Rolfing is a Process of Change

WHAT ROLFING IS BY IDA ROLF PART III

“Body and mind are as two sides of the same coin, and so the results of working with the body reach into the emotional, behavioral, even spiritual life of the individual. For example, when chronic physical tension or weakness translates into emotional irritability or dependence, releasing the physical component allows release through the system as a whole. This can manifest as the resurfacing of a buried memory. Or, frequently, it will show as insight into habitual behavior patterns. As the physical anchor lets go, outgrown emotional responses can change. Rolfing is not a psychotherapeutic process, yet psychological changes do come about through Rolfing. For this reason Rolfers are required to have a background in psychology before training.Rolfing is a process of change. If we resist change, we experience pain. So too in Rolfing. If we can allow tissue to release, there is a sense of warmth or heat. If not, there can be pain. The most usual feeling-tone of this resistance is fear of being overwhelmed, or anxiety–is it safe to let go of this pattern that has supported me all my life? Gradually, a client learns to listen to the new messages his body is reporting. As a lighter, freer body comes into being, we can allow old patterns to disappear. Trust in our capacity to change grows, and we become sturdier.

Rolfing does not “cure” symptoms. The goal of Rolfing is a more resilient, higher-energy system. The organism then is itself better able to defend against illness and overcome stress, and the greater energy does its own beneficial work in healing and relaxing. Rolfing does not achieve perfection; it begins a process. Its goal is to establish balance in gravity. The ten-hour cycle is a first step in that direction. Rolfing is an ongoing process that continues long after the work has been completed. Bodies have a natural liking for uprightness, comfort, and ease. Insofar as they can experience it, they try to live in a place of balance. In this place, the energy of gravity can flow with (not counter to) the energy of the individual.”