tructural ntegration S ® I THE JOURNAL OF THE ROLF INSTITUTE JUNE 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION: THE JOURNAL OF COLUMNS THE ROLF INSTITUTE® Ask the Faculty: Rolfing® SI After the Ten Series 2 June 2014 Rolf Movement® Faculty Perspectives: 6 Vol. 42, No. 1 A Conversation with Aline Newton

PUBLISHER ROLFERS™ IN SERVICE The Rolf Institute of Sink or Swim: Lessons Learned in the Boulder Flood 9 Structural Integration Hyrum Pratt Feriante 5055 Chaparral Ct., Ste. 103 The Experience of Working in Post-Disaster Fukushima 10 Boulder, CO 80301 USA Hiroyoshi Tahata and Anne Hoff (303) 449-5903 (303) 449-5978 Fax Giving Back to the Elders: Sharing Rolfing SI 13 (800) 530-8875 with Indigenous People Sandy Collins EDITORIAL BOARD Innovations in Caring: Serving Low-Income Clients through 14 Anne Bruce An Integrated Approach John Barton and Amy Iadarola Craig Ellis Jazmine Fox-Stern Szaja Gottlieb REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIRST GENERATION Anne F. Hoff, Editor-in-Chief Fascia as an Auto-Regulatory System: 16 Amy Iadarola An Interview with Tom Myers (Part One) Kerry McKenna Tom Myers and Bruce Schonfeld Linda Loggins Expansional Balance and the ‘Line’ 19 Heidi Massa Edward W. Maupin Meg Maurer On Treating Clients with Chronic Pain: An Interview with Jim Asher 21 Robert McWilliams Jim Asher and Robert McWilliams Deanna Melchynuk John Schewe The Rolfing SI Life: Delights and Cautions 24 Nicholas French and Anne Hoff LAYOUT AND Rolfing SI in Context: Esalen, 1967 and Follow-Up Interview 27 GRAPHIC DESIGN James Allen and Robert McWilliams Susan Winter PERSPECTIVES

Articles in Structural Integration: The Move in Mind™ – Adapting Rolfing SI to the Needs of 29 Journal of The Rolf Institute® represent the Neurologically Impaired Clients: An Interview with Monica Canducci views and opinions of the authors and Monica Canducci and Jeff Castle do not necessarily represent the official The Being of Rolfing SI 33 positions or teachings of the Rolf Institute Jeffrey Maitland of Structural Integration. The Rolf Institute What is Rolf Movement Integration?: 40 reserves the right, in its sole and absolute The Challenge of Coordinative Learning discretion, to accept or reject any article Kevin Frank for publication in Structural Integration: The Journal of The Rolf Institute. The Center of Rolfing SI 43 Barbara Drummond Structural Integration: The Journal of The The Mystery of the Ten-Series Symbols – Solved! 44 ® Rolf Institute (USPS 0005-122, ISSN 1538- Anne Hoff 3784) is published by the Rolf Institute, Self, Other: New Considerations in Rolf Movement Integration 45 5055 Chaparral Ct., Ste. 103, Boulder, CO Monica Caspari and Kevin McCarthy 80301. Postage paid at Boulder, Colorado. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to REVIEWS 47 Structural Integration: The Journal of The Rolf Institute®, 5055 Chaparral Ct., Ste. INSTITUTE NEWS 103, Boulder, CO 80301. Contacts inside back cover Copyright ©2014 Rolf Institute. All rights reserved. Duplication in whole or in part in any form is prohibited without written permission from the publisher.

“Rolfing®,” “Rolf Movement®,” “Rolfer™,” and the Little Boy Logo are service marks Cover image: Buffalo at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota. ©Sandy of the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration. Collins, used with permission. COLUMNS

to repair or palliative. We posit a holistic shift Ask the Faculty in the client as a mark of our success. When we work with a client past the Ten Series, Rolfing® SI After the Ten Series or on a regular basis, we are responsible for guiding and supporting an evolution, Q: I saw an old class handout that quoted Ida Rolf as saying: “Continuous Rolfing [Structural Integration an evolution that awakens holistic changes (SI)] on advanced bodies may make them grow shorter and certainly does little good unless the Rolfer™: for meeting real-world problems. 1) manages to reach a deeper level than in previous [sessions]; 2) works at a higher level of integration; or We do this in many ways. In terms of 3) finds the place that has never been touched before.” Could you please discuss this from your own augmenting a client’s capacity to meet experience, as guidance towards goals for post-ten work, and as it applies to both traditional fascial demand, pre-movement serves to make the work and also the possible inclusion of things like cranial, visceral, and neural considerations for point. ‘Pre-movement’ is a term that refers overall structural integration? to the preparation for movement that occurs in anticipation of action. Once the body advice to continue to take integration A: No matter how effective an initial prepares to move, the motor pattern is mostly deeper, it’s worth drilling further into the Rolfing Ten Series, what is the measure of determined for the anticipated movement. If integration idea. An individual who has our work for the long haul? What is it that we want to evoke lasting change in posture given considerable attention to the question makes a Rolfer a valued member of his/her and movement, pre-movement is a pivotal is Daniel Siegel, a neuroscience-based community, a resource that people turn to moment. Coaching a client to change pre- psychiatrist at UCLA, faculty member over and over to help them live life more movement is a fascinating and productive of the Center for Culture, Brain, and fully and less expensively? How do we way to work, limited mostly by the client’s Development, and the Co-Director of the offer care, and maintain integrity? After a motivation and interest, which, in turn, Mindful Awareness Research Center. Siegel’s Ten Series (or post-ten work) has been lived is mostly limited by our capacity to make work has many parallels to our own. His into, worked with, how can a practitioner it interesting. Were we to only frame our recent book, The Mindful Therapist, offers and client continue to deepen the work? work as the study and improvement of practical and scientifically based approaches pre-movement, how many sessions we do There are many domains of body therapy that to therapeutic holism. In the “Mindsight” with a client would not be an issue. Using can keep a practice busy – cranial approach, portion of his website (http://drdansiegel. all our skills of tissue mobilization, sensory visceral approach, nerve approach, counter- com/about/mindsight), Siegel writes: strain, to name a few. All these have potential tracking, perception, meeting simple and benefit, and embodied Rolfing practitioners D e f i n e d a s t h e l i n k a g e o f complex movement demand, quiet presence, bring added dimensions to these allied differentiated components of a and capacity to educate and explain all therapies. If we limit the discussion to system, integration [emphasis added] these phenomena, there is no limit to the more traditional domains of SI – to the is viewed as the core mechanism depth of integration that can occur. And ways we can support postural evolution in the cultivation of well-being. In as we investigate pre-movement, we find and capacity to meet daily challenges with an individual’s mind, integration that there is pre-movement and pre-pre- elongation, whether the demand is physical involves the linkage of separate movement and pre-pre-pre-movement and or psychological – how might we think aspects of mental processes to each so on. We solve one level of pre-movement about and act on Dr. Rolf’s exhortation other, such as thought with feeling, only to encounter a deeper one. Eventually to find a deeper level of integration? This bodily sensation with logic. In a the pre-movement we are bringing attention question leads to another question: what is relationship, integration entails each to is going to be subtle, perhaps at a level of integration? It’s part of our job title, and Rolf person’s being respected for his or inherent motion or stillness. her autonomy and differentiated self advises us to find more of it, but what is it? How might you ground this idea in felt while at the same time being linked to sense? An example of pre-movement is Let’s consider integration through the lens others in empathic communication. of developmental process. A child learns to the set of actions that precede raising your locomote, first through small submovements Siegel proposes that for any system (such as arm to any particular height. Try it out. such as grasping, elongating, contracting, a human body), parts can be differentiated While seated, raise your arm. Now notice reaching and pushing, squirming and – given clear separateness from each other what you do to get ready. And raise your twisting. Then, as the child begins to – and then linked with one another. The arm again. Now repeat observation of crawl, we could say she has integrated greater the proliferation of connections preparation and raise your arm again. If the pieces into a new functional whole. within a system (in which individual you pay attention you will find there are Similarly, clients are invited to regain flow components have been differentiated), nested levels of orientation, perception, in submovements and then allow them to the greater the well-being, the greater the stabilization, and body satisfaction. join together into something that supports integration. This model lends itself well to Conscious pre-movement might include functionality. Integration brings the sense of SI, and to a model of SI that values discovery simply noticing where you tighten to move, well-being that comes from a body in better and education as much as repeated release and awareness might refine itself to notice flow, which can be defined as the ease that of tissue fixations, something about which where you feel the sense of weight, or what follows from more optimized patterns of Rolf cautioned. dimensions of the space you feel around motor activity. you, or some of the bony articulations – Our goal is, ultimately, educational. That’s the spaces between bones – or some of another way to say that our work is “third Given the generic title of our work – the sense of your internal volume and paradigm,” a holistic paradigm, as opposed structural integration – and given Rolf’s density, or noticing an imagined shape to

2 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org COLUMNS the anticipated or remembered movement The case study illustrates the integrative pressure that it once did (though direct of your arm. If you are being tracked by a potential of our work. Rolf asked us to pressure is still a trusted and comfortable partner, you might find many nested levels aim for deeper integration. We are, as tool). My work towards effecting a “higher of sensory awareness within all of these a community, repeatedly challenged to level of integration” these days involves places of awareness. A partner’s presence interpret the apparent ambiguities of her inviting a higher level of engagement from may also help us pause to sustain the many teachings. We are in a position, now, to more my client (and from myself). And “a place levels of awareness. Sustained awareness, concretely define integration. We are able to that has never been touched before”? If I in turn, allows organismic intelligence, or point to neurological measures (fMRI, vagal free “place” from the constraints of being an emergent form, to reveal itself in a non- tone, and motion-capture technology are purely anatomical, what a range of new cortical way. For each quality of awareness some examples) that can verify integration, possibilities opens up! there is a shift in posture and stabilization albeit with expensive equipment. However, Like many of Ida’s pearls that we still carry, that precedes the arm movement. without expensive equipment, we know this one continues to yield new levels of what integration looks like, and feels Is this part of what we call integration? Let’s learning and meaning, the longer I work like. We are able to define and feel how check. Does this involve differentiation of with it. to accomplish integration no matter how the sensory map, at a conscious and non- many sessions a client has already had. In conscious level? Yes, the map model is Til Luchau fact, we can build on what the client has broadly accepted, and we can watch as the Rolfing Instructor learned previously, if we stay curious and sensory skills of the client improve. Are we stay present to his or her dynamic process. linking aspects of this map in ever new and A: Having a practice for twenty-six And we can demonstrate how integration ever more complex ways such that motor years means I have repeat clients who brings greater satisfaction, subjectively and maps are continuously differentiated and love the work and want the so-called objectively, to function in daily life. As we linked to each other? It is highly likely. The “maintenance” work. The question embody exploration into integration, we client can learn to notice and then express mentions “traditional” fascia work as if it offer our community ongoing support that, such improvements. Do we find that these is outdated or something. I always work in at the same time, maintains alignment with newly formed connections and details show the fascial planes and sheaths. If someone core Rolfing values. up in daily life? Experience suggests they has gone through the Ten Series and is do. Does examination of pre-movement Kevin Frank coming in for post-ten Rolfing [sessions], continue to release the body into greater Rolf Movement® Instructor I use the basic ideas and principles of our verticality and elongation under demand? work as guidelines. I am still looking at finer and finer fascial relationships. My Experiences suggest that it does so as A: It is interesting to think about how eyes now are looking at where the ‘Line’ effectively as any of the other tools in our at this point, over forty years since the and two directions – ground and space toolbox. Does this manner of work tend founding of the Rolf Institute®, there are or support and adaptability – could use to produce a self-referential experience of many practitioners who have been giving a bit of a spark from working with the body satisfaction? Find out! Maybe you and receiving Rolfing sessions for longer fascial connections. have had the opportunity to feel nested than Ida was able to in the twenty-five or so layers of pre-movement and to feel how just years she was teaching her work. Not that With post-ten work, I can address a more the awareness precipitates a holistic shift. we would know the work better than its sophisticated language of the body’s Then what do you feel in your body? Where founder would, but we benefit from a larger communication in relationship and function do you notice that? How is it to feel it? accumulated body of experience about the than perhaps we could in the original ten. A peer-reviewed case study further long-term applications of the work than she Does cranial, visceral, and neural training illustrates the potency of pre-movement was ever able to. This means we have the show up in my hands? Of course. These (Cottingham and Maitland 1997). This potential to gain some wisdom about what approaches refine my touch but I am still ground-breaking but under-appreciated sustainable and ongoing change can mean, working in the framework of fascia. The article defines holism and integration in even when the novelty and drama of the old default patterns, as we know, show up refreshingly concrete terms. The patient did first SI experiences has worn off. in various moments of our life and the post- ten work can help reinforce the new patterns respond to skillful fascial mobilization but With my practice being in Boulder, it is rare getting incorporated as the new default. only partially and without lasting changes for me to have a client who has not already in symptoms and clinical measures of received a Ten Series and more; some of my Jeff Maitland once said “If it feels like performance. Additionally, vagal tone, a clients have been receiving Rolfing sessions expensive massage, you are done.” It is measure of nervous system integration, did for longer than the Rolf Institute has been true that even if I have worked on someone not change. After the client was coached in around. I think about Ida’s “deeper, higher, for a long time, suddenly we both light pre-movement in the movement of sit to or newer” dictum frequently. But entering up and think, “Have we ever been here stand, all measures including vagal tone my own thirty-first year of SI practice, her before?” Sometimes the client gets a bit improved dramatically, and the change words mean something very different to dependent and passive, comes in and says, persisted over time. The pre-movement me than they did when I first heard them “Oh, I’m fine just do your thing.” I do not intervention appears, in this instance, as in training. Each of those terms – deeper, allow this approach or it begins to feel like key to an integrative outcome. It’s not the higher, newer – has a richer and more “expensive massage.” The questions for the only intervention that does so, of course – it nuanced definition than it did for me when client are always: 1) what is working; and is offered to clarify the point that we have I had been working for five, ten, or fifteen 2) what needs to work better in function at least one. years. “Depth,” naturally, means less about or integration of the whole body? I have www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 3 COLUMNS to find my own way of seeing with finer needs to happen here?” Perhaps the place advancement, what qualities would we look perception where I can support the client’s that needs contact is not tissue but an aspect for? I would describe a body as advanced if: aging process regardless of age. Over the of a movement behavior or coordinative • In function, the body is graceful, past six years I have developed an approach pattern. Or perhaps I need to engage tissue balanced, and displays a grounded to structural aging – which can occur at any while I ask for this new movement. Or buoyancy. age – and how to intervene as a structural it may be that the chronic tension in the integrator to head the body in a different client’s upper back and shoulder girdle • There is a coherent fluid quality rather direction. In the post-ten work, we can be holds a belief about life. Perhaps holding than stiff, stringy, lumpy, hard tissues very specific and still integrative. There the shoulders tight keeps his or her world in and structures. The muscles at rest is always a new education piece to offer control (a psychobiological dimension). The should feel like water balloons. because clients understand the work from rock-solid muscles of the upper back may be • Joints are unrestricted in their ranges of receiving the Ten Series. So, something new an expression of this deeper belief. motion, and movements are smooth. The does need to be there for me to work with, Facilitating a client in sensing the quality joints move through their midlines. but also for the client. I force the issue into within the various spaces of the body an active questioning and participation. It • The axial complex displays undulations helps the person learn how to work with may be leading the client on a tour through and contralateral movements when tensional patterns. A practitioner’s attempt his or her body to question the connections walking. to not “step into the same river twice” may that lead to better support and adaptability. involve exploring the energetic dimension • When the body falls back into old So yes, if I am doing” expensive massage” of our work. Perhaps the individual cannot disorganized patterns in response frequently on one person, I do think that perceive the back space of his or her body. to activity or injury, it will readily he or she can lose benefits that occur from Whatever taxonomy is dialed in, the key respond to input guiding it to reestablish Rolfing work (that is fascial work to me). is integrating the new awareness, freedom balance, better structure and function. Does the person shorten? I have no idea. I of movement, or perceptual dimension It’s as though the body says, “Oh sure hope not. Does he change? Not usually. Such through the structure. I remember this, I just needed a little clients just like coming in, and I generally ask nudge to get back there.” Rolf’s axiom is a guiding principle for Rolfers if they would rather just go get coffee, or if (along with her saying: “it’s never where they want to come into the body and find the • The body is able to readily demonstrate you think it is”). In summary, pay attention next step in their structural evolution from self-healing, adjusting to activity, strain, to your state of mind as the practitioner, the level at which they exist in that moment. or injury and returning to easy function watch for the red flag of boredom, be willing in nearly all situations. This shows me Valerie Berg to shift your orientation/approach to your that the ‘inherent health’ of the system is Rolfing Instructor client in a way that enhances the goals of unencumbered and able to manage life’s Rolfing integration and the client’s whole- impacts with ease. There is adaptability. body awareness (we all have favorite ruts A: Dr. Rolf was an amazingly wise woman. What are your own markers to determine Her axiom of “not stepping in the same of familiarity). Most importantly, enjoy the depth, engagement and process that Rolfing integration? Use them to determine where river twice” has held true in my practice or what needs to be addressed to express for thirty-three years. SI gives and teaches the practitioner of this amazing and artful science. the ease, grace, balance, and function of an Imagine having coffee with a friend who tells integrated, advanced body. the same story with the same details again Carol Agneesens After twenty-eight years, I still can pull up and again. You stifle a yawn, and maybe Rolf Movement Instructor a clear image of Tom Wing, my auditing even attempt to redirect the conversation (now called Phase II) teacher, doing a session away from the repetition. The exchange A: This question covers a lot of territory with his client. I remember him looking is neither nourishing nor engaging for with particular interest in designing post- like a Native American molding a clay either of you. In my experience, repeating ten work. How would we determine if a pot – slowly coaxing his client’s shape into the same storyline through an individual’s body is ‘advanced,’ how to find deeper a new form. His perceptual abilities were tissues has a similar effect. I get bored as the levels that need to be addressed, how to astounding to me. I specifically remember practitioner, and it appears to me that the perceive if some aspect of the body has him looking puzzled while doing a pre- client’s system gets bored too. The client is never been touched before, and how to session assessment. Tom said to the client, not engaged in the conversation; nothing achieve a higher level of integration? In “you never mentioned to me that you wore happens. It’s a veritable flat line. I have to attending to the fascia to achieve these leg braces as a child.” Now, how did he know recognize that there is something I’m not goals, will other modalities be useful or that? At the end of the class, I asked Tom hearing or listening to in the system that will better to achieve an advanced body? what he studied in addition to Rolfing SI that enhance integration through the system. I can only speculate about how Dr. Rolf allowed him to work and ‘see’ in that way. When this happens, the first thing I need to would describe an ‘advanced body.’ What He told me that he hadn’t studied anything do is notice, “I am bored.” I’m not contacting does an advanced body look and feel like? besides Rolfing SI. He advised that I should the system in a way that deepens the client’s If there is a single, perfectly advanced go into depth with the Rolfing paradigm whole-body integration, and integration is body image or function that can be set and that depth would transcend many other the key. Then I settle and breathe more deeply onto every client to judge his or her state of modalities. I tell this story to all my students. into myself and ask the question, “What It is perhaps the most important advice I have received in my Rolfing career. 4 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org COLUMNS

There is much knowledge and skill to be fascia, fluid quality, differentiation of fascial undergone thorough consolidation. Bone, discovered from deepening your Rolfing bags, rocks in the stream of fluid flow, and like other types of fascia, is characterized skills before gathering different modalities. which expressions of inherent motion are by three key properties: elasticity, plasticity, In looking to follow Dr. Rolf’s admonitions, readily perceivable. The anatomy under my and strength. Bone is a highly vascular, my first advice is to learn more about fascia hands is only one small piece of information living, constantly changing, mineralized (the most abundant tissue in the body). in a much larger inquiry about the state of connective tissue. A live bone can deform Learn to feel its subtleties, its continuity, the my client’s whole system, which I perceive under strain and spring back. At any time different forms fascia expresses and how through the skills I have developed over throughout life, a bone may become subject to work with those different forms. Learn the years. to heavy trauma and it will distort. If the more encompassing skills for contacting the elastic capability of the bone is not exceeded, Fascia and its precursors are present in variety of attributes of this tissue so basic the bone will return toward its original the embryo before the viscera, nerves, to our work. What has been most profound order, but some of the distortion will remain and craniosacral complex develop. Learn for me has been to broaden my spectrum of within as an intra-osseous compression. It to relate to these primal qualities of perceptual and contact skills. does not present as a change in bone shape fascia. Before there was a joint, there was or position, but as a change in quality – Maybe ‘what hasn’t been touched’ requires continuity of the fascia through the area that which will spread through the surrounding different perceptual lenses on your part. would become the joint. That continuity is fascia and is detectable by palpation. Bones Perhaps another level hasn’t revealed still in our adult bodies and can be felt. It get tight! Learning how to decompress itself because you weren’t able to perceive is important to learn how to perceive and bones has been extremely valuable to more its presence. This is what is meant by reestablish that continuity if it is disrupted. completely achieve coherence throughout learning to develop a wide perceptual Another way to deepen into the Rolfing the fascia. Decompressing a bone requires field. A narrow perceptual field would paradigm is to experiment with searching a broad spectrum of contact skills. include primarily thinking and working for ease and space in the fascia. Searching on ‘anatomy.’ Including more of your Learning about spinal and pelvic for the ease is a step toward perceiving senses while working will reveal more with biomechanics has been extremely valuable what integration feels like. Integration can which to work. Relating to the different in enhancing my work. I still use these feel as if there is a spacious fluid quality qualities of fascia requires a broader range tools every day with beginning and throughout the body. Integration feels like of touch skills as well, just as the core and advanced bodies. Movement training has the tissue is coherent and consistent. Order sleeve require different contacts. Learning also been very helpful for integration and is palintonic or spacious. a broader range of touch skills to relate to reprogramming the nervous system. the different qualities of fascia will increase Fascia has two functions: to connect and to Contacting your client more thoroughly need your skills in all of your work. make bags and tubes in which the anatomy not require a different modality from Rolfing lives. Begin to shift your thinking and I have clients who did their initial Ten SI, but instead an expansion of one’s range of contact the various bags that are created in Series with me and have come to me for an skills as a fascial practitioner. Learning more the embryo and later in development. As additional fifty or sixty more sessions. I’m about the important subtleties in contacting Rolfers, It doesn’t make much difference also working with someone who studied different aspects of the fascia, from fluids to what’s in the tube, or bag. It can be a muscle with Rolf, received sessions from her, bones, will dramatically improve your work bag, bone bag, visceral bag, neurological and has had hundreds of sessions. He is over those who only know to push on tissue bag, whole-body bag. What’s in the bag definitely not what I would consider an in an attempt to bully it into submission. isn’t as important as the relationships of advanced body. His tissue feels coherent, No matter what modality you may add to all of the bags. Do they breathe, are they but when I watch him move, it is a whole your tool bag, a broad range of contact skills differentiated from each other, does this different story. I continue to find areas that will be beneficial for its application. When ‘muscle bag’ feel like a water balloon even haven’t been touched or haven’t been well learning a new ‘system,’ if possible, take in different positions? Instead of thinking integrated. I have often told clients that the that class or training from a Rolfer so that about the muscle and ‘working’ with it, first 90% is the easiest, the last 10% is more you won’t have to struggle so much with work with the bags and the muscles will difficult to bring along. integrating the new information into our change. To go deeper, find the septa (water paradigm. Have patience and take the time Every time one of these clients come in, my balloons) that take you there. to explore. This is a lifelong learning process critical voice speaks up and says, “I must not Healthy fascia is highly fluidic, and more be a very good Rolfer, otherwise he would than 70% of the body is fluid. Fluid likes Thomas Walker be done with this process.” Sometimes a to flow, fluctuate, and take up space. Rolfing Instructor client will show up with symptoms that Always seeking space in the fascia and have never been there before. Perhaps a Bibliography feeling / listening to the fluid qualities deeper level has shown itself. Instead of my and movements is a tool for assessment Cottingham, J.T. and J. Maitland 1997. “A self-criticism, I’ve learned to put that voice and integration. This is very valuable for Three-Paradigm Treatment Model Using aside and as Rolf has said, “just roll up your interacting with those places that haven’t Soft Tissue Mobilization and Guided sleeves and begin to work.” I often don’t been touched or integrated into the whole. Movement-Awareness Techniques for a know what to do with those who have had Patient with Chronic Low Back Pain: A many sessions until I put my hands on them Holding patterns can also be in bones or Case Study.” Journal of Orthopedic and Sports and attend to their bodies’ stories. I gather fluids. Fluids can become dense, dehydrated, Physical Therapy 26(3):155-167. Available at information about continuity through the and sluggish. Bones are fascia that has www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9276857.

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 5 COLUMNS ® – here were IPR’s axes, but understood as Rolf Movement something we are engaged in finding. Also, he spoke about two centers of gravity, one for the chest/head/arms, G’,2 as well as Faculty Perspectives G, the center of gravity of the body as a whole.3 One exercise we did that day was A Conversation with Aline Newton to hold a marionette in front of us as we ran to stimulate a change in G’. His point ® By Rebecca Carli, Certified Advanced Rolfer™, Rolf Movement Instructor of view was so completely fascinating to Author’s Note: This is the first in a series of interviews with Rolf Movement practitioners who me that I knew right away that I wanted incorporate movement studies within their practices in interesting ways. to study with him. In January 1991, he did a workshop in Boulder and that was the beginning of my studies with him that have Over the past twenty years, Aline Newton continued over many years and taken me and I have often participated in workshops to a lot of different countries. I was very taught by Hubert Godard. When we were grateful to be included in a series of five together in October of 2013 attending a class workshops for French speaking Rolfers that held in southern Spain, I was reminded took place in Switzerland from 2008-2011. of Aline’s ability to articulate her passion about her studies with Hubert in a tangible RC: When you first learned about the and humanistic way. I conducted this presence and function of G and G’, how interview with her to share some of the did this change your work with clients in ideas that have been so meaningful to us your practice? with the larger community. AN: One of the ongoing conversations at Rebecca Carli: Do you remember what the RISI is around the value of the ten- first inspired you to study movement? session ‘Recipe.’ It is sometimes described pejoratively as formulaic – which may be Aline Newton: When I first met Hubert true if it becomes just a list of places to at the annual meeting in 1990, he was using work. When I take a functional viewpoint, a different kind of language to talk about the Recipe starts to make a deeper sense. the “lived” experience of gravity. The idea For example, in Dr. Rolf’s book, very early of gravity is what drew me to Rolfing® on, she states that organized feet create the Structural Integration (SI). Ida Rolf said, “A base of human structure. Yet everyone who person is a smaller field of energy operating knows the traditional Recipe knows that within a larger one – the gravitational field” she didn’t start with the feet. Why? You can (Feitis 1978, 27). The interaction is the key. look at the Recipe as describing a logical Even though she called the work “structural unfolding for reorganizing a person’s way integration,” I think that Dr. Rolf intuited of moving in gravity. People have written a lot about movement and function. Jim about this many times. In a building you Asher tells of Dr. Rolf going all around NYC build from the ground up. You have to start watching people move with Jennette Lee, at the foundation. In a person, you are built, a dancer who wrote the book This Magic in a sense, from the top down, in terms of Body. In her book, Lee (1946) describes Aline Newton, above your perceptions, the early development the technique of imagining the body with Rebecca Carli, below of head control, the way that you use your axes extending out in different directions arms to reach for things before you actually through the space, which I think may in 1988, Michael Salveson introduced us stand up. Clearly, if you are trying to be where Dr. Rolf got the idea she called to Peter Levine and the functioning of the change the foot, and the organization of G’ “span.” I think that movement was a major autonomic nervous system,1 as well as influences it, then you have to mobilize the part of Dr. Rolf’s vision. But the language spinal mechanics – all useful models, but upper body first. That is the logic described that was used tended to describe gravity as not primarily about an interaction with in the Recipe and that makes sense to me. a force coming from the outside, and good gravity. Then I heard Hubert describe the organization in gravity was expressed as idea of “orienting in gravity.” This was a Dr. Rolf used the ideal of plumb-line “alignment” of our major segments. completely new view for me: the idea that alignment, but we can’t live there. In order gravity is a kind of information that we to respond to our ever-changing internal As you know, different influences have human organisms are actively using. needs and environment, we have to move. come through the Rolf Institute® (RISI) We may be able to maintain a visible at various times since Dr. Rolf died in RC: Yes, gravity, our ubiquitous partner in alignment for a moment in standing, 1979. In my basic training in 1984, Jan life. What other ideas intrigued you? however, in order to reach, walk, move, Sultan introduced his Internal/External AN: There are so many, and they have been even breathe, one or the other gravity center Model inspired in part by the cranial developing over the years. At the time, has to mobilize first – one has to initiate to osteopaths. During my advanced training Hubert described a sense of two directions allow the movement.

