Grandma’s Curtain Stretcher
Dr. Rolf occasionally hinted that Rolfing has similarities to stretching curtains on “grandma’s curtain stretcher”, or tuning a stringed instrument. This statement, far from being quaintly enigmatic, is a reference to the principles of equalizing, or balancing stress in structures combining both rigid and elastic elements. Even though this homely principle has, to some degree, […]
Structural Integration and Rolfing
In my presentation to the teachers of the Rolf Institute I only want to comment on that sector of Rolfing which applies gravity and the laws of physics to the human body, the field of Structural Integration. You may ask: How can there be a difference between Rolfing and Structural Integration? I consider that differentiation […]
A Six-Step-Schema
Introduction The following was presented at the Annual Meeting 1991 in Boulder, Colorado. Within Rolfing there is an abundance of ideas which nobody has systematically developed. The intention of this contribution is to show an example of such an undertaking. Here for the particular problem of describing the shape or the structure, which of course […]
Interview with Gael Switzer Ohlgren
BH: The only thing that I know about you is that you’ve been around forever! And that you somehow were tough enough to be trained by Ida and still be here. GSO: So you want a history? BH: Yeah, a history! GSO: History, okay. So … let’s see, I was twenty years old, I had […]
What Is the Recipe?
In three previous ROLF LINES’ articles (“Rolfing By The Rules”, “What Is Metaphysics?”, and “The Palintonic Lines of Rolfing”), I set about asking and answering some fundamental questions about the nature of Rolfing. Part of my aim in these articles was to prepare the ground for the examination of one of the most pressing and […]
Rolfing and BODYnamics
At this year’s annual Rolfing conference in July, Marianne Bentzen spoke to us about BODYnamics, a unique system of body psychotherapy developed in Europe that combines Reichian approaches to the body with theories of psychomotor development. My wife Cheryl Why at, also a Rolfer, and I have both taken the one-year BODYnamic training, are presently […]
Advanced Training
A Rolfer’s education begins with the basic training, is enhanced by the integration of movement education, is further deepened by the intermediate training (represented by the 18 hours of continuing education required for admission to the advanced training), and culminates with the advanced training. ln a very real sense, a Rolfer who has not mastered […]
Innovations in Rolfing Session #3
I want to share with you some questions, observations, and findings about the third session of Rolfing and about body types. This is the first of three articles relating to the third session. As time goes on, one of the things that impresses me most about the third Rolfing session is the fact that I […]
Rolfing and Individuality
We know people’s lives often be-gin to change when they are Rolfed. The bodily transformation is so profound that whole life views are frequently revised and new aware-ness is found. With an experience sob road, we are often left to ponder the deeper question, “What is Rolfing?” We are apt to be religious or philosophical […]
The Body as Healer
Somatic Experiencing THE WIND SHIFTS. The grazing impala are poised to a hair trigger of acute alertness. They smell, listen, and look. Danger is in the air. It is in the form of a few molecules of a new, but familiar scent, diluted minutely in millions of parts of air. The impala will flee or-if […]