Rolfing Structural Integration aims at improving the body-structure – the three-dimensional shape of the body – in such a way that the individual can develop more freely and easily.
A human being is more than a collection of parts. There is a pattern, an order, to human bodies. That pattern – how parts fit and work together as a whole – is a basic factor in well-being. Body-misalignment in gravity results in chronic strain, lowered vitality and impaired biological and psychological functioning.
The goal of Rolfing SI is to help the organism find a natural balance, an easy uprightness in gravity. Rolfing SI brings greater freedom of movement and enables you to function at successively higher levels of ease and efficiency.
Let me elaborate this very general definition by giving you a few basic assumptions Rolfers make:
- Emotional and physical well-being are dependent on a body-structure that is at ease with gravity.
- Most people are forced to fight gravity because their body-structures have been thrown more or less off balance.
- The shapes of our bodies are malleable. Therefore, an organism can be brought (back) to a state of harmonious equilibrium with gravity. We can do this with a specific kind of connective tissue (myofascial) manipulation.
- Rolfing changes the spatial relations among body-parts and so allows gravity to effortlessly align and uplift the structure.
- The Rolfing process encourages greater somatic awareness. The body is viewed as an expression of the whole being.
- Core support and a body-structure that is both flexible and strong are prerequisites for physical and emotional balance. Rolfing is a way to achieve this.