"I hear that it's painful." "I don't think she could take it!" "I want bodywork that is less invasive."

This is a lot of what I hear when people share what they think about Rolfing®. It is my observation that the general public has the wrong idea of what this work is all about. Educating people about Rolfing is a very rich and inspiring part of my job. I have been a Rolfer® for over 15 years.

What most people don't know is that Rolfing is gentle, safe and effective bodywork that can help people get "unstuck" in a hands-on, attentive, loving and conscious way. It is supportive, direct and educational. It is becoming more widely accepted as a powerful tool that allows the body the opportunity to regain balance, freedom, movement and ease. I recently worked with a client who was told by her chiropractor that she "wasn't ready for Rolfing" and that it was too rough for her. She trusted her own "gut" feeling after we had spoken on the phone, got Rolfed and became pain-free after many years of chronic discomfort.

Why did that chiropractor think Rolfing wouldn't be good for her? Why do people think it's painful? What is Rolfing anyway?

Rolfing is a ten-session series that loosens up and re-organizes the soft tissue of the body. This tissue includes muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia, which is the thin membrane that holds the body together. It serves as a web that gives support and allows, freedom of muscular motion. That is, until the fascia is injured. Then it creates a glue-like substance that begins to inhibit movement and, over time, noticeably decreases range, comfortability and sometimes overall health and well-being. Damage to fascia can result from birth trauma, sports injuries, car accidents, surgery, years of accumulated stress from poor posture, a bad fall or difficulty in the body/mind connection. Release of fascia "gluing" allows the body, in many cases, "to throw a wrench in the motor" and almost immediately stop the downward spiral of ill health starting with the first session. As a person continues the process, circulation increases, as does muscular fluidity.

Rolfing is done by manipulating the fascia web by using pressure and lifting and/or spreading motions. This pressure is not poking or necessarily deep but is a gentle urging of the connective tissue to the point of release. That point is a conscious decision of the client; no one else can make that happen. I work at the level that the particular client can work. Release happens when someone is ready for it...physically, emotionally and mentally. There is no forcing "the process."

I believe that in the early days of Rolfing, this was not the case. Its reputation was one of harsh treatments and pushing to the edge. Rolfing has evolved over the years and like most things that stand the test of time, has metamorphasized to the current practice of partnership, shared vision and goals and total trust. With comfort and enhanced self-expression as the goals, the work certainly cannot be invasive or overzealous. The discomfort people speak of during this process is seen as the body's resistance to change. Heightened awareness of one's comfort replaces the old holding patterns and the chronic uneasiness of the old imbalance. Freedom and re-educating daily movements are the issues: my clients can't wait for their next session!

Rolfing is an inherently individual endeavor. There is no typical Rolfing experience. However, there are patterns of change. When athletes get Rolfed they report more naturalized movement, more energy and greater body awareness. Actors and singers share stories of increased performance, improved breathing and freedom of movement. People living with chronic pain speak of renewed health, relief from constant discomfort and a new sense of strength instead of tentative behavior. People who have experienced sexual and/or physical abuse speak of releasing memories, regaining a previously "disowned" body and a sense of body-esteem and safety.

I teach people how to live in their bodies more easily. That's what Rolfing is all about. That's a big step on the road of personal evolution!

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Sharon Sklar may be contacted at her West Hartford office at 860-561-4337. Call her to receive more information or to attend a free, monthly informational session. You may also contact the Rolf Institute at 1-800-530-8875. Here's to YOUR health!