Rolfing® Structural Integration is a holistic form of bodywork that attempts to create a more functional body within the field of gravity.

Named after its founder Dr. Ida P. Rolf, Rolfing organizes the body through a series of sessions each lasting about an hour in length.

Rolfing structural integration has the ability to dramatically improve posture, structure and state of mind. Athletes, dancers, children, business professionals, and people from all walks of life have benefited from Rolfing. People seek Rolfing as a way to ease pain and chronic stress, and improve performance in their professional and daily activities.

It's estimated that more than 1 million people have received Rolfing work.

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The best way to experience Rolfing is through the 10 session series. The series is an unfolding process where each session prepares the body for the next session and builds on the previous one. Most structural difficulties can be resolved through the 10 session series. Occasionally more than 10 sessions are required.

The series can be roughly divided into three categories. The first three sessions work on the more superficial layers within the body. These three sessions prepare the body for the deeper work to come. Generally most people will know by the first three sessions whether or not Rolfing is the bodywork modality for them. If you want to discontinue with the series, after the third session is where it is recommended you stop.

However, if you choose to pursue the series further, the next four sessions address the deeper issues of the structure. The first three sessions remove the more obvious compensations and the next four will address those compensations more directly. These core sessions require the client to become much more aware and sensitive to his or her physical sensations, movement patterns and even thought habits.

The last three sessions in the series work to broaden the sense of integration. Work done locally will be felt more globally, thereby creating a somatic feeling of wholeness.

Sessions can last from 60 to 75 minutes depending on what needs to be addressed. Rolfing is done with the client in his or her underwear. If you feel uncomfortable being in underwear, you may wear (for women) a sports bra and very loose fitting shorts (similar to the kind long distance runners might wear - nylon outer shell with an underwear lining built in). Bicycle shorts or any kind of clothing that is tight fitting and close to the skin does not work.

It was a more common practice in the early stages of Rolfing to take a photograph of the client in 4 views (front, each profile and back) before the start of the 10 session series and then after each session to see the progression of change. This is not a standard practice for me. However, several clients have brought in cameras (digital or polaroid) and I have gladly obliged them. It is fascinating to watch the progression of change. However, I do not encourage becoming fixated on the shape of the body. It is more important to gain a greater functionality and somatic understanding of one's self, rather than a perfect look.

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