Does Rolfing® Hurt?

The first thing people usually hear about Rolfing® SI is that—it hurts! This is not true, at least not in my practice. In my experience, the work can be deep without being painful. Rolfing works with the person and not on them and uses a sophisticated, listening touch that is paced at the level and speed the body is willing to receive. My client’s level of comfort will always be honored. 

Rolfing® as a series…

Rolfing® SI is typically experienced in the context of a series of sessions. The results of the sessions are cumulative and through consecutive sessions we can relieve strain and establish coordination and continuity of movement throughout the whole body. This means you can get better and stay better. A Rolfing® series is typically 10-15 sessions, depending on your body’s needs.  The individual sessions aim to re-sculpt the body’s major segments into a more healthy alignment. As the segments are organized, the body becomes more balanced.

Can I benefit from one session?

Yes. Whether it’s over one session or a series of sessions, enhanced balance in the tissues tends to relieve most painful symptoms and increase energy and vitality. 

Do I need to be in pain to receive the work?

No. People without pain receive and benefit from Rolfing® SI too. Many people come to Rolfing® SI as a way to increase vitality. Clients often report feeling lighter and more spacious—even younger—after receiving Rolfing® SI. Some people find Rolfing® SI as a way to help support or navigate through changes in their lives. Rolfing® SI balances the body; a balanced body is more capable of adapting to circumstances without losing its base of support.

Do the changes last?

Yes. Photos show the changes from Rolfing® SI to be long lasting. Given the choice, the body will maintain what is easier and more economical. Rolfing® SI addresses the whole body and provides new options for movement on a physical, emotional, and mental level.  Rolfing® SI also helps to bring these changes into our conscious awareness, where we can recognize our habitual patterns and learn how to move between what is familiar to us and what is new. There will always be moments, when we are tired or under stress, when we will find ourselves returning to old patterns or compromising postures. However, through enhanced awareness of our body, we can begin to adapt easily to the moment, honoring old patterns which have served us and exploring new options to find our own dynamic support within gravity and within the changing rhythms of our lives.

The nature of Rolfing® SI is to work with the body and not on it; as a client you participate in and take ownership in the process and changes that occur. In doing so, they are yours to take with you and transform even further. Rolfing® SI can help you to find a sense of ease in your body and give you the tools to continue exploring and integrating the changes we evoke on the table into your everyday life.

How often should I have Rolfing®?

Most people come between once a week and once a month during a series. The frequency of sessions is individualized, depending on the client’s needs and desires.

how do Rolfing and craniosacral therapy (cst) compliment each other?

Rolfing is not a specific technique, it is a wholistic way of seeing and working with the body. A Rolfer uses the connective tissue network as way into the body and CrainoSacral Therapy works with the deepest layer of connective tissue, the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Throughout each session and series of sessions, I address the layer of the body in need of work and use whatever tool is most suitable to the issue at hand. Often, the lighter the touch the ‘deeper’ the work. In weaving together very light CranioSacral touch and more direct fascial integration, the body is allowed to unwind at its own pace and use its own inner wisdom to re-establish balance in the system.

What’s a typical session like?

A Rolfing® session typically lasts 75 minutes. Plan an additional 15 minutes or so during the first session to discuss your health history.  At the beginning and end of each session we will evaluate your structure in specific movements in order to give us both a chance to observe changes. The work is more effective when you participate in the process and clients are usually more active in the Rolfing process than with other types of body work. 

What should I Wear?

Typical Rolfing® SI attire for men and women can be their regular underwear or something like short, loose fitting gym or yoga wear.  Access to skin is helpful but your level of comfort is most important.