Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rolfing?
Rolfing is a technique of deep-tissue massage that re-integrates the body in gravity. Rolfing is organized in a series of 10 sessions that strategically unfolds tensions in your body so that gravity can flow through your body as a healing force, not a burden.
The result is a lighter, more fluid, younger-feeling, and often straighter posture. Many people experience profound relief from back, shoulder, and neck pains.
Rolfing Structural Integration was developed by Ida Rolf in the 1960s in the United States. Read more at rolf.org.
Can you describe the 10-session series?
If someone comes for Rolfing and is completely balled up in tension, where do I start to improve this person's posture? The back, the nose, the little toe? Release the entire body with deep-tissue massage in one session?
Ida Rolf discovered that posture could be best transformed by first addressing the muscles involved with breathing, then secondly the foundation of the spine -- in the legs. Following that, the relationships between shoulder and pelvis, front and back, and finally the angle of the head on the body can be optimized with long-lasting results. The sessions are organized into specific goals that build upon each other, but are also tailored to individual body types.
I've heard that Rolfing is painful.
Well, Rolfing is definitely a deep-tissue method. However, by respecting everyone's personal comfort lever, I can get much better results. The discomfort of Rolfing is comparable to a regular Swedish massage. Most of my clients are surprised that Rolfing is actually relaxing and far less painful than they expected.
How do I start with Rolfing?
Try 3 sessions. By then, you'll have a feeling for whether Rolfing is right for you, and if you like working with me.
What kind of symptoms are relieved with Rolfing?
In principle, Rolfing wasn't developed to treat specific symptoms. However, most often people report the following:
Feeling lighter and younger
Improved breathing
Relief from back, neck, and shoulder pain
Reduction in tension headaches
Relief from repetitive stress symptoms
Straighter posture
Healing from earlier scars and injuries
Better athletic and artistic performance