A guide for all you 21st century internet savvy, Facebooking, Blogging, Twittering Peeps out there
Long, long ago in a century far, far away lived a woman named Ida Pauline Rolf. She observed that the structure of the human body affects its optimum function, and set out to do something about it. Receiving her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Columbia University in 1920, she worked as a Research Associate at the Rockefeller Institute from 1919 to 1927 during which time she published fifteen research articles. In addition to biochemistry, Rolf’s thinking was influenced by her practice of yoga and treatments and training from pioneer osteopaths.
Rolf started working hands-on with people in New York during World War II. By the 1950s she was traveling the country teaching structural integration to chiropractors and osteopaths. It was in the 1960s Rolf ended up working with Fritz Perls, the father of Gestalt Therapy. That was when structural integration became known as Rolfing and got caught up in the cultural revolution known as the human potential movement.
Rolfing structural integration is somatic education the main purpose of which is to improve the structure and alignment of the body. It is not a form of massage therapy. Rather, Rolfing practitioners are the structural experts of the human body. They use skillful hands-on techniques as well as movement education to empower clients to take charge of their own physical and emotional health. Rolfing also has the potential to support personal evolution through enhancing the vertical alignment of the body, facilitating the upward movement of energy through our systems and the subsequent evolution of consciousness.
We are not truly upright, we are only on our way to being upright. This is a metaphysical consideration. One of the jobs of a Rolfer is to speed that process along. We want to get a man out of the place where gravity is his enemy. We want to get him into the place where gravity reinforces him and is a friend, a nourishing force.
— Dr. Ida P. Rolf
And now a visual guide . . .
This IS Rolfing® SI
This is NOT Rolfing
This is NOT Rolfing
Any questions?
© Carole LaRochelle, 2009.
This really is a crucial subject that more folks have to be aware of. The greater number of individuals applying this important information the better. Thanks for spreading the word. I’m a huge fan of your web site!
Dr. Rolf seems like a very intelligent & nice person but I still think there is more entertainment value in naming this therapy after the dog on the Muppets.
That would be Rowlf the Dog. It’s spelled differently. Do I have to worry now about people confusing Ida Rolf and Rowlf the Dog?