Deutsch Castellano

Frequently Asked Questions about Rolfing®

Who should consider Rolfing? 

Most potential clients come to Rolfing® for two reasons. Those who have a history of injury or trauma and notice that the effects of their often minor injuries are beginning to interfere with their everyday lives. This group might include former and current athletes, musicians, performers or those who do not believe the quality of their lives must suffer simply because they are aging. Rolfing is also an excellent foundation to complement yoga, pilates and other personal wellness practices.

The second group includes those who are on a spiritual path and who find that their physical limitations prevent them from attaining a higher level of spiritual or emotional peace. When the body transforms physically it transforms on other planes as well. Rolfing® frequently has an even more dramatic effect in seemingly unrelated areas such as the spiritual.

How does Rolfing work?

Rolfing® addresses the body’s internal system of flexible support known as fascia. This amazing substance surrounds every muscle fiber, encases all joints and even has a role in the nervous system. To correct misalignments, a Rolfer® uses mild, direct pressure to melt or release facial holdings and allow the body to reestablish balance.

What happens during a Rolfing session?

At first, your Rolfer® will ask you about your past medical history.

Afterwards, he will look at you in standing, walking and sitting in order to determine your movement pattern and body structure. The session is done on a massage table while the Rolfer® uses his hands or elbows to apply pressure to specific parts of your body. This is also done with the client sitting. The quality of the touch ranges from light to deep and intense.

What to wear?

Men usually wear underwear.  Briefs work better than boxer shorts if you have them.
  
Women usually wear bras and underwear. Shorts and a sports-bra are also acceptable.

Why do we need to get rolfed and how does it work?

Throughout our lives we encounter injuries, both physical and emotional, that leave their marks on our structures. Even small things like falling off our bikes as children take a toll. If we can get up and are not bleeding or have an obvious injury, we assume nothing has happened. However, even a small movement in a joint or slight rotation of a bone can have significant effects at other sites in our bodies. We adapt to these traumas and stresses by twisting and shortening. If these conditions are severe or repeated, our tissues lose their plasticity and we become stuck in alignments that are not harmonious with gravity. Through the pressure and warmth of the Rolfer’s hands and arms, energy is transmitted to the client’s tissues releasing the stuck places and, with specific movement cues, allowing the tissues to assume a more appropriate relationship in the body.

What is the difference between massage and Rolfing? 

Massage and Rolfing both touch the tissue, separate the fascial layers and tend to muscles that have been pulled out of position by strain or injury. But Rolfing is deeper than deep massage and focuses on structural integration, improved posture, and ease of movement.

Does Rolfing hurt?

Several factors determine the level of comfort or discomfort during a Rolfing® session: the degree of trauma in the system, how long the fascial distortions have been in the client's body, and the degree of emotional charge associated with an area. The intensity experienced is usually transitory, moving quickly from brief intensity to a decrease in sensation and finally to an easing of long-standing holdings which can prove both profound and transformative.

What about the psychological and emotional effects of Rolfing?

It is impossible to touch the physical body without touching the emotional body and emotional changes are quite common. When emotionally charged areas of the body have been identified by the client, or intuited by the practitioner, they are normally accessed slowly and with constant communication between the Rolfer® and the client.