Rolfing Structural Integration® is a hands on system of soft tissue manipulation and body education which is focused on structural alignment and balanced movement .
Named after the renowned biochemist Ida P. Rolf, Ph.D., this technology offers a person of any age the ability to start fresh and reclaim their inherent vitality.
Rolfers™ believe that like all other material structures, the human body submits to the basic laws of physics. When we are out of balance, gravity that drags us down, just as it drags down a building that has lost its architectural integrity.
To fully understand poor posture and why it results in chronic head, neck, back, and hip pain, healthy posture or good posture must be clearly defined. Simply put, good posture is a condition in which body mass is evenly distributed. The geometry of tension in the joints must be perfectly balanced between compressive and tensile forces of the Fascial web (the connective tissue of the body), so that standing and walking require minimal energy expenditure.
As we move through life and are forced to compensate for injuries, physical or emotional traumas, work habits or habitual activities, the soft tissues in our bodies lose their elasticity. Over time, our bodies get molded into a set shape that prevents us from standing, moving, sitting, or even resting comfortably or efficiently.
Bodywork can extend athletic careers. I truly believe if I had received Rolfing Structural Integration® in the early part of my career, I would still be pitching today.
Craig Swan
Former New York Mets Pitcher and Certified Rolfer™
During a typical Rolf session, we start by evaluating a person’s structure. A Rolfer™ is trained to see bodies and how the dynamics of standing and movement occur and to determine how and where the body is restricted. To a Rolfer’s™ eye, slouched shoulders, knock-knees or bowed legs, flat feet or high arches, sway back, spinal curvatures, a short leg, and/or hip problems all display complex patterns of strain, tightness, and thickening in the bodys soft tissues.
Rolfing Structural Integration® accomplishes its results through a set of ten specific goals designed to open and balance the whole body. This is known as “The Rolfing Structural Integration® Ten Series.” Through refined and intelligent pressure applied by a Certified Rolfer™, specific areas of the body are carefully manipulated to release areas where the body is restricted. The “Series” is administered progressively; each session builds upon the last until complete integration of the structure is achieved. The average spacing between sessions is one to two weeks.
Note: Additional sessions may be required depending on the individual during their process.
Upon completion of the Rolfing Structural Integration® process, habitual and inappropriate patterns of movement are corrected. The body retains these corrections and is effortlessly upright, balanced, and at ease with itself in the field of gravity.
As a result of being “Rolfed,” a feeling of well-being and self-confidence develops as the structure returns to its own dynamic, upright support. A person feels lighter, freer, and has a higher level of energy. Old attitudes that were held and encouraged by stuck body patterns become easier to release.
Rolfing Structural Integration® is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. It does not attempt to diagnose or prescribe. Its sole purpose is to bring order to structure, and it is through the accomplishment of that purpose the function of the whole person is enhanced.