6 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org COLUMNS

RC: Yes, I remember when I first learned RC: Yes, I love that. Charlotte Selver often to shape the session and series of sessions. the Recipe, the directions for the first spoke about moving to wake up and come I might ask myself, “What is this person’s session were: free the breath, horizontalize to your senses! capacity to pick up her surroundings and the pelvis. sense of space around her?” In my office, I AN: I am interested in the smallest have a whole wall of windows that offers AN: Horizontals were a difficult concept movements, ones that don’t seem like a panoramic view of Boston. About 85% of for me – and I couldn’t see them! movement to most people. The movements my clients come in and say, “Wow, what Horizontalizing the pelvis implies an ideal that allow us to keep our balance, the way a great view!” However, there are some position that doesn’t fit with the reality of weight transfers when we take a step, the people who enter and don’t even see it. That movement. A way of understanding the way we manage the movement of breathing already tells me something about how they logic of the first session is that we have to without disrupting our stability. Hubert relate to their environment. I don’t judge help make available a change in G’ (the would call these “pre-movements.” I love the people who walk into my office, but it is gravity center of the chest) in relation to its the quote from Dr. Rolf: “In order to be a something that I notice. How people inhabit reference point: the imaginary line between Rolfer, you have to be willing to live on the space around them is as important to the heads of the femurs. Usually we will shifting sands” (Feitis 1978, 53). Part of me as any structural consideration. I might see a preference, with G’ habitually staying the challenge of being a human being is ask myself, “How does the sense of the either behind or in front of that line. Session how to find stability without getting rigid. floor show up in their feet? Is there room One opens up the potential for changes in How to find security in a world that is for adaptation in G’, in G?” I ask myself a that habit that will lead to changes in G, the changing all the time, which is what she different set of questions to approach the general gravity center, which is referenced expresses so beautifully in her statement. question of what I am going to do first. It’s by how the weight falls through the feet at How to find a way to feel secure that a conceptualization that I feel comfortable Chopart’s joint line,4 which will be part of doesn’t involve clinging to things that are with. For example, if I set out in my First the traditional Second Hour. Without the going to get away from you. You have to Hour to mobilize G’, then I may consider: is movement perspective, it would be hard to be able to change the fixed point, to adapt. it the shoulder girdle that is really holding justify why Session One would come first. That is what movement work is to me. the whole system together? If the person is Even before someone else could see you RC: I first learned about Rolfing [SI] using his shoulder girdle for stabilization, as moving, you are dealing with all these while I was a graduate student in modern then I could work really hard from a tissue different basic questions. Very often, these dance. Through umpteen Rolfing and Rolf perspective; however, when he stands up little movements that we associate with Movement sessions, I gained a powerful felt he will go back to his shoulder strategy. stability are also linked to a person’s way experience of the changes our work could Like many of us, I don’t make a distinction of making meaning. create. To a dancer, they were profound between changing a person’s functional way in increasing freedom of movement, ease, RC: Can you say more about the relationship of moving in gravity and Rolfing SI – they and range of expression. Once I began my between pre-movement and perception? are happening simultaneously. studies at the Rolf Institute, I searched for AN: As our understanding of movement RC: Are there ways in which you do a theory that could explain my original has deepened, we see how movement make a distinction between structural and felt experience and I found it when I heard depends on perception. So much of early movement work? Hubert speak for the first time at a U.S. development has to do with learning to annual meeting. AN: Hubert talks about the difference perceive – to select invariants to organize between lesion and inhibition. In my AN: I had my first Rolfing sessions while our world. Renegotiating the selection practice, for example, someone might have I was in college studying philosophy and process is part of what movement work is had a Caesarean section, and yes, there is psychology. I didn’t have back pain – I had about, long before gross motor movement a scar – a literal, physical scar. However late adolescence! My first Rolfing series enters into it. In order to change a there can also be a ‘perceptual scar’ that felt like a huge emotional/psychological movement pattern in an athlete or dancer, can result in the simple self-protective (and transformation. Difficult feelings I didn’t we must first go to that pre-movement often unconscious) gesture – “I don’t want know I had surfaced; more ease and level, because once the dancer or athlete to separate the two sides of my scar.” This confidence followed. I found it fascinating is performing the movement, the die is would be a movement inhibition. On top that my sense of myself could change already cast. The person has already picked of that, there might be the huge emotional through a physical experience. So I came the information that becomes the basis of impact of having an unwanted C-section to Rolfing [SI] as a profession from that the movement. Hubert really helped me see with the anesthesia and so on. That makes angle. I wasn’t a dancer or an athlete. and understand this – and that gravity may three different layers that may be involved Many people associate movement with be the only real constant we can perceive. in this scar. Even the most sophisticated exercise, dance, or sports, but I am drawn RC: How do you work with these ideas in manipulation of the scar tissue will not to movement because it’s the nature of a tangible way? be effective in the long run if what is most what it is to be alive. You can’t do anything operative is the person’s sense of, “I better without having an embodied aspect to it. AN: On a fundamental level, the knowledge hold on.” That is a different story and the Even today’s roboticists will tell you that of how perception affects function, which distinction can save us a lot of energy as embodiment is necessary for intelligence! becomes structure over time, shapes the practitioners. Having the distinction of (Pfeifer and Bongard 2007). “Embodied” way that I conceptualize my work. I ask lesion and inhibition in our vocabulary means interacting with gravity, with the myself a set of questions that becomes the allows us to frame things more specifically environment, perceiving. basis for my ongoing assessment of how and that is very powerful.

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 7 COLUMNS

RC: So often clients have an objectified strategies and give him the freedom to make 3. Most often somewhere around the um- sense of their bodies, as if they are not a different choice. bilicus, more or less between L2 and S2 at home. – but not always! In some movements, RC: A different choice? the center of gravity, G, does not fall AN: Clients come in and talk about their AN: Renegotiating something so basic can inside the body confines. bodies as seen from the outside. We have go to the deepest places in a person. There all had this experience: I’ll ask a client what 4. Between talus, calcaneus, navicular, and can be emotional associations related to she is experiencing and she tells me what cuboid. the most basic sense of security and often someone else told her about herself. The formed before we were old enough to use Bibliography body as an experience is very tenuous in words. How a person stabilizes can have how we talk about ourselves. Or I ask my Lee, J. 1946. This Magic Body. New York: a lot of metaphorical dimensions. Along client what he is experiencing, and he says Viking Press. with just maintaining a sensitivity to this “nothing.” What he means is nothing out possibility, we can also be in conversation Pfeifer, R. and J. Bongard 2007. How the of the ordinary, or not in pain. He doesn’t about what feels good about doing it this Body Shapes the Way We Think. Cambridge, mean that he isn’t having any sensations way, what feels dangerous about doing it MA: MIT Press. because if that were true, he would fall a different way, or what feels potentially down. Perception is an invisible part of Feitis, R. (ed.) 1978. Ida Rolf Talks. Boulder, good about new options. People will often ® what it means to organize ourselves in space CO: Rolf Institute . volunteer the imagery that comes to them all the time. Bringing awareness to reference in association with their different postures. points that can help someone experience To me, that is a key feature of integration. her body as organically connected to the It’s important to consider how the extra world around her – such as ground and tension is serving the person. Usually it is sky or a sense of backing, for example – helping him feel more stable or safe. Then reframes the person’s experience of her new options can evolve for stability and body as an activity that can be affected by safety that may not cause extra tension shifts in her perception. Movement work or pain. We are not trying to strip away is a frame for how I do everything with a defenses, not just releasing tensions or person; it’s how I talk to myself about my opening up the fascia, we are trying to offer experience of my work. Once you start to options for living more harmoniously with think of a person as an activity, your work gravity, as well as having access to a bigger becomes a different thing. expressive range. RC: Can you say more about what Rebecca Carli became a Rolf Movement “embodied” means to you? Practitioner in 1987, a Certified Rolfer in 1989, AN: It’s a different concept to start from the a Certified Advanced Rolfer in 1992, and a Rolf idea that a body is an activity, not an object. Movement Instructor in 1994. She holds BA Unwittingly a person is making choices and MFA degrees in dance and graduated from about how to create enough stability not the Pennsylvania Gestalt Therapy Institute in to fall down. That is what it means to “be 1991. Rebecca first began ongoing studies with in a relationship with gravity.” We might Hubert Godard in 1991. She lives and works in consider that a person’s extra tensions and Chevy Chase, Maryland. tight places are whatever is working the Aline Newton is a Certified Advanced Rolfer, in most to keep him upright on an ongoing practice for almost thirty years. She holds her basis. To accomplish this mission, he is BA from Johns Hopkins University and her MA inadvertently choosing a perceptual strategy, in Education from the University of Toronto. a movement strategy, over and over again. She served as Chair of the Board of Directors That strategy is reflected in the short of the international Rolf Institute from 1994 tissue – the tissue can’t help but respond to 1999. She has also been on the faculty of to the excessive loading. It’s not simply a the Foundations Program of the Rolf Institute. tight muscle, a misbehaving part – it’s an Since 1990 she has studied extensively with honorable strategy for managing in gravity. Hubert Godard, and became a Rolf Movement There is logic to that system. Often, people Practitioner in 1996. She practices, teaches, and talk about tight places as bad, but instead I lectures in Cambridge, Massachusetts. see them as a reflection of the strategy that is being used to help the person stabilize. It’s an Endnotes activity that he may employ many times per day, perhaps causing the pain that motivated 1. Levine’s work went on to become So- matic Experiencing™. him to call me. A manipulation that affects the tissue may also wake up the person’s 2. In front of T4/T5, more or less. capacity to catch on to his stabilization

8 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org ROLFERS™ IN SERVICE

was very openly expressed) but that I could Sink or Swim easily feel. Some people seemed surrounded by a field of static, heat, or pure emotion, Lessons Learned in the Boulder Flood which could be felt by a few of the other practitioners and from as far as four feet By Hyrum Pratt Feriante, Certified Rolfer™ away. They were “bleeding out,” and it was intense. Holding a space for such emotion I got off easy in the Boulder County flood of or the publications section of the RISI website was a struggle most of the time. I have September 2013, and for that I am grateful. trying to figure out what else I could have always struggled with staying present, so I live in Niwot, Colorado, and as the joke done to support each client’s challenges. It to do so in the face of such intense emotion goes, we live in an environmental bubble: was humbling to discover how much there while also faced with practical questions while there was torrential rain on every side was yet to learn and how much could be like “What do I do now?” or “Why isn’t this of us the day of the flood, and a mile and learned only through experience. working?” made keeping a calm mind and a half away homes were being destroyed, broad focus difficult. I found that each person expressed trauma I would have never known if I hadn’t gone – physical or emotional – and processed it Many people came over to see me because to work that day. in his or her own way. I found that I could they saw my massage table, but only I work as a cashier at a grocery store to never settle into a pattern with my work. about half had heard of Rolfing SI and far pay the bills while I grow my client base. Each session plan and each contact had to fewer actually knew what it was. I saw Because of the good weather in Niwot, be adapted and adaptive to the individual’s this as lucky for me because they didn’t we were still getting food and water current state. Most people suffered from have expectations of the work and so shipments at the store. People from Boulder neck and lower back pain. Lots of people couldn’t be too disappointed. Also, I had and Longmont and evacuees from shelters complained of numb arms or fingers. But been looking forward to practicing my poured in to buy supplies. They shared in each case, the solution seemed to take a thirty- to sixty-second pitch on Rolfing their stories and described what they were different path. SI. Another advantage to their not having doing to cope, where they had ended up, any preconceived idea of what to expect I knew I would see many clients only and who had helped them through the from a Rolfing session was that they were once, so I had to work outside of the Ten disaster. Some people were still in need, and quick to plop, jump, or roll onto my table Series. I operated more on the Principles their shock and stress were evident. no matter what I said. of Rolfing SI and tried to do fix-it work I was raised in the Latter-Day Saints but with (hopefully) lasting results. I used I also had to opportunity to work on Church, where service to others is a core anything clients seemed able to handle and practitioners from other modalities. They doctrine and large part of our culture, so respond to: direct/indirect touch, motility, had a lot of questions, some of them I immediately asked myself, “What can biodynamic craniosacral work, movement, challenging, and many expressed an I do to help?” and “Is someone already breath work, laughter. I often felt outside of interest in the Rolfing training program organizing aid?” Halfway through the my comfort zone, and I spent a lot of time because they were so impressed with the day a friend from Southwest Acupuncture working much harder to access the layers work. This made me smile because I was College (SWAC) called and told me that than I would have if the person had at less than a year out of the program and still SWAC’s Acupuncturists Without Borders the least been through sessions one through struggling to feel that I had a clue about was working with the Federal Emergency three of the Ten Series. There were only a what I was doing. It confirmed that I was Management Agency (FEMA) to treat few people whose pain I felt I was unable on the right path. people at its Disaster Recovery Centers. to relieve at least somewhat, but even they I believe I gained more from my time at She asked if I would be willing to volunteer were grateful for the touch and presence the FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers than my Rolfing® Structural Integration (SI) that the work provided (and for the heated I was ever able to give, and I look forward to and biodynamic craniosacral skills to aid table too). In the end, there were lots of other opportunities to serve the community the flood victims. It was a serendipitous hugs, lots of happy tears, lots of smiles, in the future . . . but not to more disasters. conversation that fulfilled my desire to and even a few joking marriage proposals. help out. Working on people who had been through I graduated from The Rolf Institute® of so much often left me drained, so I had Structural Integration (RISI) in April to be sure to spend time emotionally 2013 but had not had much business clearing between sessions (if possible) and success yet. At the Disaster Recovery after I left for the day. I had to ask myself Centers I was able to put a lot of mileage on questions like “What’s mine?”, “What’s not my hands over a very short period of time, mine?”, “Why was my emotional response doing approximately seventy hour-long so strong with one person but not another?”, sessions in just two weeks. The experience and “How do I shield myself from being developed my understanding of what I overwhelmed?” Many people were in shock had learned in school and exposed me to at first, but as time passed the shock wore new tissues, issues, ideas, and sensations. off and the reality of their loss really set in. It also raised new questions. I usually What followed was a lot of sadness and ended my evenings searching Google anger that went unexpressed (or sometimes

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 9 ROLFERS™ IN SERVICE

Seow came back to finish it in June, with The Experience of Working the schedule shortened by two days. Japan Rolfing Association board members Kotaro Ogiya and Mio Shinriki devoted themselves in Post-Disaster Fukushima to managing the rest of the overall training, which was ultimately completed in the An Interview with Hiroyoshi Tahata autumn with a Unit 3 taught by Monica Caspari, despite a limited budget as some ® By Hiroyoshi Tahata, Certified Advanced Rolfer™, Rolf Movement Instructor of the Unit 2 students opted to finish their and Anne Hoff, Certified Advanced Rolfer training in Brazil.

Anne Hoff: Let’s talk about what happened area could be affected by media like the TV The upside was that many international in Japan with the Fukushima earthquake/ or Internet news. Rolfers and faculty members sent me tsunami and nuclear disaster. What was uplifting messages, and I was very glad and News reports told us that foreign residents your experience of the earthquake in relieved to learn that they still wanted to were fleeing Japan, and foreign artists were Tokyo? visit Japan and teach Japanese Rolfers even canceling concerts and tours here. This though the nuclear plant in Fukushima was Hiroyoshi Tahata: The Big Shake was disappointing and could easily lead to not stabilized. I also felt more connection happened at 14:46 on March 11, 2011. I was feelings of being “pariahs.” Further, local with my colleagues from this disaster. driving with my wife to pick up my son families who had babies or young children Giving sessions to others made me more at his school. Aftershocks continued for a were concerned about radiation, and some present and encouraged, which functioned while, which was quite different from other started leaving Tokyo to go places further as a great resource for me. Engaging in my earthquakes I had experienced. [Editor’s away from the Fukushima nuclear power Rolfing practice made me feel needed. note: Minor earthquakes are a common plant (Fukushima is 141 miles from Tokyo). occurrence in Japan.] Fortunately we got Under these conditions, it was not easy to AH: What inspired you to volunteer in to my son soon, which was a relief. The settle or relax. Fukushima, and how did you do that? TV news reported on the disaster over and How did you find a place to go and get the Similarly, the international school my son over. One client told me that his body was word out? attends closed temporally. The advanced getting frozen from watching the disaster class in Somatic Experiencing® (SE) that I HT: I visited Shichirigahama, a coastal city news, and that it reminded him of previous had booked in Tokyo was canceled. (It was about sixty-two miles from the Fukushima earthquake trauma. Many people seemed held later.) A Rolfing® Structural Integration nuclear plant in the Sendai/Miyagi area of activated from watching TV, even if they class, Unit 2 of a training with foreign the Tohoku region in May 2011. It is one of had not been hurt or shocked directly by the instructors, was in progress at the time of the the cities most damaged by the tsunami. earthquake or tsunami. I was frustrated at disaster, and was halted temporarily (which I realized that this disaster could be a not being able to reach my father; he lived was probably upsetting to the students) with significant opportunity to learn and expand near Fukushima, and phones were dead training completed only through session the possibility of our practice. I instinctively all day. I also tried to call a client who was seven of the Ten Series. Ryoko Miyazaki, the felt that I had to do something. I chose supposed to come to my office the next coordinator, had a big job checking on the Koriyama in Fukushima Prefecture as the morning – I wanted him to reschedule as safety of each student after the disaster, and place to work, taking into consideration the subway was partly offline and some rescheduling the class; instructor Ashuan radiation – the area was quite influenced areas had no electric power. As I hadn’t been able to reach my client, I went to my office the next day, and he did show up on time for the appointment. His take on the earthquake was that it was just one of the various disasters that happen around the world, which happened to happen here yesterday. In this, he helped me understand that, in Tokyo, we were so affected by the TV, by media – more than by the direct experience of the disaster. After that, I managed to reach my father by phone. He had experienced the second world war, so he said to me, “It’s no problem, the situation is much better than that after aerial bombings during the war. It is just a tiny bit of radiation.“ His optimistic words encouraged me. I was beginning to see the situation more objectivity, and to see how many people far from the disaster Figure 1: Rolfers and residents of Fukushima.

10 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org ROLFERS™ IN SERVICE by radiation from the nuclear plant – and cause a freeze response and disconnection ease of access. I knew the Koriyama train from one’s senses, I thought it would also station well from traveling through there be helpful for attendees to get adaptability to my grandparents’ home nearby, and I in the orienting response based on accessing could make day trips from Tokyo using the sensation of safety. Also, tracking the super express train, allowing me to sensation in the body can help people offer sustainable support through repeated to be more present. Some other Rolfers visits. The residents of Fukushima have focused on breathing or connectivity, which been dealing with a broad and diffuse fear can help clients open immobilized areas. of radiation as no one know how this level People living with increased radiation of radiation may affect the human body. in the atmosphere might unconsciously People have to make a difficult decision hesitate to take full breaths. Any tools to to either stay and live under this situation increase body resources could help to reset or abandon jobs and homes to leave. Most Figure 3: Rolfing and Rolf Movement the whole system. Sessions were twenty to stay. The radiation will probably last for Instructor Carol Agneesens working with thirty minutes. Deciding when/how to close an infant. a long period, which generates fear and the session was more important than in rumors about local agricultural products. usual private sessions. I tried to be available Undoubtably parents in particular might be attending the first event was willing to to the clients’ in-the-moment needs, rather concerned about the health of their children. coordinate the later ones; her network than think in the way I might in my regular I could not imagine how much stress they has broadened our access to residents of private sessions in normal circumstances. must live under, but I felt that this region the region. Our view is that we have just Whether the client was lying down or needs our work. started this work in Fukushima. The initial workshop was free; my second one had sitting, I found that putting one of my hands Before visiting the disaster area, I held a nominal fee of about $10, based on the underneath some area of the body (e.g., workshops in ‘somatic first aid’ (‘first aid’ local coordinator’s recommendation that pelvis or foot) provided a “scaffolding” because the goal was releasing shock, participants would feel more at ease paying that let the body start inhabiting that area rather than changing structure) several some amount, which went toward the room again. Then, the body would be ready to times in Tokyo, with the workshop fees rental and a babysitter for children of the open itself. The over-arching intention was given to Save the Children to support the attendees, as well as toward our dinner to facilitate the person being more present, disaster area. I thought these would be meeting after the workshop. We paid to reset the nervous system out of the shock good preparation for the upcoming work our own train fares. My third-workshop response. Most frequently I would have in Fukushima. One of the workshops was attendees paid what they felt was right for the person lay supine on a mat or tatami on sitting, which a participant took back their personal situations. floor with raised knees, and I would sit at to introduce in Fukushima as a volunteer a comfortable distance and put my hand – and later I myself taught it there, as the AH: What inspired people to try Rolfing SI/ underneath the soles of the feet, low back, topic was useful to disaster victims in Rolf Movement in this situation? Were any elbows, scapulae, cervicals, and head. crowded temporary housing. Two videos already familiar with the work? After touching for some seconds, I would of demonstrations (in Japanese) from my HT: Most attendees were not familiar with remove my contact and come back to “my workshops are on YouTube (www.youtube. somatic practice. Some just knew the name place.” If the body was more responsive com/watch?v=g-m8j7xqnc0 and www. “Rolfing SI.” I thought the first workshop than expected, I would take my hand off youtube.com/watch?v=En0XurUBC00). For would be good preparation for future visits, sooner. Then I would watch and track what my first visit to the area, I planned two Rolf introducing our work before setting a lot was happening for a while, both for the Movement workshops and private sessions. of slots for private sessions. The subject client and in my own body. From this, the I booked a rental space and announced the of the first workshop was how to support client might feel a sense of weight followed date and information on a Facebook page children (Part 1) and adults (Part 2) with by a settling down into the mat, a place of for the event and on my website. Rolfing touch to facilitate settling, and breathing contact that would allow rest. This is the colleague Yasushi Fujimoto and Sakiko with “Yielding.”1 After the workshop, we foundation of the Yielding work. The body Asai from the SE community joined me by provided several private sessions for staff can be reset by rest, with yielding into the promoting this event on Facebook. People and attendees. scaffolding. Then the body can restart its who knew about Rolfing [SI] applied to own process. participate through my website. Yasushi AH: Did you do structural work, movement AH: What special considerations did you put the word out through a client who work, or both in these sessions? Did you hold that might be different than in your lived near Fukushima and put out a local make any modifications to how you worked usual work? Did it give you any different flyer. We also utilized other social media based on any shock/trauma you observed? personal material to have to process? Did like Twitter to announce the event. Since HT: I used a movement and perceptual it trigger anything in you of your own beginning with a small class of ten in approach rather than structural work. experience of the disaster? December 2012, Yasushi, Sakiko, and I have Because of the earthquake, clients had lost grown the program, and on our third visit their sensation of trusting the ground, so HT: My intention focused on facilitating in September 2013 we had about ninety Yielding work was a natural modality as it clients to have more body resource with people attending and seven colleagues can allow people to feel safe by first settling a safe comfortable sensation with touch participating. Luckily, one local resident into the ground. As any shock/trauma might and tracking. Also, I did not stick to any

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 11 ROLFERS™ IN SERVICE particular technique, committing myself to to their bodies and sensation. One attendee Thus, the experience of being the be fully available to the needs of the client. I shared this with me: practitioner could give parents new insight paid attention that intervention was titrated into relationships such as child-rearing. This was a new paradigm I had and avoided bringing about too much never encountered. After the Big AH: What other practitioners were out change. I never experienced anything being Shake, I have struggled with how there in the field, what sort of things did triggered in me and found myself highly we should protect our children you mutually observe, reflect on? present in the sessions. Interestingly, I from the radiation. As I try to do sometimes felt I was more energized during HT: Sakiko Asai, an SE practitioner that seriously, my body gets tight. the work there. Since working there, I’ve and psychotherapist, has participated I realized how the dysfunction found my work in my private practice has since the first visit. I am very thankful (immobilized neck and back) might become more efficient and I’m in a more she’s there because she may be able be related to my state of my mind. centered state. So there were many rewards to provide professional psychological . . . After exchanging work with from this participation in Fukushima. care if it’s needed. She seemed to enjoy each other, I felt so much expansion assisting in my demonstration and was AH: How did the work impact people? Any in my breathing and sensation. I a sympathetic presence interested as stories you would like to share? could yield into the ground. The a somatic psychotherapist in what we next morning I noticed I had slept HT: The group work in the workshop had are doing with touch. Rolfing and Rolf well and was so refreshed for the more effect than I expected. In exchanges Movement instructor Carol Agneessens first time since I had a baby five where they took the role of practitioner, joined us when she was in Japan; she led years ago. I noticed that it should participants noticed the importance of a movement meditation in group work be important for us to develop feeling their own bodies, which affects the and gave beautiful sessions for kids. self-awareness. I continue to feel quality of this work. After experiencing the Rolfer Yasushi Fujimoto as a start-up resonating in my body. Based on the roles of both practitioner and receiver, they member contributed a lot to this project. last experiences in the workshop, I noticed that these relationships may be basic Rolfers Mihoko Takahashi, Masaki Miura, can pay attention more to myself to all relationship with others (mother-child Nobuhiro Miyahara, Takeshi Hirahara, and like “Now, how am I doing?” or etc.). I’m very glad that even though the work Seiji Kamimura have joined our group and “Gradually, I am orienting the is very simple, people can be aware of many given wonderful sessions. All said it was a right way.” Other mothers of my things. There were other volunteer events, wonderful experience. It was impactful to acquaintance look so exhausted and but they were more cognitively oriented, so feel that our work with touch is so important shaky, feelings that may transmit to our workshop about somatic sensing was for a disaster area. More than expected, the their children. I think we mothers quite new for the participants, who had had people in Fukushima could feel differences need only look within ourselves to no prior guidance to direct their attention and be more open to sensation in their get back an inherent calmness for bodies after the workshop and private the kids. sessions. We got a really good response to our work and can see its potential, and feel the important role we can play as Rolfers. After every single visit, I saw my colleagues more energized and satisfied. AH: Are there any people you have worked with multiple times, and how do you see the work affecting them over time? HT: Some people have come to us a few times. The workshop seemed to encourage self-reflection and gave them some tools to give the work to others. I think the workshop can develop more relationships there, and repeater attendance seems to increase responsiveness. In closing, I’d say that this was not just us serving others as volunteers, it was also valuable training for us in extending past our usual limitations. Endnotes 1. See “Yielding” by Hiroyoshi Tahata and Carol Agneesens and “Case Studies in Yielding” by Hiroyoshi Tahata, both in the June 2012 issue of Structural Integration: The Journal of the Rolf Institute®. Figure 2: Hiroyoshi Tahata leading a workshop for residents of Fukushima.

12 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org ROLFERS™ IN SERVICE Giving Back to the Elders Sharing Rolfing® SI with Indigenous People

By Sandy Collins, RN, BSN, Certified Advanced Rolfer™, Rolf Movement® Practitioner, Equine SI Practitioner

In 1985, I was introduced to Native American communities and their traditional spiritual practices. Along the way, I have developed some very long-lasting friendships. I have had the opportunity to spend a great deal of time around many of these people on and off the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations in South Dakota. Often I would attend spiritual ceremonies such as the Sun Dance, and during that time, it became apparent that many people needed physical body work. We were always camped next door to a guy everyone called Doc who would provide acupuncture and general first aid to the community, as well as the Sun Dancers. I got to know Doc and eventually he invited me to come over and help out. It was quite Figure 1: Buffalo grazing at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota. an adventure, as I was not able to control © Sandy Collins. the environment or do things the way I might do in my office. There was very little my friend’s living room to find three or time available to even educate, so I just put four women sitting there supposedly “just on my Rolfing® Structural Integration (SI) visiting.” It was never long before one of gloves and got to work. All day and often them would start rubbing a knee without into the night, people were coming in with any words, then someone else would ask all sorts of issues. Given my experience as if her knee was still hurting – of course, a registered nurse, I was accustomed to it had been hurting for a long, long, long assessing quickly and doing multiple tasks time – never once looking at me. It would at once, so it was great fun to be that busy go back and forth for a while until my and help so many people. friend would remind them with, “Do you remember that Sandy does Rolfing [SI] and Throughout the years, not always at she might be able to help that knee?” “Oh ceremony on the reservation, I have yeah,” they would say, “we forgot”. . . . had opportunities to work with native And then everyone’s knee or shoulder individuals who were coming through town started hurting. They always kept me busy. I to speak to groups, or make themselves have come to know them that way, and now available to teach others who wanted to Figure 2: The author with an elder and when I call to talk to my friend, someone learn their traditional ways. Many of them teacher from the Lakota Tribe in South frequently gets on the phone to say hello travel with very little money in order to Dakota. © Jerry Rushing, used with and ask when I am coming back. provide healing ceremonies to the people, permission. but they suffer a great deal in their own I have never once done a full Rolfing series bodies from spending a lifetime on the road on any one of these people as it has been Reservation. Almost all summer long, doing healing ceremonies, eating road food, impossible due to circumstances. So I have there are people from different parts of the sleeping in different homes all the time, typically done two to three sessions in a country coming to Cannonball to support and generally not having access to good mini-series as time allowed, or as they by volunteering at their church, which is health care. were available over a very short period of called Tipi Wakan. time. I do the sort of session that is needed One of my favorite situations working with I went to simply visit my friend, but found in the moment without expectation that native people has been while visiting a very quickly that my ability to work on sore I will see them again. Typically it is area- friend in North Dakota. She works with her knees, ankles, etc. brought a few people to specific for whatever aches and pains they husband, who serves as a minister, doing the door of their home asking for help. I have, and then I do what I can to integrate nonstop service work for the people always loved it most when I would enter them to the point that they can carry on in of Cannonball on the Standing Rock their daily lives. When I return, I do a little

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 13 ROLFERS™ IN SERVICE catch-up and try to continue with some sort of coordination of work they have received before. I have worked on the ground, kitchen tables, sofas, and benches, just winging it. There have been times when it has been extremely hot or extremely cold, and sometimes under the stars. No, it’s not standard, but practically speaking I remember every one of these people and most everything they said along the way. Some brought me little gifts, some said a special prayer for me, some just wandered in and then back out, but almost everyone was grateful for the little bit of time spent. I Figure 4: Horses at Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota. © Sandy Collins. think I am the lucky one: I am the one who learned a little humility and respect for whatever comes my way and was touched by funny little stories, a smile, or a little pat on the shoulder. What a blessing it has been Innovations in Caring over the years. I have an affinity or a calling of sorts to Serving Low-Income Clients give back to this community for sharing through an Integrated Approach with me their time, energy, and traditional ® ways. I charge them nothing as they have By John Barton, M.B.A., Certified Advanced Rolfer™, Rolf Movement Practitioner and Amy Iadarola, Certified Advanced Rolfer contributed their knowledge to me, and that has contributed to what I have to offer the clients that I see in my office. Amy Iadarola: I was excited to hear about she cited, this was most interesting to me the service work you are doing. Can you tell and piqued my interest in working with us a bit about the organization and how you the clinic. Like so many other Rolfers, I became involved? often provide services to individuals who need help but are unable to pay for it. John Barton: The organization is Caring Outreach is highly valued within the Rolfing Chiropractic, Inc. (CCI), formed in 2010 as an community and warmly welcomed it seems. innovative 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Kalispell, Montana – a thriving northwest AI: Was anyone at CCI familiar with Montana city with an innovative and Rolfing SI? integrative energy that is as big as the state JB: Rolfing SI wasn’t part of the initial itself. CCI is devoted to creating positive equation at CCI, but over a few months impact on the lives of special needs and low- and after numerous conversations and income individuals who live throughout meetings, the viability of our approach was northwest Montana. CCI offers services apparent and Rolfing SI was added to the such as chiropractic, Rolfing® Structural menu of services available at the clinic. I Integration (SI), and massage on a sliding- demonstrated the power of what we do fee scale based on income. by working on the President of the CCI I first learned about CCI when I ventured Board of Directors, who was experiencing out of my Rolfing office on Main Street and debilitating back and hip pain. Through a into the immediate community in search of combination of neural, articular, and then individuals who could benefit from Rolfing fascial mobilization strategies he experienced work but might not be able to afford it. I a reversal of the pain. The results of just one arrived at the doorstep of Dr. Lynda Purdy, session demonstrated that the service we the Executive Director of the clinic and provide was an extremely powerful and Founder of CCI. Dr. Purdy met my interest potentially necessary component of what Figure 3: Chief’s full eagle feather bonnet, in the clinic with enthusiasm and explained CCI wanted to offer. Lakota. Placed for the purpose of a the business model and intention of the wedding. © Sandy Collins. AI: Can you describe your role at CCI and clinic. She said that “there are less than one how the clinic has developed over time? dozen nonprofit chiropractic clinics in the nation,” and CCI is the first among them JB: My role in the organization has evolved to also offer physician services (services as I was asked to also join the CCI board provided by MDs). Out of all of the data and serve in an organizational as well as

14 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org ROLFERS™ IN SERVICE operational context. CCI’s goal, as identified Subsequent appointments are roughly ten other facilities and practitioners committed in its mission statement, is “to assist families to thirty minutes depending on the needs to this integrated approach. There may be a and individuals to experience a joyful of each individual and may incorporate a financial incentive for Rolfing practitioners and active life by achieving the highest combination of chiropractic, massage, and interested in supporting a nonprofit clinic possible level of health while taking the Rolfing services. For acute medical issues of this type because services provided to cost of care out of the equation.” Ideas and treatments, patients might require two nonprofits are tax-deductible in some states. of this caliber might be relatively easy to to three treatments on average. Visits for AI: If Rolfers are interested in keeping tabs conceive, but the process of organizing more chronic conditions can total up to on how CCI expands, is there a newsletter a nonprofit can be challenging. Primary sixteen treatments per patient on average. they can subscribe to? How can they to any nonprofit or for-profit business is Our overall goal is to provide the treatments express interest in participation as the revenue and sustainability. For CCI, this necessary to help patients achieve physical program grows? comes in the form of program income and independence and to stair-step down the fundraising – conventional fundraising need for continued treatments. JB: We don’t have a newsletter, but we in addition to writing and applying for do provide News and Press Room links AI: Tell us specifically about the Rolfing grants from other organizations that have on the CCI web site (caringchiropractic. component. Do you work with all patients, shown specific support in the medical org). Our organization is evolving and or only some? Do you work at CCI’s venue and healthcare sectors. CCI is projecting expanding nationally to incorporate other or do they come to your office? $225,000 in total revenue (primarily from clinics that want to be a part of CCI’s vision. program services and grants) for 2014 with JB: Rolfing appointments are scheduled Rolfers interested in learning how they can a conservative projected rate of growth of through CCI, and then sessions are provided participate in CCI program services can 20% annually over the next five years. The at my office, which is close to CCI. Clients contact me directly to find out more. clinic currently serves 140 patients through are seen by appointment only, with special AI: Any closing comments on service and its charitable programs. Additionally, it consideration given for acute conditions. how this has impacted your life and work? maintains contact with the more than 1300 I always have at least one pro bono client individuals in its outreach database. Since in my practice, either from CCI or other JB: I’m extremely biased when I consider its formation, CCI has distributed more sources. Because of my schedule, space can the value of the service we bring to the planet. than $64,000 in charitable healthcare to be limited. Because CCI is a chiropractic We develop our craft using the vast resources deserving individuals and families. We office, the orientation and process for provided through the Rolf Institute® of hope to grow this and to reach additional admittance and follow-up is specific to Structural Integration’s educational and low-income children and families in our its protocol. Again, it’s not unusual for training programs. We are like micro CCIs; community. We are on track to expand our Rolfers to provide pro bono work or to even better, we are CSIs or Caring Structural service roster to up to 400 individuals and offer a sliding-fee scale for special needs Integrators. The human body is far more families in the upcoming calendar years. and low-income clients. What I find unique elegant and sophisticated than any machine, about CCI is that it brings a Rolfer’s skill set but I like to draw the analogy of each AI: Talk a bit about what happens when a to a larger program. Its great innovation individual’s body being like a handcrafted new client comes in the door at CCI. is its integrative approach to service for computer, an elegant machine, a Ferrari. JB: The clinic operates by providing this population. We are Ferrari service providers in a world same-day care when needed, and patients in desperate need of our services. It is also AI: I’m impressed with the way this are admitted into the clinic once the most important to recognize that when we program has been developed. What does necessary paperwork is completed. The operate, move, and breathe from the stillness the future hold for CCI? application process for services includes a of ‘beginner’s mind,’ we add value to the simple financial disclosure (to validate the JB: CCI intends to extend its nonprofit whole in a way that might not have been need for fee modification) that is screened brand and build a network of additional accessible otherwise. This is what makes for eligibility according to benchmarks health clinics on a local, state, regional, our place in the grand scheme of things in the current year ’s U.S. poverty and national level, making this type of so holistic, synergistic, and integrative. As guidelines schedule. outreach accessible to many others. CCI a community born out of the need for SI, already has a national network of support harnessed by the power of gravity itself, Additionally, CCI has created a through its associate MDs, DCs, and other we should not place an undue amount of comprehensive therapy services package for healthcare professionals, some who are importance on ‘our own’ skills as if they five individuals annually – those who exhibit also on the board of directors and others were something we possess. Rather, we the greatest need. These individuals will who are extended stakeholders. The clinic should see them as something we have hopefully receive the assistance they need in Kalispell is the home office that projects been given stewardship over so that we to overcome a disability, find employment, to open or acquire additional locations may recognize our relationship to those who and potentially relieve their need for once benchmarks are achieved. These seek what we offer. So often I find myself government assistance. Once eligibility is benchmarks are meant to demonstrate attempting to distinguish why I/we are determined, the client enters the practice an operational level of sustainability that different from other practitioners. The real with access to CCI’s program services. The can then be duplicated in strategically issue isn’t in our differences but the seamless first appointment, conducted by Dr. Purdy targeted locations. The benchmarks are integration and aggregation of a community or other CCI staff, is approximately one measured in terms of quality more than of practitioners who desire to help those less hour to initiate the process, complete the quantity. Growth would come through fortunate in the suffering that arises from the application, and evaluate specific needs. developing positive relationships with human condition.

