by Edward W. Maupin, Ph. D.

Stated most simply, the goal of Rolfing is to enable one to move and balance from the core of the body, from the center line of gravity. This has both physical and experiential (psychological, spiritual) aspects which we can discuss separately.

It deserves attention that Ida Rolf, the originator of Rolfing, was a scientist, a biochemist, who, though she moved far away from her field, never lost her clear attention to physical reality. Both the force of gravity acting upon every body and the fascial tissues she worked to reorganize are real in the scientific sense. At the same time, she understood that the body is the form of our awareness, the lens through which consciousness experiences life, and this “experiential” aspect was never far from her mind.

The Body as a Physical Object in Gravity

The first principle of Rolfing is that the body must relate continually to the physical force of gravity. The various segments of the body must be more or less aligned one on top of the other, or else the external muscles begin to labor to maintain the upright posture. Pelvis, abdomen, chest and head balance easily when their centers of gravity are in a line, so that the upright balance can come from deep muscles which operate by reflex to relate the body to gravity.

Fascia Shapes the Body

People are ordinarily not aligned in this way, however. The easy relationship to gravity can be disorganized by many factors, including accidents, misguided habits, and deep attitudes of various kinds. Fascia is the all-pervasive webwork of connective tissue which holds the body in its shape. As we struggle to move in a gravity field, the fascial webwork adapts to support our movement, and the shape slowly changes.

Fascia can be Reorganized with Movement

Ida Rolf’s discovery was that fascia can be re-organized with correct movement–movement which is in accord with the geometry of the skeleton–and that this reorganization can be hastened by deep manipulation which holds the fascial tissues in place while the client moves. Her maxim:

“Hold tissues where they are supposed to be and induce movement.”

Through years of experience she developed a series of ten sessions which systematically reorganize the whole body, proceeding from the outside layers to the deeper ones and bringing all the major segments into an integrated system of balance. Rolfers generally work within this ten-session framework, though they may use quite different procedures to accomplish the same goals. The overall goal is to find a sense of balance which comes from the core, unobstructed by unbalancing distortions in the myo-fascial system.

The Experiential Core

But it is an interesting fact that this core balance which we call “The Line” is closely related to the core feeling of one’s own being. When the outer layers of the body release to permit the inner layers to function, a deeper awareness opens up. “The Line” is not a physical entity, but a sense of inner space. It is no accident that those centers of feeling which Indian yoga calls “chakras” lie along the same central line of gravity.

The usual sense we have of ourselves and the world is based on characteristic patterns of tension. When we release these tensions and rely on the expansional balance of the core, The Line, we move the center of our experiencing into the core as well.

Now, in the most radical terms, the effect of the ten sessions could be a major re-experiencing of one’s Being: a dramatic change of consciousness. Thought patterns based upon one’s contracted ego, would release and be replaced by a different viewpoint. Ida Rolf spoke of “turning people out” by which she meant they are brought into the core so that they exist and relate out into the world from there.

The poet, William Blake seems to be talking about the same thing in this famous quotation:

“If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.

For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro’ narrow chinks of his cavern.” [Marriage of Heaven and Hell, 1793]
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Being a big fan of of comfort and ergonometrics I just had to put together some of my favorite wobble stools. Unfortunately the stool I’ve used for years has been discontinued from what I guess is a quality issue - it tends to break pretty quickly if you wobble too much. I’ve been through about 5 of them myself. The Swopper is a high end version that is a bit loud design-wise but it works great.

A cheaper version that looks like it could work well is the Balance Point stool. At $199 it’s quite the bargain and when compared to an Aeron chair, which is just plain crap for your body in my opinion, you could pay 4 times as much.

I really like the design aesthetic of Michael Puryear’s wobble stool. It will definitely be my next purchase when I break my last wobble stool.

And for six simple tips on making your life ergonometrically efficient, check out the site Save Yourself.

Dr. Gracovetsky is the funniest research presenter I’ve had the pleasure of seeing. His work on connective tissue has made him a big part of the Fascia Congress. Here is a quick interview with him.

Circadian comes from the combination of circle (circa) of one day (diem). All organs in the body are staggered time wise as they reach peak performance and wind down 12 hours later to shift focus of their energy on their own regeneration. This chart shows the lull pattern of the organs. Organs may show problems or pathologies more clearly at these times during the day. For instance, if you are stirred awake at 3am your body may be telling you to get your lungs checked out. Do it. You may be surprised by how chatty your body can be.