The Three-Dimensional Hand, Part II
By Michael Boblett, Certified Advanced Rolfer™ ABSTRACT This article focuses on the phylogeny of the human hand. Paralleling his earlier work on the evolution of bipedalism from Ardipithecus through Australopithecus to the genus Homo, Boblett examines the no-less-radical development of the hand. Though our hands look far more similar to those of our simian […]
The Three-Dimensional Hand, Part 1: Get a Grip!
ABSTRACT The focus of this article is on freeing and strengthening the human hand. Specifically, Michael Boblett presents some practical ideas you may pass on to clients. There is a list of stretches designed to make the hand more flexible by freeing the various proximal phalanges and their respective metacarpals from being stuck to one […]
Bringing Hands and Arms Back Into the ‘Recipe’
ABSTRACT A conversation about hands and arms with Jan Sultan.The discussion explores the contrast between how hands and arms were underemphasized by Dr. Rolf and the modern inclusion of that material in the ‘Recipe’. Lina Hack: Let’s dive in, do you remember any moments with Dr. Rolf where she discussed the hands and arms […]
The Complexity and Reasoning of Keeping 3D Hands and Fingers
By Valerie Berg, Rolfing® Instructor, Rolf Movement® Practitioner what if you lost your hand? I did! This morning, before you even got out of bed, most likely your fingers grasped the edge of the sheet to move it or you scratched your face, your arm. Maybe you reached over and hugged someone next to you. […]
A Holistic View of the Upper Limb
By Ellen Freed, Basic Rolfing® Instructor and Rolf Movement® Practitioner and Tessy Brungardt, Basic and Advanced Rolfing Instructor and Rolf Movement Practitioner Introduction On a Zoom call recently, I interviewed Tessy Brungardt about the arms, the hands, and the shoulder girdle. After witnessing Tessy work for many years, I can categorically say that her words […]
Letter from the Embryo
By Konrad Obermeier, Basic Rolfing® Instructor ABSTRACT Structure is a dynamic, developmental movement. An embryological perspective can contribute to our understanding of structure and can provide us with insights into the practical work of structural integration. Development and differentiation follow lawful principals and what is described in the brief article below in respect to the organization […]
Fascia Insights
ABSTRACT The ubiquitous network of fascial tissues in the human body is usually regarded as a passive contributor to musculoskeletal dynamics. This review aims to highlight the current understanding of fascial stiffness regulation. Notably the ability for active cellular contraction which may augment the stiffness of fascial tissues and thereby contribute to musculoskeletal dynamics. A […]
Rolf Movement® Faculty Perspectives
By Kevin Frank, Rolf Movement Instructor, Certified Advanced Rolfer™, and Caryn McHose, Rolf Movement Practitioner, Certified Advanced Rolfer ABSTRACT Dr. Ida P. Rolf’s development of Rolfing® Structural Integration (SI) implied but did not explicitly address the issue of stability and the relationship of psychological and physical stability in the manner that modern science makes possible. […]
Ask the Faculty
Ask the Faculty Hands and Arms in Rolfing® SI ABSTRACT For this issue, some of the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute® (DIRI) faculty members share: their approach to working with hands and arms, when they encountered DIRI training regarding hands and arms, and the evolution of how they currently approach teaching hand and arm territory in […]
Deconstruting ‘Dynamic Process Integrity’
ABSTRACT The article examines and offers commentary on Dr. Rolf’s 1954 essay “Dynamic Process Integrity: Introducing Postural Integration,” noting that this may be Rolf’s first writing on what later became known as Rolfing® Structural Integration. Significantly, the author notes that Rolf viewed her work as both structural and movement work. Editor’s Note: This article […]