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 15 REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIRST GENERATION

fibroblasts induced to develop more and Fascia as an more actin, one of the muscle proteins that contracts inside the cell. That actin gets hooked to transmembranous proteins like Auto-Regulatory System: integrins (now just one of 150 cell adhesive molecules). The cell reaches out its little An Interview with Tom Myers (Part 1) fingers and grabs onto the fascial matrix and then contracts the actin and draws that By Tom Myers, Certified Advanced Rolfer™ and Bruce Schonfeld, Certified fascia together. That is what is happening Advanced Rolfer™, Rolf Movement® Practitioner when the wound is closing. Now they have Editor’s Note: Part 2 of this interview will appear in the December issue. discovered these cells exerting a stiffening force on large sheets like the thoracolumbar Bruce Schonfeld: What is the current fascia or the fascia lata or the crural fascia. research saying about fascia being an auto- I’ll give you an example of how these regulatory system in the body? smooth muscle-like fascial cells can be Tom Myers: It may be hard for some useful. If you are sitting for a long time, to understand how little was published as you are on a plane, the water in your about fascia in the 1970s. There was a body tends to pool in your legs. The cells hard-to-follow un-illustrated description in these fascial sheets in your leg will sense of fascial planes by Edward Singer. There the [resulting] tension applied to that fascia was a wonderful, prescient article by and will contract in the fascia like your own George Snyder on the fascia. Andrew support socks, squeeze it around the water, Taylor Still, who started osteopathy, had and push it back up your lymph channels written an obscure and contradictory book so you don’t get too edemic while you are called Fasciae in the late 1800s. Those were waiting to land. really it. Here was Ida saying the fascia Really exciting things are coming from was very important and we all thought we money come together from IASI and the all over. We just didn’t know these things were working on fascia. We all had ideas Rolf Institute® to form the first International were going on until we finally set up these we were spouting about biological fabric Fascial Research Congress in Boston in scientific conferences on fascia, and then and consciousness but there was very little 2007. That event brought researchers from a anybody who had anything to do with research about the properties of fascia. So, number of fields together with practitioners fascia started clamoring, “Well, we want to it was mostly magical thinking we were from a number of modalities. We met again be in your conference.” There are surgeons doing back in those days. in Amsterdam in 2009 and in Vancouver in researching how fascia heals and doesn’t Dr. Rolf was a woman who was equally 2012, each time with more excitement and heal after operations. There was a Canadian comfortable having a foot both in the connection between the two groups. The meat scientist who was studying fascia in spiritual camp and the scientific research next one is planned for Washington DC in beef. (They want the meat to be tender and camp. She had certainly done both over 2015. Having major scientific conferences you know what makes tough meat? Fascia.) the course of her life. She spoke often of the so close together on a single subject They were studying how fascia supports need to do research on fascia. When some like the connective-tissue web is quite itself in cows, with basic research that had money showed up, as I heard the story, she extraordinary. We’ve discovered there is a relevance to those of us in the bodywork had the choice between a straight research lot of research out there on fascia; we just field. We don’t have to sponsor all this project that would have given Rolfing® didn’t know about it. ourselves; we just need to gather all the Structural Integration [SI] credibility in research that is going on. For instance, a tremendous amount of terms of things like oxygen consumption research has been done on connective BS: Tell us about fascial components. and other physiological responses. She tissue in terms of wound healing. One of chose instead to do the Valerie Hunt TM: When we say the fascial system, we the things they wanted to know was, when ‘energy’ study, which was much more are talking about four elements: fibers, you open up your body surgically or from spiritual and much less scientifically glue, water, and cells. The collagen fibers a trauma, how does tissue (skin, muscle, grounded. The Hunt study was a very are what we always think about when fascia) get pulled back together? That’s interesting event but does not stand up to we envision fascia, the white fabric- a mechanical event. Tissue is tensioned scientific scrutiny, in my opinion. like strings that make up the ligaments, in the body and splits apart when you tendons, and sinews. But in between After Ida left us in 1979, there was Frances open it up. Something has to pull it back that is the amorphous gel of hydrophilic Wenger, a physiatrist, who was interested together. We think of the skin as growing (meaning water-soaking and spongy) in getting some research going. His protégé, back together, cells simply proliferating, but proteins that are at various stages of snot, Thomas Findley, was also interested but it actually, it gets pulled back together under if you will excuse me. They are called seemed to be like running on shale; a lot of the scab by cells called myofibroblasts, mucopolysaccharides, glycoaminoglycans, activity and noise but not getting very far. which tug and knit together the biological proteoaminoglycans, and you’ve heard Not until 2001 after Jim Oschman’s book fabric as a bridge for the epithelial cells words like heparin, chondroitin, fibronectin Energy Medicine came out, did some seed to use to link up. Myofibroblasts are

16 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIRST GENERATION

– all of these are fancy words for snot-like those individual parts – iliotibial band, Ida Rolf called on us to consider this ‘lost’ molecules that link the fibers together and sacrotuberous ligament, rectus femoris, system as a holistic regulatory system, but provide lubrication and a highly adaptable thoracolumbar fascia, nuchal ligament, history has worked against this concept. medium for all the exchange that goes on. etc. We have all these names for different Imagine we went back to 1540 to Vesalius’ These many forms are also the glue that parts in something that is absolutely laboratory in Padua to see all his scalpels, holds everything together. So the fiber is, as unitary and whole. There are two other cleavers, and the various tools that he used we often say in the Rolfing world, a three- major whole-body systems: the circulatory to cut up (the literal meaning of ‘anatomize’) dimensional spiderweb. But that spiderweb system and the nervous system. We have a body. Anyway, I imagine going there and has dew all over it and that dew is the snot names for parts of those too. We talk about taking all his scalpels and cleavers away that holds it together and really acts like a the vagus nerve or a peripheral nerve or and leaving a big vat of detergent that sponge soaking up fluid and promoting its even a particular individual neuron in the would dissolve the cellular material in the flow or its stasis, depending. nervous system, and all the different parts body. In my dream, Vesalius would come in of the brain like the brain stem, the pons, the next morning and pick up his cadaver We have the fibers, we have all the and the cerebellum. But we know, even and dip it into the cell solvent. (They are hydrophilic proteins and we have the though we talk about parts, that the nervous doing this now and actually a common third element, water. Cells, principally system is all one big system. It operates as a detergent in shampoos works pretty well.) fibroblasts, are the fourth element. Collagen, self-regulating system. We understand the All the cells would dissolve away and you elastin, and reticulin form the fibers. I think autonomic nervous system. We understand would be left with this unending webbing there are twenty-six different kinds of that there is a kind of seesaw between the that surrounds every cell and every organ. identified collagen but I really can’t take sympathetic and parasympathetic in terms This image, this preparation, would have you through the minor differences among of how we are aroused in different parts of changed the course of anatomical history. the structural properties of those different our body at different times. This system states of collagen. There are around 150 of About 70 trillion cells (that is what they regulates itself without a lot of thought on these hydrophilic proteins now that are in think now, it’s pretty hard to count) are our part. It’s an autonomic; our automatic various arrays around the body. If you put all held together by this fabric. Imagine self-regulating system. these fibrous proteins, the spongy proteins, how each muscle exists within this fascial and water together, you really get a versatile The circulatory system is likewise a self- webbing. It does not necessarily pull only spectrum that can make so many different regulatory system that runs itself in terms from end to end, which is what we have kinds of things in the body. The lens and the of blood sugar, insulin, and hormone levels assumed with muscles. It pulls on the cornea of the eye are made of a particular going up and down; a fluctuating of flow whole web and therefore can have effects kind of collagen that is transparent. within limits. We have names within that quite far away from the muscle itself. This system too. We talk about the aorta, this really hasn’t been accounted for in our All the ligaments, all the stuff around your artery, and that vein. But if you have been biomechanics and this was an idea that Ida muscles, all your mucous membranes, to the Body Worlds exhibit, you understand was talking about back in the 70s. We all the ‘leather’ in your bones and cartilage, this is one big circulatory system. It is an said, “Oh yes, this is a very holistic idea,” and the bags of your organs are all held event; it is easy to see as a whole system. but it was kind of lip service; we didn’t in fascia. It’s the ubiquitous body-building This is also true for the neural net. really have a way of speaking or identifying material that makes everything you might or quantifying how this goes. In the new get at Home Depot, if you wanted to build But now we are talking about the third research, this is all changing and we are a body of your own. If you were doing the system, the fascial system. We don’t really beginning to see how the muscles work at Frankenstein thing in the laboratory you have an idea of how the whole system a distance, work on other structures, other would get wood or PVC for the bones. works. We have an idea of all the individual than their two ends. You’d get silicone for the cartilage. You’d parts; this tendon, this ligament, this get string and rubber tubing and some kind interosseous membrane, this bone, and BS: Any other pieces in terms of the of insulation and rubber for the insulation. this joint capsule. But science in general historical aspect of Dr. Rolf speaking to the And where would we be without duct and the physiotherapy world in particular fascia as an auto-regulatory system? tape? Your body makes all of these things doesn’t think of it (as we do) as a system TM: She spoke in large, historical terms by combining those fibers and mucous that is communicating with itself all over referencing the auto-regulatory system all proteins together in different amounts of the body to regulate our mechanics. We the time; the man, mankind, or the person. water. Those materials are all over the body. have described our mechanics in terms of Look at the chapters toward the end of They are all around the muscles. They form levers and force vectors that are applied to her book. What she said is what you could one big system. a structure with x amount of deformation. say at that time, an assertion, rather than Consequently, we have come up with a BS: That’s what we are interested in as a scientifically proven fact, that the fascia ‘parts-based’ idea of how the body works Rolfers, the system. works as a whole. But filling in the details mechanically. Our medical system treats through research has been left to the last TM: But here’s the trouble: in 500 years of the Achilles tendon or a SLAP tear as local decade or two, and has really been coming anatomy we haven’t seen that as a system. separate failures. That idea has taken us together in the last few years. The general We have described our biomechanics in some way down the road. We can certainly idea of the Rolfing ten-session series as she terms of individual parts, and we still name say things about support, posture, and taught it was to undertake working with them in terms of those individual parts, rehabilitation from this model of thinking. the whole body because patterns went and it’s really hard to think other than through the whole body. It wasn’t a matter

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 17 REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIRST GENERATION of individual muscles being at fault or TM: The idea of myofascial slings and 50-65% of the force is making it to the other individual bits failing. closed or open kinetic chains of muscles – end of the muscle. About half to one-third of which is muscle action at a distance through the forces are being distributed sideways to She did not have the idea of ‘tensegrity,’ the fascia – is very present in the personal- other muscles. Once you start thinking this which I find crucial. I was familiar with training and rehabilitation fields. The idea way, you see it takes all the strain off of one it; I studied with Bucky Fuller before I of putting those muscles together through muscle and distributes it out through the came to Ida Rolf. I had studied about the fascia in slings is something I put into whole lower leg, therefore you don’t have tensegrity in terms of architecture, but I my book, Anatomy Trains, which is more to be so strong, your body doesn’t have to had never thought about applying it to of a map or image than a scientific proof. be so heavy, you don’t have to have so much the body. There was a man named Ron More scientific researchers, like Andry muscle because the load is distributed over Kirkby who introduced the idea to our Vleeming and Diane Lee, have done work all the tissues of the lower leg, upper leg, community, and Dr. Stephen Levin, an on the fascial sling. For instance, they are trunk, etc. Your actual body is much more orthopedist, who tirelessly developed the documenting the biomechanical connection efficient than the way we have thought idea in the medical community, but it was from the latissimus on one side over about biomechanics for the past 400 years. the alternative community that was doing through the thoracolumbar fascia to the the most listening. I, having studied with Myofascial transmission also goes beyond gluteus on the other. Another connection Bucky, grabbed that idea and ran with it. the muscles to the ligaments, which is really from the pectoral muscles continues from Tensegrity gives you a visual feel of how interesting. In the previous way of thinking, the external oblique on one side, through the body responds as a whole. if I were lowering my arm from a ‘preacher the pubic bone over to the adductor longus curl,’ the ligaments of the elbow were doing Let me back up and say, the body is a on the other side. These kinds of oblique nothing, nothing, nothing until bam! I get to strain-distribution machine, not a strain- slings and other slings have been studied full extension and suddenly the ligaments focusing machine. Imagine taking every and documented in terms of actually stop the joint from damaging itself by muscle off the body except the biceps and putting ‘strainometers’ into the fascia and limiting the motion. Again, that is really saying, “What would the biceps do to the pulling on one end and seeing the strain inefficient. Why would you have a system skeleton if it were the only muscle on the show up at the other. It’s more than just a that was inert and inactive and redundant body?” You think of it acting only from one ‘good idea’ now. until you got out to the end range of end to the other end and therefore we say BS: What about myofascial force motion? You don’t get out to the end range the biceps is a supinator, an elbow flexor, transmission? of motion very much unless you are a and a weak diagonal flexor of the shoulder. yogi and into deep stretching. If you are Then we wipe our hands and walk away TM: All of the Anatomy Trains that I have chopping wood or something like that, you saying we know what a biceps does. But put into my book, I have dissected out of are not going from one end of your range in fact, a biceps never works alone on a the body. I am pretty sure they can be an to the other; you are working in the middle body, never ever. And it doesn’t only work objective reality but nobody has done the range. (You have a tremendous amount of end to end. It works on the brachialis and work to actually document the pull on force going through the joints when you are coracobrachialis beside it, and the bicep the scalp showing up on the feet or the chopping wood, but you are not necessarily has a tendon into the forearm flexors on the other way around. I am more speculative at the end range of motion.) We now know other end. It has all kinds of connections to and ahead of the science in that way. But that when the muscle contracts, it also the ligaments of the shoulder. Muscles are researchers with more money and patience tenses the ligaments nearby. Anatomists working on nearby structures aside from than I have are documenting myofascial put a scalpel in between the muscle and what we are pleased to call their function, force transmission beyond the origin and the ligaments and then declare them to be which we narrowly define as end to end. insertion to farther away. parallel systems. Well of course they are Dr. Rolf had a definite intuitive sense of this Secondly, people have documented parallel systems you jackass, you just put from her experience of yoga, her training in myofascial force transmission through the a scalpel in between them and separated osteopathy, and doing her own work. But fascia from one muscle to the muscle beside them. But in the body they are not separate. articulating it more specifically has been the it. We never thought of things that way. We When I tense my quads, I am also tensing job of various people; some of those people thought of force going from one end of the the medial and lateral collateral ligaments being Deane Juhan, John Smith in his biceps to the other. (and the ‘new’ anterolateral ligament). I am Structural Bodywork book, me in my book, also tensing the ligaments along the bridle and through the models of Stephen Levin When you are jumping rope and landing at the front of the knee. I am also tensing the and Tom Flemons. It’ll be a long journey to on the balls of your feet, our regular ligaments along the front of my hip because get to specific bio-tensegrity engineering, biomechanics would say the soleus and they are extensions of the vasti muscles. but a productive one. Danielle Claude- gastrocnemius are taking the force, that Again, muscles don’t simply contract from Martin is doing great work in this field, as the tendon is elastic, so you are kind of end to end – they just contract and tense is osteopath Graham Scarr in England. bouncing on the tendon – or, in older whatever tissue is in the neighborhood. thinking about it, bouncing on the muscle. BS: Where are we with current research And the ligaments are in the neighborhood. As it turns out, when the Achilles tendon is validating fascia as an auto-regulatory stretched, it transmits force not only to the Finally, there is the neurovascular bundle system and communicating beyond the soleus and gastrocnemius but also to the that comes to supply the muscle, arriving origin-and-insertion type of mechanism deep posterior compartment underneath by way of fascial sheaths. That is the fourth that is more localized? and to the peroneals over to the side. Only place where the fascia is connected into the

18 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIRST GENERATION muscle, which we haven’t actually thought Tom Myers was certified as a Rolfer in 1976, execute the ten sessions as a ‘Recipe’, but I about in our regular biomechanics. The and remains a member of the Rolf Institute. couldn’t ‘see’ structure. Rolf told us to keep nerve and the blood supply have to be able Author of Anatomy Trains (2014) and co- following the Recipe until we knew what to accommodate movement of the muscle. author of Fascial Release for Structural we were doing. Fortunately my hands were The currently popular ‘nerve work’ frees Balance (2010), Tom directs Kinesis, which better than my eyes (though heavy in the adhesions in this unique part of the fascia. offers continuing education and SI training style of those days), and my clients and I worldwide, from his home on the coast of Maine. sometimes had profound realizations of All this research is pointing us toward Ida’s awareness and being. idea of the system as a whole working Bruce Schonfeld is a Certified Advanced together. The body is clearly a strain- Rolfer and Rolf Movement Practitioner in Still, I knew I didn’t understand the distribution machine, not a strain-focusing Santa Monica and Los Angeles, California. He movement part. If structure and function machine. ‘Myofascial force transmission’ is teaches continuing education classes in Fascial were two aspects of the same thing, the clearly a misnomer – there is simply fascial Integration: Structural-Visceral Approaches function part was a bit skimpy for me. force transmission. Muscles are active through the Rolf Institute and International The key seemed to be to know more about organs and nerves and viscera more passive Alliance of Healthcare Educators. movement. I also felt the touch needed organs within that singular web. more refinement, but what I learned about that has been published elsewhere (Maupin 2007). Here I want to describe what I learned about movement. Expansional Balance The Line – and ‘Expansional Balance’ When speaking of movement, Rolf and the ‘Line’ emphasized the Line. The centers of By Edward W. Maupin, PhD gravity of each body segment should, most efficiently, align in a vertical column. I was quite inspired when I finished Again and again she emphasized this as my classes with Dr. Rolf in 1968. As a the fundamental concept of integrated psychologist I felt I had acquired a way to structure. She sometimes talked about communicate with the core consciousness the balance of segments on this Line as if of a person through the body. Nine years it were a static concept. That blocky boy, earlier, in graduate school, I had had a the so-fiercely defended Little Boy Logo, ‘beginner’s enlightenment’ using a Zen expresses this static quality. Buddhist meditation. I discovered a point of But she also spoke of the Line in a more witnessing from which I could observe the dynamic way, as a polarity expanding contents of my mind without attachment. in two directions. She said the reflexive For the next three months I could return downward thrust of the feet against to that state. One of my great discoveries the ground could be translated into an was that my body is me in the realest upward thrust of the head – provided the sense, and that it is extremely intelligent pelvis, diaphragm, and shoulders are not and creative. The body seemed to me to be interfering, but are balanced on the Line. the key to authenticity and to developing consciousness. I decided I wanted to Communicating the full feeling of this practice a psychotherapy that focused on dynamic expansion would have taken the the body. I worked with Mary Whitehouse, skills of a dance teacher, which Rolf was the pioneer of Authentic Movement, and not. I remember awkward scenes of our later, when I lived at Esalen Institute in Big class sitting rigidly ‘keeping our heads up Sur, I had access to other pioneers in body and our waistlines back,’ lest she chide us techniques. It was when I underwent the for our lapses. Once she had us standing in ten sessions with Rolf that I found myself a chorus line attempting to swing our knees back in the state of ‘witness.’ Frankly, it forward from the twelfth rib. (This doesn’t was the pain that made it necessary, but do justice to the ‘Patterning’ movements in witnessing I discovered much else. I she also taught and which Judith Aston so asked her to train me. Four months later, effectively elaborated.) But more developed in January 1968, I audited her first “Esalen movement work was definitely needed. class” (actually at the California Motel in The author at forty-four and at Six years later I met Michael Nebadon San Francisco) and ‘practitioned’ six months seventy-five. (known then as Oscar Aguado), an later in her second. Argentine jazz dancer. He had had moments I emerged, grateful for what I had received, of such inspiring freedom in his dance but aware that I didn’t know much. I could career in New York that he had “retired

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 19 REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIRST GENERATION to find the true sources of movement.” He It was obvious to me that everything we do three lumbar hinges in bench work. This spoke of open expansion so extreme that in the Rolf work can be seen as pursuing gives much more feeling of support in the the ordinary sense of self was transcended. one or more of these goals. Various details abdominal wall. Contacting the iliopsoas in To him, the body naturally expands shifted, though, and my emphases changed. this context can be a lot less confrontational. “omnidirectionally” in response to gravity. I thought this seemed a lot like Rolf’s Line Pelvic Extension The Horizontal Polarity – only more clearly three-dimensional. He Like many fellow Rolf practitioners, I Work with the arms and shoulders became called it “Expansional Balance.” eventually came to feel that Rolf was much more important for me. Rolf’s initial excessively biased in favor of a lengthened arm work sought primarily to balance the At the time I met him, he was teaching lumbar spine. The illustrations in her book shoulder girdle across the coronal plane. students how to find their expansion in are extreme in this regard. I faithfully kept Not much happened with the rest of the small steps by meticulously centering each my “tail under and waistline back” for arms until the integration sessions. With joint across its functional planes. In this way, many years, until I discovered I needed Expansional Balance it became clear that the body sense shifts from outer tension to more lumbar curve to avoid back pain. the arms and hands have an immense the center of the joint so that open expansion impact on the rest of the body. As a result I can take place out through it. One can then Look at how Rolf coached the pelvic lift, worked with them earlier and more often feel connection between adjacent joints until that basic movement of pelvic extension: in my sessions. (I’m aware that many other there comes to be an open, integrated state “Just turn your tail under . . . . Now lift up practitioners have come to focus earlier and of the entire body. It sounded like a good . . . . Now let your waistline come down much more on arms as well.) strategy for structural bodywork. in the back.” (She said the exact words were very important.) What did she mean My recent work with walking (Maupin In movement classes he often started with by ‘waistline’? I’ve heard she once said it 2014) has made the hands and arms seem the arms, balancing each joint, opening referred to the whole back of the lumbars. more important still. Keeping the hands the horizontal polarity from spine through But she also used it for the front of the spine open and sensing has all kinds of effects, fingertips and beyond. With the arms at L5. Many of Rolf’s pelvic lifts emphasized such as lightening the step, unifying the extended, we developed the pelvic extension this ‘sacral hinge.’ body, and even helping to organize the down through the feet and related it to the feet. It appears that we are quadrupeds balance front to back of the lumbars and Nebadon’s concept of Pelvic Extension even in our upright posture. The large area up through the neck and head (the ‘upper implied a subtly different sense of opening of the neocortex that registers sensation pole’). My Line was taking on much clearer downward from the anterior lower lumbars from the hands is within a synapse or two form in these classes, and I was learning to through the center of the pelvic bowl of four-fifths of the cortex, I have read. feel structure from the inside. Balancing through the feet into the ground. Less What a massive role it must play in our joints across their functional planes became turning the tail under was involved. The coordination! The hands especially seem part of my bodywork strategy – still upward extension involved a separation of to feed energy to the core, and when they following the Recipe. forces, down and up, at the sacral hinge. The are withdrawn from being in the world (for body can thus unroll all the way from the example, in the way elderly people often Four Parts of feet up through the diaphragm and all the withdraw from contact through the hands Expansional Balance way to the head. The arms can be open and and feet), the effects are obvious. It seemed to me that “omnidirectional balanced out across the horizontal plane, expansion in gravity” needed to be broken and the head can come up effortlessly. Greater attention to the counter-rotation of shoulders and hips in walking also reveals down into practical parts. Based on a Lumbar Balance variety of sources, I decided there must be a lot about rotations in the torso. four parts: a lower extension from pelvis Nebadon was finding the functional balance The Upper Pole through feet, a front-back balance across of joints, and the torso was no exception. the torso, a horizontal expansion of the Each hinge of the spine involved three For the upper pole to extend effortlessly, arms, and (finally) an upper extension of layers: the anterior abdominal wall, the the hinging of the cranium on the atlas is the neck and head. Of course the upper anterior spine (psoas), and the posterior crucial. The cue from the Alexander method extension is the other end of the lower spine (spinal erectors, etc.). The anterior – “neck free to come forward and up” – is extension, two ends of the same dynamic spine needs to be brought into relation with worth contemplating. There are essential Line, but in practice the two seemed to the posterior, and for this the abdominal reflexes in the neck such that, when the develop separately. wall needs to participate in the proper way. head tilts backward, the neck tends to The overly-dominant rectus abdominis plunge forward at the thoracic hinge, and These four parts of Expansional Balance can is only part of the picture: it needs to lift when the head hinges forward on the atlas be stated as movement directives: into each hinge (L1, L3, and L5), and for (chin in) the thoracic hinge tends to release • “Find the Pelvic Extension,” this it needs the transversus abdominis upward. The head has come ‘forward and and abdominal obliques to be strong. The up.’ But of course, the neck must be free • “Relate it to the Lumbar Balance,” Rolf method is pretty good at releasing to allow the atlanto-occipital hinge to • “Find the Horizontal Polarity,” and tissue, but not so good at strengthening function, and the front of the anterior neck it. Something else is needed. I began and upper chest must be free to respond. • “Find the Upper Pole.” teaching an exercise of lifting the rectus We can help with that. with ‘fire breathing’ and with tutoring the

20 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIRST GENERATION

These were the ways, some large and some small, in which Nebadon’s concept On Treating Clients of ‘Expansional Balance’ modified my practice of the Ten Series and of integrated movement. After six years in practice, I with Chronic Pain finally knew what I was doing, somewhat. An Interview with Jim Asher In the End By Jim Asher, Advanced Rolfing® Instructor (Emeritus) and Robert McWilliams, In the end I want to say something Certified Advanced Rolfer™, Rolf Movement® Practitioner about how Rolf seemed to me. Whatever “improvements” I feel I have found, I never Robert McWilliams: I would to ask forget that I am following in the footsteps you a few questions about how you work of a great teacher. She was a very spiritual, with clients who are in pain, especially in loving being. Compassion was behind it all: chronic pain. I’m going to cover a couple of we knew ‘mama knows best’, and mama areas: from an historical perspective – the wanted the best for us. Sometimes I felt a things you got from Dr. Rolf; from a clinical profound spiritual presence in her touch. perspective, what you’ve picked up from She had very little interest in the subjective your own experience; and any of the other experience of the person under her hands. strong influences on your work, such as She was very precise, but it was the Dr. Philip Greenman. Where would you precision of a surgeon. She was a material like to start? scientist, not a psychologist. That left much to develop in the touch communication. Jim Asher: I’ll start with Dr. Rolf, since Nevertheless, hers was a vast compassion I studied with her first. Dr. Rolf was really transmitted by a formidable intellect. To good at working with painful problems, this day I carry an impression of her spirit but she did not believe in chasing pain. and hear words that seem to come from Her whole idea was to make space in the her memory. body by systematically working with fascia, almost identical vision with Dr. Rolf. If you balancing around the joints, and getting took his blueprint and Ida’s blueprint they Bibliography clients “on their Line”; that’s the whole idea were almost the same. No contradictions. There were some differences, but they both Maupin, E. 2007. “The Mirror of Awareness of the Ten Series. You simply can’t make believed in getting space around the joints. in Structural Integration.” IASI The 2007 space in the entire body in one session. It In Greenman’s classes you got lectures with Yearbook of Structural Integration. Missoula, would be nice, but you can’t do it. Clients a lot of detail and were working at tables Montana: International Association of would love it, but there’s too much fascia with good supervision. The supervisors Structural Integrators,109-113. to lengthen. She was good at working with pain. She would work on one or two places were all sharp, mostly MDs, PTs, or DOs. Maupin, E. 2014. “Five-Awareness Walking” and open you up and balance things to the When I rolled my car I injured my back (in preparation). point where you didn’t feel pain. “Prepare and was in a lot of pain. I went to this Ed Maupin (www.edmaupin.com) is a clinical the way, get it in balance, and get out,” she very good Rolfer and had gotten some psychologist (PhD, University of Michigan, would say. She would not necessarily work relief. I also went to a very fine osteopath, 1962) and the earliest-trained Rolf practitioner where the pain was. Sometimes she did and Dr. Harold Magoun Jr., and had gotten still in practice. He authored A Dynamic sometimes she didn’t, but she would find some more relief in the lumbars, but then Relation to Gravity, a classroom manual of the those connections that gave you enough the pain came back because my sacrum Rolf Method. He is president of IPSB College space so that you didn’t feel pain when you was still out. When I was in the third class in San Diego (www.ipsb.edu), where he teaches got up and walked. with Dr. Greenman, he put me on the bench structural integration. In 1971 she lent me The Cranial Bowl [by Dr. and did some work and he got to my core Sutherland] and that’s how I got started. I problem. The Rolfer and Magoun had got went to some early craniaosacral classes everything but this one thing. Greenman and in 1983 a spinal mechanics and Muscle was able to get this one thing. It’s not to take Energy Technique (MET) [class] with Dr. away from these other people. They were Richard MacDonald. This led me to take an doing great things for me. in-depth program by Dr. Greenman, author From these experiences I got more of Principles of Manual Medicine. He had interested in pain. I liked studying with done extensive research on low-back pain. the osteopaths because they had the big Dr. Greenman believed that resolving pain picture. They worked with all the joints, takes more then one treatment. He had a and had a sense of how they all connected. systematic way of teaching over five classes, They also understood fascia but they plus later advanced ones, and all of the didn’t have the time to work with it. So classes built on the previous ones. Studying I decided to try to put these two things with Greenman I realized that he had an together. Now everybody has gifts. I never

