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Nice shift in this before and after from a single session revealing the importance of engaging the transversus abdominis muscle a deep core muscle in the abdomen. Connection to this muscle can easily be lost and learning on how to reconnect to it will be part of the process going forward in the Rolfing® Structural Integration process-oriented bodywork.  Engaging the transversus abdominis helps my client in stabilizing part of her lumbar spine which was the area of primary complaint prior to her seeking out Rolfing to see if it could help her.  As her backline lengthens, there is less flexion in her thighs, and her shoulder girdle moves back, and she is taller. There is more support in her structure without effort which is another goal of the process toward integration.

Nice shift in this before and after picture from a single session revealing the power that feet have in structural issues. The direction of both lower legs shift, derotate and move toward a more parallel orientation. The left hip drops and creates a more horizontal pelvis. The movement goes up the back through the head as my client’s structure lengthens. With the current COVID-19 pandemic underway and our lives shifting dramatically in ways that would have been inconceivable a few weeks earlier one might ask- Are the goals of Rolfing® Structural Integration still relevant for all the necessary work you will need to get done when the restrictions on physical distancing are relaxed? To make some of the goals more relatable to your situation think in terms of being more adaptable and resilient, moving with greater ease with less pain into our new world as we navigate through this difficult terrain.

This is a before and after picture from a single session from a client who has come to me experiencing chronic back pain. The pattern he is showing is less common in that his right leg is more laterally rotated and his right hip is more elevated.  In the after picturing his right leg has shifted more to a parallel position and his weight shifted more to his centerline which goes all the way up to his head.  His hips are more horizontal in the after picture which are one of the main goals in the Rolfing® Structural Integration process. Additionally, in the after picture the right lower leg muscles are more in alignment and not migrating medially toward the midline as in the before picture. My client reports he is pain free in his lower back which is what he originally came to me for. His structure which at times proved challenging to shift was potentially influenced from working in a different industry that was physically more demanding than his current occupation. Rolfing® is process oriented intelligent bodywork and I encourage all that have not experienced it to contact me to see how it can help their current situation.

Here is a before and after picture of my client from a single Rolfing® session revealing a shift toward more lateral integration in her structure. In the after picture you can see less flexion in her thighs as her lumbar spine lengthens and there is less anterior tilt in her pelvis. Her upper body shifts posterior to a better balance and the shoulder girdle comes back to a better alignment.  Creating verticality with support, providing education while working toward common goals, makes the process participatory, engaging and uncommonly effective.