The Use and Abuse of Biodynamics
Within the Rolfing community there is growing interest in one of the most astonishing discoveries made by William Garner Sutherland, D.O. late in his life. His discovery was nothing short of a Copernican revolution in therapy. He called it the breath of life. Since his death, Sutherland’s theories and ways of working have evolved and […]
To Boldly Go…
Although hardly an ardent Trekkie, I have a favorite episode to which I frequently refer in my classes. Said episode, “The Empath,” while not one of the more popular ones, had a profound effect on me, for reasons that were at the time painfully clear. This rather simple morality tale centered on a young mute […]
What Did Dr. Rolf Want?
An Exchange Between Certified Advanced Rolfers(TM) Bob Schrei, Ray McCall, Jeff Maitland and Duffy Allen Regarding the Energetic Aspect of Rolfing® Structural Integration In the summer of 2007, an announcement appeared in Fascial Flashes concerning a workshop entitled “An Energetic Foundation for Rolfing” offered by Bob Schrei and Ray McCall and based on Schrei’s […]
The Rossiter System’ Approach to Back Pain
BACK PAIN IN THE CONTEXT OF REPETITIVE STRESS Rossiter has observed that with repeated unbalanced activity, one thigh often becomes slightly stronger than the other. The stronger thigh then becomes tense, tight, and knotted. This strength imbalance pro¬duces unequal forces on the pelvis, which, in turn, cause imbalances in the back that can manifest as […]
Addressing Functional Inhibitions in the Thoracic Spine
Q: I’d like to learn how to work with the relationship between the upper thoracic area and the neck and head, especially with forward-head stance individuals. I’d like to learn how to evoke movement in the thoracic spine when a person is not moving much in spite of having the structural capability. A: This […]
The Symbiotic Partnership of Dentistry and Manual Therapeutics
Introduction This article will explore the symbiotic partnership between the dental profession and manual therapeutics. It is intended as an interface for communications with dental professionals. It is meant as a primer for the dentist, as most manual therapist will already be aware of the information contained here. It will focus on the evaluation […]
A Fifty-Year Perspective of Rolfing
I met and started studying with Dr. Rolf in 1968. My perspective now covers forty years. During that time I have witnessed a silent revolution in our collective field of inquiry. What is a human body? What are its possibilities for change? Although these questions are not the headlines in our news, there has been […]
Seven Important Ideas in the Development of Rolfing
That was a great opening act, I must say! I want to acknowledge the love in the house right now; it feels really lovely in here. We are all grateful for the work Valerie Berg has done to make this annual meeting a success. Thank you Valerie. I was just in a workshop with Gail […]
Getting a Handle on the Superficial Fascia
Introduction Ah, the superficial fascia. This thin layer of loose fatty connective tissue underlies the skin and binds it to the structures beneath. This layer also contains the cutaneous vessels and nerves, and is also called the hypodermis, subcutis, or tela subcutanea. While myofascia tends to get most of the press, I have recently been […]
How We Develop as Rolfer’s™ – At Our Schools – Becoming a Rolfer: An Instructor’s Overview, a Student’s Project, and Mentoring
An Instructor’s Overview of Phase II Phase II of the Rolfing Structural Integration (SI) training is entitled “Embodiment of Rolfing and Rolf Movement Integration.” The purpose of the class is to learn at a beginning level about “the Recipe,” theory, touch, therapeutic climate, movement, etc. that make up all that we do in Rolfing SI. […]