The Gesture of Traumatic Response
Kristen Kuester The Web and Crossing Patterns As Rolfers we are trained to see the continuous web of myofascia like a knit garment that when pulled at the hem moves at the neck. About thirty years ago I remember a client whose shoe got caught in machinery which tugged at his leg until it […]
Perceptual Tensegrity
ABSTRACT Tensegrity has been used as a concept in structural integration (SI) going back to Ida Rolf, and elaborated further as we have benefitted from the paradigm shift from tensegrity to biotensegrity for living organisms. Bond discusses tensegrity and biotensegrity, then introduces the idea of ‘perceptual tensegrity’ as being present in our orientation to ground […]
A Significant but Unnoticed Stepping Stone in Fascia Research
Sometimes abrupt and other times imperceptible, science moves along an undetermined path towards clarity and perhaps a notion of truth. In March 2017, practically unnoticed even in the larger somatic community, some of the world’s foremost experts in the science of fascia attending the International CONNECT Conference in Ulm, Germany released a consensus statement […]
What Shapes a Life?
Tom Findley – medical doctor, research scientist, and Rolfer – is interviewed by Jason DeFilippis about his biography and his work with structural integration (SI) and fascia research. [Editor’s Note: A prior interview with Findley covered his history as a Rolfer, his work with the Veterans’ Administration, his fascia research, and his founding of the […]
A Fresh Look at the Role of Fascia
Gil Hedley (left) and Bruce Schonfeld (right) Karin Wagner: Hi Bruce. Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Let’s start with why you decided to make this film, The Secret Life of Fascia. Bruce Schonfeld: I went to film school and I’d been angling to make a film for a long […]
Scoliosis: Assessment and Treatment
PART I: ABOUT SCOLIOSIS All scolioses share certain characteristics, and each scoliosis has a unique combination of other features. All snowflakes are recognizable as snowflakes and no two have ever been found to be identical. So it is with scoliosis. Commonalities in Scoliosis First, the common ground. All scolioses are sidebending (frontal plane) […]
Scoliosis: A Way of Growing
Figure 1: An olive tree. Figure 2: Bamboo. During my years of practice as a Rolfer™, I have come to think of scoliosis as a way of growing. There are trees that grow straight toward the sky and others that twist and torque: bamboo and olives trees. Both are beautiful (see Figures 1 and […]
The Mystery of Scoliosis: Working from Inside Out
Anne Hoff: Thank you Til. I think most people in the Rolfing® Structural Integration (SI) world know who you are, through the Rolf Institute® (now the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute™) and your classes and books, but please say a little bit about your current activities. Til Luchau: I spend a lot of my time […]
Working with Scoliosis in Sidelying
Each client is unique, but a lot of scoliosis patterns are a version of the ‘three-curve’ scoliosis pattern described by Christa Lehnert-Schroth. In her seminal book on scoliosis treatment, Lehnert-Schroth describes how torsion relationships create overly strong muscles on the convex side of the curve and short tight muscles on the concave side. Discussing her […]
Working with Scoliosis – In Our Clients and Ourselves
Bibiana Badenes (left) and Bethany Ward (right) How has scoliosis affected your life? Bibiana Badenes: I really think my scoliosis has shaped who I am and influenced my personal development. During my childhood, I had a lot of back and neck pain and movement limitations in specific areas. Bethany Ward: I agree. While […]