Rolfing – what is it?

Rolfing is the name of the treatment that was founded by Dr. Ida Rolf, who was born in 1896. She was a woman ahead of her time, graduating from college in 1916 and obtaining her PhD in biological chemistry in 1921.

Dr. Rolf studied homeopathic medicine and then explored different treatments including osteopathy, chiropractics, and yoga, to name a few. Throughout her explorations, Dr. Rolf discovered that she could help people by manipulating the body’s soft tissue and teaching people proper posture and movement. She eventually founded the Rolf Institute in 1971, to teach others her techniques and provide certification.

According to the website, The Rolf Institute of Structural Integration, “Rolfing strives to align and balance the body’s components until the entire system is a smoothly functioning coordinated whole. For example, the legs are aligned to the hips, shoulders to rib cage, the body is positioned over the feet, and then all of these joints and related tissue is integrated to one another. A few of the many benefits people experience are reduced pain, an enhanced sense of body awareness, and improved posture.”

If you’re interested in learning more about Rolfing, you can check out the link above, or www.rolfguild.org.

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I got the links and some of the information from a book that was sent to me by Alan E. Smith. He wrote the book UnBreak Your Health, The Complete Guide to Complementary & Alternative Therapies.

Image: Alan E. Smith

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