What is Rolfing?

Rolfing Structural Integration (Rolfing SI) is a system of bodywork which utilizes connective tissue (fascial) manipulation and movement education to integrate the human structure resulting in better balance, increased flexibility, improved physical abilities, and greater health.  It is the product of fifty years of practice and study by Dr. Ida P. Rolf.

Rolfing’s basic premise is that by changing the structure of the body, the functioning of the entire human being is enhanced. By gently rebalancing, realigning, and reshaping the body, unresolved chronic pain can be relieved or eliminated, posture is improved, flexibility is increased and there is an overall sense of well being.

Your body can be impaired through both physical and emotional injury. When this happens the rest of your body must compensate to maintain balance.  The job of a rolfer is to disengage restrictions between fascial layers, allow the muscles to return to a more balanced relationship, and help your body to release compensations. This is accomplished by systematically organizing the body’s connective tissue network. This connective tissue network of ligaments, tendons and coverings of the bones, muscles, and organs is called the fascia system. Fascia is the “organ of structure” in your body. It supports the skeleton and soft tissues, stabilizes the position of the bones, determines how you move, and gives the body its shape.

Often considered a deep-tissue approach, Rolfing SI actually works with all the layers of the body to ease strain patterns in the entire system. Research has demonstrated that Rolfing creates more efficient muscle use, allows the body to conserve energy, and creates more economical and refined patterns of movement. Rolfing has also been shown to significantly reduce chronic stress, reduce spinal curvature in subjects with lordosis (sway back), and enhance neurological functioning.

Rolfing SI is commonly done in a series of bodywork sessions, called the Ten-Series. This work is focussed on creating long lasting and profound change. The effects are seen in improved posture and felt in overall well being.

How Did Rolfing Originate?

Rolfing Structural Integration is named after its creator, Dr. Ida P. Rolf. Dr. Rolf received her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Columbia University in 1920 and furthered her knowledge of the body through her scientific work in organic chemistry at the Rockefeller Institute. Her extensive search for solutions to family health problems led her to examine many systems that studied the effect of structure on function, including yoga, osteopathy and chiropractic medicine. Dr. Rolf combined her research with her scientific knowledge to stimulate a deeper appreciation of the body’s structural order, resulting in the theory and practice of Rolfing. There are more than 1,200 Certified Rolfers in 27 different countries. The Rolf Institute’s international headquarters is located in Boulder, Colorado, with offices in Germany, Brazil, and Japan.