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ROLFING® is a technique for reordering the body to bring major segments-head, shoulders, thorax, pelvis and legs toward a vertical alignment. Generally speaking, the Rolfing® technique lengthens the body, approaching an ideal in which left and right sides of the body are more nearly balanced and in which the pelvis approaches horizontal permitting the height of the trunk to fall directly over the pelvis: the head rides above the spine, the spinal curves are shallow, and the legs connect vertically to support the bottom of the pelvis.
Pioneered by Dr. Ida P. Rolf, Rolfing® is a holistic process of body re-education and manual manipulation focusing on the body’' connective tissue, or fascia. Fascia completely surrounds and supports every muscle, bone, joint, and organ in the body. It reaches through all body elements like a three-dimensional spider web.
Hardened or shortened areas in this "fascial web" are caused by repeated patterns of self use such as the way a person walks, sits, or sleeps, as well as by injuries and deep-seated emotional patterns. Imbalances in the fascia occur where the stress is greatest, negatively affecting the body's shape and movement patterns. Pain is often the result.
The Rolfing® Technique rebalances the fascial network by taking advantage of its tendency to hold the shapes induced by applied force. In a carefully worked-out sequence of manipulations, the Rolfer reverses the randomizing influence of the environment, moving tissue back toward the symmetry and balance that the architecture of the body so clearly calls for in order to feel whole and functional.
The Rolfing® process is one of exploration, awareness, education, and change. Clients are encouraged to actively participate in their own healing process by accessing their body's innate intelligence, an inner memory of what it is to be "right." If you give the body information regarding possibilities for efficient and effortless use in rest and in movement, the body can heal itself and reach a state of wellness.
DR. IDA P. ROLF, formerly an organic chemist with the Rockefeller Institute, perfected the technique of Rolfing® over many years before establishing a systematic training program and a professional organization. Nearly 700 certified Rollers and Rolfing® Movement Teachers are located throughout the world. Training programs are conducted-in the United States and Europe with the main facilities in Boulder, Colorado and Munich, West Germany.
Copyright 1976 by The Rolf 1nstitute- of Structural Integrity. All rights reserved. (Used with permission)
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