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 21 REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIRST GENERATION met anybody who didn’t have a gift. I’d JA: Well, it could be. That would be one JA: Right. Pain is typically when we have have to say that my gift is overlap. I am way of doing it. Now you have to remember a collapsed joint or something is pinched. good at overlapping. Takes me a while. that I knew I was going to this class [with And if you can get that joint, whether it’s a I’m slow. I am not a fast thinker. I kept Greenman], so I went and had a Rolfing vertebra or a shoulder or a knee, to open up sliding things around and then I would Structural Integration (SI) session and I a little more in the right direction, typically see the overlap between these two fantastic received work from Dr. Magoun, who the pain will disperse. With Rolfing SI we systems of manipulation. Their blueprints was a genius himself. So in a sense, I was have the ability to build a body better, so fit each other. So that’s what I worked with. all set up to get work in this class. Now that the pain won’t come back, because we Dr. Greenman and Dr. Rolf used movement. Greenman had a syllabus to follow and in can get the person more balanced. Dr. Rolf believed in giving people balance looking at that syllabus I thought, “That’s If you buy into the total concept, we look in function. Greenman believed in specific my problem” – I figured out I had a left at what is above and below and how it’s exercise to support the problem area. He posterior torsion. We were working on each going to help. That was Ida’s gift – to look would say, “Well, I can open that joint but other, and I had already had my lumbars at what was above and below and see how if your gluteals aren’t working you’re just cleared out. So in a way, when he worked on that was going to assist this area in staying going to collapse again.” So he also believed me, there wasn’t much left. My system was open. Keeping space. Whereas other people in giving people certain exercises. pretty clear. He had me on the bench and think about keeping space but they don’t he moved me and he knew exactly where RMcW: Similar to what a PT might be look above and below. Greenman would he was going. It was amazing! He made it doing now? look above and below and say, “Okay, now look simple. you have to go down to the sacrum.” He JA: Right. Greenman taught at Michigan RMcW: So would you say it was just really had the full vision. He liked [working with] State. They have a physical therapy excellent palpation? fascia and he had had [a number of Rolfing department there and he had some SI sessions] by a couple of different people, influence with them. In his book he shows JA: Yes, it was excellent palpation and he but he preferred to focus on the joints and exercises that helped him. You know he had was really dialed in. He moved my body on the nervous system too. So, I’ve had a really radical scoliosis – in his second book and had me move with him, like two good parents bring in babies with torticollis he actually shows the scoliosis. The thing tango dancers working together. I was able and you have to get length and space in about Greenman was he was always on to let go and let him move me. He was the those cervicals to relieve the torticollis. In point and he expected you to be on point. lead, so to speak, and I was the follower. You working with, say, a clubfoot, you have to In twenty-five days we covered every detail know when you go to a chiropractor and get the bones to move, but you also have to in his textbooks. All of his assistants were sometimes you’re not able to relax? With get the fascia to move too. prepared to teach every detail of his books. him, I was totally able to relax. He combined He was always on time and he expected guided movement and MET. He didn’t RMcW: So, say you have a client come in you to be on time. All of his assistants were thrust on me, by the way. Well, he kind of who has limited funds and has neck pain. always on time. You had to be ready to go. did but gently, and I was moving the whole What do you do with that client? At any rate, I had pain and he worked on time while seated on the bench. I remember JA: I tell him that [by doing just a couple me on the bench and when I got up and Dr. Rolf teaching us how to work on the of sessions] I can only fix this for while. walked, I had perfect mechanics! One of bench, and she would see someone working He really is going to need a full Series. I the things that’s different between Rolfers and she would say, “Stop right there!” Then think I sometimes fail clients by not telling and most PTs is, I think, we feel our bodies she would put her elbow in somebody’s them they need a full series at some point. more. We pay more attention in class to back. She had a big soft elbow. People don’t Realistically, you can get them out of pain how things feel. PTs are bright people but in remember that. She had a very comfortable for a couple of months, but unless they have their classes they don’t care so much about elbow, not a pointed one. She would stop had a lot of work, it won’t last. So if the how you feel, but whether you know this at one place and she would say, “Now person has neck pain, I’ll give a shoulder- or that. So when I got up from the bench breathe right here.” Or she would have the girdle session including the arms. Again, I could actually feel my sacrum moving client drop his head slightly, find his sitz you have to work above and below. I do perfectly. I was going on about my sacrum bones, or have you move your elbow, and translation [of the joints]. Now I don’t do and how I could feel my ilia, and when I with that, she would get the joint to open. any thrusting, no high-velocity work. I do looked around, everyone was looking at Ida was constantly calling for movement. low (slow)-velocity work to get that joint me like I was a goofball [laughs]. When she started teaching the movement to move in the three planes of movement. work, people didn’t understand how she RMcW: Because you could feel what was When you get that movement, and you used it, how she called for movement that actually going on. create that space, he’ll be out of pain for was supposed to open a joint. Ida was not quite a while. JA: Right. So then I realized that I had to good at explaining the movement she called tone it down a little bit in explaining my for. She understood it, and she thought you And you have to work around the nerves. experience. But I was out of pain and I could see it. [Before he passed away,] Don Hazen had stayed out of pain, because he had gotten been teaching Rolfers how to work with RMcW: Would you say that an important that last piece. the nerves. Jon Martine is really good at focus for working with pain is through teaching this. So you have to include the RMcW: Would you call that the primary movement work, or through identifying nervous system, as well as the craniosacral restriction approach? Identifying the appropriate movement through, say, a system, in your view. If the client has neck primary lesion or restriction? shoulder joint or vertebra?

22 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIRST GENERATION pain, the brachial plexus may not be sliding. with pain you should allow a little more JA: Yes, core stabilization is exactly it. Now You have to get that brachial plexus to slide. time for integration? you don’t want them to over stabilize. They And this is the brilliance of Ida’s First, Third, may have a strong iliacus, but be weak in JA: Right. Now the problem is that people Fifth, and Seventh Hours – how to open up the transversus [abdominis]. with pain don’t understand this. Most of the thoracic outlet: get space around the my practice is dealing with clients in pain, RMcW: So it is this hands-on feeling upper ribs, get the clavicles up off of the and I have to explain to them that we need instead of just getting a conceptual idea ribs, get the shoulder girdle repositioned, to balance things. Then they’ll start to tell from the Pilates teacher. and get some freedom in it. You’ll be taking me about these other pains and want me to pressure off those nerves. And remember, JA: Yes. These people need to keep going work on those areas. I have to tell them that we have eight cervical nerves and they all to their Pilates class and strengthening their we can work on only two or three pain areas need to slide. Just moving the joints isn’t core. We don’t do that in Rolfing [SI]. We at a time, not four or five. The osteopaths going to do it, although the person might don’t strengthen the body. We give them know this. Greenman said, specifically, to feel good for a day or so. But if you can give length, then they can go out and build never think you can fix someone in one a good upper session and make sure that strength. People get irritated when I tell session. It may take three, four, five sessions plexus is sliding, you’re going to get that them this. They don’t want to have to do – you just never know. He thought it was person out of pain. You have to be able to anything themselves. They just want to foolhardy to tell someone you could get palpate the plexus and work around it and come and see me. But I believe it is my duty them out of pain in just one session. not injure it. That takes understanding your to tell them that they need to strengthen this anatomy well. Some Rolfers want to learn RMcW: This makes me wonder about the or that part of the their body, and then they tricks, but they don’t want to know their attitudinal piece of not trying to do too will be able to stay out of pain. anatomy. Having a deeper understanding much in one session, but rather to just try to RMcW: Excellent. of fascial anatomy and nerve anatomy will bring the person to a higher level of order. help you get your work to be more effective. JA: This is the same as in the Rolf JA: Yes, you can bring them to a higher So to understand pain, you have to have Movement® work: like teaching people how level. Sometimes, though, you do get lucky this perception of the systems. Ida wanted to use their core and walk through their and it all comes together in some sort of us to learn all the systems, but she felt that hinges. A lot of clients think this is stupid. magical way and the person is out of pain. the fascial system was the easiest way to get They’ll say that they went to a movement The problem is that it won’t happen every in there. From there, you could enter into teacher and all he did was show them time. You also have to get your clients to these other systems more easily. how to walk. Well, knowing how to walk do some things on their own. I’m always properly can keep you out of pain. RMcW: So, the primary way to approach suggesting yoga classes. I teach clients working with pain is to get good mobility stretches that will help them. Some people RMcW: That’s a great statement. in the fascial system, and from there do them and I can see that it helps, while JA: Learning how to walk is not a waste working with joints and the other systems others won’t do them. of the body. How do you know how not to of time or money [laughs]. Some people RMcW: So another approach to working overwork something? You can over-mobilize don’t make that connection. Dr. Greenman with pain is to empower the client to take something. How do you address this? believed in gait analysis. Now he might more responsibility for his own situation. send them off to a PT, because he didn’t JA: Again, you have to remember to work have the time. JA: Right. I have about five clients right above and below and then you’ll have a now who have spinal stenosis and are in session with a beginning, middle, and end. RMcW: Is it fair to say that, for you, when a lot of pain. So with them I’ll do some At the end, you’ll tie it all together. Now focused on resolving pain it is important to Rolfing work, some joint work, some cranial clients will want you to keep working on use the lens of structure, while also working work, but I’m also trying to help them find where the pain is, but you have to tell them at improving client function as a long-term their own “sweet spot.” If you can get a that it is all tied in together and you are strategy for mitigating pain? person [with stenosis] to move through his going to wrap everything up at the end. JA: Right. Even when working with spine, to feel his spine, and then balance Ida’s sessions always had a beginning, a people with neck pain, I look at how they his curves, you can get him out of pain. middle, and an end. She would set it up, are sitting and help them try to find their To stay out of pain, he has to have overall go to the problem area, balance around it, Line while sitting. I actually do more sitting tone. Most people with stenosis lack tone then have you get up and move. And she analysis than standing analysis now. They somewhere. They may not have good core would get people out of pain. Greenman are probably sitting at a computer all day, tone even though they have been doing and Magoun also worked this way. Magoun so I’m going to work on how they sit. That’s Pilates. Maybe they have a good Pilates would work on you for twenty, twenty-five probably where their pain is coming from. teacher, but the Pilates teachers are not minutes, with the last five minutes being putting their hands on them like a Rolfer cranial work. That was when he would RMcW: Is there anything else you would does. So I show them the place where they balance the nervous system so that you like to add? need tone. I tell them to keep going to their would hold the adjustments. Pilates class, but here is the area I want them JA: Yeah, there is. In 1992 I went to RMcW: I know that we were taught to to get more tone. the World Congress on Low Back and work that way, to have that integrative Pelvic Pain that was held just outside RMcW: Core stabilization. element. So are you saying that in working of San Diego. Dr. Greenman and Andry Vleeming presented. Vleeming later

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 23 REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIRST GENERATION wrote a great book on back pain with JA: Thank you, Rob. the founder of the Colorado Cranial Institute studies on facet dysfunction, myofascial and a member of the International Association Jim Asher is an internationally recognized states, spondylolisthesis, that sort of thing. of Structural Integrators. Jim has been in Rolf Institute instructor. He was trained as a Greenman had one study published that private practice for over thirty-seven years and Rolfer by Dr. Ida P. Rolf in 1971. In 1973 he showed different percentages of sacroiliac currently has offices in Boulder and Denver, was invited by Dr. Rolf to become a Rolfing pain, iliolumbar pain, pubic pain. This Colorado, specializing in his unique mix of instructor and to assist her in training basic and was great for me, having all these studies Rolfing SI and craniosacral therapy. advanced classes. He assisted in her trainings done on pain. So I read all these studies until her death in 1979. Jim was one of the first Robert McWilliams is a Rolfer and Rolf and I got some great ideas on how to work teachers of the advanced training. He is also Movement Practitioner in Boulder, Colorado with pain. Greenman had honed it down and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. to very specific types of pain. I used to teach this class and I would give out his [Greenman’s] handouts on how to deal with these different conditions. A lot of people just didn’t want to learn the information ® and I told them, “Look, you have to know The Rolfing SI Life this information because then you can be specific.” You can ‘shotgun’ it sometimes Delights and Cautions and get good results, but if you really know By Nicholas French, Certified Advanced Rolfer™ and Anne Hoff, Certified the information you’ll be successful more of Advanced Rolfer the time. So, anyway, I started going to these conferences and I’ve been to most of them. Editor’s Note: This is part two of an interview. Part one appeared in the June 2013 issue.

RMcW: Did you go to the recent one in Anne Hoff: Let’s talk about Ida Rolf and emphatic. I think she had an unusually fine Los Angeles? her lineage, since you go back to early days balance of the rational and the intuitive, or JA: Yeah. It was really good for me. There and have seen a lot happen in our Rolfing left/right brain function, whatever one calls were these women from Denmark and Structural Integration (SI) community over it, and that’s what really got my attention. Norway who had done these brilliant the years. It seems like Dr. Rolf embodied Not many people have that balance. I was studies on women with pelvic pain. So I both the scientific and the metaphysical, also touched when she said, “Healing is the was watching these presentations with and those are two threads that continue intuitive art of wooing nature.” to inform our work and sometimes be the Eric ‘Freedom From Pain’ Dalton, and we AH: I don’t know if you saw it, but some source of conflict. could see that most of the pain was right years ago we published an interview I did next to places that you could work on in a Nicholas French: In my experience, with Dr. Rolf’s astrologer, who was a client Fourth or Sixth Hour – just on or just below Dr. Rolf dropped occasional remarks of mine at one point. One of the things she the sacrotuberous ligament, for instance. about the metaphysical, but stayed said was that Dr. Rolf had really strong By understanding your pelvic mechanics primarily with science, anatomy, and the metaphysical beliefs, and said that Rolfing you can do some simple work around the work. Colleagues have talked about how SI came from ancient Egypt or something, pelvic floor and you can help with this very sometimes in class Dr. Rolf would bring so who knows what she thought. specific pelvic pain. out a pendulum, as though she were going Nicholas French: Ida Rolf was not only to check someone’s energy or something. RMcW: Well, Jim, we are out of time – any a brilliant innovator and a formidable Ron Thompson, who took many wonderful final thought? teacher, she was wise about human nature. photos of Dr. Rolf, noticed that and kept She reminded us from time to time, “You are JA: Yeah. I feel like we Rolfers have a lot trying to get a picture of her hand with ® not therapists. You are catalysts. Gravity is to offer people, and the Rolf Institute the pendulum, but she seemed to have an the therapist.” And when some of us started does a good job of getting out the basic uncanny sense about when Ron raised his throwing around weighty technical terms, principles. People still need to keep taking camera, so the pendulum would disappear. she pointed out, “Remember, what we classes, though. I still take classes, usually I think she knew that might look ridiculous are doing here is, we are trying to learn one a year. to some people, and she didn’t want her to see.” My hunch is that her intention was work misunderstood. But the mixture was RMcW: Yes, and you teach classes as well. to remind us to keep our egos in check. there. One day in class somebody asked, While the ego is a very important part of JA: Well, I teach a five-day class every year “How did you invent Rolfing SI?,” and one’s psychological structure, it is also in Italy and I also teach in Japan and the she said, “I didn’t invent it. As much as it’s problematic. You probably know that States. I find that I’m better at teaching the needed for our evolution, this sort of work in a number of religious traditions the shorter classes now. As I’ve gotten older, I must have been around forever. I worked ego is equated with evil. It is continually find that my social tenacity isn’t quite what hard to understand it, but it wouldn’t have in action responding to events in one’s it used to be [laughs]. come together as it is now without the help life, and from infancy onward it tends to of the Good Lord.” That really jarred me. I RMcW: Keep us posted about any consider itself the center of the universe. saw her as a scientist, and that was the first upcoming classes and thanks once again With time, patience, and education – which time I’d heard her say something so specific for the interview. frequently involves colliding with other about that metaphysical area, and she was egos and losing the contest – one tends to

24 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIRST GENERATION

this is how it’s done. Once you percolate down layer by layer, some of the fire, the transmission, gets lost, reinterpreted, mixed up with other people’s egos and interests. The challenge is to maintain some sort of purity while also bringing in new pieces and new interpretations. NF: Good point! Like any Rolfer, I had various “Aha!” moments in my practice, stumbling onto a tactic that worked surprisingly well. Or I read a book that I thought offered a brilliant paradigm shift in how to understand our work. Of course I would be eager to share the discovery with my students at the Rolf Institute®, but fortunately I always stayed with the Melchior family and over dinner, or as Peter and I were driving in to start our class days, I would tell him about my Great Discovery – and he would give me a certain look and then help get my feet back on the ground. I definitely wasn’t the first to think like that. He helped me to recognize that ego puffery that is a constant and to keep me true to what Dr. Rolf taught us. Rolfing culture Nicholas French and Dr. Rolf having a chat at her last annual meeting, 1978. Photo by has always involved a mixture of science, Joseph Heller. metaphysics, and personal vision, and that’s an exciting, but unpredictable mixture. achieve a sort of balance: “I may not be the great, dry sense of humor – a real sense of smartest, fastest, prettiest, strongest, etc., humor, the kind that comes from learning AH: Since Dr. Rolf, the faculty has brought but I’m fairly sure I’m good in these areas not to take oneself too seriously. in things like the Principles of Rolfing SI, . . . ” That’s a normal adjustment. It’s that clarify the work, but you need further When I was on the faculty (an exercise important to remember that for most of us, understanding to use that approach. The in handling my ego), I wanted to convey the temptation to believe in our specialness Recipe is still the easiest learning tool, and the power of our work, which is literally is ever-present. My guess is that Dr. Rolf one that can be built on. When you put amazing. To be a teacher of Rolfing knew that when the effectiveness of our the two together it makes sense. The gift SI confers a good deal of power. Very work brings gratitude and praise from in the Principles is that if you understand seductive to see those eager (mostly) faces clients who see us as special, one natural the Series, then you understand that each looking to one for the keys to this work, consequence is the temptation to think of session is not a fixed protocol but is driven for help and validation. Fortunately, there ourselves as rather wonderful – probably by a goal, by a certain principle you are is help available in books on power in true healers. The Healer is a very powerful trying to work with, and that brings the the helping profession, like The Educated archetype, and falling into such ego session to life for each client that you work Heart: Professional Boundaries for Massage inflation can be extremely dangerous. (In with. So you might do five first sessions in Therapists, Bodyworkers, and Movement ancient times, it was seen as believing one one day, but they’ll all be different because Teachers, by the late Rolfer Nina McIntosh. was god-like, a big mistake that would be you understand the life within the Recipe. corrected painfully by the gods.) It is to AH: Years ago, at the first IASI conference, I think that’s what was brought out with flirt with the risk of a deep wound, a loss Deane Juhan spoke about organizational the Principles. But if people can’t make the of perspective – what Carl Jung compared change, saying that in the SI community leap to that, or didn’t have the Recipe, then to seeing oneself as the whole, rather than we were coming to a third wave. The origin they’re working just from abstraction. a part of the whole. So in effect, I heard Dr. was Ida Rolf, then there were the people NF: There are certain assumptions we Rolf reminding us to be alert to the normal she directly taught, they were the ones follow about what a balanced structure is, human tendency to puff ourselves up, and who got the direct transmission, got the fire how it best functions and moves. We always to instead seek a balance that helps us stay straight from her. Then we now we have a have some framework of assumptions, grounded. I figure she knew that ego pull whole level of faculty who had no direct some didactic structure to inform us. But and its danger, because most of us saw her contact with Rolf, their contact with that often, as I’ve worked with somebody and as very special, brilliant, and psychic. She fire is through others. Juhan spoke about the was really puzzled by what I was seeing, I was determined that we carry on the work, difficulties organizations face the further would simply put my hands somewhere as so she probably wanted to teach us about they get from the founder. I think that’s part though I were about to do something, just balance and integrity. She was tough, but of what we are seeing. In Ida Rolf’s lifetime to pause and listen or feel or sense or be compassionate. Fortunately, she also had a she was there to carry the torch and say ready to pay attention if something popped

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 25 REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIRST GENERATION up that would suggest a new approach. best I know, and that is the Ten Series, so NF: Exactly. I think that what often It’s quite amazing how often something I give him a first session; that is, I worked confuses us is getting caught – especially does pop up and has very good effects. I with him within that idea in the way his early in our practices – between a) the bright think that’s an important phenomenon to structure demanded. It was his first session, possibility of helping someone, and b) the open to. I’m not suggesting that anyone it wasn’t a ‘classic’ First Hour (whatever that person in front of us who is skeptical and should slavishly follow any founder. might be), except that I was guided by the in pain, and wants his or her symptoms Dr. Rolf didn’t want that. You’ve heard her principles as I could apply them to him. His removed now. That can be intimidating. statement, “I don’t want people to simply tissue was healthy, he changed well and Every time I start working with a new follow the Recipe – any cook can do that. was very happy, moving very differently person, it’s not as though I know this is I want chefs, people who know why the when he left. A few weeks later the boss going to be a wonderful session and he or Recipe is as it is.” I could probably make came for a session and I asked, “How’s that she is going to be very happy. And then a decent argument that any changes the man you sent over?” He said, “You fixed there’s the pain issue. Watching Ida work, faculty made in the teaching over the years him, his back pain is gone, no problem.” it was obvious there was pain occasionally. could have been some kind of conscious Well, of course something inside me said, She talked about how important it was to or unconscious need to separate from a “Great, but how long will that last?” If it learn to deal with pain, “theirs and yours.” founder we could no longer talk to, could lasts the rest of the guy’s life, wonderful. I Life isn’t painless. Many kinds of wounds only imagine. There are times when people wish I had the confidence to say I believe get stuck in people; getting to the level have become so dependent on the founder – that could happen. I suppose I’ve always where the wound is stuck tends to bring to or how they understood the founder – that done sessions different ways, but always awareness, to some degree, the unpleasant it interferes with the principles they were with the view of beginning a process with experience at its root. I was fascinated by given. I think we’ve got to be gutsy enough a unique being, to respectfully begin to Dr. Rolf’s statement, “Pain is largely an to try new stuff, but also to remember that untie the knots in that structure with the opinion.” She explained that most pain we’re human, we make mistakes. The need Ten Series in mind. in our work involves two elements that is to attain enough overall understanding get tangled together: a physical sensation AH: So the guy came in and instead of of how the parts fit in the big picture and and the emotional memory of something addressing the weak link in the chain what we’re missing that we need to listen frightening. She maintained that if one directly, trying to fix his back, you worked for. We’re all different. We have one of the could totally surrender to the sensation from the Series. Using a term from the strangest, richest communities I’ve ever in the moment, apart from the memory, biodynamic field, you elicited the health. been part of. We bring up all different kinds the pain would disappear. As usual, I was You didn’t worry about the weak link, of ideas, sometimes get snarky about them, deeply skeptical. And, as usual, I found out you knew it was there, but you invited his but they are discussed, kicked around, she was right. One day Emmett Hutchins – body into greater presence, awareness, and talked about. I’d really be worried if the who we affectionately called “the plow” for balance – in the case of a First Hour, more entire faculty rose up and said, “There’s his depth and determination – was working breath. I’m wondering if that’s part of why nothing more to question, we now know on me, and he went to a deep place in my it worked. everything we need to know.” abdomen that elicited the sort of sensation I NF: You’re onto something very important. would expect if forced to fall on my sword. AH: On the Rolf Forum LISTSERV you once It’s a lovely way to put it. A deep, inescapable, terrifying gut pain, said that even when you know you are only and the first words that ran through my going to have one session to work with a AH: On the Forum you quoted Ida Rolf awareness were, “I’m going to die!” And client, and that person just wants help with saying, “If you work on people’s symptoms, the next words that ran through awareness a particular symptom, even then you tend they will gradually get worse.” In following were, “Okay, so I die. I’ve had a great life, to work in the context of a First Hour. Talk the intention of the Series you are working it’s a beautiful day, I’m with a friend . . about that a little bit. to improve the body’s overall resiliency, .” – and the pain vanished. Totally. Emmett adaptability. You are taking a load off, NF: What comes to mind is a client who’d was astonished at the change he felt in my freeing the body, rather than looking at a had great results from his Rolfing sessions abdomen. I guess I really surrendered. place that’s already under stress. and called me one day and said, “Listen, Each session it’s a new test, resting into one of my best workers has shown up and NF: It’s a balance of including the known, the pain and accepting it, but it still works. he can’t work, he’s got really bad low back the stuff we are really sure of, but also the I tell clients about it, and they are almost pain. I’m sending him over whenever you stuff that might be more mysterious and not always dubious, but a few have found that name the time and I’ll pay for it. I know so clear. There was a kind of prompt, a sort place. Remember, Dr. Rolf emphasized that you can fix him up.” So this guy comes of tickle that said “What about this?” that our work is a form of education. I kinda in, a manual laborer, strong guy who could be worth following. I have the sense think if I can help clients understand the does plenty of heavy lifting, and he has that I’m often better at intuitive prompts basic principles of our work it might have that lower back issue that our species has than logical thought. deeper effects. had for thousands of years. I look at him, AH: I always feel she was encapsulating AH: Our work takes a lot of faith of some thinking about my choices. I run through in the Ten Series everything she could give sort. I guess for me it’s faith in my training a few strategies, and one thing that comes us. It’s a brilliant teaching tool, and if you but also trust that something else is going to mind is, “What if I focus on something go into your practice and do the Ten Series to assist me besides my knowledge base, that is more like a fix-it point and it doesn’t over and over again, it teaches you. besides my experience. And that if I’m work?” Finally I decide to start with the

26 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIRST GENERATION open I’ll be directed in some way to what ® is needed. Rolfing SI in Context NF: That sounds good to me. It’s a matter of Editor’s Note: James Allen wants to state that this article is how he remembers this time – it tuning into that thing that exists in us just as may not be the truth as others see it. After Dr. Allen submitted this article, he and Rolfer™ Rob it lived in those we’ve admired, like Ida Rolf McWilliams decided to delve further in an interview, which follows the article. or anybody else. Why not? You know that wonderful book Remembering Ida Rolf? Over the years I had begun to think I must be Esalen, 1967 making up stuff or imagining things: could By James R. Allen, MD she really have been that uncanny? When I read that book, I realized no, there are a In the spring of 1967, I had my first Rolfing lot of similar, even wilder, stories about Structural Integration (SI) session with Jan what she could do. I’m still mulling over Sultan at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, something she told us that feels like a California. I hoped that it would “make Zen koan: “Ultimately, Rolfing [SI] is for room for my heart” as Fritz Perls claimed the Rolfer.” My strongest hunch is that she it had for him. I’m not sure it really did that meant it’s about our deeper learning. for him or for me, but it certainly opened up my breathing. For days, I felt intoxicated. AH: Well, thank you. One of the wonderful things about our community is that we have Nineteen sixty-seven was an intoxicating so many different people, with something year for people interested in the development that unites us all, like fascination with this of human potential, especially for those work. We come from many viewpoints, living in the region between San Francisco Satir had just published her ground- different eras of time, but we cross-pollinate and Big Sur. San Francisco was moving into breaking book Conjoint Family Therapy. It is over time and fields of interest. It is a its famous Summer of Love, full of hippies, difficult now to describe her effect on people brilliant community we are all involved in. psychedelics, hope, and media fame. The – charismatic is too mundane a word. free speech movement had already drawn People felt deeply understood and touched, NF: Yes. Messy, but brilliant. attention to Berkeley slightly to the north. and they responded by meeting her AH: Thank you so much. In Palo Alto, the Mental Research Institute expectations. A few detractors complained pioneered in family therapy and both that she “seduced” people into mental Nicholas French is a Certified Advanced Rolfer dolphin and human communication. In health. That was the best they could do to with a practice in Dallas, Texas. He trained in Carmel, Eric Berne was elaborating his explain the effects she had, but it missed the the 1970s with Ida Rolf, Peter Melchior, and theory of ego states, the differing ways fact that she had a clear system for relating Emmett Hutchins and served on the faculty in of thinking, feeling, and behaving that to people and that it could be taught and the 1980s and early 1990s. go together and which he labeled Parent, learned. At the time, she was associated Anne Hoff is a Certified Advanced Rolfer Adult, and Child, basic existential positions, with the Mental Research Institute in Palo with a practice in Seattle and Port Orchard, and ways of conceptualizing and changing Alto, which had been established by Don Washington. interpersonal transactions, including those Jackson and his team, including Jay Haley, he called “games.” And then, a little further John Weakland, and Paul Watzlawick. south, there was Esalen. From them emerged a host of therapies including strategic, constructivist, and Esalen was an old estate perched high a communication-based family therapy. on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean. The However, Satir became the first training setting and its sulfur hot springs made it an director of the Esalen residency-training attractive place to relax and meet. Michael program, a year-long program for young Murphy inherited it from his grandparents people, many of them ex-Peace Corp and, after returning from studying with volunteers, who were interested in ways Sri Aurobindo (a Hindu mystic who had to facilitate human growth. established Auroville, City of the Dawn, an experimental community in south India), he Fritz Perls was a different story! When he turned Esalen into a place for people who moved to Esalen from Los Angeles and wanted to explore ‘human potential.’ Then, built a house there, he already had a long as now, the majority came for weekend or history of triumphs and failures – a person week-long stays characterized by three- who, as he entitled his autobiography, had hour group sessions, fine meals, and the been In and Out of the Garbage Can. A one- baths. Different group leaders, many of time psychoanalyst and a refugee from them famous either then or later, came each Nazi Germany, he and his wife, Laura, week, but the early superstars were Virginia had developed Gestalt Therapy, a mixture Satir and Fritz Perls. of Gestalt psychology, psychodynamics, the early work of William Reich, the dramatic techniques of Max Rheinhardt,

