How to Get a Rolfing Massage

Rolfing was invented more than 50 years ago by Dr. Ida Rolf. Properly called "structural integration," it is a way to bring the body structure into alignment with its center of gravity. It corrects misalignments in the body and can relieve some forms of pain and body-based stress. Some people actually end up taller. Most people think of Rolfing as a form of massage, but it actually aligns the myofascial system that connects and surrounds the skeletal muscles. A very simple analogy is two connected layers of material; if the outer layer becomes contracted, the inner layer will also be contracted. The fascia covers the muscles, so once it is "ironed out" the muscles are also freed up. Rolfing is a series of ten sessions, each following upon the progress made by the preceding sessions. Your rolfer will take a series of before and after photos and you will be amazed at the changes.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• The time and money to commit to the series of ten sessions
• <br>A rolfer you feel comfortable with

1. Go online to the Rolf Institute website and find rolfers practicing in your area. You can also call the Institute in Boulder, Colorado. Call the people you find and talk to them. You'll have a feeling for those you're comfortable with and those you aren't. Meanwhile, educate yourself on the rolfing process. Either look on the website, or ask the Institute to send you information.
2. Ask your candidates to meet with you for an introductory session. Remember that you're hiring someone to help you restructure your body to make it more whole, so you want someone you can communicate with and trust.
3. Remember that rolfing is a partnership. The rolfer cannot work on you without your permission, outward and inward. Your sessions will be easier and more productive if you open yourself up to the work. You can help by mentally "going inside" the area where the work is being done and softening the tissue under the rolfer's hands. Also, you can consciously relax the focusing muscles of your eyes, and of your pelvic floor. Relaxing either or both of those areas will help relax the muscles in the rest of your body.
4. Understand that the myofascial changes in your body can stem from physical or emotional trauma, or both. Most stress is both physical and emotional. There will be times when your rolfer is working on a "wrinkle" and associated emotions will become activated. This is part of the stress relief that occurs through the myofascial release. Even the manipulation of an old physical trauma can generate the fear and shock that accompanied the original injury.
5. Rolfing has a reputation for being painful and it can be momentarily painful. There are a few things to remember about that. One is that any pain you feel during rolfing stops immediately when the rolfer releases the area. Also, the first three sessions are usually the most physically painful, because they are dealing with muscles and fascia closer to the surface of the body. Most important, you can always ask your rolfer to stop. They can wait until you catch your breath, or they can find another way to approach the area. Another way you can handle the pain is by using the techniques in Step 3. You don't have to suffer in silence!
6. By the same token, there will be times when the release of constricted energy will be an incredibly wonderful feeling. A simple myofascial manipulation can bring intense emotions of joy and happiness, along with very pleasurable body sensations. Oddly enough, these feelings can also be a bit unsettling. Use the techniques in Step 3 to ground the energy that is being generated.

Tips & Warnings

• Shop until you find the right rolfer. They all have the same training, but they're people and you will be more comfortable with some than others.
• <br>Use the techniques in Step 3 throughout your sessions. It will make you an equal partner in the work, and you will get much more out of it.
• <br>It can take up to a year for all the changes to evolve. Don't think you're finished just because you've completed your ten sessions.
• <br>If you get value from the ten sessions, there are advanced sessions you can return for after you've "set" for a year or so.
• If it hurts, say so.
• <br>Likewise, if something makes you emotionally uncomfortable, say so.
• <br>Make sure you are committed to the full series of ten sessions. Each session builds on the ones before it and you're not done until you finish the tenth session.