Neal Winblad came to me as a result of attending a workshop where people had talked about their experiences of being Rolled. He had been impressed with how these people looked and telephoned me to set up an interview. I like to have interviews before I Rolf people. For me it is a time of transition where the two of us exchange ideas and get a sense of one another. I t is a time for me to observe my client, learn of any behavior patterns with regard to how they move when they walk, or when sitting in a chair. In addition, it is a good time for me to get a history of am accidents, operations or events in their lives that may be related to their physical, structure.

This man begins as a very thick mesomorphic body, overworked. He carries the world on his shoulders. The world would call this a strong sturdy body. (P.M.)

I see a man who feels very awkward. His is an awkward, somewhat flat footed slightly defensive stance, with greatly diminished vital capacity. He has never contacted his pelvis and feels awkward about it. (E.H.)

Neal had sufferred a broken left Ieft when he was three-and-a-half years old. Otter than that lie said he was doing “okay.” He mentioned persistent headaches and sinus problems, and an occassional backache. He was working as a salesman for an electronics form and appeared to be the typical voting person striving to look as professional as possible. He hadn’t participated in many spores and enjoyed reading and working with electronic gadgetry. He was primarily interested in having Inure energy. At 152 pounds he felt heave. He walked in heavy side-to-strides. He slumped when lie sat. May sense wars that he felt uncomfortable in his body most of the time.

He was skeptical about the entire Rolfing process. yet curious about the possibility that Rolfing night work. He had a way of cocking his head when I’d respond to a question. He was more than listening. He was analyzing. Neal was inquisitive throughout his Rolfing. He con tinned to question everything I did, using my answers in a positive way, rather than as grist for his skeptical mind.

There had to be come talk behind all this. This wasn?t done just with the hands, clearly. (E.H.)

Neal’s sessions began as sessions begin, with discussion of his photographs. He was some what amazed to notice the compensations than had taken place in his body as f pointed then out. I le noticed his weight, mentioned his stomach protruding and how far his chin stuck out.

The first few sessions were very exhausting for me. His body was very hard and contacted. He had one of those hacks where you simply chip away until the system of the erector muscles begins to ease. He had a tendency to hold his breath and brace for the next movement of Rolling. After each session he reported feeling lighter with noticeably more energy. This information pleased me as it does all of us. However, I knew there was a lot more to do.

This Rolfing, proceeded pretty much as expected in the first ten sessions. The pelvis become more horizontal, theres more length in the spine. The center line begins to became a physical reality. I suppose I could say that nothing truly spectacular has happened and that might be because the guy starts out being pretty thick. But that?s not really the case. He has gotten busically good work. (P.M.)

Some people could look at these pictures and say that?s not much of a change. Look haw crooked he is. But that?s never what I really look at in pictures.What I look for is, ?Did they find the line?? Did they accept the challenge of looking for the line? To what degree is there a line in that body anywhere? You can see that theres been some definite success in this case by the time he gets to the tenth hour. The left profile shows that he is sensing his line there, and looking for it. And it feels good. Hes accepted the challenge. The tension pattern and the right is very difficult for him, but he can find it. I do see a man who has a line. Hes confused, he has to effort for it. But he knows he feels better. He still has serious curvature in the lower lumbars and hes aware of that too as he stands. (E.H.)

It was during session three that Neal told me lie was generally afraid of people. I had sensed this feeling mans times before aced let him know that being afraid or feeling vulnerable were valuable and sometimes necessary rites of passage for everyone. He told me he was very dissatisfied with his job and felt his current depression and weight-gaining was a result of that lack of satisfaction. It was during the filth hour thin I began to see/feel au oilier level of change emerging. It was one of those quieting sessions when little is said and a lot is exchange. When he got off the table his voice had changed and the way lie looked at me was softer. He noticed he didn’t have to contract when lie stood up and he reported feeling longer. I know I had finally touched upon a deeper system in Neal.

A weak point that I notice in the first ten sessions is in the area of the floating ribs. lda said that if she had to specialize in one area it would be around the twelfth rib. We will probably make more significant gains in horizontalizing the pelvis than we ever will in putting the head on. Over the years I have noticed that the work is usually logging in this area of the crest to the lumbodorsal hinge. The one place that looks like it still needs work is this area. (P.M.)