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 27 REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIRST GENERATION the zeitgeist of Weimar (including the Levine would pick up clients who went Bauhaus movement), and an existential every month looking for abreactions, but emphasis on being in the here-and-now. Follow-Up Interview never got better. They just abreacted. There Perls was a powerful therapist and many was a belief that Rolfing clients would have of his techniques have been incorporated with Robert McWilliams, abreactions, and memory flashes and all – generally without acknowledgement – Certified Advanced Rolfer™, that . . . but the Rolfers wouldn’t touch them Rolf Movement® Practitioner into a variety of therapies now popular. [the abreactions]. They just let it go. Those However, personally he could be quite Robert McWilliams: What was the of us that were therapists thought that thorny and difficult. reputation of Rolfing® SI at that time? they were missing this great opportunity. However, people expected to be cured and It was Perls who, after a heart attack, James Allen: There was a reputation cured quickly. brought Ida Rolf to Esalen. “She made room that Rolfing [SI] was painful, that Ida was for my heart” was his way of describing dictatorial, and that you had to be brave to RMcW: What did they want to be cured of? what she did for him. Some of us felt he engage in Rolfing [SI], which was different JA: Psychological traumas. And do it had needed it. My wife, who was one of his than the usual Esalen massages, which were quickly. Do it and get it over with. I think trainees, noted that he softened emotionally. calming, relaxing, and went maybe into Rolfing [SI] did offer that hope. Reflecting His endorsement gave Rolf a certain sexuality. Rolfers didn’t do that; they just on that now, I don’t think that catharsis for mystique even before she arrived there to pushed, pounded [laughter], and prodded, the sake of catharsis is very useful. It’s like set up training programs. Soon, a number and left bruises. The session I had was on a religious experience: the important thing of young Rolfers™ were available. the floor of the cottage I was staying in, a is integrating whatever it is into one’s daily floor of pebbles and cement. The Rolfer Like many others at the time, I was not at all life. My later experiences of Rolfing [SI] just had me lay right on the floor with no clear how or why Rolfing SI worked. There sessions were that the client is not dealing blanket or anything – so that he would have was expectation of catharsis and abreaction just with a technician, but also with someone resistance, I suppose. He did push, and go – as there was for almost all the therapies who is able to titrate. This, as in the hands of in with his elbow. at Esalen – and it offered the hope of major Stacey Mills and especially you, is more like rapid change. [Editor’s note: For those of not I remember that some of the usual Esalen modern psychotherapy. Personally, I didn’t familiar with the term, ‘abreaction’ is pretty folk disapproved of the work because it have any great abreactions, but I had the much equivalent to ‘catharsis.’] Later, we was seen as intrusive and violent compared smell of vinegar. As I recall, Perls felt that also began to appreciate the importance of to what they were used to – work that the Rolfing [SI] and abreactions were useful, gradual change and integration. was rather soft and sweet, at least for the and that he would integrate them. He didn’t workshop attendees. For the staff that say that people were left in an unintegrated Rolfing SI also seemed to compliment worked and lived there, however, it [Esalen] place from the sessions, but that Rolfing the Sensory Awareness approach of was not always so sweet. People got into [SI] was an important supplement to his Charlotte Selver, a little old lady who fights, largely about such things as who sessions – or vice versa. wore a black dress down to her ankles, was sleeping with whom. But for those who and who was then a frequent workshop Dr. James Allen, MPH works at the Department came as paying guests, it was a gentle place, leader. Following her revered teacher Elsa of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the and Ida was not. Dr. Rolf’s training sessions Gindler, she encouraged the here-and-now College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma lasted six weeks or so. Consequently there microsecond-by-microsecond awareness of Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, was some questioning of her and her people changing bodily sensations. Charles Brooks, Oklahoma. being there so long, and so, in a way, her her husband, who was associated with the group was kind of isolated. Robert McWilliams is a Rolfer and Rolf jazz scene in New York City, associated Movement Practitioner in Boulder, Colorado it with certain aspects of Zen. Today, we RMcW: You had just the single session, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. might appreciate it as a form of mindfulness at that time. Were you able to get an meditation. Many of us followed her back impression of Dr. Rolf and of the scene? East to summers on Monhegan Island JA: My impression was that she was a off the coast of Maine, where the locals really strict teacher, and wanted it done her and summer painters looked down upon way, and that she had a very clear program. us as “The Breathers.” We really didn’t There were ten sessions and, by God, you care because Sensory Awareness seemed got ten sessions. The first session was on so nicely to complement Rolf’s muscle breathing and . . . every single rib was taken realignment and to be another way to care of. Indeed, I found it was magical, follow Perls’ admonishment to get out of despite my bruises. I had the sense of being our minds to come to our senses! intoxicated by getting a fuller breath and more oxygen. There were some questions from the other people I knew about the remaining sessions. Some felt [they] were not as useful as the first session. At that time, people at Esalen were into abreactions. I believe that later on Peter

28 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org PERSPECTIVES ™ blood pressure, and other autonomically Move in Mind regulated aspects – can’t be well-modulated by force of will because they are not entirely Adapting Rolfing® SI to the Needs voluntary, they do respond to imagery. of Neurologically Impaired Clients We also know that before we actually execute any action, we consciously (or An Interview with Monica Canducci mostly unconsciously) imagine it. When we imagine a movement before executing By Monica Canducci, Certified Rolfer™ and Rolf Movement® Practitioner and it, we are using most of the components Jeff Castle, Certified Rolfer of the movement brain, leaving out just the neurons that activate the muscles that Beginning in 2009, Certified Rolfer and Rolf would perform the actual movement. Movement® Practitioner Monica Canducci That’s why imagery lets athletes improve found herself treating clients with severe the coordination of a movement sequence neurological injuries such as stroke and spinal- without putting physical wear and tear on cord damage. Monica adapted her Rolfing their bodies; but it also lets anyone with Structural Integration (SI) technique to their a neuromotor dysfunction experience circumstances by using memory and imagery the neurological equivalent of sensed within the principles of the Ten Series. After movement. First, the brain reacts to the having considerable success in her own practice, recollection of a past sensation as if the she began teaching her technique, which she sensation were current. As I help clients to calls Move in Mind, first in Italy in 2012, and build some sense of self-support, I integrate then in spring 2013 in Boulder, Colorado as a mental images that allow the client to access fundraiser for fellow Rolfer Michael Mathieu. memories of past sensations of self-support. The interviewer, Jeff Castle, first consulted In Claudio’s case, we started with recalling Monica as a client. He was so impressed with his sensations of feet and ischial tuberosities her work that he attended her Boulder class. tonic function. For example, when we ask with the hope that his nervous system could our clients to feel their feet connect to use the recalled sensations to help restore Jeff Castle: How did you first begin the ground, we are engaging their senses some part of his gravity control system. to work with clients with neurological to build images they can use to make a Second, the brain reacts to an imagined injuries? physical and functional connection. We movement as if it were really happening. Monica Canducci: I had been working then establish new connections through This allows the neurological equivalent with memory and imagery in connection the body by building on awareness of these of movement even to a person who has with hypnosis when my client Claudio sensations. The same thing can be done forgotten how the actual movement felt. came to me after a spinal injury that had with what we remember or imagine – even JC: In class, you discussed recreating a sense left him a quadriplegic. He was unable if we cannot actually sense it – because our of balance in movement through memories to sit upright in his wheelchair and had brains react to memories and images as if of proprioception and interoception. Isn’t to be strapped into it so as not to fall over they were current and real. So, when we it difficult for someone who has lost these and suffocate. Initially, he asked me to recall a powerful emotion, for example, faculties due to neurological injury to re- hypnotize him so he wouldn’t be afraid our physiology changes just as it would if experience lost movements? of falling over; but because his issue was we were to live that experience in a present functional, I invited him to try Rolfing moment. The same is true of what we do not MC: Yes, of course it’s much more SI and movement work. My idea was to recall, but can imagine. challenging to work with a neurologically use with Claudio certain techniques I had impaired client. The short circuit in the JC: Why does Move in Mind work so well already tried with athletes. By evoking flow of information through the nervous with neurologically impaired clients? memories of movements and sensations system eliminates many of the resources we Claudio had had prior to his injury, I hoped MC: It works well with these clients for the commonly rely on, and the deficiencies in to re-engage his tonic function and help same reasons its components work well the client’s internal communication system him reestablish some control of his torso. with other clients. But it’s potentially key impede communication with the outside After a great deal of work on both our parts, for neurologically impaired clients to the too. We have all had clients with difficulty Claudio did regain enough torso control extent their injuries leave them unable to understanding their bodily sensations, to be able to sit upright in his wheelchair experience sensations in the ordinary way, but to have a client where sensation is cut without the aid of restraints. After this meaning that our ability to use our hands off altogether is quite a challenge. That’s initial success, I began working specifically to start a conversation with a client’s body one reason I add tactile and other sensory with clients with neurological damage. is limited with the neurologically impaired. imagery to the motor imagery. For someone Our psychophysiological functioning who has lost the ability to move, the use of JC: Explain the thinking behind Move in depends on how we relate to stimuli sensory information can be very helpful – Mind. from our environment, including first first to recall memories of movement, and MC: In Rolfing SI, even with neurologically of all the field of gravity. Though some perhaps to actually repurpose available normal clients, we use perception to engage of these functions – such as heart rate, neurons. The imagery can relate to any

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 29 PERSPECTIVES of the senses, so long as it enhances the very clear and slow movements with my JC: Do you use the Ten Series with these client’s perception of movements. We must feet. I also suggested he observe carefully clients? build each client’s perception of movement the foot movements of people around him. MC: I work very closely within the through whatever senses are most available It was great luck that around that time his Principles of Rolfing SI and the logic of the to that person. girlfriend wore gym shoes very similar to Ten Series. But, in these cases even more the gym shoes he used to wear before his JC: Are there specific ways to help evoke than usual, we need to adapt the work to the accident. One evening, she sat on the sofa sensation in these clients? person and the resources he has available. and took off her shoes in front of him, and I begin working wherever the client senses MC: Definitely. I want to help the client in that moment he felt suddenly and very clearly. I might start by having him sense who can’t feel what I’m doing to see what clearly the sensation of this – like it was his breath, or have him find his sense of just I’m doing, so I like to position a large happening to him! After that, it was much sitting upright. Once he gains that sense, mirror to let the client see me better. It also easier for him to recall sensations in his feet, I make him aware of what it is I’m doing helps for me to describe what I’m doing, and it became really easy to work on it. He in a place where he has less sensation – or especially while working in the areas where could own his own feet again – fifteen years even none at all – and ask him to imagine the client has lost tactile or proprioceptive after his accident! in the body area he can’t feel the sensations sensation. Practitioner communication I have created specific steps to bring clients he felt elsewhere. In my experience, it’s becomes another way the clients either from observing a movement done by me essential to go to the midline as soon as recall or imagine the sensations we are or someone else to the feeling of doing the possible to give clients the sense of self- evoking, which seems to give the client movement themselves. We need to show the support. It doesn’t matter if it is only the the opportunity to rewire his system in movement in a way to make each client’s sense of self-support and not a true function some way. It’s really amazing to witness observation effective. Because mirroring of self-support. This – combined with some the shift from an imagined sensation to is a memory aid, it’s important to make sense of autonomy, a sense of being able a real one, that lets your client first feel, the movement a simple one that the client to do things for themselves – begins to and then actually move, a body part that would have done in the past. At the same reestablish a sense of torso control; and seemed completely paralyzed! With clients time, we need to remember that the mirror with quadriplegics and hemiplegics, this is who have difficulty recalling sensations – mechanism is always working in all of our what I go for first. Regaining at least a sense especially memories of movement – I use a clients, so we’d be wise to make ourselves of a self-supported torso with stability and different kind of ‘mirror’: I serve as a model consistent models of the good function we balance opens the doors to the possibility so the client can watch my movement, and want to transmit to our clients. of real functional improvement. It seems then imagine it happening inside his own that when we recall or imagine something, body. This is based on what we know about JC: How do you physically support a our nervous system does it’s best to make the mirror neuron system. paralyzed client while you’re working? it real. To at least some degree, we begin to JC: What’s the mirror neuron system? MC: First, I prefer to begin by working rewire to reestablish lost functions. Once on the floor. This tends to be the most we achieve torso support, we can look for MC: We learn motor skills by watching comfortable for the client because nearness other possibilities, always staying within others. Neuroscientists have discovered to the floor lessens the client’s fear of falling. the Principles of Rolfing SI. special neurons in primates, which fire both It also gives me more opportunity to move when an animal acts and when the animal JC: How do you even begin? around and to use my own body weight for observes the same action performed by support. If the client can’t sit on the floor by MC: Traditionally, the Ten Series begins another. These are called ‘mirror neurons’ himself, I get behind him – using my knees with the sleeve sessions. But with these because they cause the observer to mirror to stabilize his pelvis – and allow him to clients, the work goes more smoothly if the behavior of the other, as though the rest back into my chest (see Figure 2). This from the very beginning we give them observer were the one acting. In humans, way, as I synchronize my breathing with the a sense of their inner space, even while the mirror mechanism seems to be that each client’s, the client can sense the entrainment working on the sleeve. The idea is to help time the observer watches an action done by and amplify his own movement. It also their internal and external worlds to meet someone else, a set of neurons that code that allows me – by way of my own movement again. I start by touching my clients where action are activated in the observer’s motor – to carry the client’s torso, arms, and they can actually feel my hands, maybe the system. I have found this very helpful head into positions and through ranges face or neck. Even then, we search with the in difficult situations. It is important to of motion the client cannot yet find on his breathing for a sense of torso volume. Then find a bridge that helps the client to recall own. This gives to the client’s brain motor we find the most effective images to recruit something from the past that’s useful for feedback sensations the client can’t produce breathing as a tool for reconnecting the recreating the sense of whatever has been yet through his own movement. But every internal space with the surfaces of the body, lost, and the client might have difficulty practitioner must experiment with how and the hands and feet through the limbs. with recall. For example, Claudio’s accident best to work. Because I’m small and very had happened so long ago that he had JC: Are there certain images you find flexible, these techniques work well for me. forgotten what it felt like to walk or even especially effective? Others will find positions that work better feel his legs and feet. We had to build a for them. The important thing is to consider MC: To begin building a new sense of self- bridge to help him remember these senses, your own comfort and endurance, as well support, we typically create the image and and mirroring worked. At first, I became his as the client’s. the feeling of the front of the spine. I ask model and had him watch me doing some the client to send the breath up along the

30 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org PERSPECTIVES front of the spine during exhalation. If the Repatterning) treatments, Claudio started you cannot separate the world of words, client is seated, the instruction includes to grieve the accident that had happened cognition, and movement. In 2008 he thinking about grounding through the fifteen years earlier, and then we began to worked in Dublin, at Headway Brain Injury feet and ischial tuberosities. The breathing make steady progress. Services and Support, in collaboration helps the client to direct attention to this with a neuropsychologist who studied JC: It seems like having a goal would be area, and hopefully over time to re-establish with Professor Jan Robertson, author of an important part of the process. How the sense of support through the spine. Mind Sculpture (Robertson 1999). I found do you explain to the client the limits In each session I go a little deeper with it, that book very inspiring; in it Robertson and possibilities? using imagery to create connections and discusses the use of imagery with athletes communication between the core and the MC: This whole process depends on the and musicians, and about applying it sleeve. Then we can begin to connect the client’s desire to work toward a goal. I to rehabilitation. sleeve work inward. explain from the beginning what is known Later I was inspired by the work of about the neurosciences that relates to JC: Are there any particular cautions V.S. Ramachandran (2000, 2009) on the the client’s situation at a level he can specific to working with neurologically mirror system, along with the work of understand. I make sure to not promise impaired clients? Gallese (2011; also Gallese and Sinigaglia anything, but only to make him curious as 2011) – one of the Italian scientists working MC: One possible difficulty relates to to what may be possible. This education on the same topic. My husband and I the emotional aspect. When we ask our continues throughout the process, and collaborated also with psychologist Luca clients to recall memories of times prior to we continually revise our goals as things Fornia, who did his PhD in Gallese’s team their injuries, it highlights the emotional change. I aim to have something new at Parma University. Dr. Fornia gave me dimension. I take plenty of time in the happen with each session, whether it’s part great information and inspiration about beginning to set up lines of communication of the goals or even a new way of looking what they were discovering and developing with the client and create a safe environment, at the process. But it’s just as important to in these fields. and proper use of language is essential. We recognize limits. We walk a fine line to elicit have to respect how the client has already curiosity without creating expectations that I also took a lot from my previous study processed, integrated, and even accepted will, even unintentionally, put too much in of hypnosis. Because he was a real pioneer the loss of sensory and motor abilities. the Rolfer’s hands. in discovering how language can literally For example, with Claudio it became clear sculpt the brain, Milton Erickson’s life and JC: It seems that Move in Mind has had that he was keeping himself disassociated work and constructivist hypnosis are huge many influences. What were the main ones? from his loss. He didn’t integrate it well at sources of inspiration to me. Erickson the deepest emotional level. Of course this MC: To be honest, my main influence has had polio as a teenager, and he recovered might have been a good defense mechanism; been my husband – a neuropsychologist who his abilities to move and speak through but as our work progressed, Claudio works with biofeedback, neurofeedback, imagery, by recalling his sensations and needed to restore his emotional connection and cognitive rehabilitation. He is very perceptions of movements. Of course to his body. After he got some help from a open to all that is movement, being my I found great inspirations among my psychologist with expertise in trauma and husband of course, and he knows that instructors and fellow Rolfers – including took EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Robert Schleip, Hubert Godard, and Pedro Prado – and their work on fascia, movement, and how Rolfing SI fits into the biopsychosocial frame. JC: What kinds of neurological impairments have you worked with? MC: Many different kinds, including paralysis following physical trauma (Claudio was a quadriplegic from an automobile accident); functional, postural and behavioral deficits following stroke or cerebral hemorrhage; and even obstetric paralysis. I’ve helped clients with old injuries and new ones, from young adults to the elderly. JC: How much functional improvement have your clients been able to achieve? MC: Of course, it varies from client to client, but on the whole the improvements are substantial. Claudio, for example, couldn’t even sit up in his wheelchair and had to be tied in to keep from falling. He had no Figure 1: Supporting the client while working on the floor.

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 31 PERSPECTIVES control of his trunk, or of the frequent and work best for Carmen. Actually, we just JC: You got great results with Claudio, painful spasms in his legs and abdomen. received an update from Carmen’s son. He but you did work with him for eighteen These spasms were dangerous, especially says she now goes to the grocery store by months. What about clients who don’t have when he was driving his specially adapted herself, and all the doctors who saw her the resources for such a prolonged course car. He could not drive faster than 70-80 for a recent check-up were shocked to see of treatment? km/hr, and could only drive for about a how well she is doing. Now she looks like MC: It’s amazing how even a little of this half-hour before the spasms increased, a “normal” lady – unbelievable! work can sometimes go a long way. Chiara making things very uncomfortable and JC: When a person like Claudio regains that was a model for the 2012 Move in Mind dangerous. It took three months to begin much postural function, can it positively class in Italy. At that time she was in her to see results, but by eighteen months he affect physiologic function? late thirties and had suffered a left cerebral had regained enough sense of his feet that hemorrhage in 2004, which left her with he no longer needed to be tied into his MC: Absolutely! For example, because right hemiparesis and global aphasia. chair. The intensity and frequency of the Claudio had about zero muscle tonus in Though she had recovered her abilities spasms decreased, and with imagery, he his abdomen, he also had very shallow to speak, walk, and move her right arm developed a sense of control over them. He breathing, no power in coughing, and and hand, she had painful spasms in her could drive at speeds of 100-120 km/hr over huge problems with defecation. In order right limbs and a dorsal kyphosis that long distances, and eventually could drive to defecate, he had to be assisted in using was bad and getting worse, which was for a whole day, about 800 km, without no 15-18 micro enemas (liquid glycerin) every especially pronounced when she spoke. ill effects: no spasms, no leg rigidity, no two days, and it took around five hours. At the workshop, after three sessions pain! His quality of life is better because After our work together, his breathing was from students, she seemed more relaxed daily activities – eating, washing, using the much better, which also meant he could and balanced and the kyphosis appeared computer at his desk – are much easier. He cough. He had far less trouble defecating, normalized. But after the workshop, here even started to ski again with the help of a and used only 5-6 micro enemas each time is what she wrote to me: special device. for only about three hours. Upon [coming] back home, even at Another example is my client Carmen, a JC: It stands to reason that the clients are the computer my back is straight, lady of sixty-nine who had suffered a stroke. happier once they can do more – but are shoulders are “straight straight,” Even after rehabilitation, she had great there other emotional benefits? my pelvis is balanced, when I stretch difficulties with gait and posture, as well MC: For sure. My client Susanna, who was my right arm I feel no more pain, as cognitive and behavioral impairments fifty-eight when I met her, suffered from the body feels the need to load on (deficits in orientation to time and place, obstetric brachial plexus palsy – meaning both legs and then the muscles attention, verbal fluency, episodic memory, that her brachial plexus had been damaged of my right leg are stimulated. apathy, and perseverative behaviors). She at birth, so her left arm and hand stayed When I spoke with someone I couldn’t stand up from sitting or walk; had underdeveloped. The left arm was partly usually [curved my shoulders in trouble with balance and motor planning; paralyzed, and able to feel and move and increased] the kyphosis, closing and her left side seemed weaker and slower only a little. For years she had received the chest, but now [it] is perfect than her right. After twenty-two sessions physical therapy, osteopathy, and various and I can keep straight. The dorsal (the first seven of the Ten Series, followed by other bodywork, but she came to me with hyper-kyphosis had GONE and the fifteen Rolf Movement sessions), she kept pain throughout her body – mostly in her curves are re-normalized (before the her balance and walked without support; back and neck but also in her pelvis and hemorrhage, when I was 29 years she could plan to change position – such legs – and told me that Rolfing SI was her old, my back was perfect, then the as arising from sitting; and could walk up last hope. At the start of her Ten Series, it posture was changed). I’m happy! I and down the stairs. seemed to me that her structure had been spent some days of relaxation, I did JC: What about Carmen’s cognitive and built around the limits of her left arm, with not take drugs to get these results behavioral difficulties? Did you see a various postural compensations and a kind and the course was magical. benefit there? of emotional rejection of her whole body. We JC: Wow! Were you surprised? worked a lot ‘filling’ her left arm and side MC: Well, she did get better over time, but with her breath, and used specific imagery MC: Yes – but no. Of course, I’m constantly I worked as part of a team, along with my to restore her sense of balance. Step by step, surprised at what becomes available in husband (who did cognitive rehabilitation), she started to ‘feel’ and accept her left arm, situations where improvement might have her home-care aid, and a social worker integrating it into her sense of herself. Over seemed impossible. But no, I’m not so (who assisted her with life skills). It’s hard time, she noticed a great change in her body surprised any more at what the adaptable to isolate the effects of my contribution, image, energy level, and self-esteem; and human nervous system properly stimulated but probably my continually calling her she even overcame her body shame and can do. And from what I’ve seen happen in attention to her body parts and breath – started to attend some movement classes. many different situations already, I believe and giving her the sessions in her home She said she was amazed and surprised not there is much more we can do with this where I could address the work to her daily only about the physical benefits – her pain work. Hopefully there are many more needs – helped her to recover more quickly. had lessened, and had even disappeared surprises to come! I also asked the home-care aid and social in many areas – but especially about how worker to use with their own interventions much better she felt about herself, her life, the metaphors and images that seemed to and the world around her.

32 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org PERSPECTIVES Monica Canducci is a Certified Rolfer and ® Rolf Movement Practitioner currently based The Being of Rolfing SI in Montreal, Canada. She is also trained in craniosacral therapy and Beamish Bodymind Why You Can’t ‘Rolf’ Your Car Balancing®. To learn more about Move in Mind, see related videos, and learn about classes, visit By Jeffrey Maitland, PhD, Advanced Rolfing Instructor www.moveinmind.com. Editor’s Note: Dr. Maitland was the keynote speaker at the 2013 membership conference of the Jeff Castle is a Certified Rolfer who practices in Rolf Institute®. This was his presentation. Erie, Pennsylvania. Bibliography In a world so dangerously out body) and in its seemly unlimited capacity of balance as ours, the order that to generate a variety of never-before-seen Gallese, V. 2011. “Gallese on Mirror Rolfing SI bestows upon the body is individual sessions. In seeking the way of Neurons,” video-recorded lecture available a necessary and precious gift. being of Rolfing SI, we are also attempting at http://vimeo.com/22968671. to clarify, in experience, the compassionate Posing the Question power that makes what we do more than Gallese, V. and C. Sinigaglia 2011. “What unwinding myofascia or just mechanically is so special about embodied simulation?” Do you remember that glorious moment pushing flesh. Trends in Cognitive Sciences 15(11):512-519. when you decided to become a Rolfer™? Can you recall the excitement, feelings To further clarify our approach, we need Ramachandran, V.S. 2000. “Mirror Neurons of elation, and trepidation brought on by to distinguish the being of Rolfing SI from and imitation learning as the driving your decision? Since becoming a Rolfer, no what might be called the ‘doing’ of Rolfing force behind ‘the great leap forward’ in doubt you have also performed inspired SI. The doing of Rolfing SI is what we human evolution,” video-recorded lecture sessions that have left you breathless in the accomplish with our hands and elbows available at www.edge.org/3rd_culture/ face of what can be accomplished. Go back and words. It also includes the application ramachandran/ramachandran_p1.html. to those wondrous moments. If you try to of techniques and the creation of treatment Ramachandran, V.S. 2009. “The Neurons put into words what it was about Rolfing strategies. In contrast, the way of being that Shaped Civilization,” video-recorded Structural Integration (SI) that put you of Rolfing SI is the power to do Rolfing lecture available at www.ted.com/talks/ under its spell, you will be taking a first SI – to profoundly transform the body by vs_ramachandran_the_neurons_that_ step toward answering the question: “What embodying the principles of Rolfing SI. shaped_civilization.html. is the ‘being’ of Rolfing SI?” The question When you compare a Rolfer’s touch to that is not asking for a definition of Rolfing SI. of a deep-tissue therapist, you discover Robertson, I. 1999. Mind Sculpture: Your Nor is it asking for the essence of Rolfing an entirely different vector of intent that Brain’s Untapped Potential. London: Bantam SI. Accordingly, it is not seeking that unique puts the release of tissue in the service of Press. quality or property that makes Rolfing SI facilitating higher bodily order, not just distinctly Rolfing SI and distinguishes it getting rid of symptoms. You also find a from all things not Rolfing SI. After all, there distinctive way of seeing and evaluating is nothing unique about being unique. As the body. These discoveries mean that the we shall see, the power lies elsewhere. being of Rolfing SI is also a way of seeing. I want to explore with you what Rolfing I SI aspires to. For what it aspires to is what makes it the powerful and profound The Tao of Rolfing SI intervention that it is. What is going on To one degree or another, all of us have in those magnificent moments when the experienced the numinous power of Rolfing compassionate and numinous power of SI. Typically, especially in the beginning Rolfing SI – its ability to affect the whole stages of our career, it shows up in our person by organizing the body in gravity sessions now and then in varying degrees – manifests in your work with inspired all- of intensity and depth. But, if we really want encompassing clarity? I am not interested to explore the contours of the experience of in third-person descriptions in which an getting the being of Rolfing SI, we need to observer describes your behavior. I am explore it where it most clearly manifests mostly only interested in first-person – in those all-encompassing, creative descriptions – in your experience of truly moments when our work becomes more understanding the being of Rolfing SI. like an inspired performance of a piece Stated a different way, we are asking about of music than just applying a technique the way of being of Rolfing SI or, what or dutifully following a recipe. During comes to the same thing, the way of being such grand moments, your work unfolds a Rolfer. We are in search of the numinous with an uncanny clarity of knowledge and formative core of Rolfing SI – both in its intent that makes your every intervention formative power (which is capable of transforming a life by transforming the

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 33 PERSPECTIVES effortlessly achieve its greatest effect, often visualization and actual judo diligently not have to search for the being of Rolfing leaving you breathless.1 and constantly until he suddenly got it. SI, because you are the being of Rolfing SI. At the very same moment he grasped the When you truly get the being of Rolfing For an even richer understanding of getting being of judo, his abilities were instantly SI, your body gets it. Your body feels the being of Rolfing SI, we turn next to the enhanced; and he became the living, possessed of an uncanny ‘know-how’ that great Taoist philosopher, Chuang Tzu. What breathing manifestation of the being of fills you with a profound sense of freedom follows, “The Tao of Rolfing SI” (Maitland judo. He was able to drop his thinking self and the sense that something greater is 1990, 1), is a respectful, but slightly altered and surrender his will to the intelligence working through you. Analogous to the version of Chuang Tzu’s “Cutting Up an of his body. Suddenly, he was not just way your whole body and mind are seized Ox” (Merton 1995, 45-77). The original story someone who practiced and understood with laughter when you get a joke or are is about a Taoist butcher. I changed the text judo; he was the embodiment of judo itself. moved to tears when you hear an inspired in a few critical places – surprisingly few, Notice that he said he did not have to learn performance of music, you are seized with when you think about it – in order to make technique after technique in search of judo. the living, breathing, being of Rolfing SI. it about a Taoist Rolfer. Since he got being of judo, he was able to You are seized with the practical bodily create new techniques from his new bodily John’s Rolfer was demonstrating know-how that is capable of transforming understanding and perception that were His art on a volunteer from the audience. lives by transforming bodies. You cannot precisely designed to deal with the present Out went a hand, manifest this level of understanding situation. Creating new techniques was Down went a shoulder, without concepts, lots of study, and lots of possible because of his shift to a whole- He planted a foot, hard work. Although it can be shaped by body understanding of the meaning and His fingers joined with the flesh, concepts, ultimately this kind of knowing being of judo. The volunteer’s body shuddered, does not come from concepts alone. It is not Softened, lengthened, the kind of know-how that you can easily Similarly, Rolfers who get it find that And suddenly it was integrated and capture in reflective thought. their search for this kind of whole-body at ease. understanding through practicing the Before we look at an example of ‘getting With a whisper, ‘Recipe’ ceases. Although the search ends, it,’ let me remind you that we are looking The Rolfer’s fingers pulsated with the they may continue using the Recipe as a at the extreme all-out manifestations of flesh, way to bring this experience forth. In time, inspired Rolfing SI because it promises It’s like a gentle breeze. as they learn to see more holistically, they to reveal more clearly the contours of this Rhythm! Timing! move into creative ways of working that are experience. These wonderful moments of Like a sacred dance, not dependent upon formulistic protocols. inspired work come and go. They vary Like “The Mulberry grove,” From their new understanding, they create greatly in their intensity in our day-to-day Like ancient harmonies! new techniques, new ways of seeing, new practice, whether you’ve been practicing ways of manipulating fascia, and a seemly Rolfing SI thirty years or thirty days. Please “Good work!” John exclaimed. endless number of varied and sundry ways do not think that you are not doing good “Your method is faultless!” to intervene. All the while, their sessions work unless every session exemplifies the “Method?” said the Rolfer, become more and more geared to the all-out extremes discussed here. His hands still in contact with the individual needs of the clients and less volunteer, Martial artist Peter Ralston relates an and less about being true to the Recipe. “What I follow is the Tao of Rolfing SI, incident that illustrates an aspect of what When they get the being of Rolfing SI, their Beyond all methods! happens when you get the being of a sessions do not get sidetracked by their practice. When he was a student of judo, unsettled, self-critical, thinking mind. They “When I first began to he wanted to practice more hours than his become better Rolfers. Their hands-on skills ‘Rolf,’ I would see before me dojo was open. He solved this problem when and perceptual vitality are both enhanced. The whole body he stumbled upon the idea of practicing They are no longer bound by recipes, All in one mass. his throws in his mind. While practicing often get better change with less effort, see in his mind and on the mat he discovered more clearly and holistically where their “After three years, something amazing. “While sitting there clients’ patterns of strain are, and create I no longer saw this mass. one evening working on the throws in new techniques in response to their clients’ I made distinctions among parts. my mind, in a flash I simply ‘got’ judo. I needs. Surprisingly, even if they employ got what it was . . . I understood what the the very same techniques and treatment “But now, I see nothing founder of judo, Jigoro Kano, had in mind. strategies they have always employed, they With the eye. My whole being Judo was supposed to be easy! Suddenly get better results. Apprehends. I didn’t have to learn technique after To get the being of Rolfing SI, you have to My senses are idle. The spirit, technique searching for judo – I could create be seized with this kind of understanding Free to work without the Recipe, techniques from my new understanding. It not just once, but over and over again as you Follows its own instinct seemed unbelievable, even after my success develop and evolve throughout your career. Guided by the natural Palintonic lines, with mind training, but the power of this Then you become the living, breathing By the secret opening, the hidden space, insight was proven by an immediate change manifestation of the being of Rolfing SI My hands find their own way. in my abilities. Overnight, I became good at and the seeing that comes with it. You do I use no excessive force, I scour no judo” (Ralston 2006, 16-17).2 He practiced bones.

