Integral Rolfing & Yoga, Structural Integration

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to bloom." A. N.

		The basics on Rolfing
		Rolfing is a method of educational bodywork originally called "structural integration". Rather than "fix-it" work, Rolfing is a systematic approach to realigning the body that produces dramatic and long-lasting changes. It is based on the concept that most of us are significantly out of alignment with gravity, and upon aligning with gravity our bodies can heal and move towards it's best nature. The general Rolfing series unlocks the body's greater potential, relieving it of distortions created by past injuries, emotional tensions, and/or general long-term overuse. The result is a longer, leaner, and more resilient body which radiates youth and vitality. Rolfing is very beneficial if you experience chronic tension, stiffness, or pain in your body.

Common Problems & Ailments of Cliental
Chronic pain & dysfunction
Headaches & head trauma
Pelvic pain & dysfunction
Restriction of motion
Recurring sports injuries
Ura-genital dysfunction
Scoliosis
Fibromyalgia
Birth trauma
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Neurological dysfunction
Pregnancy & postpartum ailments
Scarring & postoperative pain from surgery

Do you need Rolfing?

Are you having chronic pain?

Would you like your body to function with ease?

Have you been feeling rigid, asymmetrical, and unable to move with easy?

Have you had a surgery or an injury that you are not recovering from?

Are you done with your past, but your past isn't done with you?

If you said “Yes” to any of the previous questions, Rolfing can assist you in making a difference.

		What does the Rolfing series offer?
		Each successive session of Rolfing builds upon the results of the previous session, providing for a progressive evolution of healing and development. This system is educational and not limited to resolving only physical limitations. It promotes a deeper understanding of one's physical behaviors and posture choices and it manifests a more harmonious alternative. In plain terms, Rolfing is much like gardening. If you want to grow healthy plants, it is necessary to begin with a mental image of a successful presentation and follow up with an investment of some time and effort toward reaching your goal. Once the “garden” has the look you originally envisioned, periodic maintenance visits help retain that look in the face of a changing environment that may affect individual components.
		Do I have to do the Rolfing series to receive the benefits of occasional Rolfing?`
		Each Rolf practitioner conducts their business differently. Lorenz's keeps accurate notes of a client's progress. If an extended period of time is allowed between any session, which is common, and some postural regression takes place, he will reintroduce corrections before going onto more advanced stages. The reintroduction of past corrections is quite normal even if the client is following the classical ten session series which involves one session per week for ten weeks. In sum, the work is progressive and it is quite normal to have certain areas that progress and hold all the changes, while other areas will be slower to hold development or to allow for growth.

What is Rolfing, Really?

"When the body gets working appropriately, the force of gravity can flow through. Then,
spontaneously, the body heals itself!"

Ida P. Rolf

The term Rolfing refers to a system of body education and physical manipulation originally called “structural integration.” It is the product of 50 years of study and practice by Ida P. Rolf, Ph.D., and since her death in 1979 many people she trained carry on her work. Fundamentally, Rolfing® consists of some simple ideas about human structure;

(1) most human beings are significantly out of alignment with gravity;

(2) we function better when we are lined up with the gravitational field of the earth; and

(3) the human body is so malleable that its alignment can be brought into harmony with gravity at practically any stage of life.

To create the changes in the body's structure alignment, the Rolfer works with the body's connective tissues or fascia. Most individuals do not know that fascia is the prima meteria , the basic substance of the body. In embryological development the fascial network has tissue tendrils growing out of it and as the embryo develops and differentiates, the fascia continually incase each fragmentation of the embryo's development. The tissue tendrils are not only casings that allow for differentiation and lubrication; they are also the predominant material which bones, muscles, nerves, and organs consist of. Thus fascia has the potential to influence every cell of the body.

With gravity, poor biomechanics and posture, injuries and/or over training, fascia becomes restricted, resulting in significant unnecessary tension on a body's systems. Since fascia separates, supports, connects and protects everything, when restrictions occur the effects can be far-reaching. Studies have found that fascial releasing therapies can reduce seizures, learning disabilities, respiratory problems, uro-genital dysfunction and many other conditions.

Even though so much is known about fascia, many health professionals underestimate its importance. Like air and gravity, its influence is so all-pervasive that we have tended to take it for granted. To add to the problem, many assessments in modern medicine miss the fascial involvement because diagnostic tests such as an x-rays, myelograms, CAT scans and electromyography cannot detect it. Today, the best instruments for detecting the fascial component of injuries are skilled health professionals. Fortunately, through Rolfing, fascia can be restored to health by returning muscles and bones to their proper alignments and by inducing proper movements.

Isn't Rolfing painful?
		Pain is already present in your body, in you. By touching irritable areas you are confronting pain from past events and behaviors.With organizing, loving and sustained contact to these areas of past pain, healing and transfor - mation will result. This is life, this is relationship, this is Rolfing! --L. S.

Generally, yes it can be. In the past, Rolfing earned a reputation for being somewhat painful. Generally, clients report that they feel relaxed during the session and speak of a tension-releasing sensation as long-present aches and limitations fade away. However, some aspect of each session will be painful as tender tissue is manipulated. It is common for many current Rolfers to avoid having their clients' feel pain, at all, in any aspect of the Rolfing series. Lorenz has found this to be a disservice to the clients' long term goals. Lorenz looks forward having you accomplish your goals of freedom and balance in the body, and he trusts that this will bring further work to his office through on going referrals.

Isn't Rolfing equivalent to Chiropractic or Massage Therapy?

No, Rolfing is not Chiropractic nor Massage Therapy. Each make contact with the body's soft tissues but they have distinctly different goals, processes and techniques. Rolfing focuses on deep structures and relationships in the body. It creates permanent change through its depth of focus, its movement practices and its mind-body education. Rolfing not only examines and improves how segments of our body interrelate to other aspects but corrects our relationship to gravity and our environment. Health is created through healthy relationships.

For more on Rolfing:
Lorenz's Rolfing Practice?	A viewing of the Rolf ten session series?

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