessions, I experienced such an incredible release that the holding patterns associated with the injury diminished tremendously—more so that any form of massage treatment or physical therapy could ever do. In fact, I became aware of holding patterns (especially in the psoas area) that I never even knew were active in my body—that’s how much I had taken for granted the tensions in my mind and body. But the healing that has occurred through this work (and it really does require the participant to work on breathing and relaxation) has transcended mind-body dualisms. I’ve re-visited emotionally and mentally challenging events from my past through the deep tissue massage, and then been able to find some reconciliation with those events simply by allowing Alex to release the physical holding patterns in my body. This is a full mind-body experience.
I’ve trained in Zen for over 7 years, and have now begun a second cycle of ten sessions with Alex because the body-work experience has been a kind of Zen training in itself. I’ve continued to work with Alex not just for the physical healing but for the clarity of connection to my environment and the expediency to letting go that I’ve experienced through this work. Each time I work with Alex, I deepen my understanding of my own body as living, breathing, conscious flesh (instead of a mere instrument for getting things I want). This work continues to help me find a deeper sense of mental and emotional groundedness. I’ve sought out other forms of massage therapy, and none of them compare to Alex’s body-work therapy in this respect.

I had a wonderful experience getting a massage and cupping session from Alex. I came in with a stiff neck, and left feeling much relief. He was able to reduce the tension in my neck and by the next day it was gone. He also located other areas of tension that I could continue to stretch to also help reduce overall tension. His approach was holistic and helped tie together other aches and pains with muscle tightness. Every time I leave I feel more space and openness in my body. I look forward to my next session!

As a licensed therapeutic bodyworker myself, I choose Alex as my bodywork therapist. Alex has studied a unique set of structural integration techniques that combine Rolfing, Feldenkrais method, and the application of life-force (Qi) energy that is not readily found amongst therapeutic bodywork practitioners in the Midwest. However, it is the focus, self-authenticity, and centered presence that Alex brings to his work that truly makes him a gifted healer. Through my work with Alex, I have reached insights about the origins of various longstanding weaknesses and pains in my own body, which in turn has allowed me to obtain a deeper understanding of both my body and mind vis-a-vis everyday emotional turmoil and performance in my athletic pursuits. Who Alex is and the work he does have been inspirational to me, and my introduction to his work came at a critical point in my career where I was developing my own therapeutic bodywork philosophy and has shaped this path.

I’ve been a student of Zen for 13 years and of Zen archery (kyudo) for 3 years. When I started receiving bodywork from Alex, I had received Zen Bodytherapy from 2 other practitioners, as well as many other types of massage. I appreciate the systems of bodywork that Alex practices far more than other types of “massage” in terms of their ability to reveal and relieve both short- and long-term psychological and physical issues. Alex is also the best bodyworker I’ve ever encountered in terms of his strength, sensitivity and knowing. While the bodywork is not always pleasant when it’s occurring, it’s always helpful and just what I need. When it’s done, I joke that I feel like a “newborn ninja.” My aches and pains are gone, I feel grounded, yet lighter and more flexible. My breathing is deeper, my voice more clear. My mood is brighter and mind doesn’t get stuck on things. The change is definitely both physical and mental. I can say that getting bodywork from Alex has had a profound effect on my sense of self and has helped me tremendously with my Zen meditation and archery. I completed the 10 sessions with Alex and have begun the series again. I continue to recommend Alex to friends, family, other zen and archery students, and anyone who could use this type of bodywork (everyone!).