Since my Advanced Rolfing® Fort Worth Dallas endeavor began, one thing has become clear, Rolfing® uncoupled from movement cues will not get the same results. What once seemed abstract, except for the occasional “aha”, now seems much more tangible. It seems that which begs the question “What is Rolfing” is also begging the hallows of movement protocols as well. Here is how I have incorporated movement into table work with a client through session 5: First hour working with 3d breath exploration on table and standing in gravity. Second hour: Rolf Yoga on table and seated on floor, coupled with standing traction. Third hour: Arm drops and ocular uncoupling of limbs of expression. Fourth hour: Connecting eye of foot with pelvic floor and ocular uncoupling with limbs of support. Fifth hour: Walking bell clapper: moving from LDH and exploration in sensation of letting anal triangle “go”.

My training in the art formally known as power yoga affords me the opportunity to work with movement in a unique way. There are dynamic postures that I feel have the ability to evoke contra-lateral movement if done with movement cueing and possibly without. For example, fighting monkey, playing monkey, kimodo dragon, water wheel and others. Walking with awareness of the spine and its 2 girdles ability to counter rotate each other in gait cycle, the loading, unloading, reloading sensation emerges. I also like the imagery that rubber bands are connecting the two girdles, upper to opposing lower on both sides, so that when walking there is a sensation of one band shortening bringing shoulder and hip closer while the other is lengthening.

With the client supine I start with 3d breathing. Then I place his feet into my thighs as I stand at the end of table, as connected to the earth in standing. Guiding the client to allow one shin to float towards sky while allowing the other Gastroc to be heavy towards the table. Essentially flexing one knee and extending the other slightly, guiding him as if he were walking. Imagery of walking through ankle high water then up to knees and pelvis, cultivating a relationship to LDH (both sides) 30 min.

Rolf yoga 5 min. Walking exploration of relationship of heaven to earth with him being the cream filling (weight/volume) 5 min. Vestibular-oculo-cervical reflex 20 min. He had great results and a fun experience, also relief from back and shoulder pain. Buoyancy! He could not believe that he felt “as if” he had received the same results from manipulative sessions.

Impression-weight, plantar surface stimulation, shape, volume, inside/outside

Expression-3d breathing with impression, fixed diaphragm inhibits expression

Coordination-inhibiting inhibition, cueing with one posterior leg heavy the other anterior leg floating, and imagery of walking through different degrees of water depths.

Analysis:

I believe that negotiating these elements of sensation affected the patients gravity response changing his tonic function and getting results.

John Barton, Certified Advanced Rolfer ® & Rolfing ® Fort Worth-Dallas

Certified Rolf Movement ® Practitioner