Rolfing

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Rolfing Structural Integration
Returning freedom to your body.
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What is Rolfing?

• Rolfing is a system of body restructuring and
  education, developed by Dr. Ida P Rolf, which
  balances the body in gravity.
• It releases patterns of fascial tension and
  bracing, allowing gravity to re-align the body
  towards more vertical integrity.

Dr. Ida P. Rolf
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What is Rolfing?

• Rolfing returns adaptive capacity to the body,
  allowing freer, pain free movement.
• A free swinging suspension bridge is a good
  example of a structure that has to adapt to
  strain and then return to its starting shape.
• If this capacity to adapt diminishes the bridge
  will eventually fail.

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What is Rolfing?

• Adaptive Capacity is simply the bodys ability to
  adapt to a changing environment. Falling off
  bicycles, stepping off a curb
• Throughout our life, as we use our body, there
  are times were the bodys ability to adapt
  becomes frozen in an event.
• Rolfing releases the tissue that is frozen to
  allow a return of adaptive capacity.
• The body once again moves as it used to.

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What is Rolfing?

• Gravity is the most powerful force affecting
  structures. In aligned structures gravity flows
  through it providing lift.
• The Geodesic dome is very similar to the human
  body, it is made up of support structures (bones)
  and tensile structures (soft tissue).
• The correct alignment of these two elements
  creates lift.

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What is Rolfing?
In the misaligned structure gravity acts to pull
it down, causing strain. Support and energy is
consumed from structures not designed to provide
it. (like neck muscles holding up
shoulders). This consumption of resources does
not allow them to be used in other areas where
theyre needed.
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What is Rolfing?

• The human body is a structure that moves within
  the earths gravitational field. As such, it is
  either aligned with gravity or not.
• A body misaligned with gravity experiences strain
  from the gravitational pull. This strain will
  eventually lead to pain.

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What is Rolfing?
A body aligned with gravity experiences support
and lift.
Before 1 After 10
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What is Rolfing?

• Chronic body misalignment results in strain to
  the supporting structures, bones, muscles,
  tendons, ligaments, organs and especially the
  fascia which surrounds and defines each of these.
  
• This chronic strain results in a body which is
  sub-optimal in its performance. This will
  eventually lead to pain and possible breakdown.

Before 1 After 10
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What is Rolfing?

• People of all ages come to Rolfing for help with
  neck and back pain, repetitive strain problems
  (carpal tunnel, tmj..), impaired movement and
  other body alignment issues.
• Some people come to better their body image or
  improve their athletic performance.

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What is Rolfing?

• Because the body is better balanced after
  Rolfing, it expends less energy. It is lifted by
  gravity rather than fighting against gravity.
• Movement becomes easier, more fluid and graceful.
• Old movement patterns start to dissolve and can
  be replaced with new more efficient ones.

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What is Rolfing?

• Rolfing results in a body that moves easier, with
  greater efficiency and grace.

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How does Rolfing Align the Body?

• To align the body the Rolfer systematically
  releases restrictions in the bodys soft tissue
  fascial network.
• This network is known as the organ of form.
• For instance, the fascia of an Orange allows us
  to define its parts into slices.
• Within these slices are fascial bags of juice and
  so on

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How does Rolfing Align the Body?
The fascia of the human body is organized in a
similar manner. Fascial bag over bag over
bag Layer on layer of fascia. Every organ,
blood vessel, nerve, bone and muscle is encased
in fascia. The fascia of the body is an Endless
Web.
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How does Rolfing Align the Body?
Just as the fabric in a sweater is contiguous and
defines the sweater, so to the fascia of the body
is contiguous and defines the body. And like a
sweater, a strain in one part of the fascial
net can and will cause strain in another portion
of the fascial net.
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How does Rolfing Align the Body?

• The Rolfer frees the strain patterns in the body
  allowing the body to assume its natural
  uprightness.
• The skill of the Rolfer is in knowing where
  strain patterns can be found and in releasing
  them in a manner to support continuous
  improvement.
• This systematic manner in which the patterns are
  released is called the 10 Series.

Before 1 After 10
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The 10 Series

• The 10 series, consisting of 10 sessions each
  1-1.5 hours long, is divided into 3 segments
  which allow the client to evaluate the efficacy
  of the work
• Sessions 1- 3, superficial fascia.
• Sessions 4 - 7, balancing the body.
• Sessions 8 10, re-alignment and education.

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The 10 Series

• Rolfing is unique in the body therapy world in
  that the work of Rolfing does not stop during the
  session, in fact it continues once the body is
  moving in the gravitational field. Dr. Rolf said
  gravity is the therapist.
• Because of this continued benefit, as well as the
  grouping of the sessions, the 10 series can
  completed over a period of time.

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The 10 Series

• Each session of the 10 series builds on the
  progress of the previous sessions.

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Benefits of Rolfing

• Better Posture and Alignment
• Increased flexibility, range of motion.
• Increased movement efficiency.
• More energy.
• Pain reduction.
• Better self image.

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Benefits of Rolfing

• Lets discuss the particular benefits this person
  received
• Notice that his weight has moved further back
  over his feet rather than over his toes.
• His head has come back, this relieves the strain
  on his upper back and the compression in his AO
  joint.
• His pelvis is more horizontal giving him a more
  stable lumbar spine and more spinal movement.
  Theres still more to do here.
• When his shoulders came back his arms came up,
  this can be addressed with more work. But hes
  much better now.

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More Info and Contact Info

• Thats the end of this presentation. I hope that
  it helped you better understand Rolfing.
• If youd like more information or to make an
  appointment you can contact me at
• Boulder 303-581-0530 Loveland 970-495-3407
• Denver 303-581-0530 Bermuda 441-239-0336
• www.JimTheRolfer.com