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January/February 2004 Alternative Health
Personal Evolution and Rolfing Structural Integration

by Benjamin E. Eichenauer

The Little Boy Logo shows the structural progression undergone by an actual client of Dr. Rolf.

Rolfing® structural integration is a method of bodywork originally developed by Ida P. Rolf, Ph.D. over the course of her lifetime. Much more than a simple collection of techniques, Rolfing is both a means of somatic intervention as well as a philosophical approach to human embodiment and potential. Although sessions often result in the relief of various symptoms, the goals of Rolfing go beyond the limited notion that health is simply the absence of pain and disease.

What is the connection between an individual’s physical structure and their perceptions of self and of their larger environment? Although not always verbalized, the exploration of this question is implicit in the structural progression undergone by an individual during Rolfing sessions. Just as a student of yoga may seek mental, emotional and spiritual growth through the practice of physical poses, an individual receiving Rolfing is involved in a process of self-evolution through the medium of her or his physical structure.

What is Rolfing?

Rolfing is a whole body process of exploration and education. In a Rolfing session, the practitioner and the client together explore existing body structures and patterns of physical and energetic movement. As these are recognized and more fully experienced, the Rolfer uses sensitive and respectful touch as well as kinesthetic and verbal cues to guide the client through and beyond their habitual ways of moving and being. During each Rolfing session, and more fully over the course of the Rolfing 10 Series, new somatic possibilities are discovered and ultimately embodied.

The 10 Series is the sequence of Rolfing sessions originally developed by Dr. Rolf and evolved over the years by the faculty of The Rolf Institute. The Series has often been described as "brilliant" in the way that it addresses overarching patterns of human structure and somatic relationship. Each session in the Series addresses specific body structures and their relationships to each other as well as to the whole person. While the Series is used as a general guide during sessions, each client is always seen and treated as a wholly unique individual with her or his own specific structures and needs. Individual sessions build upon each other, enabling the client to discover, progress and most fully benefit from the cumulative effects of structural integration.

Structure & Alignment - Body & Mind

Dr. Rolf realized that body structures out of alignment with gravity are subject to constant stress. This stress can cause the connective tissue (or fascia) in the body to thicken and become less pliable as it struggles to hold the body upright against the force of gravity. In addition, habitual body positions and repetitive motions can cause connective tissues to get stuck in a specific pattern, leading to rigidity and pain. (This is why a stiff neck, sore back and aching wrists are so common after hours in a car or at the computer.) Rolfing selectively addresses connective tissue with an eye to the overall gravitational field so that habitual patterns of holding can be released and body structures can change.

As Rolfing integrates and balances connective tissues, the body returns to its natural structure and an effortlessly aligned posture. The holistic benefits of structural alignment are profound. Because the mind and the body are intimately connected, psychological and emotional traumas often correlate with structural patterns in the body. As the habitual physical patterns of the body are released, long-standing self-perceptions and limitations can also begin to change. Rolfing can help clients to experience the ease, grace and confidence that an aligned structure will naturally bring to their lives.

What does Rolfing look and feel like? Is it painful?

Rolfing utilizes hands-on techniques to release and realign connective tissue in the body. A typical Rolfing session lasts about 1h. 15min. Sessions begin with a check-in and an analysis of the client’s structure. Hands-on work generally lasts about an hour and may include elements of guided movement. Much of the work is done with the client lying on a standard massage table and some may be done with the client seated and/or standing. Sessions usually close with movement education and a post-work structural analysis.

Historically, the Rolfing method had a reputation as a physically painful form of therapy. Although this may have been the case in the early years of its development, Rolfing practices and techniques have become increasingly sophisticated and subtle. Like many other forms of therapy, Rolfing has evolved over the years into a gentler and at the same time more effective practice.

Rolfing most commonly feels like slow and steady pressure followed by a feeling of release. Sensations experienced during a Rolfing session vary as much as the unique structural and movement patterns exhibited by each individual client and can range from light to deep, from pleasurable feelings of warmth to a sense of powerful and far-reaching personal transformation.

The pace and the intensity of Rolfing sessions are always controlled entirely by the client. After a session clients will often experience feelings of lightness and wellbeing. A short, leisurely walk can be a wonderful way to experience the new movement possibilities discovered during the session.

Benjamin E. Eichenauer is a Certified Rolfer and a LMT, Oregon License #10315. He discovered Rolfing after years of searching for a way to end chronic pain in his own body. Benjamin practices Rolfing structural integration at the Common Ground Wellness Center in NE Portland. Contact him at (503) 280-5665 or rolfer@holisticintegration.com

The Rolf Institute headquartered in Boulder, CO is the sole certifying agency of Rolfing® structural integration. Contact the Rolf Institute at: 1-800-530-8875 or by email at: www.rolf.org