Humans have continuously searched for boundaries since the beginning of time, this quest has been described in the literature of early philosophers such as Thales, Aristotle, and Plato. The purpose of boundaries is to provide humans with an arena in which to function. If we know what the boundaries are, we do not have to spend time and energy in defining them. Look at the differences in man’s accomplishments prior to and after discovering the earth is round instead of flat. As we define our perimeters, we explore and function within them until we are comfortable expanding them or finding new ones.

We cannot define boundaries and also function within them at the same time. Therefore, we are in a state of crisis at times of re-definition or searching. This crisis is both growth-producing and uncomfortable. For example, let’s look at what happens when one goes on vacation. How is our time spent in a new and strange environment? At the end of the day, what have we accomplished? I suspect most of us have spent what seems to be an inordinate amount of time dealing with issues of meeting bodily needs round eating and sleeping. In other words, we have been externally focused, dealing with new boundaries. On the other hand, how much time do we devote to these issues when we are in our normal habitat? If you do something which requires being internally focused, you may notice you require certain parameters such as a quiet place in which to function. In your mind’s eye you have developed these boundaries and can function as long as you believe these needs have been met.

We spend much of our formative years developing mental constructs which provide us with internal boundaries, and there are many ways of dealing with this task. One of the most common is to develop superstitions. For example, a child has a bad dream and awakens frightened. Comforted by parents and given a night light to keep the “boogie man away”, the child then falls asleep feeling safe. Why? The parents have defined a psychological boundary which allows the child to feel secure.

A single woman came to see me after awakening in the night believing she was dreaming. She had felt a hand on her stomach and upon opening her eyes, discovered a man standing over her. With feisty courage, she chased the man from her home. Before this incident, she had felt secure, even though the potential for intrusion always existed. Although physically unharmed, she came to me, because she no longer felt safe in the home she loved and did not want to give up. Why did she no longer feel secure? Her psychological boundaries had been destroyed. The necessary treatment involved helping her develop new psychological boundaries. For her this involved the development of a ritual, something most of us do to establish boundaries. At the suggestion of the police, she installed two locks on the door where the intruder had entered. Her nightly ritual included systematically locking these doors and checking them once before going to bed.

This probably seems simple, and it is; but the process is also complex. This process can be compared to a dog walking in a circle before lying down in a chosen spot. With this ritualistic behavior, the dog establishes a safe zone in which to sleep.

What does all this have to do with Rolfing? Rolfing is the process of purposefully changing an individual’s boundaries, some of which have been developed as protective mechanisms and some of which may no longer be useful, but may actually be harmful. Like the mind, the body holds on to confines because of a need to have something to function within.

A man was referred to me by his Rolfer because he would experience changes during and after his Rolfing sessions but consistently returned to his previous patterns soon after. His history revealed he had had a childhood illness which resulted in his squinting to compensate for diminished vision. And squinting meant tensing and tightening muscles. Although his vision problem was corrected, he reverted to squinting in stressful situations. With the help of stress management techniques, he was eventually able to integrate his Rolfing changes.

I am sure all Rolfers have encountered clients who have had difficulty giving up their old boundaries. Without new ones to go to, it is human nature to hang on or revert to the old ones. Fear of the unknown is very fundamental and basic. People consciously want to change, but the unconscious holds on to the old, familiar confines.

The unconscious has to be helped to develop new boundaries and “let go” of the old. This help can come in many forms. Rolfers can make direct and indirect suggestions about ways to carry yourself; however, the language of the unconscious is symbolism. The use of analogy and metaphor are the best means to communicate with a person’s unconscious in order to get the “mental connective tissue” to “let go”. When referring people to Rolfers, I frequently discuss the Rolfing process as a metaphor for living a less stressful life.

Anxiety is a very useful tool allowing us to mobilize and deal with the “tigers” of life. Humans are a physical as well as cerebral animal. The fact that we have chosen to be more cerebral than physical does not mean we no longer respond physically. How then do we deal with the issue of tension produced by anxiety that was designed to physically mobilize us against the tigers? When a person is being Rolfed, he/she begins learning the natural tendency to tense up and tighten is counter productive. Learning how to relax in a time of perceived stress translates into improved functioning overall. Once you learn how to tell yourself that the threat does not require physical response, you can let yourself relax and get through the stressful situation much better.

Cognitive functioning particularly requires the ability to relax. Anxiety blocks the thinking process in order to let the unconscious dictate physical function. Most of us have to work twice as hard to perform mental tasks when we are anxious. Rolfing enables a person to let go of anxiety when it is not needed. Sometime after I was Rolfed I unexpectedly encountered a colleague whom I had not seen in several years. He was in my office building, and I was hurriedly returning to see a client. However, the colleague was in no hurry and wanted to catch up on the past few years. In the past I would have become tense and pressured; instead I began to relax, to be more in control, and even took him to the office where he had an appointment. I was only slightly late for my own appointment, while giving a positive message to my colleague and being comfortable as well.

Transferring the Rolfing experience to a psychological experience is extremely useful in terms of helping people adapt to the world they have created. As they notice the creation of new ways to deal with stress, new boundaries develop which are broader and more flexible in scope.

Rolfed individuals are the modern philosophers and explorers, finding new ways to better themselves. The world is not flat, but round. Humans are not limited by old, useless boundaries, rather we have the ability to explore and create new, enhancing parameters.

B.C. “Chip” Dashiell is a Board Certified Diplomat in Clinical Social work with a private psychotherapy practice in Phoenix, Arizona. After receiving a Masters degree from Indiana University, he studied with the late Virginia Satir and Milton Erickson, whom he credits with significantly influencing his thinking and therapeutic practices.Rolfing and Being