Radical Somatics and Philosophical Counseling
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS “Radical Somatics and Philosophical Counseling” was written in response to an invitation to present a paper at the December 1998 American Philosophical Association meetings in Washington, D.C.. I have been practicing philosophical counseling for years both within and outside my practice as a Rolfer. When I learned that there was an organization called […]
Interview with Tom Shaver, D.O.
INTRODUCTION Tom Shaver graduated from the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1979; interned at Saginaw Osteopathic Hospital; and was recruited to teach Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine and family practice at the West Virginia College of Osteopathy. From 1981 to 1996 he was chairman of the Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. […]
The São Paulo Ambulatory Project
I have been involved with the Ambulatory Project nearly from it,, inception. I first heard of it as an undertaking by young Rolfers in my community. Later, as an ABR Board member, I participated in discussions of how the ABR could collaborate in the venture. Then, as a colleague and instructor, I participated in body […]
Creating Success
When I completed the basic Rolfing Training six years ago, I was extremely naive concerning what it would take for me to create a successful Rolfing practice. I had the vague impression that a ?successful practice? meant working with at least eighteen clients per week and making enough money to live comfortably. I remembered Owen […]
Movement Work Is Not Patterning
February 25, 1982 Dear Rolfer Colleagues, Ever since Judith Aston left The Institute and we movement Teachers regrouped within it, we have had an on-going discussion about what the name of our work should be. One name that has kept recurring is the name Patterning. For six years Structural Patterning was the name of the […]
The Problem of Cranial Movement
Many Rolfers have recently become interested in techniques of cranial manipulation. In doing so, we often uncritically adopt the assumptions underlying these techniques without questioning their scientific and anatomic bases. There is a significant difference of opinion between anatomists and the various schools of cranial movement specialists as to the very existence of “cranial movement”. […]
OptiComp Works!
The day was November 28, 1988, when Rolfer John Davis gave us a receipt for OptiComp system #0001. This day also marked the conclusion of Eva Jo Wu’s practitioner training in which she had ob-served the system in operation throughout the class. After spending about a day with John Davis and watching the OptiComp system […]
The Psoas as an Internal Rotator
This statement from page 170 of Dr. Rolfs book “Rolfing: The Integration of Human Structures” is in clear contrast with probably all current medical anatomy texts which describe the psoas as an external(or lateral) rotator. Since the lesser to chanter, the insertion of the psoas, is located on the posterior aspect of the femur, it […]
The Pull of Gravity and the Black Hole of Metaphysics
Those of us who love Dr. Rolf’s work but never had the chance of knowing her are left only with writings, photos, tapes, and reports of those who delighted-in and endured her. As a new Rolfer, one of the issues which puzzles me most about her is metaphysics. From what she expressed, it seems clear […]
Rolfing Research
In October 1990 I accepted the position as Director of Research for the Rolf Institute. Based upon meetings with the President of Institute, Alan Demmerle, we have agreed that I will structure a plan of research for the Institute. This will focus on an overall vision of identifying what research should be done, how the […]