<img src=’https://novo.pedroprado.com.br/imgs/1980/201-2.jpg’>

It was around session eight that I began to feel a shortcoming. There was an area that involved his right shoulder and the third, fourth and fifth rips that was not moving. As the body lengthened, this area appeared stubborn and resistant to change. In general. shoulders have been mystery to me. I realize i spend a minimum amount of time there and alter ten sessions that’s where the body looks like it needs additional work. I told Neal I wasn’t certain what to do with his shoulders and that I would simply progress with the sessions. He knew the shoulder imbalance was related to the rest of the body and was willing to trust the process and continue along.

In the course of ten hours I see a man who embodies hopelessness with not too much change of getting out of himself changing to a man who fans really sera the light. You can see it in the eyes. There is still great disparity between left and right after ten, but you can see that he has accepted the challenge that his Rolfer presented to hint. What has, not been brought to awareness in this man at the end of ten Is in the area of the back just slightly below the dorsal hinge. But in spite of the fact that he has troble feeling the line through this area, he still has a way of getting his head on over the top of him. (E.H.)

<img src=’https://novo.pedroprado.com.br/imgs/1980/201-3.jpg’>

Neal returned for the advanced sessions. He had changed jobs and had begun losing weight. The haul buck that I had worked on was changing dramatically. He was discovering a comfort in being upright, and the Rolling. Movement Education he had at this time was perfect for understanding his relationship to gravity.

After the lenth hours this guy went through a total lifestyle change more than what can be attributed to Rolling. This needs to be taken into account when looking at pictures -that we are seeing only one frame of the movie. So what i’m focusing on after hour 19 are the global changes. I think we re seeing a chemical change here, a change in intention, in the direction of his life. Although I think Rolfing is a huge part of this, I think it?s a mistake to state that Rolfing created these changes. (P.M.)

<img src=’https://novo.pedroprado.com.br/imgs/1980/201-4.jpg’>

The time following the tenth hour indicates a whole range of Other changes, but the area left after ten still remains a problem. He still cant get into that area around the hinge. (E.H.)

Even though it looks like the hamstrings, which were still somewhat short after ten, have lengthened after the 19th session, it looks like he lost support in the lumbar spine. The area i referred to in the post ten pictures is still not adequate. The girdles look better, but they need to be hooked up better through the center of the body. After 19, the posterior contour doesn´t seem to match the front, indicating a better left right balance than front/back balance, something is incomplete in terms of the superficial deep relationship. (P.M)

In the process of working with Neal and other clients, ?still spot? I´ve had regarding shoulder girdles has brought my awareness to the arms. I have noticed that in the first ten sessions I direct most of my attention to organizing the legs and pelvis. This observation comes in part from realizing that I have arrived at a comfortable level of understanding legs and the pelvis, such that I now move my interest into the areas where I feel less skilled.

If I was to give Neal another session I would work on his arms, particularly around the elbows. The theme of the session would be towards creating more lift in his thorax..

If I were design an hour for him right now it would be almost entirely a spinal hour. But I would start with some extrinsic changes in his left wrist and elbow and hand. There are still some problems in there that are reaching into his head and disturbing the shoulder balance. Until he can let the shoulders go a little more, he may not be able to let the ribs rise up a little higher and let the lumbars hang from those upper ribs. (E.H)

If I had to work on this man now i would head right for the middle of the body. The aim would be to establish a connection through the lumbar spine. I would strt at the feet but my main area of concern would be from the knee to the dorsal hinge. (P.M)

I would work on or under the costal arch directly with the diaphragm and make sure to accommodate the dorsal hinge and clavicle area for the new length. It would be a light session eliciting his energy and awareness to flow up and out.

Further progress in the diaphragm is involved with the legs. The posterior lateral quarter in the area of the biceps femoris should be balanced better. The assymetry at the back of the tochanter is really trying him up across the diaphragm. (E.H)

If this was one of my clients, he´d have a place on the hit parade. There should be a good deal of satisfaction here. The usual miricles occurred. (P.M)