Rolfing/Structural Integration
Dr. Ida P. Rolf, the founder of Structural Integration, was one of the first women biochemists to graduate from Columbia University in the 1920s. She discovered a form of bodywork that enhanced posture, movement, and overall health by way of the connective tissue systems of the body. She called this work “Structural Integration.” Her students in the 70s lovingly referred to the work as “Rolfing.”
The challenge
Our bodies store years of accumulated stress, surgeries, and injuries within the connective tissue. As a result, we tend to shorten and lose flexibility. Perhaps you notice your ankle is stiff, or that your shoulder is tight. Or maybe, it’s become difficult for you to sit, stand, or exercise. You may notice pain or a loss of movement in the hip. These are common signs of a fascial imbalance that affects your posture, alignment, and the way you move.
Rolfing de-stresses the body with fascial manipulation.
Fascia, a form of connective tissue determines our posture and movement. Fascia wraps around the muscles, bones, and joints and is like a packing material. Chronic stress, including pain, causes the myofascia to shorten. This shortening affects the way your body is organized – our structural pattern. And our structure defines how we stand and move.
How does Rolfing/Structural Integration work?
Structural Integration balances and aligns the body along a central vertical axis by slowly and progressively balancing the tensions in the fascial network. Rolfing restores the body’s normal length and flexibility. The practitioner utilizes deep, gentle pressure to free the fascial restrictions. This powerful treatment helps you to stand taller, breathe more fully, and move with greater ease.
The basic ten session Rolfing series
Rolfers take ten sessions to organize the entire system of fascia in the body. Each session has specific goals and allows the Rolfer to work through the whole structure, gently stretching the shortened tissue. Rolfing is not only concerned with the local problems in your ankle, hip, back, or neck. Our focus is to bring you into a better alignment with gravity.