Posture
The Rolf® Approach To
Posture
Rolfing is one of the best ways to improve
posture, rooted in its cohesive understanding of
the term itself. Dr. Ida Rolf, the founder of this
system, often clarified the difference between posture
and balance. The etymology of the word posture lies in
the Latin word ponere meaning "to
put” or “to place”. As a result of ithe
common interpretation posture in such a manner, people
often acquire the habit of holding a static, “correct”
postural position.
Rolfing continuously seeks out a
dynamic, creative balance in your body that is quite
different from holding it in one rigid
postural position that cannot easily accomodate
the daily demands of life. Posture, as taught
through Rolfing, is a creative, fluid process. With
Rolfing, you move with correct posture, you do not
hold. Rolfing will re-establish inherent
balance to your properly aligned structure and how
to let gravity do the work of providing support. This
ultimately improve posture.
Rolfers® see the body and its structure as
a series of interconnected and inter-related bony
segments. Your body is designed to provide
internal support for all these segments. Large sections rest
on sections below them and provide support for sections
that are above them.
Common
Causes Of Bad Posture
Repetitive activities such as sitting at
your desk, using a computer, and carrying
children often contribute to bad posture and
alignment. Forward head posture and swayback are common
results of posture misalignment. Rolfing works to
correct posture by lengthening the tissues in your body.
Tight tissues and muscles are responsible for locking your
body into poor posture. Unlike massage therapy,
Rolfing works through the entire body to support proper
postural alignment from your crown to your toes over a
series of Rolfing sessions.
An example of poor
posture caused by sub-optimal body alignment is
commonly seen in the relationship between the pelvis
and the legs: Some people have developed a habit of storing
tremendous amounts of tension in their hips, buttocks, and
legs. This prevents their hip girdle from resting upon
their leg bones in a way that provides maximum energy, range of
motion, stability and stamina. Rolfing is a proven way to
correct all of the above bad postures.
The more we overload our
musculature to compensate for our inability to move with grace,
good posture and fluidity in our bodies, the more
we unnecessarily tire ourselves. If you
take up Rolfing and allow your system of internal
support to operate in the way it was designed to operate, your
body is freed to become a vehicle for your full physical
expression, while maintaining the grace of better
posture.
The Rolf
Philosophy On Posture
Teachers of Rolf Movement
Integration address these disruptions in structural balance in
the bodies of our students and clients. We teach through
hands-on manipulation and provide cues and prompts that help
you regain your structural integrity. We are interested in
the ways your feet contact the ground as well as the ways your
head floats effortlessly on top. Through exercises and
personalized coaching, we teach elongation without
effort.
One of the hallmarks of Rolfing
is the attainment of improved posture as a result of
surrendering tension and strain, as opposed to learning new
ways of working hard, or trying to maintain a good posture.
Rolfing clients often hear that they are not coming to learn to
work harder in their bodies; they are coming to work less
hard.
The
Benefits Of Rolfing To Your
Posture
The goal of Rolfing® is
to improve posture and flexibility, increase the range of
motion of joints, and educate clients in movement and
self-awareness. It dissolves old postural patterns that cause
harm and chronic pain, thus differentiating Rolfing® from
massage.
The most common benefits
of Rolfing® are that it:
•
aligns, lengthens &
integrates the body • betters posture and dissolves bad posture
patterns • alleviates tension and chronic
muscular pains
• improves the range of motion in joints
• improves circulation and breathing
• magnifies consciousness of the body
• brings greater vitality to the individual
• evokes more efficient and gracious movements
• stimulates emotional growth
Rolfing also
benefits many people who do yoga, as their stretching
improves after their posture and alignment is
balanced. Rolfing also helps many athletes achieve their peak
physical performance.
The basic Rolfing series
consists of ten sessions, with Rolfers always taking into consideration
your posture as you step into the clinic. Each Rolfing session
builds upon the results of the previous Rolfing
session so that the results of Rolfing are
cumulative. An average session consists of a Rolfing
practitioner working on your posture from an hour to
an hour and fifteen minutes.
The terms Rolfing® and Rolfer® are
registered trade marks of the Rolf Institute of Structural
Integration, which has expanded on the work of Dr Ida Rolf.
Their usage is restricted to certified
Rolfers®.

Before After
10 sessions
The above shows
difference in a person's posture after going through the 10
sessions of Rolfing
posture
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