Acupuncture Points, Meridians, and Stripes (reprint)
I continue in my process of doing the ten sessions with an awareness of the location of acupuncture points, meridians and stripes. This approach continues to yield new insights into human structure and opens new ways of effectively reaching the goals of the individual sessions. Before examining the inner arch of the foot in the […]
An Exploration of the Connection Between Traditional Osteopathy and Rolfing
I would like to use this article to discuss parallels between the philosophies of traditional osteopathy and Rolfing®, and how in my studies and practice they have influenced and informed each other. The following well-known statements by Andrew Taylor Still, the creator of osteopathy, show fascia to be the basis of (or one of the […]
NMT and Rolfing
When a Rolfer tries to establish connections between Rolfing and another soft-tissue discipline, particularly when considering an interface, there is an involuntary knee-jerk reaction from many in the community who see such an inquiry as a potential dilution of the purity of the work. This territorial response stems from the ramifications of igniting the tinderboxes […]
Anatomical Riffs
You might think that the importance of a solid knowledge of anatomy for Structural Integrators would be beyond debate. That speaking this fundamental language of the body with fluency, if not virtuosic facility, would be an irrefutable goal of all practitioners. That every serious student of our work would be constantly working to improve their […]
Three Rolfers in a Lab
There are two quite different kinds of people dealing with the health of human beings. First of all, there are the “real” physicians. After extensive university studies – during which they have to learn by heart more things than even the most able of them could possibly remember – they have to find out in […]
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 […]