Rolfing® & Rolf Movement™
What is Rolfing
Rolfing®, or Structural Integration, is a process of working on the body which involves an intense treatment of connective tissues by combining training towards movement and cultivating self-perception. It is a way of working which aims at re-establishing balance in body structure in relation to gravity, by restoring a functional relationship between the various parts of the body. It is an authentic educative course aimed at restoring the faculty of self-support and adjusting those body tissue limits and bad posture and movement habits which might give rise to various kinds of discomfort, from muscles, bones and joints, with consequent suffering of internal organs, to limitations in movement, fatigue, headaches and other disturbances caused by tension and stress which might even influence moods and psychological conditions in general.
How did it originate?
Rolfing® S.I. (Structural Integration) developed in the 1940s and 50s in the United States thanks to the intuition of Dr.Ida Paulina Rolf. Dr. Rolf got her degree in Biochemistry at the Columbia University in 1920 and increased her knowledge of the human body through research and study in organic chemistry, at the same time experimenting various techniques such as yoga, osteopathy and homeopathy. From yoga she learnt the principles of the profound unity between body and mind, and consequently the belief that working on the body signifies intervening simultaneously on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects. All this, together with her scientific education, her innate curiosity and her experience of the efficiency of osteopathy, led her to understand the importance of balance in body structure with respect to gravity.
Out of all this arose a system of work which she defined as Structural Integration, and which was later re-christened “Rolfing” by her students.
What does it involve?
The standard course consists of ten individual sessions of about an hour each. Sessions have specific themes and areas, for instance, facilitating breathing, foot and leg support, etc., and they are carried out using a personalized approach according to the characteristics and the structural and functional needs of the person being treated. During sessions movements are integrated which permits “reprogramming” one’s way of perceiving and coordinating, being aware of and taking into account the influence of gravity.
Objectives and benefits of Rolfing® sessions
The main aim of Rolfing® sessions is an increase in physical and psychological well-being and in the quality of life in general. By treating the fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds, unites and separates every single part of the body (organs, muscles, vessels, bones, ligaments, tendons etc.), the person involved is made aware of the natural resources at his disposal to integrate easily and harmoniously into the gravitational field. The fascia, also defined as the “organ of form”, is the tissue that, wrapped around the various parts of the body, unites them into a single form which defines the body structure. In fact, Rolfing® sessions recognize the importance of this relationship and its connections, that is, how the possibility of integrating and harmonizing the whole can be born out of the different body parts, by acting on the authentic body “network” constituted by the fascia. The aim is to achieve greater stability as well as functional movement expressed by the natural resources of the person involved.
Rolfing sessions can be used not only to treat existing structural problems (which could express themselves, for example, through backache, cervical pain, ankle instability, “frozen shoulder”, etc.), but also as a preventive measure to help to maintain and improve personal well-being.
In other words, we can resort to Rolfing sessions to carry out that process which, by freeing the body and restoring it to the functional form nearest the archetype, also frees the finer psychic and mental functions, bringing total well-being.
“When the body gets working appropriately, the forces of gravity can flow through.
Then, spontaneously, the body heals itself.”
Ida Paulina Rolf
What is Rolf Movement ™
In the late years of her inquiry Ida Rolf discovered that fundamental changes in a body’s structure and its function can be supported and encouraged by specific movement exercises. Besides the 10 Rolfing® S.I. (Structural Integration) sessions, Ida P. Rolf then developed special exercises, which talk to different parts of the human body involving movements, perceptions, feelings, meanings, etc. This holistic approach brings together awareness, coordination, structure and psychology.
Like the structural Ten Series, Rolf Movement™ (named also “Rolfing Movement”) is taught as a sequence of sessions devoted to specific structural and movement themes. In a classic Rolf Movement series, the first session is devoted to exploring breathing patterns and using the breath to promote ease and release holdings in the ribs, lungs and respiratory diaphragm. Subsequent sessions are addressed to explore and find the client’s best way for instance to walk, stand, sit, and perform many daily gestures and actions, or specific movements related to a particular job, or sports, arts, etc.
Objectives and benefits of Rolf Movement™
People who benefit from Rolf Movement sessions are from all walks of life and all ages. Rolf Movement will be a support in your personal inquiry if you are looking for a way to extend the range of movement or achieve more freedom of movement, to increase your body awareness and the sense of your internal space, to use the space around you in order to find the best approach to perceive, to feel, to move, to interact and deal with your environment, etc.
Rolf Movement is applied as full movement sessions or is used within a session in the 10 series. While Rolf Movement can be explored by clients who have completed a structural series (Rolfing), it serves equally well as a stand-alone tool for achieving higher levels of self-awareness and body coherence.
In Rolf Movement sessions the goals, among others, are:
- opening and orientation of the feet to the ground. Because of the great number of receptors in our feet, a good grounding leads to release in the lower back and pelvic floor. The more our feet are active and “alive”, the more our back can repeatedly find its balance in gravity
- opening and orientation of arms and hands into the space, for a better connection to the world out there and to support the inner space. The hands also have a lot of receptors, and the more active they are, the more we can release in shoulders and neck
- opening and orientation of the head towards the sky, to become upright easily and support the back. We are visually oriented in our modern world, so to have a clear inner picture (awareness) about where the head is positioned in a soft and relaxed way will be beneficial for head, neck and back
- awareness of the body’s core and harmony in the coordination of muscles and muscle groups, differentiation of superficial and deep muscle structures for economic movements and increased range of movements: the orientation around an inner center will help to master effortless an upright posture and graceful movements
deep, full breathing capacity and a natural rhythm of the breath movement in all dimensions of the ribcage (front, back and sides).