Core Balance
INTRODUCTION The essence of Structural Integration is the dynamic tonal balance between the surface of the body and the body’s core. The nature and location of “Core,” however, has long been debated among Structural Integrators. This article explores several avenues of thought about Core and synthesizes them into a practical whole, citing research that is […]
A Year of Teaching in China
AN ADVENTURE Fifteen years ago I spent a year teaching medical students at Hunan Medical College in Changsha, China. It was an opportunity to live in a culture with different traditions of healing, including acupuncture, herbal medicine and massage. I did not learn to do any of these procedures, but I became acquainted with them. […]
Two Factors Which May Create Mixed Types in Sultan’s Internal/External Typology
In the early years of his practice, Rolfing° Instructor Jan Sultan noticed that the classic Rolfing recipe worked best for people who were slumped or collapsed and less well for people who were hyper-erect. The directives of the recipe just did not fit this later form. Lengthening the front of a man who has an […]
Excerpt from The Sailfish and the Sacred Mountain, by Will Johnson
We arrived at our campsite an hour and a half later to a welcome cup of warm tea. The sun was beginning to set, and we were both cold and exhausted. The yaks and their herders were still far behind us, and we sat down with the other members of our small group behind a […]
Hypertonicity and Compression of the Lumbars
A: The cause of hypertonicity and compression typically comes from poor sitting and habitual dysfunctional movement. The crux issue is not allowing the core to move in contralateral motion while walking, sitting (even sitting should allow contralateral motion), running, or any form exercising. Contralateral motion through our core space – which includes the spine – […]
Osteopathy in a Rolfer’s Practice
Per Haaland: With your background as a nurse/midwife, you are known to some of us in the Rolfing® structural integration world as a practitioner highly skilled in the visceral manipulation work of Jean-Pierre Barral. Tell us a little bit about how broader osteopathic concepts, and the visceral approach in particular, have been integrated into your […]
The Advanced Training, c. 2005
From Dr. Rolf’s original formulation, the advanced class has gone through several permutations. Based on her mandate that in order for the work to be of value it must reach higher and higher levels of specificity, we have been steadily developing protocols that allow us to tailor the work for the needs of the individual. […]
On Presences and Effectiveness
A. Our state of mind or consciousness has a profound effect on the outcome of Rolfing. The more conscious we are, the more we are able to be present with a client without having a preconceived outcome or agenda for his or her process. It gives the client the freedom and support for the work […]
Rolfing Structural Integration: A Distinct Profession
“Knock knock…Who’s there?” What was there was a letter from the New Mexico Massage Board stating I was practicing massage without a license and must comply with their education requirements or immediately stop working. At the time, this announcement came as quite a surprise. After all, I had been comfortably working in my Rolfing® Structural […]
Integration of Structure and Function in the Training of Certified Rolfers
What are some ideas in Rolf Movement Integration that make it essential to the study of Rolfing? To begin, this question should be set in the context of the evolution of basic Rolfing training, which now integrates structural and functional work. In the training, the understanding of movement work and its connection to the Ten […]