“The whole is more than the sum of its parts.”
Aristotle, Metaphysica
Rolfing treatment is a technique that makes lasting changes in the soft tissue without repeated physical strain or injury. It is a powerful tool when applied to improve posture. Posture is the physical position of a person’s body and it conveys information about the general health and emotional condition of the individual. We are all acquainted with the postures associated with shy or confident people. Since it is an unconscious expression most of us are unaware of our own posture and the repeated physical positions that we use. Repeated positions gradually affect our bodies and eventually cause inflexibilities that interfere with normal movement. The result appears to others as poor posture and to ourselves as painful movements and fatigue.
What it Will Do:
Rolfing treatment restores the normal movement capacity of the body. It is visible as improved posture. The fundamental philosophy is that normal and well-organized bodies do not have pain or health problems. The goal of treatment is to create a well-organized body that is free of pain and problematic health issues. The result is the emergence of a youthful and vital body that provides all the enjoyments of good health.
Rolfers do not chase symptoms around the body. We view most problems as evidence that the body is struggling with normal movements and cannot support itself against gravity. We restore the capacity for good posture and let the symptoms disappear. Most other medical techniques focus on the symptoms caused by underlying postural problems. Though Rolfers are usually able to provide immediate relief for painful conditions, the real objective is to correct the structural issues that perpetuate them.
“The Ten Series”:
The ideal Rolfing process is a singular 15 hour-long session. This extensive time requires that the session be divided into units; our experience shows that 10 treatments are most effective. Just as a novel builds its story from one chapter to the next, so the Rolfing process builds upon each session to prepare for what follows. The process is carefully choreographed. A Rolfer in Tampa will provide the same session as a Rolfer in Germany, Japan, or Brazil. In conclusion, our clients have experienced impressive changes that will affect their bodies for life.
Customized sessions that address specific problems outside of this 10 step process are available and useful but do not allow enough time to improve body-wide order. Rolfing treatment is unique because of its focus on the order of the whole body rather than the symptoms arising from poor support. The benefits of Rolfing treatment are the health and vitality that are natural for healthy bodies.