May/June 2004 Alternative Health
The Body’s Power of Renewal

by Benjamin E. Eichenauer, C.R.

Spring is a time of new growth: buds form and unfold, birds greet the return of the sun and flowers are everywhere. We too resonate with this natural cycle of renewal. Now is the time to shed the slow languor of winter and reawaken the potential for aliveness that lies within each of us. It is time to go beyond the limited notion that health is simply the absence of pain and disease.

Our bodies are a source of limitless potential for fluid movement, new experience, and joy.

If your body feels stuck or frozen, if the aches and pains of winter aren’t thawed by the Spring sun, then it may be time for a change. Lasting relief of bodily discomfort as well as profound change can be brought about by the respectful but effective practice of RolfingŪ structural integration.

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 touch as well as kinesthetic and verbal cues to guide the client through and beyond their habitual ways of moving and being.

Body structures out of alignment with gravity are subject to constant stress. This stress, coupled with habitual body position and repetitive motion, can cause the connective tissue (or fascia) in the body to become stuck, leading to rigidity and pain. As Rolfing releases, 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. With this change you begin to experience the ease, grace and confidence that an aligned structure will naturally bring to your life.

Discover the power of renewal within and feel your body quicken with the coming of Spring.

Benjamin E. Eichenauer is a Certified Rolfer and LMT. He discovered Rolfing after years of searching for a way to end chronic pain in his own body. Call (503-280-5665 or visit www.holisticintegration.com for more information.