Tom Richards Advanced Rolfer

Rolfing® Structural Integration, is a process of re-educating the body through manual therapy and movement developed by Dr. Ida P. It facilitates a harmonious relationship between gravity and the human body. Injuries, trauma, and daily habits can cause the body to lose this relationship. I find it illustrative to think about what it is that makes up the human form. Muscles give us movement, bones give us dimesion to some extent but mostly they give us joints which allow us to move in different planes, but it is fascia that gives our body support and elasticity. Fascia is the material that holds muscles together, binds our cells together, suspends and compartmentalizes our internal organs inside of us, and is probably a vital component to our nervous system. This is the primary material we are working with in Rolfing. Because fascia acts as a packaging it is not unlike a big wet suit that you wear all the time. This “wet suit” may, after injury or overuse, become ill fitting. Now imagine having to walk, drive your car, sit and stand in this misaligned wetsuit. Muscles must overcome the constraints of the fascia. This makes the body more tired, confuses the nervous system, and actually leads to other postural compensations thus causing even more problems further on. Rolfing changes this packaging and when the packaging changes, muscles function better so they don’t become tight and tired. Through a combination of applied pressure and gentle movements, Rolfing® releases and repositions the connective tissue of the body (fascia). Instead of treating only the area of pain we treat the body as a system of many parts that have relationships to eachother. This way the improvement is more stable and the body can relax and be coaxed back into a natural position.