So Close!

Rolfing's role in the community has evolved since its inception in the 1950s. It enjoyed a spike in popularity in the 1970s, survived a pause in the 80s and 90s, and is enjoying a bit of a renaissance in the 2000's with help from a health-minded country and spokespersons like Dr. Oz, Oprah, and the New York Times. Always a mind/body therapy dealing with posture, self-awareness and structural evolution, it is mostly the understanding of Rolfing that has shifted and changed, rather than the bodywork itself.

As I've said in previous posts, much of what I combat when discussing Rolfing with someone for the first time is their anxiety over predicted pain during their session. I try my best to communicate that yes, Rolfing CAN be intense, but no, that's the the GOAL of the session. I'm not successful if I cause you pain, I'm successful if we reach our goals--if you have more flexibility, increased range of motion, less scar tissue. It is my hope that when people represent Rolfing they will choose to convey the opportunities it offers rather than playing on people's fears.

I'm both pleased and disappointed to see this article, Rolfing: Excruciatingly Helpful in October 7th's New York Times. How wonderful to share this bodywork with such a wide audience--it's just too bad that they perpetuated concepts that aren't relevant to what Rolfers are doing! Excruciating?? Did they have to use that word?? Clients of mine--have I ever treated your session like the only way to achieve results was to bring you to the brink of intolerance? I hope not! And the subtitle: "A Painful Form Of Massage." Massage? No thank you! I'm a very proud massage therapist, but when I don my Rolfing hat, I leave the former style of bodywork at the door. Rolfing is about realigning your structure--there's nothing "massage" about it.

Fortunately, within the article itself there's much more focus on accuracy: "Dr. Rolf developed a theory that the body’s aches and pains arose from basic imbalances in posture and alignment, which were created and reinforced over time by gravity and learned responses among muscles and fascia — the sheath-like connective tissue that surrounds and binds muscles together. Rolfing developed as a way to “restructure” muscles and fascia."

That's writing I can get behind, and worth a read if you promise to take it with a grain of salt.