About The Rolf Method

Maui Rolfing

offered with Aloha

Life changing! ROLFING: Alison has a true talent for healing. Old injuries had come back to haunt me with a vengeance; I was crooked and in pain. Acupuncture & chiropractic just weren’t doing the trick. I needed something with more ‘oomph’ and so I did the standard 10-session Rolf program with Alison. Although there were painful moments, I really enjoyed the sessions, and I could feel it working; I could tell this was what my body needed to become realigned. I am now able to do all my regular physical activities once again. What a blessing.  Kristen T.


Marissa, Ballet Dancer ~ The Rolf Method of Structural Integration Testimonial from on Vimeo.

The Rolf Method of Structural Integration  is a process of re-education of the body through movement & touch. It systematically releases patterns of stress and impaired function. The primary focus of Structural Integration is facilitating an effortless relationship between gravity & the human body allowing for higher efficiency and greater ease.

 

“One Individual may experience his losing fight 
with gravity as a sharp pain in the back, 
another as the unflattering contour of his body, 
another as constant fatigue, and yet another as 
an unrelenting threatening environment. Those over forty may call it old age, yet all of 
these signals may be pointing to a single problem 
so prominent in their own structures and the 
structures of others that it has been ignored; 
they are off balance; they are at war with gravity.”  –Dr. Ida P. Rolf

 

The Rolf Method of Structural Integration, commonly know as Rolfing,  follows a 10-session recipe, “the 10-series”. Each session focuses on a specific goal and region of the body. The results are cumulative, as each session builds upon the results from the previous one.

The overall goal of the 10-session  series is to organize the body around “the Line”. The effects relate specifically to improvements in posture and more generally to improvements in self-awareness and well-being.
 You do not have to commit to all 10 sessions at the beginning. Sessions 1 and 3 provide stopping places for those who, for whatever reason, do not wish to continue or wish to suspend the work for a reasonable period.

Each session is approximately 75 minutes in length. At the beginning of the first session we will discuss your health history and about your specific goals and intentions. I will observe how you stand, walk and other general movements. In some cases a digital image may be taken if you are interested in seeing before and after results. The majority of the work is performed with you lying on a padded table. I will apply skillful and intelligent pressure with my fingers, hands, forearms or elbows to release strains and distortions in fascial structures and restore the body to balance. Your participation in the sessions will be required as you will be asked to make small specific movements as we work. Some sessions may end up with a brief period of movement education. Movement homework may be assigned to help you integrate the new structural pattern into your functional pattern.

During the session you may experience a warm, pleasant sensation from the area that we are working with. Some individuals do not experience any sensation while others may experience some discomfort. I will apply the appropriate pressure, based on your needs and feedback. During most of the sessions I will help you to become aware of habitual patterns of movement and imbalances in your body and will help you work toward making changes in these patterns in your daily life.

slideshow The Rolf Method

After the 10 Series

The process of integration continues long after the last session. in the basic 10-series.   The body is assimilating a new way of moving, feeling, being. The increased movement asked of the client throughout the series allows the client the opportunity to take ownership of these changes and incorporate them in an enduring and specifically meaningful way to his or herself.  A new awareness, perhaps a new sense of presence within the body, has been born. The more the client allows this awareness to encompass daily life, the more engrained and lasting the changes will be. Clients might want to explore further work by returning for post-ten “tune-ups” or Advanced Work. These are offered in a series of 3 or 5.   It is recommended that clients wait several months before receiving more sessions after the initial 10 Series, so that the mind and body have time to process and integrate the transformations. Keep in mind however, as life changes, bodies change in response. All injuries, accidents, lengthily illnesses and emotional stress may necessitate additional work.