Myofascial Release

The basic Rolfing series consists of ten one-hour sessions. It is advisable to try three sessions before deciding to take the whole series; after all how can you know Rolfing is for you, without experiencing it?

Each Rolfing session builds upon the results of the previous one so that the results are cumulative. The first seven sessions remove strain from specific areas such as the knees, lower back, shoulders, neck and arms.

The remaining sessions organize and align the body as a whole, resulting in better balance, freedom of movement and a higher energy level.

The difference between Rolfing and Myofascial Release is this cumulative process over ten sessions. Although Myofascial Release uses techniques derived from the work of Ida Rolf, it does not have the same strategic impact as rolfing.

The various parts of the human body relate synergistically to each other. Only in exceptional circumstances, such as first aid, will Rolfers touch a part of the body without paying importance to the body as a whole.The origin of a lower back pain, for example, may be from hitting the heels too hard on the ground in walking.

To touch the lower back without also addressing the feet may give only short-term relief. Rolfing systematically treats the body from the feet to the head over the ten sessions so that the body is taken to a higher level of integration. This increases the chance of changes being long term.

I also give clients an option to do an an eleven-session format, leaving a longer gap of at least four weeks between sessions ten and eleven.  The reason for this is to incorporate deeper work on the thorax, especially the ribs and viscera and also to have the benefit of more time to track how the client's body is integrating the final sessions (the body continues to change for at least several months after the last session).  Many clients wish to have further Rolfing after the Series and choose to do a session every two months.  This not only has the benefit of effectively managing tension and stress that naturally builds over the course of everyday life, but also of further integrating the various elements of the body.  Once the whole Series has been done and the body has been well aligned and organised, the impact of a tune-up session can be extremely effective.