Exercises
In her book, Ida wrote a chapter called “The Joint that Determines Symmetry”. She writes about the importance of the hip joint. I have developed a series of exercises which work the individual muscles of this joint. The exercises themselves produce remarkable structural changes. They pinpoint the individual muscles and can be used to balance […]
How Does the Body Maintain Its Shape? – Part II
This is the second part of an article answering a question about the scientific basis of Rolfing. The first part appeared in the previous issue of Rolf Lines (Summer 1989,Vol. XVII, No. 3, page 27). The Question “My experience with Rolfing leads me to conjecture that the connective tissue system is subject to a number […]
How Does the Body Maintain Its Shape? – Part I
This article begins a process of answering questions which Rolfers have asked about the scientific basis of Rolfing. This question arose in a 1983 correspondence between Steve Bankes and Siana Goodwin. Siana is helping us find productive ways of approaching the scientific literature; and she asks, “Can we start our literature search from what Rolfers […]
Doing Bodywork as a Spiritual Discipline
MOST OF THE BODYWORKERS I know have chosen their profession as part of an ongoing process of transformation for themselves as well as for their clients. They meditate or pray, they encourage their own self-awareness in order to develop their spiritual riches, they continuously examine, test and revise their values, and often they participate in […]
A Six-Step-Schema
Introduction The following was presented at the Annual Meeting 1991 in Boulder, Colorado. Within Rolfing there is an abundance of ideas which nobody has systematically developed. The intention of this contribution is to show an example of such an undertaking. Here for the particular problem of describing the shape or the structure, which of course […]
Primal Structure and Final Integration
Much has been said about how deep and lasting Rolfing’s effects are. It has been acknowledged that there exists a hierarchy of effects from Rolfing for any given structure. That is, Rolfing might have more profound results for a given person because she or he “opens” more or “allows” for things to happen. But there […]
The Joy of Rolfing
He was a psychologist. He was extremely tense in time jaw that was hidden with a beard that gave him the look of a guru. His back was extended behind h15 pelvis yet he used words to create images of having feelings. His arches were high and he spoke in abstractions. He was a proud […]
Matter, Energy, and the Living Matrix
Introduction: Matter and Energy Rolfers and other somatic practitioners have daily and remarkable experiences of human bodies functioning as whole bio energetic systems. The paradigms or metaphors used to describe these experiences maybe structural (material), spiritual, and/or energetic. Here we address aspects of these perspectives and some of the relationships between them. It is our […]
Visceral ManipuIation: The In to The Out of Rolfing
How often have we accused, if only in our minds, other therapies from employing a fix-it mentality? Of taking away a compensatory mechanism adopted by the body to protect an injury or weakness in some other part of the body? Have you ever considered that what we do as Rolfers may be subject to the […]
An Organic Critique of Natural Walking
There was no exaggeration, to my mind, when Gael Ohlgren’s and David Clark’s article “Natural Walking” was called important and original in several corners of the world of Rolfian studies. I believe it is important, important enough to deserve a considered critique. The start of the paper strikes me as crucial: Namely, a step-by-step critique […]