The Third Finger
One of the many anecdotes told about Ida Rolf ends with her calling across the room: “No, it’s under your third finger!” Concerning this peculiar and in several ways remarkable incident, a naive and curious observer will come sooner or later to ask three questions: 1. What was “it” that was under the third finger? […]
Towards a Structural Logic
It is assumed that the reader is familiar with the theoretical premises and manual technology that combine to make up the method of Rolfing. If not, Dr. Rolf’s book ?Rolfing, the Integration of Human Structures? is recommended’. In addition, some of the ideas that will be presented here are rooted in the osteopathic concepts elaborated […]
Elements of a Structural Theory of Breathing
A very general way to answer the question of what constitutes the subject matter of Structural Integration is to state that it is the “body in gravity”. Not the parts of the body and the way they are assembled is regarded primarily, and it is not even the “whole body” which is under consideration, but […]
A Structural Approach to Movement
In physics, movement of an object is described by its trajectory: the sequence of its locations in space over time. The movement equation s = f (t) describes the relationship between place and time. When forces that don’t cancel out come into play, “s” is at least a square function of time. They effect an […]
Technical Catalogue – II
The techniques are described outside the context of integrating the whole. They must not be used this way but only if properly indicated by that context. They can otherwise introduce disorder into the structure instead of order. Narrow Shoulder Blades One of several aspects when analyzing the yoke of the shoulder-girdle structurally is the comparison […]
Technical Catalogue – III
The techniques are described outside the context of integrating the whole. They must not be used this way but only if properly indicated by that context. They can otherwise introduce disorder into the structure instead of order. General Lengthening of the Surface of the Back on the Bench To lengthen the back effectively, it must […]
Sitting
Rolfing is “a physical method for producing better human functioning …” (Rolf, p.29). The formulation suggests at the same time that Structural Integration is in the service of “better function” as well as that it is better function which decides whether a structure is integrated or not, and to what degree. Quality of function is […]
The Longer and the Shorter Leg
From the block model it becomes immediately evident why differences in leg length are highly relevant in the field of Structural Integration. The cranial bordering plane of the thigh segment is then not horizontal, and so the pelvic segment which rests on it is not horizontal in the frontal plane either. It will be lower […]
Shortness
Ida Rolf was fond of the saying that “the map is not the territory”. It is probably meant first as a warning not to mistake the map for the territory. A map cannot even be said to represent the territory but only certain aspects of it. This first feature of a map is well known. […]
The Shorter Leg
In the practical work, I often had the impression that the shorter leg was associated with anterior pelvic torsion and knee conflict. I became curious to investigate what seemed to potentially turn out as a meaningful pattern. Curiosity was joined by a need when sometimes unexpectedly the legs shifted their relationship of shorter to longer […]