Goal: The goal of my research was to try to prove that Rolfing induced improvement both in the body (posture) and the mind (mood).
Tools: I used a stabilometric footboard to confirm the first and a profile of mood states to confirm the second.
Sample Population: A group of 20 people underwent the basic Rolfing series for the first time, with sessions once a week.
Method: I measured stability and mood before the first session and before the tenth session. (If I had measured after the tenth session, I would not have determined the persistence of the effects after some days. This was a suggestion by Hubert Godard.)
Final Results: Both stability and mood improved more than randomly. This allows us to think that Rolfing caused these effects. Obviously more research is necessary, with a larger test population, or with more Rolfers working at once, possibly with follow-up tests. Jim Asher once told me that Dr. Rolf believed that the basic and advanced Rolfing trainings provided good opportunities to undertake research on Rolfing. I think that as usual she had great intuition, and hope this is followed through.
OTHER POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENTS
Rolfing the Mood
The Profile of Mood States test is structured on a group of items where the test subject must evaluate the past week in his life. Essentially, it tests how his memory is “colored” by the events of the past week. One hour of Rolfing already changes perception clearly. If the subject’s memory of the same events becomes more beautiful, then we have somehow “rolfed” not only the body but also his mood. I think that further inquiry on this topic would open a good channel of communication with psychologists.
Rolfing Talent
I also tried to research young soccer players, in order to investigate the effects of stability on performance. I tested two classes of young players, and asked three trainers to judge their abilities. The results showed a high correlation between judgment and stability in the younger group of children, the ones who had just started to play soccer. There was no correlation at all in the group of children that had been playing for three years. This suggests that the younger players took to the playing field only the possibilities that their inherent nature and talent gave them through their posture, as they lacked tactics and strategies. In contrast, the older group also utilized what other skills they had developed in three years of trainings, while the advantages inherent from nature had been absorbed. This would indicate that postural improvement can at least benefit an athlete’s natural talent and “natural” performance.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Rolf, I. (1996), 11 Rolfingla realt# fisica. Astrolabio, Roma.
Rolf, I. (1996), Rolfing. Ed. Mediterranee Roma
Ruggieri, V. (1997), L’esperienza estetica. Armando Armando, Roma.
Ruggieri, V. (2001), L’identitt in psicologiateatro. Ed. Sc. Ma.Gi., Roma.
<img src=’https://novo.pedroprado.com.br/imgs/2004/659-1.jpg’>
<img src=’https://novo.pedroprado.com.br/imgs/2004/659-2.jpg’>Rolfing the Mood
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