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Nice before and after image from a single session showing rotational shift left to right for better alignment. His left leg moves medial allowing better support for his pelvis and his entire upper body moves to a better position. His left shoulder girdle moves anterior to posterior and simultaneously his right shoulder girdle moves posterior to anterior. His head follows along moving left to right with his head down the centerline of his body. In Rolfing we are trying to create more verticality and horizontality in various areas of the body and the pelvis being a primary area.

Very nice first session shift in a before and after from my clients first session. Although there is much work ahead with his lower leg structure it can wait until next session when it will be directly addressed. There is considerable expansion above his pelvis on both sides from each iliac crest all the way to the axilla on both sides. The movement is left to right and up and he is taller after his first session. His right foot moves medially which allows this significant shift and his right lower leg was more misaligned to begin with and will improve even more after his second session. Both gastrocnemius muscles of his legs are forward facing and will be encouraged to move to the back of each calf muscle as soon as the next session. It is hard to overstate the importance of feet and lower legs to a person’s overall alignment from a Rolfing perspective.

Great shifts going on in this before and after with my client from a single session. Getting his left leg more supportive to his structure starting with his left foot resulting into more equal weight distribution into the ground. His left foot turns more toward the parallel which allows his lower leg muscles to move medially, as does his upper left thigh although to a lesser extent. His entire left leg is supporting his pelvis more horizontally. The new position of his left leg allows the left side of his body to raise up and his head moves to a more favorable position with length in the posterior neck and he is taller. The overall lift and more balance in his structure is noteworthy.

Very nice representation of shift in a before and after from a single session here at Rolfing Iowa. My clients more lateral rotated left leg moves out to give more width to his stance and in doing so stabilizes and creates a more horizontal pelvis which is one of the goals in this kind of bodywork. As his left leg moves out it allows his right side to get longer from hip crest to his axilla and the overall presentation in his shoulder girdle is more even that it was. His head is moving right to left and there is more length in his posterior neck and his spine is more aligned. In the after picture, he has much more even weight distribution into the ground, and we are striving for a more equal weight distribution where each leg is more equal in the aspect of weight bearing.

Good example in this before and after image from a single session of my client lifting out of her hips. Both sides from the hip crest to axilla lengthen evenly and that length goes up her midline through her head. Her right lower leg moves slightly more medial than her left leg to give her pelvis better support and her right leg before was more laterally rotated than her left leg prior to this session. There are many things that contribute to shortening in the area from the hip crest to the 12^th rib and in Rolfing we are interested in creating space there for a more integrated structure that allows for more fluidity in movement.                           

Dramatic movement in a before and after from a single session. This is an unusual amount of movement in the reduction of flexion in my client’s thighs moving him toward a much better vertical alignment. His lower leg follows along directionally in moving more toward the vertical. In Rolfing we are trying to make gravity your friend by having a more vertical alignment, so you are more balanced in the field of gravity. By reducing the flexion in his thighs his height increases measurably. Everything above his pelvis stays uniformly similar with a little less anterior tilt in the lumbar spine in the after picture.

A good representation here of a before and after from a single session. It’s hard to overstate the importance of the hips being more horizontal. Misalignment is this area create a host of issues which can keep a practitioner occupied for some time. My clients left leg moves medial to give better support for her structure. Her left and right sides from the iliac crest to the axilla are much more even in the after session. That movement goes all the way up her back through her head creating more height in her structure. The Rolfing process works toward getting more alignment and helping a person’s body move with more fluidity and less pain that helps them in their everyday lives.

Nice before and after image from a single session with my bodybuilding client. Here you can see how reducing the flexion in his very developed thigh muscles allows his line to materialize better with more verticality. That line continues up his body and we made space for his head to move back and sit on top of his shoulder girdle without disturbing his eyes on the horizon orientation for an overall distinctly better lateral line presentation. In Rolfing we are attempting to create ease in a person’s structure with less strain. So, in some ways we are working at cross purposes with some of the goals of bodybuilders in general when they are working in concentric contraction creating more bulk or mass in certain muscle groups for effect in how they are judged in their performance routines. Bodybuilding is about building aesthetic muscle, so bigger physiques have always been admired.

Great representation in a before and after from a single session. The movement is left to right and all the way up the body through her head down the centerline. Ideally, we are looking for weight distribution that allows each leg to bear 50 % of the person’s total weight. Her left leg moves medially allowing a more horizontal presentation in the pelvis which in the Rolfing perspective is one of key focus areas for alignment. With the dramatic left to right movement in her body the musculature of her lower right leg moves slightly more medially moving the right foot minimally more lateral with the bearing of the additional weight going down the right leg. This is a significant shift in a single session creating better alignment with more verticality.