Dr. Ida P. Rolf, received her doctorate in biological chemistry from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1920. Seeking answers for personal and family health issues and finding limitations in the scope of the standard medical treatments at the time, Dr. Rolf explored a wide range of approaches that primarily addressed the body as a whole, rather than focusing only on one part.  Amongst her research, she studied homeopathic medicine in Switzerland and trained with the top osteopaths of the time when women were not being accepted as students in the field. Her deep understanding of the inner workings of the physical body led her to a fundamental discovery regarding the network of connective tissue that permeates every part within the body, known as fascia. She found that by working directly with the fascial network, she could affect change throughout the entire body, resulting in freeing the body of restrictions, so it can naturally come back into a more easeful alignment, restoring balance and re-establishing more fluid function.  She termed her system of bodywork: Structural Integration, which became commonly known as, Rolfing®.  

What is Rolfing®...

Rolfing® Structural Integration is a highly specialized form of body therapy aimed to identify and release bindings in the fascial connective tissue that cause limited or restricted mobility and dysfunctional patterns of strain. There is a wide range of causes for the shorting of this tissue, from stresses and traumas on the physical and emotional levels (acute or prolonged over a period of time), repetitive movements, and functional habits--particularly of how we sit, stand, and walk.   

Through precise, hands-on work, along with off-the-table
movement re-patterning and education, postural re-alignment and functioning can shift with long-term effect. Rolfing® helps to develop an inner sense of awareness, guiding you to understand how your movement habits and where compensations from injuries (newer and much older), as well as emotional distress, may be creating the imbalances you experience as pain and discomfort in your body. 
Every session is tailored to the client as we look at how your body, as an inter-connected structure, is presenting at this moment and what we can do to reach your overall goals. As a baseline for every session, I’m looking to help create more ease and comfort in your body and to allow you to do more of the things that you want to do in life.

The Rolfing® Logo depicts on the left, a body that is segmented with its parts in dysfunctional relationship to one another, where each section compensates for the others being out of balance. There is no doubt that there are numerous points of strain in this body, as well as a feeling of imbalance, and more than likely some degree of a sense of distress and physical exhaustion from needing to exert extra energy to get all of its parts to function as a whole and keep itself upright against the pull of gravity. The image to the right shows a body where the segments are oriented around what we refer to in Rolfing® as a central "Line." Here, each part is in an aligned relationship with the others and therefore naturally support one another and the system as a whole. Beyond this 2-dimensional image, the relationship to one's Line is dynamic, meaning the parts being in a harmonious and balanced relationship can also be maintained effortlessly while in movement, resulting in a body that moves more gracefully with ease, and an individual who has a sense of feeling comfortable in their own skin. A structurally integrated person has a sense of their feet firmly and evenly planted on the earth, while their body and being naturally open to their environment and lift weightlessly to the sky.  

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