Rolfing
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This article is about Rolfing®, a brand of Structural Integration. For information about the generic term, see Structural Integration.
Rolfing®, a method of Structural Integration, is a codified series of soft tissue manipulation, which purports to organize soft tissue relationships, with the objectives of realigning the body structurally and harmonizing its fundamental movement patterns. This is said to enhance vitality and well-being.
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[edit] Development
Dr. Ida Pauline Rolf (1896- 1979) developed a method, in the early to mid 1950s, the goal of which was the organizing of the human structure in relationship with gravity. This was called Postural Release and then later Structural Integration of the Human Body. Early consumers of Structural Integration coined the word Rolfing from the surname of Ida Rolf. Since the early 1970s, Rolfing® has been a service mark of the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration, the school founded by Rolf.
Rolf obtained her PhD in biochemistry in 1922; her dissertation concerned the chemistry of unsaturated phosphatides.
[edit] Theory and practice
According to Rolf, bound up fascia (or 'connective tissue') often restricts opposing muscles from functioning independently from each other, much as when water, having crystallized, forms the hard, unyielding ice. Her practice aimed to separate the bound up fascia by deeply separating the fibers manually so as to loosen them up to allow effective movement patterns. Rolf states that an adequate knowledge of living human anatomy and hands-on training are required in order to safely negotiate the appropriate manipulations and depths necessary to free up this bound-up fascia. Advocates claim that after Rolfing®, clients stand up straighter, gain in height and bodily asymmetries of the soft tissue tend to dissapear. For information about research on Rolfing® got to [1].
Rolfers often prescribe a certain number of sequenced sessions to gradually "unlock" the whole body, usually beginning with the muscles that regulate and facilitate breathing. Some people find the experience of Rolfing® painful, but Rolfing® has continued to evolve over the decades into a practice far more gentle than in its early origins.
The Basic Series taught by Dr. Rolf comprise ten sessions. A "tune-up series" of a variable number of sessions, and an "Advanced Series" of five sessions is also available, typically after a period of time to allow the client to settle.
During a Rolfing® session, the patient generally lies down and is guided through specific movements. During these, the Rolfer manipulates the fascia until it returns to its original length. This takes place over the course of 10 one-hour sessions, with a specific goal for each session, creating cumulative results. However, people with kidney disease, liver and intestinal disease and pregnant women would should see their G.P. before beginning Rolfing®.
The Rolf Institute® and a number of other schools, including the Guild for Structural Integration, IPSB Institute for Psycho-Structural Balancing, and Hellerwork Structural Integration, currently teach the method as presented by Rolf. Many modern modalities of "Deep Tissue Bodywork" can trace their lineage back to Rolfing and the legacy of Ida Rolf's theories about the fascia.
[edit] Criticisms
Skeptics claim that the theories the program advances the idea that there is some sort of disharmony in body movement that can cause illness, and the idea of a connection between muscle movement and trapped emotional experiences are unproven. [2]
