The 10 Session Recipe

The Recipe: Ida Rolf’s:

traditional teachings Maui, Hawaii

I am dedicated to the teachings of Dr. Ida P. Rolf and practice the recipe, which I have learned from my teachers, Emmett Hutchins, Neal Powers, Jeff Lynn and others at The Guild for Structural Integration. I find the traditional recipe to be the most potent form of the work.  What follows is my overview of Dr. Rolf’s 10 session Recipe with general goals of the session and territory addresses. I added the Mayan calendars archetype for the 13 tones/numerology of The Cosmos.

Working with Ali and doing all 10 Rolf sessions was a really unique experience. I had tried physical therapy for pain in my upper back but it just wasn’t working out, so I decided to try out Rolfing as an alternative. It turned out to be really beneficial to me and not only helped me with my back problems but with postural problems that I hadn’t been aware of before. I’m really glad I decided to go through the 10 sessions with Ali, I highly recommend it. – Amelia

 

The First Session:

magnetic: Unify ~ Attract ~ Purpose

Opening the sleeve (freeing breath & superficial fascia, magnetizing)

Territory: ribcage, sternum, shoulders, neck; lateral pelvis/leg and hamstrings.

  • Address any tension in the ribcage to improve breathing pattern and increase vital capacity and adaptability.
  • Begin to horizontalize the pelvis. A horizontal pelvis is the point of reference for a body.
  • Lengthen the torso away from the pelvis and define the relationship between legs and pelvis.

The Second Session:

Lunar: Polarize ~ Stabalize

Support (establishing relationship to the ground, polarizing)

Territory: feet, lower legs, and knees, back

  • Mobilize the ankle, the toe hinges and the knee.
  • Release restrictions and tightness in the lower leg.
  • Begin to provide a flexible basis of support for the legs and pelvis by creating resilient feet.
  • Begin to effectively lengthen and free the muscles of the back.

The Third Session:

Electric: Activate ~ Bond

Lateral line (lengthening the sides, creating dimension, activating)

Territory: neck, arms/shoulders, torso, pelvis, thighs and knees

  • Release strain along the crest of the illium.
  • Mobilize the 12th Rib
  • Differentiate the rib cage from the shoulder girdle and the pelvis for better support.

The Fourth Session:

Self-Existing: 

Medial line (building up core support and strength , form)

Territory: ankle, knees, medial thigh, pelvic floor

  • Continuing to establish a functional horizontal hinge at the ankles and knees.
  • Establishing an inner pillar from which the limbs can hang.
  • Freeing the leg from the pelvis.
  • Acquainting the client with the region and importance of the pelvic floor (core support).
  • Provide length and greater stability for the lumbar spine.

The Fifth Session:

Overtone: Empower~ Command~ Radiance

Anterior line (visceral organization and radiant activation, core empowerment)

Territory: front of the legs, abdomen, diaphragm, ribs & sternum

  • Lengthen and balance the abdominal wall, Waking up and reasserting the deep, abdominal musculature (core strength).
  • Ease and lengthen the relationship of legs with pelvis.
  • Initiating psoas-rhomboid balance, as well as rectus-psoas balance.

The Sixth Session

Rhythmic: Organize ~ Balance

Posterior line (creating a poised vertical line of symmetry, balancing)

Territory: posterior ankle, calves and thighs; gluteals, deep rotator muscles, sacrum, hamstrings, spine (lower and upper back)

  • Addressing rotations in the leg (hip rotators)
  • Freeing the sacrum from the ilia (SI joint)
  • Coordinating the hinges in the back (lumbo dorsal & mid dorsal hinge)
  • Enhancing and extending symmetry above and below the pelvic girdle

The Seventh Session:

Resonant: Channel  ~ Inspire ~ Attunement 

Adaptability (balancing the neck & head on the spine, attunement)

Territory: chest, shoulders, neck, nose, jaw, cranium

  • Releasing exterior & interior fascial tension of the face, throat, thorax, shoulder and cranium.
  • Creating relationship between neck and thorax.
  • Establishing a spanning polarity between the top of the head and the base of the sacrum.

The Eighth and Ninth Sessions:

Galactic & Solar: Harmonize ~ Integrity &  Realize ~ Intention 

Structural Integration and Functional Integration (stability and adaptability, integrating)

The goals of both sessions eight and nine are to integrate longer planes of fascia into the core. One session will be a “lower girdle” and the other an “upper girdle” session. They are interchangeable.

  • Provide lift, length and stability in the body.
  • Relating girdles to the vertical (mid) line.
  • Encourage that all movements originate from the LDH (pre-vertebral).

The Tenth Session:

Planetary: Perfect ~ Produce~ Manifestation 

Final integration & closure (horizontal lines, manifestation)

Territory: ankles, knees, hips, diaphragm, neck, cranium

  • Preparing client for assimilation and manifestation.
  • Establishing functional horizontals with the major hinges of the body.
  • Establish a balanced and stacking of the major segments of the body: feet, lower legs, knees, thighs, spine, ribcage, shoulders, arms, neck and head

 

Post Ten:

Spectral, Crystal, Cosmic: Dissolve ~ Release ~ Liberation & Universalize ~ Cooperation & Endure ~ Transcend ~ Presence

After the basic ten series, clients generally allow several months before scheduling follow up sessions. Once an individual has been Structurally Integrated, they have a “new” body in the felt sense and sufficient time is necessary for a process of personal integration. At that point, the client may choose to receive more advanced work by receiving an advanced Three-series (11~ Spectral, 12~Crystal, 13~ Cosmic) or individual sessions when needed.