Structural Awareness, Part II
The goals of Structural Aware-ness are the same as Dr. Rolf’s goals for Structural Integration. The difference lies in the methods employed. Technique aside, there can be tremendous similarities in the philosophical approach, conceptualizations, personal interaction, and values held. It is possible that Dorothy Nolte created Structural Awareness as a system to contain, preserve, and […]
The Equine Line
What I have found from my 19years of working with horses is that often structural problems that arise are simply a reflection of how the horse is being used on a daily basis. I have also concluded that often it is more appropriate to change the training technique or the rider’s position than to undo […]
How Does the Body Maintain Its Shape? – Part II
This is the second part of an article answering a question about the scientific basis of Rolfing. The first part appeared in the previous issue of Rolf Lines (Summer 1989,Vol. XVII, No. 3, page 27). The Question “My experience with Rolfing leads me to conjecture that the connective tissue system is subject to a number […]
Rolfers Initiate Dolphin Research
A python on my pillow, a panther in the pantry! Laurie McFarlin Rollings grew up surrounded by “orphans” from the zoo in San Antonio where her father was on the Board of Directors. She became friends with lions and monkeys, cheetahs and canaries. Now Laurie is Chairperson of the Board of the Aspen Research Institute […]
In Support of Life
I began working with people with AIDS in mid-1985, volunteer ring massage therapy through a local AIDS health service organization. I provided the service at no cost on the condition that the client come tome. My limit was two hours per week, first come, first served. I worked at that time with seven actively sick […]
Meditations on Our Work
I. In Rolfing we are working on many levels of reality. Structurally. We evoke order and integrate relationships within the physical structure so that the field of Gravity which governs all physical life can nourish the person with its Energy instead of the person using up so much energy simply to exist, struggling against the […]
Exercise for Sway-Backs
I recently developed a movement exercise that dramatically helps reduce anterior lumbar sway in people whom I call the “fourth body type”. These are people who are overweight, have large over-developed gastrocnemius muscles, large, over- developed quadriceps, deep anterior sway of the lumbar spine, and round faces. (They differ from Jan Sultan’s “diplomat type” who […]
Battling AIDS with Holistic Regimens
The Catch-22 about surviving AIDS is that people believe nobody survives AIDS. As one AIDS patient told the Weekly, “i’m beating this disease. I hope I’m not disappointing anybody.” A five year survivor emphasized, “You have to decide whether, for you, ultimate reality is the death statistics compiled on AIDS patients.” Mike Borowski, in the […]
Life Is Motion
I reaffirm: Life is Motion. Even within our “solid, stable, and passively supported biomechanical network” are elastic responses to pulse, respiration, gravity, ambulation, and cranial rhythmic impulse. Wheeler and I both acknowledge the existence of palpable cranial motion in the adult human. We disagree as to the role our sutures play in it, as well […]
Specialty Pad Provides Comfort
I want to share with my colleagues what I consider to be an advancement in Rolfing technology. Breakthroughs being rare, this may be the most recent since rising from the floor onto the Rolfmg table. I want to recommend the use of foam, corrugated (“egg-carton”) sleeping pads placed over the mat you already have on […]