What Is Rolfing:The World Of Structural Integration
The term Rolfing and Rolfer oftentimes conjures up the image of a painful massage therapy session. Oh, there can be intense sensations as fascia releases, but the intense sensation/pain should always be brief. Rolfers should always be aware of their client’s level of comfort and needs.
Let’s take a closer look into the realm of Rolfing. I have found what little pain a patient might experience is always worth it in their words if the painful condition they came into the office with has improved considerably within a few days after the session, or immediately after the healing session. It’s a lot easier to apply the technique more gently a few times , then painfully once. In reality all we are doing is reflecting for the patients own body’s ability to heal itself through tactile expression.
It was Dr. Rolf’s theory that pain in the human organism, both physical and emotional, was based on our relationship with gravity and its effect on our fascial membranes. Force vectors that enter the body either physically, or emotionally, can effect the physical structure. Just like a geodesic dome, our structure is totally interrelated, and any force that enters the system can be held in other parts of the structure. Through skillful application of technique a Rolfer/Structural Integrationist can inform the system of its imbalance and ultimately change the structure to a place of more ease, freeing up energy that is used unnecessarily to hold patterns of imbalance.
All the structures of the body are linked together, including the internal organs, by an interconnected fascial web. This web is easily influenced by external force. These external forces eventually are responsible for imbalance in the web and cause painful responses. Rolfing is not like Swedish massage. Rolfing can effect those imbalances in a beneficial manner
First of all, the application techniques in Rolfing are much slower strokes then other techniques, often times without lubrication. Fascia responds to slow pressure that is applied in a deliberate manner. Rolfers used a variety of tools including fingers, fists, the elbows and the ulna bones. Many times the tools don’t even move as we ask the clients to to move their body part in an active manner, or we move it for them in a passive manner with our other hand. Rolfing very often creates and improved upright, balanced posture. We often “talk” to our clients and give them movement cues/tools and with some focused effort, the changes that happen in a Rolfing session, last a lifetime.
The beauty of Rolfing is that it offers a tactile and chemical free approach to pain management and is appreciated by any performance athlete whose training allows them to be able to perceive even the slightest change in function and balance. I highly suggest Rolfing to become part of your wellness regime for not only prevention but performance enhancement. It is an outstanding regime that has been used successfully for nearly 50 years as a manual therapy for dealing with pain and performance.
Looking to findLearn more about Rolfer. Stop by Judah Lyons’s site where you can find out all about classes and what it can do for you.
August 23, 2010
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Posted by Judah Lyons
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