Rolfing is a method of manipulating the soft tissue of the body, the aim being to realign it structurally along with harmonizing its basic patterns of movement with respect to gravity. Rolfing is based on the teachings of Dr. Ida Pauline Rolf (1896-1979), a biochemist who became a physical therapist, who developed it after studying various holistic healing methods like the Alexander technique, yoga, chiropractic, homeopathy, osteopathy, and so on. It was some time in the early to middle part of the 1950s that Dr. Rolf developed her method of healing, which was earlier known as Postural Release, which later became Structural Integration of the Human Body. Later, the people who started following the methodology of Structural Integration started using the term ‘Rolfing’. Dr. Rolf established The Rolf Institute of Structural Integration in 1971. She has also written a number of books like ‘Rolfing: The Integration of Human Structures’, based on her principles of the relationship that exists between structure and form in the body.

What is the Methodology of Rolfing?

According to Dr. Rolf, there is a linkage between repressed emotions and muscular tension. The massaging technique of Rolfing goes beyond chiropractic, wherein it is founded on the idea that emotional and physical well being are dependent on various parts of the body being aligned properly. While in chiropractic, it is the spine that is primarily worked on, in Rolfing it is believed that the other parts of the body such as the head, shoulders, thorax, pelvis, knees, ankles, and so on should also be aligned correctly or else the harmful effects of gravity will be manifested.

Also, while ordinary massage focuses on the manipulation of the muscles, Rolfing’s focus is on manipulating the protective layer on them, known as fascia, also referred to as connective tissue. Muscles are tissues that contract, by which parts of the body can move. The fascia, on the other hand, is the sheet or band of connective tissue that surrounds the organs, bones, and muscles. The fascia is what provides the structure of the body and shape to muscles. According to Rolfing, the body gets out of alignment due to factors like physical injuries, the stresses of day-to-day activities, and the forces of the Earth’s gravity. This results in the fascia slowly tightening and shortening in order to adjust to the misalignment. When there is misalignment in the body, it leads to imbalance and inefficiency, which results in energy loss, discomfort, and stiffness.

Rolfing techniques help in aligning and balancing the body by stretching and realigning the fascia. Once the fascia is thus manipulated it results in muscles moving more efficiently. The Rolfer achieves this by applying pressure on the body, working on the whole system of fascia in a methodical way. » Read more: Rolfing