History of Rolfing®

Rolfing® Structural Integration is named after the creator, Dr. Ida P. Rolf.

She began her inquiry into Rolfing more than fifty years ago, devoting her energy to creating a holistic system of soft tissue manipulation and movement education that organized the whole body in gravity.   Dr. Rolf discovered she could achieve remarkable changes in posture and structure by manipulating the body’s fascia (connective tissue).  

Dr. Rolf received her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Columbia University in 1920 and continued her education in organic chemistry at the Rockefeller Institute.   She studied yoga, osteopathy and chiropractic to gain a better understanding of how the body functioned.   Eventually, she developed Rolfing Structural Integration and founded                         The Rolf Institute in Boulder, CO in 1971.

What is Rolfing and the Ten Series?

Rolfing is an intense, deep tissue manipulation that realigns the body’s structure.  Rolfing creates a more efficient use of muscles, allows the body to conserve energy, creates more economical and refined patterns of movement and significantly reduces chronic stress.  People seek Rolfing as a way to ease pain, chronic stress, and improve performance in their professional and daily activities. 

The Rolfing recipe consists of 10 sessions that, on average, last 1 hr. and 15 minutes.  This Rolfing “Ten Series” is a sequence of 10 sessions which focus on certain body structures and goals.  The 10 Series is broken down into three separate units. 

Sessions 1-3 are the “sleeve” sessions and connect to the superficial layers of tissue.  Loosening up the outer layers and improving the relationship between these layers is the first step in leading to deep work. 

Core sessions, typically sessions 4-7, begin to penetrate a deeper layer of tissue and emotion that sometimes can be the more intense work of the recipe – I like to think of the core as being a person’s inner soul.  Core is a conceptual space in the center of the visceral body, connecting to the deeper layers of tissue.  During these sessions, the tissue starts to unravel and new patterns start to form in the body. 

The last three sessions are the integrative sessions, bringing together all the previous sessions and completing the series.  This is where the Rolfer integrates all the work that has been done into the entire body. 

What is the difference between Rolfing and massage?

Massage loosens tight tissue and muscles, reduces stress, and increases relaxation.  Rolfing does this as well, but primarily realigns the client's structure in gravity.  Rolfing is more permanent than massage.  Massage is done once a week or once a month for a long period of time.  Once a client completes the 10 Series, she may not need to receive another session for six months, a year, or longer, depending on her situation. 

What about the emotional and psychological effects of Rolfing?

It seems impossible to touch the physical body without touching the emotional body. Though the Rolfer cannot predict how each person will respond either emotionally or physically, Rolfing has been shown to benefit a wide variety of people, from children to seniors, from athletes to office workers.

Does Rolfing hurt?

Rolfing works the very deep areas of the body which at times can be very intense.   The level of intensity depends on the client’s degree of trauma in the body.   If a client has had many years of chronic pain and tight tissue, she may experience more discomfort than clients who seek Rolfing as a way to learn more about their bodies.   Another factor that can affect different levels of intensity is the degree of emotional pain associated with the injured area.   Rolfers stay in constant communication with clients throughout each session to make sure they do not take the client over their discomfort level.   Rolfers also pace the level of intensity, easing clients into the sessions, so that they can relax and integrate the work into the whole body.