34 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org PERSPECTIVES

of effortless freedom that results when many levels of fixation delineated by the “A good bodyworker needs a vacation your activity becomes like an inspired taxonomies of assessment. With unerring Once a year – he works with great effort performance is common to all forms of precision, his body often knows where And large calluses. inspiration. and how to work on his client, even before A poor bodyworker needs a vacation he ever brings it into reflective awareness. Similar to Ralston, the Taoist Rolfer was Every month – he mashes fascia with able to work impeccably and creatively with sweating, Bodily Know-How what each individual’s unique structure Swollen hands. To get the being of Rolfing SI is to be in required without being constrained by touch with a reservoir of bodily know-how. formulistic protocols or having to deal “I am not a bodyworker. As a way to catch a glimpse of this kind of with the interference of his thinking self. And I have ‘Rolfed’ this way for freedom in action, imagine what it might be He was able to work outside the Recipe nineteen years. like to engage in a judo match after getting because his way of working completely My hands have touched the being of judo. For the duration of the and fully flowed from his living the being Thousands of people. match, you would not be thinking about of Rolfing SI. Because he was free enough Yet they are soft and supple how to move or counter your opponent’s to become one with his client, his hands Like a baby’s. move. Instead, you would find yourself became deft at finding and creating space Never do I feel pain or dis-ease. moving effortlessly with complete freedom, and allowing tough tissue to release itself making all the right choices without without effort. He no longer perceives “There are spaces in the body; breaking the flow of one movement into the body as an assembly of parts. He My fingers can be either fat or lean: the next by means of too much planning instinctively perceives holistically. He now When this deftness or thinking. The same goes for an inspired sees symptoms as modifications of larger Finds that space Rolfer, an inspired musician, or an inspired patterns and primary strain patterns as There is all the room you need! butcher. Their every movement occurs at relational imbalanced wholes. Whereas It goes like a breeze! a pre-reflective level where the intention he used to practice Rolfing SI with direct Hence I have ‘Rolfed’ this way for to move and the actual movement are muscular effort and will, he now works nineteen years experienced as one and the same action. effortlessly with his whole body and finds Free of calluses and all effort. This free flow of one movement into the that his hands are capable of allowing next is not a matter of your planning what a space for the kind of change the body “True, there is sometimes to do, willing your body to move, and then can afford. As a result, order naturally Tough tissue. I feel it coming, moving it. Rather, during the judo match, and necessarily appears. Because of his I slow down, I watch closely, there is just effortless, pre-reflectively new orientation, even before he places Hold back, barely move my hands, conscious, intelligent, purposeful throwing his hands on his client, his very presence And whoosh! something opens and of your opponent and countering his is often enough to initiate change. By makes way moves. Later, when you report on what pre-reflectively accessing the reservoir of Gently flowing like a river. you were pre-reflectively doing, you bring bodily know-how, he feels as if something it into reflective awareness and think about is working through him making room for “Then I withdraw my hands, it. But, the minute you think about it, the change. He has become like the poet whose I stand still exquisite free flow of one movement into the poems write themselves. And let the joy of my work next disappears. Sink in. I wash my hands Most intriguing of all is an experience Whether we are considering judo throws, And my work is done.” he reports on that Ralston overlooked: Rolfing SI manipulation, or playing a an enhanced perceptual ability that both musical instrument, this intelligent and John said, includes and goes beyond the five senses. effortless freedom of moving and acting “This is it. My Rolfer has shown me He says that when he first began to practice only happens when we are not attending to How I ought to live Rolfing SI, he saw the whole body all in one what we are doing. Under these conditions, My own life!” mass. Then after three years he no longer there is no reflective intention in play and saw the mass – instead, he saw distinctions Chuang Tzu’s story is wonderful description no thinking self to get in the way. Unless and parts. Even though the perceptual of a practitioner who gets it with his whole you are learning some new throws or vitality of all his senses is greatly enhanced, being and, by example, demonstrates struggling to move after an injury, you do now he sees nothing with the eye because “. . . how I ought to live my own life.” In it, not typically move by reflectively intending his whole being apprehends. He discovered we see similarities to Ralston’s account. For to move and then moving. If you are a what many practitioners discover after the most part, the experience of getting the master of judo, in the heat of a match, where years of devoting themselves to a practice being of a practice with your whole being each movement freely flows into the next, like Rolfing SI: his whole being is the is the same whether we are talking about your every move would be a manifestation sensorium. Not only can he perceive more getting the being of Rolfing SI, judo, cutting of a pre-reflective understanding of the holistically and work with more clarity up an ox, or performing a piece of music. being of judo. Your actions are the discourse and precision, his ability to perceive goes Because goals and procedures by which of getting it; and the language of the being beyond the five senses, and he finds himself the goals are reached for each activity are of judo is found in how you move. If you able to perceive with his body and energy. different, how they are performed obviously want to know whether someone gets the As a result, he can work effectively on the will not be the same. But the experience being of a practice and speaks its language,

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 35 PERSPECTIVES watch him move. (If your opponent also we cannot grasp or represent to ourselves body are utterly distinct and separate. It grasped the being of judo, it would be much of this whole-body knowing in understands organic order as mechanical especially dangerous to think about your reflective thought; and given that we do order – the body is a thing made of localized actions. If you did attend to what you were not trust what we cannot experience in parts. The assumption that the body is doing, a gap would appear in your freely reflection, we remain skeptical, confused, composed of parts predisposes therapists flowing movement; your opponent would or unsure about our experience. But when to practice what could be called corrective immediately sense your vulnerability and you finally surrender to the way of knowing therapy (a form of therapy that conceives of just as quickly slam you to the mat. You that comes with getting it, you learn to trust symptoms atomistically and treats them in a would surely lose.) your body’s intelligence, and your work piecemeal manner.)4 Because the corrective becomes effortless and inspired. practitioner sees the body as an assemblage Similarly, a seasoned Rolfer knows how to of localized parts, he does not properly get out the way by dropping his reflective II grasp what is essential to the holistic self and letting his pre-reflective bodily approach: the nexus of interdependent know-how reveal what needs to be done The Greater Whole relationships that characterizes living and then performing the appropriate Has No Parts to Sum wholes. Organic wholes are analogous to manipulations. Effortlessly, from his whole- Let’s shift gears into another level of a hologram where the whole is present in body understanding, one manipulation discourse. Since this conference is each aspect and each aspect is distributed freely flows into the next – intelligently, devoted to the relationship of Rolfing throughout the whole. Thus, with respect yet without the compulsion to reflect on SI to complementary, alternative, and to living wholes, there is nothing more what he is doing or without the need standard healthcare, I should probably say fundamental to the order and organization to grasp his actions in representational something about this topic. Have you ever of the whole than the whole itself. As a thinking. Although we do not normally wondered why so many people, including result, every aspect of the organism exists associate thinking with the body, our many manual therapists, find Rolfing SI for and by means of every other aspect, and body is a psychobiological intentional difficult to understand, often lumping every aspect enters into the constitution of whole. It is not a thing we inhabit, but it together with massage or deep-tissue every other aspect of the organism. a condition for inhabiting things. Our therapy? Just think of those clients who body is who we are (our I-am-self), questioned why you were working on their Although, he may pay lip service to and because it is deliquescently graced feet when they came to you to get their neck the importance of holistic medicine, the with mind, it is capable of assessing and fixed. Dr. Rolf often complained about how corrective practitioner neither sees with negotiating and making its way intelligently many of the manual therapists she trained holistic eyes nor thinks holistically. Due to through the world without engaging in from other professions would simply use his years of training in a mechanistically reflective thought. her techniques as an adjunct to their already oriented science, he cannot help but see the body as a thing made of parts and Initially, it may be difficult to grasp the established corrective practice of treating symptoms as isolated phenomena. The claim that the body is intelligent because symptoms in a piecemeal manner, without mechanistic framework prevents him we thoughtlessly share a worldview that ever understanding her bigger vision. from understanding or even looking for has stood in the denial of the body for 2,500 We h a ve a l l experienced b e i n g the larger pattern, of which the symptom years. Our understanding of the body is misunderstood in this way. I want to is but a modification. It also prevents him occluded by a worldview that embraces explore just one particularly insidious from grasping the chain of dysfunctional what is known as ‘metaphysical dualism’: philosophical presupposition that feeds dependencies and tendencies to which the the view that body and mind are utterly these misunderstandings. That is, the symptom is related and from seeing how separate and distinct ontological kinds. metaphysical presupposition that asserts the larger pattern is intrinsically connected In the modern world, this view is also that the universe is fundamentally a to the whole body in relation to gravity. accompanied by the assumption that the mechanical event – from which it follows Since the piecemeal way in which he treats body is a soft machine. When you add to that living organisms are machines. Since symptoms does not take account of the these inherited blinders the fact that we the way most healthcare professionals relational character of living wholes, he does are also not very cognizant of how much think about the body and deliver therapy not realize how an intervention in one area of our daily experience takes place at the is dominated by this highly misleading way of the body can be limited or augmented by pre-reflective level of consciousness (where of thinking about living bodies, it is very what happens in many areas of the body. this kind of bodily know-how is always important to expose this mechanistic view Consequently, corrective practitioners operating), it is easy to see why it is so to scrutiny and bring into sharp relief the tend not to properly evaluate how well difficult for us to grasp this kind of bodily limitations of any therapy based on it. As we or poorly the whole body responds to intelligence. After all, how do you grasp shall see, the mechanistic ontology utterly injury or their interventions and, hence, something that only appears when you fails to understand the organization of the not to understand the importance of are not thinking about it? The minute we living body. As a result, it also utterly fails determining the appropriate order in which try to think about or reflect on it, it ceases to understand the nature of holism, which interventions are delivered. being a freely flowing activity we are pre- includes Rolfing SI.3 reflectively living through and becomes an To state the point differently, since he object of thought. This metaphysical presupposition finds has no training in how to see the body its origins in the work of Galileo and holistically, he has little or no appreciation Given that we tend to reduce all thinking Descartes. It is coupled with metaphysical for or ability to apply the principles of to the reflective level of thought; given that dualism, which claims that mind and intervention. Consider, for example, the

36 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org PERSPECTIVES adaptability and support principles. The of a larger pattern; that is, as relationships, organism. Organisms come into being from adaptability principle states that order is not as isolated fixations. The interventions of living tissue and nothing in their process of a function of the body’s ability to adapt to Rolfing SI aim at bringing the dysfunctional coming to be is the least bit comparable to an intervention. If the body cannot adapt pattern back into appropriate relationship being put together or assembled. Biological to your interventions, it will revert back with the whole, including the environment. order is self-organized and developmental; to the way it was or your interventions Working with the wholeness of the body it is not an order assembled from the outside will drive strain elsewhere – or both. The and its nexus of relationships is essential to with pre-shaped parts. We do not say a baby support principle says that order is a the holistic approach and the foundation for is being assembled in the womb. We say a function of available support. If there is no lasting change. baby is developing in the womb. Organisms adequate support for changes introduced develop. Machines are assembled and by your intervention, the body will go Holism and Organic Order have no intrinsic developmental potential. back to the way it was or manifest strain Unfortunately, holism has become a Mechanical order and developmental order elsewhere in the body – or both. Lacking buzzword that is typically applied could not be more different. the ability to perceive living wholes and thoughtlessly to practices that are not Strictly speaking, the body does not have how they respond to injury or intervention holistic. Since Rolfing SI is a holistic parts – at least not in the same sense a and seduced by the mechanical ontology, discipline and the concept of holism is machine has parts. Since the body is not the corrective practitioner cannot easily often misused and abused, we must be made of stand-alone parts, it obviously determine what to do first, what to do next, clear about what we mean by holism cannot be considered an assembled structure. and when to finish. As a result, his client and biological order. As a way to begin Since the body is not made of parts that exist evaluations and treatment plans are always thinking about it, consider an analogy independently from the body, the expression incomplete, because they are missing the from Merleau-Ponty (1963, 131): “In a soap “the whole is greater than the sum of its response of the whole body. For example, bubble as in an organism, what happens at parts” is nonsense, at least with respect to if a client presents with any number of each point is determined by what happens living organisms. The body is a self-sensing, equally painful symptoms, the practitioner at all others. But this is the definition of unified, seamless, developmental, self- has no reliable way to decide which one order.” This kind of order is at the heart organizing whole in which no one aspect to treat first. The mechanical perspective of Rolfing SI and the foundation of any or detail is any more fundamental to the at the heart of the corrective approach is holistic system. Thus, the fundamental make-up and organization of the whole of no use in trying to decide this issue or principle of holistic intervention is reflected than the whole itself. Unlike a machine, most other clinical decisions. Why? Quite in the soap-bubble analogy: no principle of a tent, or a stack of blocks, which have simply, the body does not respond to injury intervention can be the fulfilled unless all no developmental potential, every detail or intervention the way a machine does, are. For example, recall our discussion of of the organism – whether it is an organ, because it is organized differently. the support principle. Because the whole a bone, or myofascial structure – is an body is an interdependent relational whole, In contrast to the corrective practitioners, unmistakably clear, although differently if you introduce changes for which there holistic practitioners see the body, mind, and formed, expression of the same self-shaping is no support, your intervention will fail, spirit as one unified whole. Their goal is to wholeness and biological identity. Every and you may create difficulties elsewhere. bring harmony, balance, and morphological aspect of an organism is an expression integrity to the whole person in relation to Too many people, including the majority of its self-organizing unified wholeness; his environment. The purpose of therapy of healthcare providers, are still under the every aspect of the organism exists for and is more encompassing than simply getting spell of a ‘machine-ontology,’ believing by means of every other aspect; and every rid of symptoms. You can easily see this that the body is nothing more than a soft aspect enters into the constitution of every purpose exemplified in the stated goal of machine mysteriously inhabited by a other aspect of the organism. The whole is Rolfing SI: to enhance the whole person ghostlike thing we call consciousness. But expressed in every aspect, and every aspect by getting him right with gravity through when we examine more closely the idea is spread throughout the whole. Each aspect removing, in the appropriate order, obstacles that the body is a soft machine, we discover of the body is what it is because it stands in to the organism’s intrinsic ongoing drive something surprisingly obvious: the way your relationship, not because it stands apart as to enhance, develop, mature, and become body is organized is nothing like the way even its own being. You are not an aggregate of itself (what Metchnikoff, the father of the most complicated machine is organized. pre-shaped parts that lie side by side. Every immunology, called orthobiosis). Clients A machine is put together from pre- aspect of your psychobiological nature do not get fixed or cured. Rather, they gain shaped, isolated, replaceable thing-parts. is a matchless manifestation of your self- a kind of structural maturity in which there Communication between parts is made shaping, unified, developmental wholeness. is no longer any place for their troubles to possible by connecting them by means of What we are tempted to call parts are reside. Symptoms5 are not seen as isolated yet another part. better understood as relationships that events within the body. Rather, symptoms are related to many other relationships. are treated as a modification of a larger Clearly, living creatures are not made Thus, we can say that the body is actually pattern or relationship that is out of balance of isolated thing-parts, and they are not a relationship in which all relationships with the whole. Because symptoms such as assembled. Since the body is a unified, are related. The prevailing notion of body back pain interfere with the goal of achieving seamless, self-organizing whole in which parts is an abstraction that does not exist integration, they are addressed both everything is related to everything else, in nature. Organic order is developmental, correctively and holistically. But, for the most communication is one aspect of the body’s self-organizing, interconnected, and part, symptoms are seen as a modification internal milieu and, hence, intrinsic to the

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 37 PERSPECTIVES relational, hence, holistic. To appreciate this III gently push it to the right. But in the second interconnected relational whole, imagine phase, instead of mobilizing our will, we the body as a vastly complicated system of Experiencing the step out of the way and allow the body to mirrors in which each mirror mirrors the Power of Rolfing SI straighten itself. We step out of the way others mirroring the whole. In preparation for the group experiential and drop our self. We do not use our will or employ any effort or intention to make Interestingly, our little investigation into exercise, which will bring our talk to a close, the change. Rather, we allow the body to why Rolfing SI is not better understood let’s pick up the thread from where we left find its way home. has made it obvious that Rolfing SI’s way of our discussion of inspired Rolfing SI. When being is a way of seeing that is holistic. As our work is inspired, we are energized and Going one step further: if we can allow the such, it demands that therapy proceed in a ignited by the power of Rolfing SI. We find body to find its way home in the second much different way than corrective therapy. ourselves in a potent state of allowing, phase, do we even need the first step of Holistic Rolfing SI manipulation and Rolf infused with creative energy, and able to pushing it further into the lesion? The Movement® Integration cannot achieve instinctively access the reservoir of our answer is no. We could, for example, just the goals of Rolfing SI if forced to work bodily know-how. Our discriminating hold the cranium, let go of the self and in a piecemeal fashion, treating symptom consciousness and feeling nature become all desires to help the person, and just let by symptom. They must take account integrated in a form of perception that the body find its way home. If you were of many interdependent relationships, transcends, without leaving behind, the to successfully apply this technique, you because as Merleau-Ponty’s soap-bubble senses, giving us the ability to perceive would find yourself practicing an aspect of analogy indicates, what happens in one with our whole being. As each intervention biodynamic craniosacral work. place is determined by what happens every flows unencumbered into the next, we pre- Let’s take this exercise yet another step. place. Taking account of interdependent reflectively perform the art of Rolfing SI in If by cradling the cranium we can allow relationships that are characteristic of perfect freedom. In this way, the being, the the body to find its way home without living wholes requires determining the seeing, and the power of Rolfing SI appear. using our will, what would happen if we appropriate order in which various fixations After all this talk, it is only fitting that we removed our hands altogether from our and relationships are to be released in a conclude our discussion of the being of client’s body, got ourselves out of the way, principled way. Rolfing SI with a group experiential exercise and just let the body correct itself? Although When all is said and done, it is not surprising designed to allow you to experience the your hands are remarkably sensitive, your that Rolfing SI has been misunderstood. power and being of Rolfing SI without your ability to perceive with them is limited by Confusion about holism and Rolfing SI having to engage in its hands-on activity. what hands can perceive. By removing your abounds. Because most people are only Ordinarily, you do not experience its power hands from your client you open yourself to familiar with the corrective approach, independent of the activity of practicing perceiving with your whole being, body and they can only think about how things Rolfing SI. But today, we are going to all, as well as transcending the limitations work from the mechanistic point of view. create space within which you will be able of your hands and other senses. If you were Furthermore, since the word holism is often to perceive its presence, unmediated and to successfully apply this technique, you misapplied to activities that are not holistic, unencumbered. For a hands-on therapist, would become like the Taoist Rolfer, no most people remain in the dark about such an experience can be very useful. If longer bound by seeing the distinctions or what holism is. To obscure matters further, you can recognize the power of Rolfing encumbered by the limitations of senses, corrective therapy (with its commitment to SI without using your hands, you will be but able to perceive with your whole being. the mechanical view of reality) is the way better able to recognize its appearance In this highly potent state of allowing, you most healthcare practitioners practice their when you are using your hands. As a result, see more and feel more; and change for your art and the way most clients experience you will be in a much better position to client is inevitable. You are manifesting manual therapy. On top of that, we cannot cultivate it. the being of Rolfing SI – because you are even call upon biological theory for help. In order to provide you with a bridge to infused with the power of Rolfing SI that While being explored by a growing number a direct experience of how the being of is at the compassionate core of our work. of biologists, a fully developed theory of Rolfing SI appears, I will briefly discuss Now that we have arrived, it is time to holism and biological order does not yet indirect technique as a way to remind return to where we started – not just to the exist; and many biologists still maintain a you of what you already know. Imagine start of this talk, but to when you practiced mechanistic view of the body. a structure that should be straight but is Rolfing SI on your first client. In that first While these ideas are a bit complicated, they sidebent to the right. If you are tempted to moment, in that first stroke, all of what we are not too difficult to grasp. But given that push it to the left in order to strengthen it, have been talking about was there. It was it took a little intellectual labor to articulate you would be employing a direct technique. there in all your classes and there in your this understanding of organic order, holism, But if you were to push the structure further Rolfing SI room. Now can you take what and the kind of therapy it demands, is to the right into its lesion and let it unwind you have perceived and bring it to bear the it any wonder that many people do not back to what is normal and straight, you next time you place your hands on a client? understand holism, and, hence, Rolfing would be applying an indirect technique. Let your work manifest the being of Rolfing SI? After all, in a world where sound bites Now, the most fascinating aspect of the SI and let your body and hands be its pass for understanding, philosophical indirect technique is the second phase. The living appendage. elucidation is rarely tolerated. first phase we understand quite well. We mobilize our will, exert a little effort, and

38 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org PERSPECTIVES

[Editor’s Note: The group experiential exercise from pain and dysfunction. Practitioners that Maitland mentions is not included here, nor tend to treat in a piecemeal fashion as if is a transcript of the question-and-answer period.] symptoms were isolated phenomena. The goal of the holistic approach is to Endnotes introduce order, balance, and harmony into the whole person by integrating the 1. For a much more detailed description of body in the environment. Practitioners how the transformative turn to a creative treat relationships rather than isolated performance occurs and is experienced, fixations. These distinctions are often see chapter 4 in my book Spacious Body. blurred in the actual practice of many 2. What is particularly fascinating about manual therapists. Even though they In Memoriam Ralston’s account is that, without real- may have been schooled in a correc- Structural Integration: The Journal of izing it, he stumbled upon Goethe’s tive approach, with enough experience the Rolf Institute® notes the passing method for learning to perceive the many practitioners start seeing rela- of the following members of our being of something. Goethe called the tionships and patterns rather than just community: being of something the ‘Ur-phenom- isolated symptoms. As a result, they enon.’ The implications for Rolfing SI often find themselves naturally working Charles Lustfield, are enormous. The Ur-phenomenon in a holistic way at times. As a matter Certified Advanced Rolfer™ gives us a way to make sense of the of course, the holistic practitioner can Miita Mazzali Fulgenzi, otherwise incoherent idea of an energy accomplish the goals of the relaxation Certified Advanced Rolfer, blueprint that sustains and maintains and corrective approaches, but relax- Rolf Movement® Practitioner our physical body. We can also use the ation and corrective approaches cannot idea of the Ur-phenomenon to clarify accomplish the goals of the holistic ap- One day in late March/early April, the meaning and role of the Little Boy proach, except by accident. Nicholas French asked Chuck Logo in our thinking about the body. 5. The word ‘symptom’ can be understood Lustfield what he would like to We could argue that the logo is not an in at least three ways: 1) “a sign of tell his colleagues; his response, example of the problematic notion of an something else such as a disease state,” “Keep your heart in your work.” ideal body, but rather a concrete univer- 2) “fixation (lack of appropriate conti- sal. As such, the logo could be seen as a nuity),” or 3) “somatic dysfunction.” I symbolic representation of the human mean ‘symptom’ in the second and third Ur-phenomenon. For a discussion of senses, and I use ‘fixation’ and ‘somatic the importance of the Ur-phenomenon dysfunction’ interchangeably. The first to Rolfing SI in our search for the being sense is used by the medical profession of Rolfing SI, see my article “Patterns because it deals with disease. Rolfing SI that Perpetuate Themselves” (Maitland is about structure and order in gravity, 2009), but ignore the last paragraph, it not disease. is wrong and confused. 3. My criticism of the mechanistic ontol- Bibliography ogy and the kind of therapy it supports Maitland, J. 1990 May/June. “The Tao of should not be taken to mean that I be- Rolfing SI” Rolf Lines 18(2):1. lieve a mechanistic approach to biology is altogether wrongheaded. I have no Maitland, J. 1995. Spacious Body. Berkeley, objection to the methodology of trying to CA: North Atlantic Books. understand biological processes through mechanistic models. What I object to is Maitland, J. 2009 Sept. “Patterns that the unsupported idea that all living crea- Perpetuate Themselves.” Structural tures are nothing more than machines. Integration: The Journal of the Rolf Institute® This latter view is metaphysics, plain 37(3):23-30. and simple, not science. It results from Merleau-Ponty, M. 1963. The Structure of confusing methodology with ontology. Behavior. Boston, MA: Beacon Press. 4. The ensuing comparison of the holistic and corrective approaches to manual Merton, T. The Way of Chuang Tzu. New therapy rests upon what I have called York: New Directions. the three paradigms of practice (Mai- Ralston, P. 2006. Zen Body-Being. Berkeley, tland 1995). They are the relaxation, CA: North Atlantic Books. corrective, and holistic paradigms and represent three ways any form of health- care can be practiced. The goal of the relaxation paradigm is to bring about the relaxation response by means of a vari- ety of techniques from hot packs/cold packs to massage therapy. The corrective approach is designed to release the body

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 39 PERSPECTIVES ® uncertainty, and it is an iterative process. It What is Rolf Movement takes repeated experience to see that there is a world of sensation-based wisdom that is only revealed as we confront the limits of Integration? the known. Clients and practitioners may both be The Challenge of Coordinative Learning reluctant players. Why? Foundational By Kevin Frank, Certified Advanced Rolfer™, Rolf Movement Instructor coordination is not meant to change casually. It’s woven into the fabric of our Rolf Movement Integration addresses parts Integration developed parallel to training non-conscious security – our sensory of the Rolfing® Structural Integration (SI) in the Rolfing Ten Series, in courses that motor system allows time-limited plasticity process that don’t automatically improve originally included the ‘auditing’ phase of during early development, for example, so through application of fascial touch. Fascial Rolfing training. The larger field of SI has a young hunter-gatherer might survive in mobilization is a central feature of the hesitatingly embraced movement work, the wild. Once set, these vital subroutines Rolfing tradition. Because fascial work can often with questions about how movement resist tinkering. Evoking new coordination so dramatically shift human function, the work fits within Rolfing SI. At the Rolf requires that we temporarily let go of how ‘movement part’ of the work is often less Institute®, regional Rolf Movement faculty we know and do things – the familiar fabric understood and appreciated. Movement groups continue to define the scope of of our life. As we let go of the known, we intervention can take longer to learn Rolf Movement Integration more fully. To will likely feel clumsy and awkward. We than fascial mobilization – the skill sets that end, this article defines some of the may feel pressure to learn quickly. We may are different, the protocol not as visible. challenges to working with coordination. feel that an inherent incompetency is going Movement interventions can be harder to to be exposed. That’s the predicament of sell to clients used to receiving fascial work Coordinative Challenge: someone who had normal developmental – work where the practitioner does most of Vulnerability experience. For those for whom early the moving. Clients, understandably, have development had hurtful interruptions, the Usage patterns, or motor patterns, are at challenge is typically greater. more confidence in their practitioner’s hands the heart of the concept of coordination. than their own movement intelligence. Coordination is at the heart of SI, posture A simple illustration: a child, who senses Practitioners understandably shy away being a prime example – posture is anxiety in the caregiver as he/she learns to from time spent evoking a client’s discovery coordination. Of the various challenges stand up and walk, will likely internalize process. Intuitively, change to fundamental we encounter as we help people discover/ the observer’s emotional state – our self usage patterns feels complex. Why go there? rediscover missing coordination, one image is formed through the eyes of the Perennial questions: What draws someone factor that can intimidate experienced observer. In this way, learning to stand to movement inquiry? How does it fit manual practitioners is the inherent gets coupled with anxiety. Additionally, in? The audience for Rolf Movement vulnerability of the situation. Practitioners the struggle to learn to move becomes, Integration includes Rolfing clients and face vulnerability because coordination ironically, an ingredient in adulthood, to students who see and feel movement as a looks like a ‘hit or miss’ gambit. One what could be termed contextually specific central feature of their experience. These faces uncertainty about how coordinative dissociation. How does this occur? Child are people who have noticed meaningful coaching will go: How comfortable will development includes the study of how and lasting structural shifts derived from the client be? How well-embodied is the dissociation is acquired. (Dissociation – in changes in: 1) perception (how we sense the coordination in the practitioner’s body? Just our work, meaning lost contact with the body and the world), 2) coordination (how even heading toward movement work may body – is part of normal development the body orchestrates movement when we put a chill on the session. The client is likely and related to developmental interruption don’t think about it), 3) regulation of the to associate to all the athletic, performance, (Carlson et al. 2009; Menegon and Tschopp autonomic nervous system (ANS; the part and developmental experiences of life in 1995). As we mature, moments of challenge of the nervous system that governs arousal which there was often little forgiveness, require increasingly socialized channels and internal well-being), and 4) expressivity let alone support for learning. In short, of coping. We don’t kick, scream, or (the range of ways our bodies develop and we invite a client to visit dicey territory. cry anymore. Coping starts to include learn through expression). For folks who Wisely, we don’t look forward to potential internal conversations that replace outward have stumbled into this territory, or have decompensation without a reliable exit expression. We adapt spatial mapping found limits to other territories, this domain strategy. As a result, coordinative input toward processes of abstraction. We learn elicits curiosity. may reduce down to one or two pithy cues to organize spaces of consciousness to learn in the last minutes of a session. something new, instead of organizing the Rolf Movement Integration is a domain space of action through movement. Body within the field of SI – a domain of The predicament of vulnerability is regulation is replaced by organizing one’s inquiry into the perceptual, coordinative, expressed poignantly by Yuki Ojika (2012) thoughts about the challenging event. It’s ANS-regulation skills, and expressive in her article “The Wisdom of Uncertainty a normal process and relevant to adult dimensions of the craft. This domain in Movement.” Embracing uncertainty coordinative learning. is not separate from other parts of turns out to be a rewarding adventure, but Rolfing SI but has often, historically, at first, we might avoid it. It takes time, as An adult, while re-learning how to stand been taught separately. Rolf Movement Ojika describes so well, to begin to trust or walk, wants to do a good job. The

