An Abundance of Riches
It is obvious that these days we can access tissue layers in the body that were not part of Dr. Rolf’s ‘Recipe’. Our ability to sense and use the mobility of the cranium, the inherent motility in the membranous system of the central nervous system, and the fluidic matrix have come to us via the […]
The Three-Dimensional Animal, Part 2
Things exist either because they have recently come into existence or because they have qualities that made them unlikely to be destroyed in the past. Richard Dawkins1 I like old things. Most of my furniture is inherited. So are many of my books and even a surprising number of my pieces of clothing. […]
Fascia Without Gravity
Author’s note: This interview took place on February 11th, 2018. My review of David Lesondak’s book Fascia: What It Is and Why It Matters was completed and the author given the courtesy of reading it. I suggest you read the review first (see page 54), then the discussion dominated by the role of gravity in […]
Minimalism
Author’s Note: This is an update to my article, “Barefoot Walking Inspires Healthier Shoe Choices,” published in the June 2011 issue [39(1):31-32] of this Journal. Have you ever finished a Second Hour of the Rolfing® Structural Integration (SI) Ten Series only to watch your client bind up her feet in heavy, restrictive shoes? Do clients […]
Feet from Another Perspective
Michael Boblett: Dr. Samuel Oltman works at Northwest Foot and Ankle in Portland, Oregon, where he focuses on orthopedics and sports medicine. We wanted to speak to someone from this practice after Rolfer Karin Edwards Wagner told us about the good work done there by Ray McClanahan, a sports podiatrist, and his team. Sam, I’m […]
The Psychobiology of the Feet
Introduction ‘Psychobiology’ is a term used to connect issues of the mind and biological processes. This is right up my alley, so to speak, because I’ve been a Rolfer for twenty-one years now, and a student (and later teacher) of the Diamond Approach, a path of consciousness work, for an equivalent amount of time (Hoff […]
The Three-Dimensional Foot, Part 3
Elitism has become a dirty word, and it is a pity. Elitism is reprehensible only when it is snobbish and exclusive. The best sort of elitism tries to expand the élite by encouraging more and more people to join it.” Richard Dawkins (2015) This article has three parts. I put them together […]
About Feet
Q: Looking at our theme on the feet from the viewpoint of Rolfing® Structural Integration (SI), what can you share with us about any of these: 1) assessment (e.g., is there a foot typology or model you use in assessment?); 2) hands-on work (e.g., how much do you find that foot issues require foot work, […]
Maps of the Feet
Introducing Foot Maps To evaluate the effects of the Rolfing® Structural Integration (SI) process, we normally use the client’s sensation in relation to particular complaints; still photographs or videos of the client in motion; and the client’s subjective reports. This article presents another instrument of evaluation – the foot map – that may be used […]
Freewheelin’ with Jan Sultan
Michael Boblett: Jan, I am interested in the human foot as a sense organ. Mary Bond writes about the foot as having almost as much sensory representation in the brain as the hand. The other day, I was talking to a naturopath at Northwest Foot and Ankle in Portland, Oregon. [Editor’s note: see interview on […]