ROLFING OR STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION

by Dr. Lawrence Wilson

All information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

I. INTRODUCTION

DEFINITION

Rolfing is a method of bodywork involving deep tissue massage or manipulation. The intent is to free adhesions in the fascia layers of the body that restrict the proper motion of the muscles, bones, tendons and other tissues.

Rolfing is also a method of psychodrama. This means duplicating a trauma – a beating of the body – that once caused pain and damage. When done slowly and carefully, in a controlled way, it can help a person retrace a trauma, wake up souls and creatures, and process traumas. For details, read Psychodrama.

Rolfing can help break up adhesions, assist posture, improve chiropractic misalignments, improve blood and lymph flow, free pinched nerves, and help relax muscles.

Tissue manipulation is an ancient healing art. Rolfing started in the mid-twentieth century. The founder was Ida Rolf, a thoroughly brilliant woman who lived from 1896 to 1979. She began as a biochemist, but later in life took a keen interest in body structure. We plan to write more about her in the future.

Rolfing is one of our favorite bodywork therapies.

HOW SESSIONS OCCUR

There is a basic series of 10 sessions that deal with each area of the body. An advanced series and more sessions can also be done to go deeper. Rolfer's contact information worldwide is listed on the Rolf Institute website.

SOME DISCOMFORT

Rolfing may be somewhat painful, as the therapist actually puts pressure upon and perhaps separates fascia layers during the course of a session. However, the results can be well worth the effort or temporary discomfort.

One can read much more about Rolfing on the internet. The purpose of this short article is to bring Rolfing to your attention, as it can be helpful for a wide variety of health conditions, from poor posture to unexplained aches and pains, and much more.

II. THE THEORY BEHIND ROLFING AND OTHER DEEP BODY WORK

Deep body work seems able to “wake up” or increase the body’s awareness of parts of the body that have been somewhat walled off in some way, usually due to trauma and/or nutritional deficiencies. It is like “banging on the door” of the tissues, and this, alone, has a healing effect.

This does not occur from a gentle massage, for example, but it can occur from deeper body work such as deep, or forceful massage and Rolfing.

Psychodrama. One possible reason the Rolfing is so effective is that it is a form of psychodrama. This is a psychological method of healing in which one duplicates a trauma in a more gentle and safe manner. When one does this, the souls are able to process the earlier trauma. Then they function much better. For details, read Psychodrama.

CAUTIONS WITH ROLFING

While the Rolfing technique is very safe, getting a session may not be that safe, especially for women. One must do the session dressed in just one’s underwear. As a result, one is vulnerable to sexual predators with this therapy, as with massage and other bodywork.

For this reason, we suggest that you only visit a Rolfer, structural integration therapist, or any body worker who comes very highly recommended by several people.

Another problem with all professional bodywork is cleanliness. The practitioner must take precautions and wash the hands, arms and elbows very carefully between clients. Even then, it may not be possible to totally avoid spreading infection during a Rolfing session.

We strongly recommend spraying the therapist and client with peroxide before, during and after a session.

There is slight danger of soft tissue damage during a Rolfing session, although we believe this is a minor problem.

Courses | About Dr. Wilson | The Free Basic Program