40 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org PERSPECTIVES practitioner offers reassuring words but, point of view? Do we need time to play? standing on one foot, does using peripheral sometimes, the system may say “no.” To play with improvisation that’s in the gaze shift the ease with which he/she finds Sometimes the client obeys the suggestions ‘neighborhood’ of the new movement? balance? Each of us chooses short intros and produces image-based movement – Does ideokinesis work for us? What is to coordinative change from our short list what he/she thinks he/she should look one digestible piece of information that of favorite things to do each day, in our like; but now there is more of a strain doesn’t overwhelm? Do we appreciate a own bodies. We invite simple comparison pattern than before. Hard-won coordinative chance to be listened to, to make meaning between movements with and without a structure has two big reasons to resist of the situation in our own words? What shift in orientation and perception. change: fear of performance and/or fear demeanor of the practitioner conveys a In a first session, one can, for example, take of losing a routine that (at least) works. message of safety? Are we predisposed a tiny step in the direction of linking the A client often reverts to his/her symbolic to humor? To probing curiosity? To quiet gaze (of the eyes) and the feet. Could some reality, rather than actual body sensation presence? To dramatic demand? What do time be taken to notice that the ‘front line’ and awareness, thus avoiding a childlike we know about the circumstances that led exists, in potential, in the space, rather than expression of primary distress. to happy coordinative surprises in the past? just in the body tissues? One can draw an In this situation, the practitioner may sense We imagine what works for us so that we arc of spatial orientation on a piece of paper a session tending to fail (while, of course, may empathize with the client and thus or show it through gesture. For a client who offering a friendly, reassuring demeanor). step out from performance anxiety. It’s is ready to do so, the toes and gaze can enjoy Clever cues and well-executed fascial work not about proving our expertise. It’s really the bi-directional nature of the arc of space have been welcome, yet with this modality, about providing support for each person’s that is beheld. Linking the feet to support the body steers back onto familiar tracks. willingness to explore and willingness to for movement with the eyes is a challenge, What’s the prudent response? How to be joined in the process. The bulk of our but it can be titrated or touched on briefly begin? How to start over? How to build knowledge belongs on the shelf, waiting in such a way that the exploration is gentle a foundation for coordinative change? to be called on in brief amounts. Our value and, at first, limited. A seed can be planted. We begin over and over, with something as practitioners mostly stems from being Coordination starts to feel tangible, and small, a small detail of movement that can an embodied, differentiated presence, a intangible, at the same time. be slowed down – something taken up in a presence that tends to amplify a client’s Another example: in a first session, in context that feels safe. The practitioner looks capacity to perceive. Can we remain sidelying, can the foot and hand be linked for a proposal in which the client’s acquired curious? Can we tolerate quiet spaces in to generalized anterior/posterior (A/P) capacities and knowledge can be put aside – the interaction? Can we allow time for not motion of the vertebrae, accompanied by a perception or simple movement that feels knowing what is going on but allowing touch to the spinous processes or the base easy. These are chances to begin to unlearn the person who is learning to digest? How of the sacrum? What is the easiest manner that which prevents the movement. do we grow our tolerance or delight in for the client to feel some quality of agency not knowing? What allows us to let go of our goals for between hand contact on the table and foot preconceived excellence? How do we learn A Trail of Breadcrumbs contact against the wall, to bring alive the to embrace these moments? It is useful movement of the spine? Once introduced, to remember what it was like to learn Understanding the role of vulnerability this movement assists our fascial work something new when we were young: is a step forward. At the same time, what and provides practice in building a new learning to ride a bike, throw a ball, hold can we practically do to improve the motor map. a pencil, or draw a letter. We probably odds of success in a holistic exploration In each session, coordinative details form don’t remember trying to stand up or of coordination? Where might we start? the basis for what can happen during later walk – too early. But we might remember How do we rewrite the script so discovery sessions when seated and when standing. something between ages three and six. Can and innovation become inevitable and While seated, the client can support himself we appreciate the potency? What has really unavoidable? How do we show clients a or herself with the hands and feet while changed? When playing with coordination, path from here to there? exploring slow, small, A/P movements it is as though we have regressed to early It’s helpful to offer brief introductions to of the spine, exploring opening the front childhood, but are still in an adult body. We coordination early in the Ten Series, before line and back line from orientation and re-negotiate learning, and the issues about the client even lies on the table for the first support, rather than muscular effort. How being in that vulnerable position. time. We want to foster learning moments do we offer reasons to work this way? We Now imagine, as an adult, what our ideal that are successful, to demonstrate to the desire for the client to become enrolled in learning companion or mentor might be client and to ourselves that this process the vital nature of nested subroutines of like. What would we wish to receive in is about inherent movement intelligence: coordination. We want to enroll the client terms of coaching? What would truly feel the bundled software that lives inside all in learning to allow the body to choose helpful, as opposed to well-meaning but of us, but is obscured by overlays of effort better subroutines when engaged in life’s annoying? What is our learning style? Are and habitual dissociation. Here are some movements. We offer a story that threads its we most supported with visual, auditory, examples, in question form: Can the client way from pre-first session, to table work, to or kinesthetic information, or a particular allow sensory impression on his/her skin, seated work, and then to standing, walking, blend of each? Do we need a story? Do or in his/her hands, while he/she walks; and self-care. Each step of the way, we we need to understand why and how can he/she allow the air to touch his/her build another piece of the story and more coordination changes, from a scientific skin? As he/she makes the weight change to moments of experienced success. Our story

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 41 PERSPECTIVES offers the view that coordination is mostly on a bench or countertop or wall – in the Frank, K. 2005. “Flight of the Eagle – Self ‘already there,’ in potential. As we slow motif of the Flight of the Eagle exercise Care for Structural Integration Clients.” down to appreciate specific perceptual (Frank 2005). Each session of the Recipe The 2005 Yearbook of Structural Integration. nuggets, the body responds by letting offers many possibilities for short, iconic Missoula, MT: The International Association go of effort and improving the nuance of explorations that clients can take home and of Structural Integrators, 44-50. response. The body generalizes one detail do for a few minutes of their day. Frank, K. 2008 June. “Body as a Movement of change to a larger scope of movement, By exploring hand and foot support to System: A Premise for Structural without being told. The ‘system’ – the spinal movement on the table, we are Integration.” Structural Integration: The ‘movement brain’ system (Frank 2008) – is re-learning the way we first learned Journal of the Rolf Institute® 36(2):14-23. eager to have better information. It ‘tells’ to locomote, as a child on the floor, an us through happy accidents that surprise Ojika, Y. 2012 June. “The Wisdom of exploration of push and reach. We don’t try us. We help the client to perceive better, Uncertainty in Movement.” Structural to recreate that former struggle, however. so the body can harvest ease and flow; Integration: The Journal of the Rolf Institute® We do return to the source for innovation: vital contact with spatial directionality 40:1. sensory information, attention in the and articular differentiation helps unlock extremities, orientation to weight and Tschopp, C. and F. Menegon 1995 Mar. confused motor patterns. space, and curiosity about the newness “Posture, mouvement et représentation: A further illustration: the seated work of the experience, without the theater of développement et pathologie.” In XIo with A/P motion in spinal segments a childhood struggle. We might even take Colloque AIR: Posture, movement et relation. leads naturally to exploration of this some of the struggle out of the struggle, and D’Autres approaches corporelles de la personne movement standing in front of a wall or find the fun of being new at this unfamiliar handicapée. Besançon, France: Association leaning over a bench – hands and feet movement, which is, in fact, playful. Information Recherche, 27-40. provide support to initiate A/P motion of the spine. The gait pattern mysteriously Coordination Challenge: shows greater torsional dimensions, A Refreshing Opportunity sourced in a movement exploration that Coordination is an exciting domain of was, counterintuitively, sagittal. We exploration for the SI field in general and offer the point that this is why we can is specifically a key part of Rolf Movement call this a system event. The movement Integration (within Rolfing SI). We have pattern blossoms in the presence of better the opportunity to re-purpose Rolfing SI in information, sourced in details of segmental terms that offer back to the client, within the clarity, supported by orientation and field of gravity, the source for body renewal. receptivity in the extremities. The system There will always be practitioners who are reveals its appetite for useful information less drawn to participate in the dialogue, the when it translates one plane of spinal back and forth, give and take, of an intimate movement (sagittal) into a different plane coordinative discovery process – for whom with delivery of flow and ease in torsion, quiet manual navigation in the fascial expressed as contralateral gait. web is the preferred form of work. We We now have the basis for a simple are fortunate to have an ever-broadening self-care exercise, one that will take the array of manual skills in the Rolfing SI client a few minutes of time to practice toolbox. At the same time, confronting the – a ‘homeopathic’ recapitulation of the conundrum of human motor patterns is discoveries of the session. Emphasis still a very new field, one that naturally fits is placed on the exercise being for the into the SI domain. To enter into this ‘other ‘software not the hardware’: it’s not about web,’ the moment-to-moment conversation bigger muscles; it’s about cleaning up the with the body’s movement brain is primary ‘corrupted code.’ Coordination is refreshed empirical research. We may find that by the moments of preparation to move, manual fascial mobilization and dialogue in some ways more than in the execution with the motor system are not so far of the movement itself. When the exercise apart. While neuroscientists learn how to feels boring or confusing, the client is told image and explain pieces of motor control, to stop doing it! Try something else that we have the opportunity to embrace its feels easier. Back off on demand. Slow wholeness in our offices every day. down. Remember some detail of the work Bibliography together that felt natural and interesting. Find the mood of play or ease. What to Carlson, E.A., T.M. Yates, and L.A. Sroufe offer as the ‘form’ of the self-care? There are 2009. “Dissociation and Development of many to choose from, but if we build off of the Self.” In P.F. Dell, J. O’Neill, and E. the examples described, it might consist of Somer (Eds.), Dissociation and the Dissociative A/P movement of the spine with the hands Disorders: DSM V and Beyond. New York: Routledge, 39-52.

42 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org PERSPECTIVES ® Squeeze and Breathe The Center of Rolfing SI I remember being taught a Rolfing technique Providing Unity to a Divided World (seventeen years ago now, be kind) where the person was seated on a bench with By Barbara Drummond, PT, Certified Advanced Rolfer™ his back against a wall. The Rolfer sunk into the client’s abdomen and contacted The universe has no center and no edges. Rolfing SI ends up being transformative his psoas, then had him peel his upper In order to be an organism in said universe, bodywork because we change the first body away from the wall, one vertebra at we need a center and an edge. In order definition for our clients, the relationship a time. ‘Squeeze and breathe’ is merely a ® to have a Rolfing Structural Integration established by psychological identification variation of that, where the individual is (SI) profession, we all need centers and (and the second definition, if we have seated on the bench, in proper position, edges. The center is where you are and pictures that document the emergence of with a bolster or yoga brick between his the edges are where people meet. These horizontals and verticals). We help our knees. The Rolfer stands behind him doing have dependent origination, that is, the clients with the awareness of their centers the normal back work, but the addition of center helps create the edges and the edges and edges, which results in the conditions the person’s compressive force at the knees help create the center. Gravity, edges, and under which individuality emerges. The best applies a slight lateral expansive force at Rolfing SI help create centers. Other people, map for transformation of identity comes the sacroiliac joints. At a certain point in family, and culture create our edges. The from Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory. This is the forward roll, the client may hold his ‘Recipe,’ the Rolfing method, helps us create not just a cognitive philosophy, it is also breath. Stop at that segment and have him the individual’s center. The relationship a body-centered one. Each of the splits in gently extend his trunk back into your between the Rolfer and the client helps identity that Wilber talks about live in our hands. Resist this motion and have him create edges. central nervous system. Our identities get breathe several times to get a felt sense of smaller, more defined, as each brain part At the moment, many Rolfers see our that area of the body through the breath. develops and myelinates (as the human profession as poised to disappear. Then have him continue flexing over to the body grows and develops we go from Professions with a narrower domain and end of his range. spinal cord/special senses to brain stem lesser impact are trying to legislate us out to limbic system to cortex). We become SARA of existence – subsume us into their ‘box.’ ‘larger’ again as we practice the discipline of Or, cranial work, visceral manipulation, This technique has both mechanical and transformation. The road of life is to become and SourcePoint Therapy® are taking us neurological considerations. The primitive more divided as we grow and age, and then, away from Ida’s central vision of what reflex you may be eliciting during this at twenty-five or so, we start the long journey Rolfing SI is, and our work is becoming technique is called the ‘crossed extensor back to wholeness. inclusive to the point of stating that Rolfing reflex,’ and is a part of the withdrawal SI is everything. Our road to destruction If we unify persona and shadow, we get a reflex. The withdrawal reflex is the first is twofold – we are either too small or too whole mind. If we unify mind and body, functional layer of the central nervous large. Sounds like we need an edge. we get a whole life. If we unify life and system, and starts to appear five weeks death, we get a whole organism. And if we after conception. The crossed extensor Another word for edge is boundary. unify organism and environment, we get reflex can still be elicited in an adult; for Another word for boundary is identity; the whole kit and caboodle – Unity. How instance, when you step on a sharp object and since edges are where people meet, it do we unify organism and environment? while walking. The flexors on the injured is other professions that will help us decide Gravity. So here we are, back at Rolfing SI. side contract to pick the foot up and away those boundaries. Our mission, to organize from the object while the extensors on the the body in gravity, creates a center. This is Edges opposite side contract to keep you from a literal, objective, measurable center, and falling over. This facilitates contraction a subjective, psychological one as well. I Those professions that help us create our edges are those that explicitly state in the muscles in the hip and leg on the know of no other profession that does this, opposite side to get the center of gravity and has the pictures to prove it. If there is that their mission is to unify splits in identity through their own body of work/ over the supporting leg. Walking on two no one else that is in our ‘league,’ besides legs co-opts, or transcends and includes, the other schools that are heirs of Ida, where knowledge. Some examples could be Somatic Experiencing™ (life/death, trauma, the crossed extensor reflex. It’s supposed are our edges? If we meet no one, we are to anyway. everyone. This is how we get to the “too brainstem), constellation therapy (family inclusive” pole. history/unity), and the Hakomi Method of In this technique, have your client lie prone Experiential Psychotherapy (mind/body, with his feet off the edge of the table. According to Webster ’s dictionary, limbic system). All use mindfulness as a tool Palpate the bony landmarks of the sacrum identity is 1) the relation established by to work at their various levels of identity. – the inferior lateral angles and the sacral psychological identification; 2) sameness in sulci – to get a general sense of symmetry as Center all that constitutes the objective reality of a well as muscular and ligamentous tension. thing, oneness; and 3) to conceive as united My special ‘center’ tools are ‘squeeze and Then explore the plantar surface of both in spirit, outlook, or principle. If we satisfy breathe’ back work (our familiar back feet by pressing firmly into the tissue. You numbers 1) and 2), then I think 3) will just work with an emphasis on a total flexion will usually find a place around the ball of naturally follow amongst our membership. pattern) and SARA (sacral ambulatory/ one foot that is the most painful. That’s the respiratory axes). www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 43 PERSPECTIVES leg to start with. Let’s say it’s the right leg. and then you work on the horizontal axis need for organization rather than fix-it work Sit on the person’s right side, facing his feet, in the head. Repeat the whole procedure – the best of both worlds. and stabilize that side of the sacrum firmly on the other side. Centers and edges work together to create with your right hand. Hold the right leg My post-ten clients really benefit from this identity. Since this article is about centers, just proximal to the knee with your other technique: it brings additional freedom to the next one will be about edges. hand and very slowly abduct and slightly the pelvis, beyond what is achieved in the externally rotate the leg until you feel like Barbara Drummond is a physical therapist and first ten sessions. I find that I often use this the sacrum is being moved along with the a Certified Advanced Rolfer working and living technique in my First-Hour back work as leg. This can happen as soon as the first 2° in Oak Park, Illinois. She also incorporates well, especially for people with lumbar pain. of motion and as far along as 20°. This tiny her Hakomi training and an interest in They feel like the area that hurts is really movement of the sacrum is the first barrier. developmental neurology into her work. being focused on, and it satisfies my Rolfer’s The earlier in the range this occurs, the more impaired the movement at the sacroiliac joint is. Once you hit this barrier, go down to the foot and place the ball of the foot against The Mystery of the Ten-Series your thigh (or bench, because to hold on to the sacrum and the ball of the foot at the same time results in bad body mechanics Symbols – Solved! for the practitioner). Then ask the client By Anne Hoff, Certified Advanced Rolfer™ to press against you (or the bench) into plantarflexion, steadily but firmly. Notice In the December 2013 issue of Structural full version remained a mystery despite if his breathing stops, and call it to his Integration: The Journal of the Rolf Institute®, queries to those with some familiarity with attention as well. Many, but not all, will I published an article about the symbols the symbols. hold their breath as they attempt to do shown in Figure 1. I remembered these Fortunately, publication of the article has this. This is significant – holding the breath from class t-shirts when I did my Rolfing® brought forth the artist who drew them, and during this contraction inhibits sacral Structural Integration training in the mid- motion around the horizontal axis. And 1990s, but I couldn’t find a source for this since you have the legs in slightly different set. Variations on the symbols for sessions Figure 1: Stick-figure images circa mid- positions with relationship to flexion and seven to ten could be traced back to Emmett 1990s (recreated by Michael Vilain, from extension, you are also creating a (slightly) Hutchins and Peter Melchior, but this a t-shirt image provided by Don Bruce). oblique axis. At the place where the client stops breathing is the conflict between the axes of breathing and walking. Some people are unable to maintain a steady, firm contraction; rather, they push when they inhale and let go as they exhale. You must make the client focus on doing the two things at once – pressing and breathing. After three, four, five, six breaths, the person’s breathing with spontaneously deepen, and simultaneously, you will feel increased movement around the horizontal axis of the sacrum. Savor this. Spend time here if you both notice a big change; or you can abduct the leg further, resist plantar flexion, and have him breathe again. Then, with the leg still abducted and externally rotated, go to the client’s head and have him lift it off the table to the place of perceived stiffness. He stays there (you help him hold his head up by placing your fingers on the sphenoid wings and your thumbs just above the bridge of his nose), feels into the stiffness, becomes mindful about it. Attention is energy, so it usually resolves, and the person can feel it decrease in twenty seconds or so. (If you don’t feel it letting go after about a minute, move on.) So, you free up the horizontal axis of the sacrum

44 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org PERSPECTIVES the Rolfer who solicited her skills with his draft. Rolfer Vickie Kovar emailed Michael Self, Other: New Considerations Vilain – who provided the image for Figure 1 – stating that she drew the figures for ® Rolfer Greg Knight’s graduating class in in Rolf Movement Integration 1993-1994. An Interview with Monica Caspari When I contacted Vickie, she said: By Monica Caspari, Rolfing® and Rolf Movement® Instructor and I was a student at [the Rolf Institute] Kevin McCarthy, Certified Rolfer™, Rolf Movement Practitioner in 1994 when Greg Knight (class before my class) asked me to redraw Kevin McCarthy: I’m curious, having have the ‘circle of being,’ and in the circle of the stick figures (from a rough traveled extensively to teach and work in being there were four aspects – the physical, penciled draft) for his class’s t-shirts. the U.S., Europe, and abroad, what draws the mental, the spiritual, and the emotional. I do not know where Greg got the you back to Brazil and what do you think So it separated mental, spiritual, emotional, configuration. the strengths of the Brazilian Rolfing but to a certain extent they belong to the Structural Integration (SI) community are? same category. But there was not a social All that remained was to contact Greg, who aspect. That was missing. wrote that he doesn’t remember all of the Monica Caspari: Rolfing [SI] in Brazil details, but he clearly recalls the excitement promotes or is very much interested in KM: So this relational aspect seems like it’s of how “each figure had a reason, a simple movement and that’s where my interest the big addition? teaching embedded in it.” Here’s his story: goes. MC: It’s a big and very important addition. It was my Combined Studies class of KM: What part do you feel you’ve played KM: And how do you think this is going to 1994 that produced the t-shirts with in shaping that movement focus? be changing the way we think about Rolfing the ten symbols. The back of the shirt MC: Actually, Vivian Jaye and Jane SI in the future? had a quote of Dr. Rolf’s, “Evolution Harrington together with Pedro Prado is not a closed road but a consistent MC: I think it will make us consider the were the ones who started shaping Rolf slow open-ended path.” We were other. You know it’s not enough that your Movement in Brazil and I was just an reaching the end of our training body is aligned; how does this alignment assistant to Pedro. So I participated, you and we wanted to do something express itself when you’re in relation to the know, as just a little somebody who was to commemorate our experience. other? When you’re talking to the other, following. And then later I started studying As any Rolfing practitioner likely working with the other, dancing, helping, with Hubert [Godard] and started thinking remembers, there are a lot of details doing dishes – there is the other and you about other issues of Rolf Movement, and to learn when going through the cannot just pretend there is no other. So then I made my contribution. But before training. Without this recent what does your ‘Line’ look like when it’s that, really, the heroes of Rolf Movement article, I would not have known or talking to the other? in Brazil are Vivian Jaye, Jane Harrington, remembered the derivation of the Pedro Prado, and also Gael Ohlgren [now KM: So you are a teacher, you’re providing symbols for sessions seven to ten. Rosewood] and Heather Starsong. Rolfing SI, you’re a student with Hubert, We must have seen them or been and now you’re teaching Hubert’s work and shown them in our class. As I recall KM: So you have, as part of the Rolf your own interpretation. How do all these it, I had the idea of creating images Movement faculty, helped to teach and things combine into how you see Rolfing SI for the different back work for the adapt much of the work of Hubert Godard. as an entity, as a discrete entity? other sessions of the Ten Series. With Most recently you’ve attended an Advanced some help from fellow classmates, Movement Study Group in Germany where MC: I never thought about that Kevin, and we came up with the stick figures. Hubert has been presenting his latest that’s very interesting because the kind of Each image told a story of the back developments in movement theory. What questions that you ask are clearly coming work for each session as we were are these developments? from a different culture than mine . . . . I taught [it]. It’s true that the images don’t mean that it’s bad, it’s just, “What? I MC: He’s been talking about haptic touch are not completely consistent – with never thought about this!” It’s more like I and phoric activity and how important the first six being more about the do what I do without having this analytical it is that you don’t go for repetition of actual back work and the last four thinking. So that’s very interesting. I don’t movement but that you find your core – about something that is evoked know, I’ll have to think about it. it’s all about orientation, perception, and in the session. Still, there seemed coordination, ultimately. KM: Do you think that cultural difference to be some logic to it all. As one is one of the issues around acceptance of progresses through the series and KM: Do you see this as a step forward in Rolf Movement? reaches the last four sessions, the the direction that Rolf Movement has been back work is not as proscriptively going or is it something new? MC: I do. I really, really do. defined. Mostly designing the MC: When I first started studying Rolf Can you say a little bit more about images was for fun, with a little bit KM: Movement, it was more about the person, that? of teaching folded into it all. more interoception, proprioception, and not Mystery solved! so much the ‘other’ and things. We used to

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 45 PERSPECTIVES

MC: Because by its very nature, Rolf From there it’s not a far stretch to begin MC: To what point? Movement is . . . here [let me explain] like asking questions about somatic idealism. KM: To this point where you’re able I teach in class: Why do you want to ‘Rolf’ But the issue is not how to put tissue back to address – or are at least asking – the people? For them to look better? And, so into its place. What matters is not shape, but question of ‘that,’ that existential aloneness. what? Or for them to enjoy more life? To movement. Hubert insists that we have to Why and how is that being brought up take more advantage of their human form go back to movement. What counts is the through this process we understand as and human possibilities? And be more movement, not the place. And if we are Rolfing SI? in contact, be more alive? Because bodies not putting the body back where it should [that haven’t had Rolfing work] – the be, then neither should we teach the form MC: I guess because after we get so way I see it, the way I feel it – they’re less of the movement that we should do. If I attracted and mesmerized or enchanted alive. So we make people more alive, we show you how you should move, you do by biomechanics and visceral work and increase possibilities. I don’t believe we not experience the setting of the situation craniosacral and all of that, then the human are correcting mistakes. At least I’m not that will allow the movement to show up. aspect in us comes up. So eventually you going for correction of mistakes. I’m going One should not command activation of the have to deal with that, because if I go to a for increasing possibilities or creating new core, in doing so you only introduce a new Rolfer, later – weeks or months later – what possibilities or alleviating suffering. I’m holding! What the client needs is to develop I will remember is not if the Rolfer was very not as concerned if the person is perfectly the internal experience that produces the clever in undoing the twists in my spine, aligned. So that’s where I come from. And movement – the haptic activity – which but if he treated me well and if he received I believe my colleagues, at least most of my will then evoke core stabilization. In the me, if he understood me and did not preach colleagues in Brazil, feel the same. They’re end, Hubert is saying that all we can do to me, because I don’t want him to preach going for quality of being in the human is to evoke the emotion that comes when to me. I want to be accepted the way I am. body. Making, having, feeling, or savoring encountering the world, which will affect KM: I love the sound of that, but I’m curious the deliciousness of being in a body. all other emotional aspects of the person. how you can teach that to new Rolfers? KM: So what does Rolf Movement do to This piece I feel we have to nourish in MC: Difficult. Difficult because we can bring that about that structural Rolfing students. This piece is the existential aspect, think about it, we can try to invent exercises work is unable to offer people? which to my perception is different than about it, I can try to make people get in the psychobiological. For me when you’re MC: So you think that there are restrictions touch with their felt sense when we’re talking about psychobiological, you’re that can be in the tissues, and restrictions talking about this, but for me to upgrade a talking about something that is kind of that are not in the tissue but in the behavior, Rolfer is not so much about adding a ton of scientific, which does not translate for me in the structures of meaning that the person techniques (even though I’m teaching a ton the experience of what it is to be a human has. And the tissues can be free and yet the of techniques), but [about] how to upgrade being. You know all your inner suffering? person doesn’t move. We know that when the humanness in the Rolfer – and I can Each one of us knows what it means to be you work structurally, you work and you do that only to the extent to which I try to in a human body. We have these different work and you work and then you have develop that in myself, because I cannot emotions, different feelings, things that the person standing up and walking and take someone someplace where I have not we are unable to communicate to the still the thing you wanted to see doesn’t been myself. other; and if we are able, then the other is happen. Why? Because there’s stuff that is unable to understand, to fully grasp what KM: I feel that down here [in Brazil] stuck in the way people perceive, the way we mean. And secondly, I know that you with you we’re far away from the rest they use their bodies. So when we learn have something that is deep, profound, of the world. There’s a certain current of that, we create enormous opportunity, where other humans cannot meet you, am movement and understanding here that we increase the power of Rolfing SI; it’s I correct? That’s what makes us very alone, is touching parts of Rolfing theory and not decreased, quite the contrary. I don’t ultimately we are very, very alone. And then practice in the States and I’m sure in Europe mean to say that structural Rolfing work is I go to a Rolfer for him to correct my posture too. What is this movement saying and not important or is more or less; no, both and make me move better? For what? I want what do you want these people far away approaches, structural and movement, are somebody to meet me and be with me, and to hear? very important. But I believe people don’t even if that person cannot understand me fully grasp the importance of movement at least [he] knows that I have that same MC: I would say first of all be open, open or the importance of finding direction in lonely, suffering human spot like you, like space inside yourself – it is what Hubert space, orientation – they don’t grasp it yet, me. You know what I mean? calls phoric activity. If you’re full of yourself, for the most part. you don’t have room for the other, there is KM: I do. no way you can receive the other in a way KM: Hubert, you’ve mentioned, came into that the other will open himself to cooperate a training you were in recently and said that MC: So even if my lumbars are sidebent left with you. So it’s a matter of opening space he had made a mistake. I’m curious, what or right, most importantly I want somebody inside yourself. And no need to be afraid of was this mistake and how does it relate to there with me. Then the lumbars can be anything, just go jump into the experience his concepts of haptic and phoric activity? taken care of, you know? and enjoy it. After all, being alive is having MC: Hubert teaches that we come from a KM: Why do you think Rolfing SI has come experiences and you take nothing out of structural culture, and because of this we to this point? this life other than experiences. find it easy to focus on the issue of shape.

