“This is the gospel of Rolfing: When the
body gets working appropriately, the force
of gravity can flow through. Then, spontaneously, the body
heals itself.” Dr.
IP Rolf
Rolfing is a bodywork modality that calls forth
true and lasting change through the human structure. Dr. Ida
Rolf, a genius in the evolution of bodywork, pioneered this
profound process, which she called Structural Integration. The
goal of Rolfing/Structural Integration is to support the emergence
of a more resilient, higher energy living system by establishing
the body’s
balance in gravity.
Rolfing is a systematic form of hands-on manipulation and movement
education based on the ‘plastic’, changeable nature
of the human body and centered around the impact of the gravitational
field on human structure.
The goal of Rolfing is to
invite length, tone and balance to the body around a vertical
axis that is then easily suspended in gravity’s field.
Rolfing/Structural
Integration works toward this goal through a series of ten
or more bodywork sessions, working and pacing in collaboration
with the client. Much like sculpting,
the Rolfer's hands utilize the natural malleability
of the fascia, releasing restrictive patterns of tension
and strains, toward more effective alignment and balance.
The
Rolfer and client together work toward creating lift,
length and balance through the body’s vertical center,
balance between front/back and left/right, working toward supporting
a pelvis that is horizontal, a stable trunk whose weight is
supported directly over the pelvis, supporting the head above,
and easing the curves of the spine, and legs and feet that properly
support the pelvis.
The Rolf Series is guided by specific principles, carefully
developed throughout the ‘Rolf Series’ to systematically
balance and integrate the body. When one has completed the ‘Ten
Series’, one has “been Rolfed”.
The Rolfing process may extend beyond the initial series. For
most, Rolfing becomes a wellness resource for life
in the form of “Post-10” sessions and an Advanced
Series.
“You can’t get beyond the body unless you
free the body itself”
Dr.
IP Rolf
The goal of Rolfing is to allow the body to move naturaly
into good posture by eliminating the causes of skeletal
misalignments and restoring the body's connective tissue to
a healthy state. The results are progressive. Some of the results
can be:
Enhanced performance because of:
• relief from posture-related pain
• improved mechanical efficiency
• improved coordination
• greater flexibility (range of motion)
•
improved body awareness
Increased physiological efficiency because of:
• improved breathing
• improved circulation
• improved digestion
• improved elimination
• improved sleep patterns
Improved alignment and appearance through prevention of:
• pain and stiffness associated with aging
• stooping and compression assosciated with aging
• skin, muscles, adn organs sagging from poor posture
Improved psychological efficiency:
• you feel good
• you learn to manage of avoid stress
• you may experience growth through self-insight
"Rolfing is like making your bed.
. .thinking you’ll
get by without pulling the bed apart, you pull one cover over
the next. When you get it all pulled together, you find
ridges running across the top of the bed. Now you’ve got
to pull the top covers back and go to the deeper layer where
the wrinkles are and organize it; then you make the bed. It’s
the same with the body . . .you’ve got to organize those
deeper layers."
Dr.
IP Rolf
The key word in Rolfing is fascia, the connective
tissue that defines the contour and shape of the body. In
the body’s
attempt to protect against the stress of distorted postural
patterns and injuries, the elastic nature of fascia shortens
and thickens, limiting mobility and flexibility of movement.
As the body rotates and shortens, the result is a feeling
of misalignment or general discomfort. The misaligned body
is at the mercy of gravity’s downward pull, increasing
the effects and risks of aging, injury, stress and trauma.
“Gravity is not
just a nice idea. It is the Law”
Gravity is a dynamic, constant teacher. It is the unremitting
determinant of uprightness or the lack of it, constantly shaping
us, yet we remain largely unaware of its presence, until we
have the rug pulled out from under us!
Dr. Rolf illuminated this dynamic relationship between gravity
and the human structure. In gravity, we all are subject to the
laws of mechanics: masses must be balanced in order to be stable.
In the human structure, bones determine our position in space,
but bones are held by soft tissue. When the soft tissue is realigned
and balanced, bones reorient and their positions stabilize;
a sense of lightness is experienced throughout the body. The
structure has less resistance. Gravity can then “flow
through” the body, supporting lift rather than creating
drag.
“Rolfers make a life study of relating bodies and their
fields to the earth and its gravity field, and we so organize
the body that the gravity field can reinforce the body’s
energy field. This is our primary concept” Dr.
IP Rolf
