Misstropolis

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Rolfing is Back

by Susan Graage

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Rolfing is back.  Well known to yogis, pilates instructors and alternative health devotees, Rolfing, also known as structural integration, is returning and this time may be just what the doctor ordered. Oprah’s Dr. Oz recently featured Rolfing and bestowed it with Oprah’s Golden Seal of Approval, promoting what competitive athletes, actors and musicians have long known about this intense form of body work.  Rolfing has helped performers such as the skater Elvis Stojko, actor LeVar Burton and pianist Leon Fleisher to alleviate chronic muscle pain, heal injuries and continue to do the things they love.  The benefits often extend far beyond postural improvements, with clients reporting that somatic realignment enhances the mind-body connection, improves self esteem and produces a powerful sense of well-being.

Rolfing was developed by Ida Rolf , a true visionary.  Rolf received a doctorate in biochemistry from Columbia in 1920, raised two boys, and became well versed in chiropractic medicine, osteopathy and tantric yoga.  Keenly interested in the way postural imbalances affect the soft tissues in the body, she came to believe that 10 sessions of myofascial manipulation and movement re-education would optimize the effect of gravity on body structure. Fascia, the primary soft tissue with which Rolf was concerned, is a devilish web of cotton candy-like connective tissue, present everywhere between muscle and skin. 

A certified Rolfer must be trained at the Rolf Institute, but Ida Rolf’s students have continued to develop her original ideas and offer their own Structural Integration education. One student, Tom Myers, has further codified the lines of strain and tension in the body, calling these meridians of the body “Anatomy Trains”.  Anatomy Trains are not energetic acupuncture meridians, but rather fascial networks that function like longtitudes and latitudes of the body. 

Meyers has trained one local genius of Structural Integration – Bob Vinson.  People often come to Bob after exhausting traditional medical approaches to injuries.  Lisa Schwartz is a case in point.  She wanted to run a marathon in her hometown to celebrate her 40th birthday, and when she sought out a leading orthopedic surgeon who treats many professional athletes in Boston to address some chronic injuries, he told her “If it hurts, take some Advil and stop running.” A colleague referred her to Bob Vinson, whose response was, “Okay, we will do it.” Lisa completed her sessions the week before she ran and completed the Houston marathon.

The process involves 12 75-minute sessions (Meyers expanded the original 10).  Vinson will assess your posture in the first session and determine a plan of action.  The work is usually done in underwear or a bathing suit so that direct contact can be made with the fascia, but any embarassment quickly dissipates as you become acquainted with Bob and discover the elements of his life story.  A truly gifted body worker, Vinson’s diverse life experiences span a stint as a seminarian at a monastic order, the Passionists, to serving as a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam war.  Marathoner, avid biker and kayaker, husband and dad, Bob zeroes in on the troublesome movement patterns and muscle tension that prevents clients from moving freely and realizing their physical and mental potential.

Rolfing has a bit of a reputation as an Esalen-era intensely deep massage, but current Structural Integration practicioners use less force, asking for feedback from the client and never working to an intolerable level of pain. Once the fascia is freed in a given area, clients will be asked to move the newly unrestricted underlying muscles.  The order of the treatment lines is always the same, but each client’s program is individualized as well as cumulative.  One session builds upon the next – like peeling an onion. The enhancement in kinesthetic awareness that this muscle retraining produces is profound and will change everything, from the way you reach into your purse for keys to trying to get into Peacock pose.  The possibilities are limitless.

Bob can be reached at Partners in Healing in Arlington at 781 641-3911.  To find a Rolfer or Structural Integration Practicioner in your area, search the Rolf Institute or Anatomy Trains websites.