46 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org REVIEWS

Monica Caspari trained as a Rolfer in 1989, Robert Schleip, and Tom Findley. In between completing the Rolf Movement training in Reviews Hitzmann introduces the MELT system, an 1992 and advanced Rolfing training in 1993. acronym for myofascial energetic length She joined the Rolf Institute® faculty in 1994. Notes from the technique. Essentially, MELT is a self- She has taught in Brazil, the United States, maintenance system whose innovation is Germany, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Fascial Revolution its introduction of a technique using foam and Japan. Monica holds a BA in Nutrition The MELT Method by Sue Hitzmann rollers and rubber balls to decompress and from Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, a (HarperOne 2013) rehydrate fascia. The premise of the book is specialist degree from Uniítalo, São Paulo, simply that fascia, neglected until now, is worked as a doula (midwife) for nineteen years; Fascia: The Tensional Network of the a primary source for health and potential taught Hatha Yoga, and has studied Therese Human Body edited by Robert Schleip, ill health. Sound familiar? Should be, since Bertherat’s Antigymnastics, Gerda Alexander’s Thomas Findley, Leon Chaitow, and Peter most of MELT’s ideas concerning the fascial Eutony, Kum Nye, Emily Conrad’s Continuum, Hiujing (Chuchill Livingstone 2012) universe are echoes of SI. Certainly, ideas Godelieve Denis Struyf’s G.D.S. Muscular Why Fascia Matters by Brooke Thomas such as “domes and arches” and “two- Chains, Stanley Keleman’s Formative Process, (ebook) directional lengthening,” both claimed by and Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing®. Hitzmann as her own, will elicit a smile Reviews by Szaja Gottlieb, Certified from SI practitioners reading her book. Kevin McCarthy holds a BA in English from Advanced Rolfer™ Macalester College and worked as an EMT Of greater concern is a certain diffuseness prior to obtaining his Rolfing certification in Revolution denotes dramatic change. Here and repetition in the 300-page book, making Boulder in 2007. While pursuing his practice are two books, The MELT Method and Fascia: it hard to follow. Written in a first-person in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Kevin became The Tensional Network of the Human Body, subjective style, the personal history, increasingly interested in the effects of emotion that reflect the seismic shift occurring ideas, and techniques seem to pile on one and metaphor as they relate to structural among researchers, clinicians, practitioners, another. These problems will probably integration. His interest in these aspects of the patients, clients, and the general public in be solved when the DVD, currently in work led to him pursuing his Rolf Movement understanding fascia and therapies using process, is released, thus removing all training with Monica Caspari in Brazil in 2014, it. They can be considered in a sense the the unnecessary verbiage. Astonishingly, where this interview took place. He maintains low brow and high brow of this revolution despite the derivative nature of MELT from a blog on Rolfing SI and all things related at and are both relevant to practitioners of SI, the key idea of lines of transmission of ® www.informrolfing.com. Rolfing Structural Integration (SI) for force through fascial planes, as presented, differing reasons. for example, by Tom Myers in Anatomy A New York Times bestseller, The Melt Trains, is lacking in terms of application. Method: A Breakthrough Self-Treatment System From an SI point of view, as expressed by to Eliminate Chronic Pain, Erase the Signs of Myers, the user could apply the foam roller Aging, and Feel Fantastic in Just 10 Minutes a along geometric lines of transmission – the Day! is written by Sue Hitzmann, an exercise lateral line, back line, superficial front line, guru and somatic practitioner who is etc. A client, for example, could work his spearheading a new self-care fitness system lateral line, which would include peroneal whose principal tools are foam rollers compartment, the iliotibial band, small and small rubbery balls, as well as selling glutes, etc. Suggesting working an entire related items, training MELT Method® myofascial plane with the foam roller is instructors, and holding workshops in the never broached by Hitzmann. The result is U.S. and most certainly eventually all over a technique that has difficulty expanding the world. No matter one’s opinion of the beyond specific locations of pain to move system, it is the first (to my knowledge) the client into a more integrative vision of in popular culture explicitly based on the the body. health of fascial tissue and one of the first That said, SI practitioners need to be in the new field of ‘fascial fitness.’ The first familiar with MELT. It and other coming part of the book is specifically related to fascial fitness modalities will be a gateway the latest discoveries concerning fascia, in for prospective clients to SI. Using foam particular the significant role that water rollers to maintain some of the gains from plays in the fascial tissue universe and how SI sessions is obvious, but the idea of being dehydration of fascial tissue results in pain able to maintain fascial fitness through and how rehydration of fascia relieves it. three ten-minute sessions per week, as The imprint of SI permeates MELT – from MELT promises, seems inadequate. I say the introduction by former practitioner Gil this as a daily foam-roller user and as a Hedley (who created Somanautics dissection practitioner who introduces clients to the workshops) to the acknowledgment at the foam roller as a maintenance tool in their end of the book of the “pioneering Rolfers initial session. turned researchers,” including Tom Myers,

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 47 REVIEWS

In Fascia: The Tensional Network of the Human read the many dense articles in depth. There the fact that you are relatively glued to Body: The science and clinical applications in are nuggets everywhere and whole veins to the page with your hands full. Video manual and movement therapy, the researchers mine, a pleasure to look forward to. feels a step up but is still both location- who formed the background of MELT move and visually-fixed. Having one’s hands With all these new developments in to the foreground. Edited by Robert Schleip, and eyes free in the environment of your the field, both in terms of research Thomas Findley, Leon Chaitow, and Peter choice and full freedom of movement and application, it makes sense that SI Hiujing, the book offers a breathtaking with the convenience of headphones practitioners will need to refine their excursion into the latest discoveries opens up a lot of opportunity for explanations of the role of fascia and how and thoughts of fascia researchers and movement exploration. to maintain myofascial health. Rolfer clinicians, presented in and stimulated by Brooke Thomas has done just that with In Walking Meditation 1 (2013), her nine- the International Fascia Research Congresses a free e-book entitled Why Fascia Matters part, forty-two-minute guided meditation in 2007, 2009, and 2012. This publication of (available at www.liberatedbody.com), (available as an audio download from iTunes forty-seven articles written by 100 scientists aimed specifically at new Rolfing clients. In or Amazon, or as a CD from Amazon.com), and clinicians is momentous, a watershed simple language, Thomas explains what the Certified Advanced Rolfer and Rolf event in our field. Fascia emerges as being new discoveries in fascia research mean to Movement Practitioner Gael Rosewood an incredibly active component of all facets the potential SI client. The author also has (formerly Ohlgren) invites client and of anatomical function usually reserved for started a website called Fascia Freedom practitioner alike to find hope and supported other myofascial elements such as muscle, Fighters (www.fasciafreedomfighters.com; fluidity with curiosity, awareness, and tendons, and ligaments. This expanded now folded into www.liberatedbody.com) a sense of play. She begins with some definition will make it increasingly to encourage the maintenance of healthy general principles, bringing reflection to difficult to maintain the traditional view fascia, mainly through movement. Still how stress and life demands accumulate of fascia as local and passive, since it needed is a chapter on using the foam roller in our structure and inhibit healthy flow is clear that the fascial web is critical and other implements, particularly from an in our gait. Additionally, she calls for both in terms of carrying and spreading SI point of view. reflection on our clothing choices and the load and as an integral part of the body’s myriad ways our movement begins to communication system. Standing in the midst of a change it is lack variety over time. In the following good to take a deep breath in thanks to The book is organized into eight parts: sections, Rosewood alternates between those practitioners such as Tom Myers, “Anatomy of the fascial body,” “Fascia guided movement exploration and some Robert Schleip, Tom Findley, and others as an organ of communication,” “Fascial wonderful thoughts to engage the listener responsible for stimulating this new stage force transmission,” “Physiology of fascial in new ways of thinking about standing of growth in SI. Many in our field have tissues,” “Fascia-related disorders,” and walking. Her silky voice asks “what for many years complained of Rolfing SI’s “Diagnostic procedures for fascial elasticity,” flows” in our gait and what lacks flow. She inability to move towards the mainstream. “Fascia-oriented therapies,” and “Fascia lightly peppers the recording with theory Perhaps they never considered the other research: Methodological challenges and for substance, coaxing the listener through possibility – of the mainstream, with a little new directions.” There are twenty-four the concepts of embodying our kinesphere, help, moving closer to us. articles in the section on fascia-oriented the “where brain” versus the “what brain,” therapies, the largest in the book and and appreciating our inside (introception) of obvious interest to our community. ™ in relation to our outside (extroception). The chapter by our own Monica Caspari Titles by Rolfers One of my few difficulties with the and Heidi Massa, “Rolfing structural Walking Meditation 1 by Gael Rosewood presentation was that while it is clearly integration,” is a thorough presentation of (audio resource) meant to be reasonably and methodically the ten-session series based on the concept paced, the content is so rich that I would of organizing fascia in gravity. Many other Review by Stefan Knight, Certified Advanced Rolfer™, Rolf Movement® want to be there with my clients to ensure therapies, both hands-on and -off, such Practitioner that they appreciate the full value of her as Graston technique, connective-tissue words; I can hear myself asking them, “Did massage, trigger-point therapy, acupuncture, I am fortunate to have a busy practice that you get what she just said?” and “Can you prolotherapy, yoga, and Pilates are also is comprised, fairly exclusively, of one-hour feel the implications of that possibility?” discussed. There is also the inclusion of sessions. Not luxurious ninety-minute There were times that I just needed a little Robert Schleip and Divo Müller’s prescient sessions in which I can transition the client more time to fully appreciate it myself – and article on fascial fitness, which is a touchstone into the world with lots of well-grounded I live this stuff everyday. At one point I was for the field. I found the article on surgery perceptual homework, as much as I might starting to think that it was just too much and scarring of special interest. Clients enjoy that. Only in the past few years to embody in the time allotted between after surgery, particularly joint surgery like have I felt truly competent incorporating invitations, but then Rosewood chimes in rotator cuffs, always complain about their – i.e., leaving time to set up – movement “Are you feeling overloaded by all these shoulders not feeling quite right no matter homework for the client in a way that questions?” The answer was “yes,” and how many visits to the orthopedist and evokes meaningful exploration in the one- her query was just in time to refresh my physical therapist – an obvious opportunity hour model. own sense of play and a ‘you get what you for an SI practitioner to reintegrate tissue The written word is a tricky medium get attitude.’ and reinstall a ruptured communication for the average client to find new and system. I will make no pretense of having refreshing nuance in movement due to

48 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org REVIEWS

For clients to have a resource like this to There is a bias toward what is more com) where they can, if they like, purchase take out into the world to consider and conventional in our world – e.g., yoga-like it on their own. Use of the coupon code play with is a gift at less than $9 (for the stretches, straps and balls – rather than IdaRolf at checkout gives an approximately audio download). I’ve been encouraging the open-ended somatic exploration of our 10% discount on a single copy. There is a clients to download this little gem for about world of Rolf Movement® and like-minded 30% discount on purchase of a ten pack a month now, especially those going on disciplines. But as a bridge for clients who (www.10seriescompanion.com/product/10- vacation, outside the usual stresses of life. are most familiar with the gym or yoga series-companion-10-pack/). It could perhaps even be given as a gift for studio and just encountering SI, this may clients who are doing the full Ten Series? I not be a bad thing. And Johnson does make Deepening Musical Performance will chalk up this recording as yet another efforts to bridge worlds: I was thrilled to see through Movement by Alexandra Pierce thing I can be grateful to Gael Rosewood for. that the first mention of foam rollers (in the and Roger Pierce (online resource) Session Three material) states: “Rather than ‘roll’ over the tissue, it is more effective to Review by Linda Grace, Certified The 10-Series Companion by Brian ® sink into the tissue and allow it to melt.” Advanced Rolfer™, Rolf Movement Johnson (Midline Publishing 2013) Practitioner I believe this is an important nuance, as Review by Anne Hoff, Certified many use a foam roller too fast for fascial This free aural/visual presentation Advanced Rolfer™ response and too aggressively (poor “Deepening Musical Performance through The 10-Series Companion: A Client Guide to inflamed nerves!) unless guided otherwise. Movement: practical pathways to spirited the Rolf Method of Structural Integration is Johnson gives further foam roller caveats in rehearsal and eloquent performance” is Rolfer Brian Johnson’s answer to Ten-Series the “resources” section of the book’s website available online at http://alexandrapierce. clients who ask “What are some things I can (www.10seriescompanion.com). net/deepening/. The videos were made to accompany a book called Deepening do at home in the time between sessions?” At the end of the book, Johnson includes Musical Performance Through Movement: The It begins with a succinct overview of the some additional material on the shoulders Theory and Practice of Embodied Interpretation Ten Series as a tri-part (sleeve, core, and and arms, and brief discussions of (Indiana University Press, 2007), which integration) holistic series based on goals movement therapy, craniosacral therapy, was reviewed in our June 2009 issue (for each session and overall) but applied and visceral manipulation as adjunct work [37(2):41-42]. The authors, Alexandra Pierce, uniquely to each individual. He then goes for integration. on to address clients directly, saying that PhD, a longtime University of Redlands the Series will affect them on many levels – I have two main criticisms. First, although music theory professor and Alexander body, balance in gravity, understanding of the introductory page for practitioners Technique™ practitioner, and semiologist, movement – and that “This book is meant states that the book is a resource to which and Roger Pierce, a retired Certified to augment that experience . . . give you you can add more tailored guidance for Advanced Rolfer trained by Ida Rolf and visual and experiential cues that you can each client, there are no blank pages to write Judith Aston, have distilled thoughts at use at home . . .” such notes or homework – or for the client to a basic level so that they can be easily write his own reflections and observations. taken in and used for a heady intellectual For each session (Eight and Nine are Yes one could write in the margins, but with basic understanding of music theory as together) there are four to eight pages a book so beautifully presented, that would well as an internal reckoning. We proceed with multiple photos showing the areas seem messy. I would rather see a blank page from the recognition of the parts and move worked and related goals, followed by or two after each session’s material. In this to how they fit together. This presentation exercises or stretches. Johnson states in the vein, it would also be useful to have “pre- provides the musical ground for the book. introductory material that the stretches session” tips and space for related notes. For Under the “Melody” section, there is a are really exploratory “positions” to note example, at the end of Session One, I always link to “A visual exploration of melodic changes that occur during the Series (i.e., tell my clients to prepare for Session Two contour with light” by Benjamin Pierce, not goal-oriented muscle lengthening), but by noticing how they stand (favoring one their son, who is an accomplished singer, clients may need to be reminded of that. leg or equally weighted?) and walk and by artist, and computer engineer. This makes The photographs are gorgeous and the checking the wear patterns on their shoes. this statement all the more of a family event moderate amounts of text seem appropriate My other comment is that as our culture by this husband, wife, and son, who have to the book’s purpose: to educate the moves further away from print media and created their lives in the artistic world. client and facilitate his understanding and into technology, books have no appeal This charming aural and visual statement digestion of the process. More material to some people. Having this material as of essential parts of music – melody, phrase, could be perceived as too didactic or too some sort of electronic resource for tablets harmonic rhythm, and meter ­– is here stated much to assimilate in a brief interlude. or mobile phones could engage a whole with most distractions removed from each different demographic. Some of the somatic exercises are obvious part itself so that the main principles are inclusions based on the common ground of For the right type of client, The 10-Series revealed bare. We see and hear a single structural integration (SI) trainings – e.g., Companion could bring a deeper and richer music of itself on the monochromal acoustic exploration of the toe hinge. Others are level of engagement with the Series. The piano, interpreted by pulsed 60ish beats (to not SI-derived, but to this practitioner do questions for practitioners are whether the a minute) explanatory voice and by spare not give offense. Depending on your own book is appropriate to their practice, and if movement. The music and the pointing out background and orientation, you may wish so, whether to gift it or merely direct clients the parts and the statements is enough in different things were included. to the website (www.10SeriesCompanion. itself. These barenesses of the musical events

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 49 REVIEWS are unrelieved by luxurious orchestrational releasing the problem structures. In the A.T. Still: From the Dry Bone to the color, flashing lights, portentousness, and discs’ segments on theory, Barral delivers Living Man by John Lewis, DO (Dry Bone drama, and are revealed to be somewhat comprehensive summaries of the anatomy Press, 2012) hypnotic as well as instructional. and structure of the respective areas of the spine, including the skin, joints, discs, Review by Olixn Adams, DO, former The videos could be of use to a student or Certified Advanced Rolfer™ ligaments, as well as the associated nervous, Rolfer who wants to take music study vascular, visceral, and soft-tissue structures. John Lewis is a British trained osteopath. back to the essential statements, and The treatment segments following address After completing his studies at the British experience that statement through all the structures mentioned. While the School of Osteopathy, he felt something was movement. Additional studies could go DVDs focus on the spine and pelvis, missing from his education – he desired on to create movement interpretations of they also discuss important neighboring a deeper understanding of A.T. Still’s music of one’s own instrumental or vocal structures. On The Cervical Spine DVD, philosophy and principles of osteopathy, selections being performed or studied, or theory and treatment feature a variety of he wanted to understand more deeply even of pieces that the Rolfing client is nerves (including the brachial plexus), the what Dr. Still was thinking, how he performing for the Rolfer for the Rolfer’s cervical foramina and disc herniations, treated patients, and how he discovered work with the client, utilizing the essential and the dura; The Thoracic Spine includes osteopathy. In 1997 this desire led Lewis to parts. Some, wanting more coaching, the ribs, rib heads, sternum, clavicle, and move to Kirksville, Missouri, home to the could go on to Kodály Method or Jacques pertinent joints; and The Lumbar Spine first school of osteopathy and one of the Dalcroze Eurythmics. Rolfers who are non- and Pelvis has detailed coverage of the most complete osteopathic libraries in the musicians need to have a care demonstrating ligaments of the area, particularly those world. In Kirksville, Lewis spent five years or coaching someone with these ideas of the vertebrae and sacrum, and some meticulously researching Still’s entire life. who has some skill in performance, and visceral, posturo-emotional, and vascular He then spent another ten years writing the also remember that advanced performance relationships of the region. story of Still and osteopathy. mostly takes place in a large hall for which energy of motion is needed as well as As I’ve said before, Barral is one of my Fifteen years of dedicated work paid off, capability of broadness of gesture. favorite teachers, and these DVDs succeed for what emerged from this concentrated in capturing the same straightforward, effort is an incredible work. A.T. Still: From authoritative, information-packed lectures the Dry Bone to the Living Man is a 425-page From the that I’ve experienced in class. He has a text that is a tremendous contribution to Osteopathic World presence that I find magnetic, so much so that osteopathy. It is difficult to put this book every time I sat down to browse the discs to into a single literary category. In its essence The Cervical Spine; The Thoracic review them, I found myself watching them it is a biography about an incredible human Spine; The Lumbar Spine and Pelvis completely, over and over – it’s hard not to being and innovative thinker who had the (three DVDs in the New Manual Articular be rapt when you have a master class in the courage to follow an original thought to the Approach Series) by Jean-Pierre Barral privacy of your own home. ends of the earth; a man who would stop (Munich Group Media) at nothing to find truth, a truth that would The Munich Group has scored some ultimately alter dramatically the practice of improvements on the DVDs: the HD Review by Allan Kaplan, Certified medicine. Still’s life is indeed an inspiring Advanced Rolfer™ camerawork and camera angles have and riveting story, but this book is much improved, as have the menus, which now The Munich Group (spearheaded by Rolfers more than a biography; it is captivating navigate with more detail. Also, Barral’s Peter Schwind and Christoph Sommer) and reads like a novel, while at the same hand-drawn diagrams have been prepared has continued its collaboration with Jean- time capturing the essence of osteopathy in advance, eliminating any distractions Pierre Barral DO and produced three more worthy of an osteopathic textbook. The that may have been present previously. DVDs detailing his New Manual Articular book gives tremendous insight into Still’s There is an overview website for the DVDs Approach. Following up on the previous thinking from his early days as an allopath at www.barraltreatments.com, which release on the shoulder, there are now three on the Shawnee Indian reservation, to gives some sample segments and links discs on the spine, focusing on the cervical the initial idea of an alternative form of for European purchasers (or go through spine, thoracic spine, and lumbar spine medicine, to the first osteopathic treatment, www.munich-group-media.com). For the and pelvis. Retaining the format presented and eventually an osteopathic medical U.S. and Canada, the DVDs are available at in the first DVD, these latest additions school. The reader gains insight into http://shop.barralinstitute.com. Besides the carefully explore the lay of the land in detail, the cosmologies, life circumstances, and original DVD on the shoulder, a DVD on the with clear, concise presentations illustrated perceptual states that influenced Still and upper extremity is available, and another on by Barral’s diagrams, followed by equally his creation of osteopathy. We get a glimpse the lower extremity is in production. clear and concise demonstrations. of how Still synthesized science and direct observation of nature with anatomy and New Manual Articular Approach is Barral’s spirituality, and applied this synthesis with method of addressing bony restrictions tremendous compassion for the benefit of by stimulating the ligamentous bed of the humanity. affected joints. He assesses the affected structures in detail, and then gently re- A.T. Still: From the Dry Bone to the educates the mechanoreceptors involved, Living Man is available to order at

50 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org REVIEWS www.atstill.com. It is essential reading for the earliest students of Sutherland and The manipulation of shape is right up our every practicing osteopath and osteopathic pioneered original research on the dura that collective alley. medical student, and inspiring reading had a different view than what Sutherland Beach, an osteopath and acupuncturist, for anyone who uses his or her hands as a was teaching. Fuller then presents the postulates a model for human structure vocation and a healing art. part that was my personal favorite: over a and movement that fulfills our principle hundred pages of side-by-side comparison of holism while encompassing all of the of select writings of Still and Swedenborg. Osteopathy and Swedenborg by David inquiries mentioned above. Beach looks I found this section to be a treasure trove B. Fuller, DO, FAAO (Swedenborg Scientific at emergent human form as a layering of of spiritual and philosophical insight that Association Press, 2012) interactive fields. The fields are contractile deepened my understanding of Still as well but not strictly myofascial. Beach selected Review by Ron Murray DO(MP) as osteopathy. Canada, Certified Advanced Rolfer™ the word “contractile” to emphasize the This book was especially poignant for me as dynamic role of these fields in the shaping Wow! What a wonderful book to read and a reader since the evolution of my journey the body without designating specific have the honor of reviewing. Osteopathy has taken me from Rolfing SI to osteopathy tissues. Contractility widens and narrows and Swedenborg: The Influence of Emanuel to philosophical and spiritual studies. as it courses about the body, diving and Swedenborg on the Genesis and Development of Fuller’s writings have nicely woven all of surfacing and twisting so that superficial Osteopathy, Specifically on Andrew Taylor Still these together for me. My only real critique becomes deep and vice versa. Sense and William Garner Sutherland, authored by of the book is the tiny type. I found that organs are embedded in most of the fields. David B. Fuller, DO, FAAO impressed me once I hit fifty, typical age-related vision Instinctively you know this is right, because immensely. I got taken on a journey through changes have made reading smaller type what incites motion other than our senses? the spiritual and physiological principles of challenging. With the book spanning six The model evolved from Beach’s years Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772, author hundred pages, I can certainly understand of contemplation of embryological of copious amounts of books with quill and why the author made this decision. ink) and how they shaped and influenced development, itself the summation of half American history. This is a detailed journey I recommend this book for those who want a billion years of evolution. In tracking in how these principles affected the founder to delve deeper into some of the possible the fields, Beach was also guided by the of osteopathy, A.T. Still, and his well-known formative influences on osteopathy, and meridian system, the mysterious Chinese student W.G. Sutherland, DO, who was maybe to provide context of the era in pathways that continue to elude scientific credited with pioneering the cranial concept. which Rolf formed her ideas, since she explanation. What the Chinese observed was known to have been influenced by and mapped 2000 years ago, Beach Canadian osteopath and researcher Jane various osteopaths. hypothesizes as patterns of “emergent Stark has said that “to understand Still lines of shape control,” which, having been we have to understand the times and intuited but not understood, were occluded era he grew up in.” Fuller does just that. Considerations of by centuries of poetry and dogma. He lays out the context of history, first starting with Swedenborg and how his Shape and Alignment Beach describes the emergence of a Lateral Field, a Dorsal-Ventral Field, a Helical Field, ideas spread through Europe, then to Muscles and Meridians: The a Limb Field that encompasses all four the U.S. The author shows the reader manipulation of shape by Phillip Beach, limbs and is nested within the Helical Field, how Swedenborg’s concepts intertwined DO, DAc (Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier, and a Radial Field that compacts the body with Transcendentalism, phrenology, 2010) mesmerism, magnetic healing, evolution, wall to elongate and stabilize the spine. and late-nineteenth-century metaphysical Review by Mary Bond, Certified Following Beach to this point, it is easy to movements – all components that possibly Advanced Rolfer™, Rolf Movement® feel oneself standing under Rolf’s original contributed to Still’s formation. Fuller Instructor umbrella – our Ten Series is right there. then takes the reader through some early For forty years our community has taken Beach further postulates a Fluid Field that history of osteopathy, covering Still and consistent strides toward evolving Rolfing® acts through the kidneys (which together a few of his students. He then explores Structural Integration (SI). Ida Rolf’s with blood and aspects of the genital system the relationships between Swedenborg’s original Recipe inspired her protégés develop from the same mesodermic layer and Still’s philosophies. Of possible to develop Rolfing Principles in the as muscles and fascia) to maintain delicate special interest to structural integration 1980s, and the Principles launched our balance of fluid physiology without which and cranial practitioners are the parts collective investigations into the relevance movement is prohibited. The Chiralic Field where Swedenborg predates Sutherland to our work of cranial osteopathy, visceral encompasses the pulsating and wavelike in describing the inherent motion and osteopathy, embryology, nerve work, movements of the cardiovascular and movement of the brain, spinal cord, and joint mechanics, fascial research, and the gastrointestinal systems and their influence dura. The concept of body, mind, and spirit perceptual organization of structure and on our ability to move. (The word “chiralic” was shown to be a commonality between movement. The perpetual question: “What describes the asymmetric nature of visceral Swedenborg and Still. Ida Rolf is mentioned is Rolfing SI?” fuels our ongoing quest to muscle.) Relationships between these fields in the book as having trained with select understand the nature of our beautiful work are as important as the fields themselves – osteopaths and also possibly teaching and how can we continue to improve upon sound familiar? If interacting fields underlie “Rolfing [SI]” to Beryl Arbunkle – a famous it for the recipients of our ministrations. the genesis of form, then the healing and female osteopath. Arbunkle was one of Phillip Beach’s book, Muscles and Meridians:

www.rolf.org Structural Integration / June 2014 51 REVIEWS balancing of forms invites our investigation Natural Posture for Pain-Free Living: books – No-Risk Abs: A Safe Workout Program of these morphogenetic fields. The Practice of Mindful Alignment by for Core Strength and Preparing for a Gentle Kathleen Porter (Healing Arts Press 2006) Birth: The Pelvis in Pregnancy – follow a The contractile field model is foundational familiar model. Calais-Germain’s simple for understanding Beach’s ideas about the Review by Mary Bond, Certified but elegant drawings again illustrate balancing and integrating effect of large Advanced Rolfer™, Rolf Movement® anatomy and function of the muscles muscle group exercise. He proposes that Instructor she writes about, and her descriptions of erecting the body from archetypal postures Natural Posture for Pain-Free Living: the structures and exercises she presents of rest is the foundation of biomechanically The Practice of Mindful Alignment is a are straightforward. tuned or harmonious body use. He says beautiful book, copiously and meticulously that certain postures are embedded in our illustrated and elegantly produced. For the Calais-Germain’s goal with No-Risk Abs is to evolution and in childhood development, most part, Porter’s message aligns with that present a program to develop core strength and their normalcy is immediately apparent of structural integration: that there should in a safe and informed way. After reviewing once pointed out. Cross-legged sitting or be a dynamic inter-relationship between the anatomy, structure, and function of squatting are two of the basic patterns aligned bones, a balance of engaged and the musculature, she points out strengths of rest that allow the hip joint to self- relaxed muscles, and natural breathing. The and weaknesses in what she considers the correct in response to the torso’s helical book is valuable for its photojournalism – as six most common exercises, and is direct field. Thus, archetypal postures become a teaching reference for inspiring our clients about how to perform the exercises in an assessment tool as well as a means of to embark upon paths of body awareness. ways that are safe. She then outlines a set integration. In the same way that a few steps The chapter on childhood development of principles that coordinate muscle usage toward the goals of Rolfing SI can bring is especially compelling. The photos for safe exercising in general, and finally exponential improvement, pursuing Beach’s contrasting the postures of contemporary presents her strengthening program, using “erectorcise” goals of sitting and rising Westerners with those of people in Third photo sequences to show the stretching and from the ground can generate significant World countries are persuasive and may contraction exercises. improvement in form and function. be a good reference in educating clients Preparing for a Gentle Birth is also an This book is not new (2010), and not about the need for body awareness. Porter interesting effort, essentially a primer without drawbacks. I confess that when I tends to idealize the postures of people in for the pregnant woman to develop an first read it shortly after publication, I put the Third World, however – I’ve been there awareness of her pelvis before delivery. it down with glazed eyes. But now, having too, and have seen some very dysfunctional But truly, it’s a thorough basic text that spent time in workshops with Dr. Beach, feet and spines. does a great job of showing the anatomical I understand its shortcomings. First, it is Porter aims to restore alignment through relationships of the pelvis, sacrum, and too short! It is easily two – or maybe three a blend of Ideokinesis and ideas that femur, and once they have laid out the – books crammed into a slim volume. The seem to evolve from F.M. Alexander and foundations, Calais-Germain and Parés chapter on archetypal postures could (and yoga. That her understanding of function then show how the pelvis can and does hopefully will) be expanded into a book is limited, however, is evident from the change shape through childbirth. It’s in its own right. I learned from the author foot chapter in which she advises the very comprehensive, first explaining the that the length and number of illustrations reader to “tuck the heels” to strengthen mechanics of the lower girdle, and then were constrained by the publisher. Second, the medial arch. Equally cringe-worthy systematically reviewing a series of body I also learned that the photo illustrations of are her demonstrations of a “natural head positions with a set of parameters to show archetypal postures were substitutions due placement” that reduces the cervical curve. how each position will affect the mobility to a model’s last-minute refusal to sign a In general, much of her counsel focuses on and opening of the pelvis. Although the photo release. A first glance at these pages ‘positioning’ of various body parts. authors have not set up the book as an could tempt one to judge the message by exercise or stretching manual, I think their the presentation. And last, never has a title idea is to get a woman familiar with how the done so little justice to the content of a book. Two Titles by a Familiar bones of her pelvis move, so she can then work on her own to mobilize the pelvis to Beach is the first to say that no model is Anatomy Author facilitate an easier birth process. Judging ‘truth.’ He regards the Contractile Field from the variety of birthing positions Model as a contribution to what he hopes No-Risk Abs by Blandine Calais-Germain covered, it’s evident that it was written with will be an expansion in the modeling (Healing Arts Press 2011) a European or “non-traditional American” of whole-organism movement patterns Preparing for a Gentle Birth by Blandine audience in mind, i.e., a woman who in coming decades. His work initiates a Calais-Germain and Núria Vives Parés might avail herself of a progressive birth conversation. Who better to take up this (Healing Arts Press 2012) center or midwife. Nonetheless, I think conversation with him than we who have that any prospective mother could profit been having our own version of the same Reviews by Allan Kaplan, Certified from the insights that Calais-Germain and passionate inquiry for forty years? Beach’s Advanced Rolfer™ Parés present in preparing for an easier website is www.phillipbeach.com. Those who know the popular Anatomy of birth process. Movement and other books by Blandine Calais-Germain will find that these two

52 Structural Integration / June 2014 www.rolf.org Contacts

OFFICERS & THE ROLF INSTITUTE® EUROPEAN ROLFING BOARD OF DIRECTORS 5055 Chaparral Ct., Ste. 103 ASSOCIATION E.V. Boulder, CO 80301 Gabi Eckert, Executive Director Kevin McCoy (Faculty/Chairperson) (303) 449-5903 Saarstrasse 5 (262) 337-1530 (800) 530-8875 80797 Munchen [email protected] (303) 449-5978 fax Germany www.rolf.org Peter Bolhuis (At-large/CFO) +49-89 54 37 09 40 [email protected] (303) 449-2800 +49-89 54 37 09 42 fax [email protected] www.rolfing.org ROLF INSTITUTE STAFF [email protected] Nicholas French (Western USA/Secretary) Diana Yourell, Executive Director (214) 357-7571 Jim Jones, Director of Education JAPANESE ROLFING [email protected] Vanessa Gordillo, Assistant to Education Pat Heckmann, Manager of Membership ASSOCIATION Linda Grace (At-large) Gena Rauschke, Accountant Akiko Shiina, Foreign Liaison (215) 985-1263 Trace’ Scheidt, Enrollment Manager/ Omotesando Plaza 5th Floor [email protected] Financial Aid Officer 5-17-2 Minami Aoyama Minato-ku Tokyo, 107-0062 Benjamin Gunning (Central USA) Sara Thompson, Clinic Coordinator Japan (414) 336-8107 Linda Weber, Office Manager www.rolfing.or.jp [email protected] Carah Wertheimer, Admissions Advisor Susan Winter, Manager of Marketing & PR [email protected] Ron McComb (Eastern USA) (503) 226-7653 AUSTRALIAN GROUP CANADIAN ROLFING [email protected] The Rolf Institute ASSOCIATION Michael Murphy (Faculty) 5055 Chaparral Ct., Ste. 103 Kai Devai, Administrator (650) 559-7653 Boulder, CO 80301 615 - 50 Governor’s Rd. [email protected] USA Dundas, ONT L9H 5M3 (303) 449-5903 Canada Maria Helena (Lena) Orlando (800) 530-8875 (416) 804-5973 (International/CID) (303) 449-5978 fax (905) 648-3743 fax +55-11 3819-0153 www.rolfing.org.au www.rolfingcanada.org [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Hubert Ritter (Europe/Past Chair) +49-30-4435 7473 ® [email protected] BRAZILIAN ROLFING ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Dayane Paschoal, Administrator Peter Bolhuis R. Cel. Arthur de Godoy, 83 Kevin McCoy Vila Mariana Nicholas French 04018-050-São Paulo-SP Brazil EDUCATION EXECUTIVE +55-11-5574-5827 +55-11-5539-8075 fax COMMITTEE www.rolfing.com.br Russell Stolzoff, Chair [email protected] Duffy Allen Valerie Berg Ellen Freed Jörg Ahrend-Löns, ERA Rebecca Carli, Movement Faculty Ray McCall, Interim FDRB Liaison Michael Murphy, Faculty Rep to the Board Suzanne Picard, Phase I Faculty Pedro Prado, ABR Jan Sultan, Advanced Faculty Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Boulder, CO OF STRUCTUR A L I N T E G R ATIO N Permit No. 782 5055 Chaparral Ct., Ste. 103 Boulder, CO 80301