What should I wear?

Just like massage therapy, a Rolfer needs to make contact with the skin. So it’s optimal for clients to wear comfortable clothing that doesn’t restrict their movement. For women, it’s best to wear a sports bra and loose-fitting shorts. For men, the work can be done wearing a T-shirt or bare chested while wearing gym shorts. Unlike massage, a Rolfing session begins and ends with a postural assessment so you’ll need to get up from the table and walk around periodically. Please avoid wearing heavy lycra, bicycle shorts, or any clothing that is constricting. If you can lie on a table and pull one knee to your chest without any pinching, you’re in good shape.

How does Rolfing differ from massage?

The goals for massage and Rolfing are often very different. Massage is usually about relaxation. Rolfing is about aligning structure and improving long-term function by working with connective tissue--called fascia--which surrounds and penetrates muscles and every structure in the body. While fascia's remarkable plasticity allows us to adapt to stress and injury, it also becomes rigid and less mobile. It then pulls the body out of alignment with gravity. Throughly highly refined techniques, a certified Rolfer can lengthen the fascia which in turn frees the body from constrictions and enables it to right itself effortlessly in gravity. 

What if I am already seeing a chiropractor?

Fabulous. Rolfing and chiropractic can be mutually beneficial. Chiropractic moves bones back to their proper place to restore joint function. Rolfing improves alignment by manipulating the tissues that hold bones — and everything else — in place. If adjustments don't seem to be holding as long as you'd like, there's a good chance that connective tissue is the culprit.

Do I have to complete the Rolfing Ten Series?

Yes and no. Each person is different. The Ten Series is recommended because it's the most comprehensive method of addressing systemic symptoms. Not surprisingly, pain might manifest in one place, but have its cause in another. If your neck hurts because your feet are not properly supporting the rest of your body, my working on your neck exclusively will likely not solve the problem.

I do specific interventions for specific problems in the context of each session. Some people just need a few sessions, for others, the problem isn't so easy to address. Western medicine tends to focus on symptomatic treatment to make pain, and complaining patients, go away. The systematic progression of Rolfing is designed to help the whole organism function more efficiently and effectively. Practically speaking, Rolfers are more interested in the total wellness of a person, rather than any specific dis-ease. We like to live in the solution, not in the problem. And yes, it works; it’s worth the effort.

Can Rolfing help with emotional trauma?

It’s possible for the process of Rolfing to assist with the release, transformation, and healing of long-held trauma. Like other types of somatic bodywork, Rolfing strives to integrate and harmonize the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of being human. Certified Rolfers are trained to work with clients to access their “inner core” -- the level of being where emotions live. Skillful and precise Rolfing helps the client become more grounded and embodied, which helps release habitual tension. Sometimes with this work there often arises a deep sense of letting go and a felt sense of change. Because the body holds the trauma, it’s an essential resource to healing from old wounds.