History

Dr. Ida Rolf (pic right) was a PhD in biochemistry in the 1920’s. She spent her life studying the body and its structure.  Dr. Rolf continues to be recognized as a pioneer in soft tissue manipulation and movement education. Recent study of fascia, the body’s connective tissue matrix, is now proving what Dr. Rolf was saying decades ago.

Dr. Rolf taught a “10 series” format for the work.  In each of 10 different sessions, the body is meant to be loosed or “unstuck” in places of tension and contraction.  The work is meant to be asymmetric in order to bring about better balance.  If you set up a tent that is crooked, you can’t just loosen all the ropes and have it be straight.

While the 10 series is a great and innovative way to work with the human body, Jeremy does not want anyone to feel committed to the ten sessions from the outset.  You will know in one session if the work will be helpful for you.

For more history, please visit www.rolf.org

How Rolfing® Works

By loosing the tight tissue around a joint, that joint can move more freely and support the weight of the body in a more balanced way.  Rolfing attempts to balance the body in a progressive, systematic way.  The sessions in the 10 series tend to be cumulative and build on each other.

Often, asymmetric tightness around the hips, pelvis and low back are making the body contort and get out of alignment causing pain and reduced range of motion.  Another example is the way in which the soft tissue around the shoulder joint needs to be balanced in order for the very mobile/unstable shoulder to function well.

One way to think about Rolfing is to imagine setting up a tent.  If the tent is crooked, you wouldn’t tighten all the ropes, or loosen all the ropes.  To get the tent to be symmetrical and upright, you must do something differently on each side of the tent.

Rolfing has a reputation of being very intense or painful.  If this were true and the only thing noteworthy about Rolfing, it would not be a thriving practice around the world.  Jeremy’s clients generally report the pressure being necessary and feels like what their bodies need.  Each Rolfing session probably has some parts that are intense and some that feel very good.  The goal is to rid the body of trauma, not to add more.

Jeremy’s study of exercise science, kinesiology, sports movement, yoga, stretching and resistance exercise greatly influences his bodywork practice.  He almost always has ideas for stretches/exercises that his clients can do on their own.