When a client comes to my office for a Rolfing SI session more often than not they say, “My shoulders and neck are a chronic area of tension and pain.”
As a Certified Advanced Rolfer I systematically release upper shoulder-girdle tension. That release, however, may be temporary unless I can teach my client some new and better habits of postural support and shoulder and arm coordination.
Often people aren’t familiar with the basic anatomy of the shoulder girdle. For example, the only bony attachment of the shoulder girdle to the rest of the body is at the sternum (breastbone) via the clavicle (collarbone.) The scapula (shoulder blade) is a very complex shaped bone with a bent, finger-like protuberance pointing forward called the coracoid process. The shoulder girdle is designed more for mobility than stability. In our sedentary, mobile phone gazing culture often people stabilize their shoulder girdles from the levator scapula and pectoralis minor muscles rather than the core of the shoulders. Rolf Movement® Instructor, Mary Bond, has a terrific video she made for YouTube that gives a brief tour of shoulder anatomy and shows how to find and work with your own coracoid processes.
Many of you may not know in addition to being a Certified Advanced Rolfer, I am also a Rolf Movement Practitioner. That means I can give you one on one movement lessons to help you understand your shoulder anatomy and change your own poor postural habits. We can work together to replace your chronic shoulder tension with a feeling of broad, sturdy support across your upper back.
Rolf Movement Integration has sort of been Rolfing SI’s best kept secret. Even I am guilty of not promoting this valuable educational piece as much as I could in my own Rolfing SI practice. I invite you to consider booking a Rolf Movement session for yourself. An hour would be a good amount of time for me to teach you some new information and help you begin to integrate it into your life. Or, consider asking me to devote part of a regular Rolfing SI manipulation session to do some movement education with you. We can work with topics such as breathing, walking, pelvic mobility or stability, arm movement, spinal mobility, etc. Just let me know your area of interest so I can create an appropriate lesson for you.
