All Are Welcome.

 www.rolfingseattle.net

I want to make something very clear about my practice.

All are welcome here.

All are safe here.

To be even more explicit.

My practice is open to all regardless of their personal history, race, age, color, national and ethnic origin, ancestry, creed, religion, sex, gender expression or identity, or sexual orientation.

Moving forward, I want my practice to be even more committed to embracing all which makes us human.

Consequently, I hope this will help safeguard and enhance our collective humanity.

Humanity.

 

www.rolfingseattle.net

HUMANITY.

hu·man·i·ty
noun

"The human race; human beings collectively."

I am humbled daily by the work I do.  I am reminded over and over and over again that we are all human.  Deeply flawed, incredibly resilient, far more vulnerable than we pretend to be, and hard wired to be in compassionate relationship with one another.  

The flower above is an epitome of our personal humanity and humanity in general.  Each petal of this flower aches and strains to receive the sun's magnificent light.  Nourishment.  Vitality.  Life force.

To alter or diminish any petal or part of the flower dims the vitality of the entire flower.  All are sacrosanct.  All are essential for the flower's survival.

In my own personal process, I feel the need to embrace all parts of myself that need healing. All aspects of the flower. I do this not only because I am committed to my healing and others, but because I want to be a better practitioner and person.  By tending to the many facets of my own being, ignoring none, I am better able to see my clients more fully and clearly  . . .  you, my fellow human being.  

I am reminded of this need for clarity in my practice daily.  

I have seen and worked with clients who have had debilitating chronic pain, and I have been fortunate to help them in their healing journey.  I have seen and worked with clients who have recently lost someone they loved.  Their psyche and soma immersed in a process of deep grief.  I have seen and worked with clients who are celebrating a great accomplishment, their bodies emanating gratitude and delight.  

Can you tell from the above descriptions which of these people are African American?  Which of them are Transgender?  Which of them are Jewish, Christian or agnostic?  

This you can know, they are all human.

Each one of us has a rich and varied lived experience.  This cannot be ignored or ironed over.  At the same time, we are all one and the same. We are all one family.  We are all reaching for the light.

I invite you to ponder and play with this awareness as well.  How can I be a better human?  How can I contribute to the well being of humanity?  

Rolfing can help you explore these questions in greater depth.


Rolfing and Humanity.

Not only can Rolfing help you become more at home in your body and pain free, but it can also help you embody your humanity.  When we meet our body with curiosity and acceptance, we begin to accept more fully what it means to be human.  Consequently, it is more difficult to dehumanize others.

When we are divorced from certain parts of ourselves, whether it be physical or psycho-emotional, it becomes easier to also distance ourselves from our fellow humans.  When we begin to embrace all which makes us human, our flaws, our aches and pains and suffering, our hearts can then feel our shared humanity.  This process can be excruciating, but exquisitely beautiful none the less.  


Your Humanity.

When you come to see me, know that all of you is welcome.  

Arrive as you are.

No one petal is more magnificent than the other.  No one part cancelling out the other.

All of your vulnerability, anxiety, uncertainty, doubt, delight, concern, energy, fatigue, grief, gratitude, compassion, and resilience.  There is no one part of you that is wrong, bad or to be dismissed.  You need to make no apology for all that you are.  To heal means to embody wholeness.  To reclaim all parts of yourself, both physically and emotionally.  

During the Rolfing process, various emotional states may begin to reveal themselves.  You might begin to feel a bit more vulnerable, sad, or melencholy.  Or you might begin to feel long held anger.  Or grief.  Or pure delight.  Try not to push them away.  They are all apart of who you are.  They are all apart of what it means to be fully human.  

As this phenomena unfolds, meet it curiosity.  In doing this, you heal, and you can then meet and see your fellow human being with more empathy.

Even though temporary, your aches and pains are also welcome.

There can be a tendency to disassociate from the parts of ourselves that hurt.  Sometimes we even meet this discomfort with animosity.  Instead try and meet your pain with compassion.  It is, after all. your body letting you know that something just isn't quite right.  You might be amazed at how the pain can begin to dissipate if it is met with kindness.


Your Body's Humanity.  

All of you is human.  Your heart, your lungs, your nerves, your blood vessels, your viscera.  This incredibly and infinitely complex physical being, our home, is a mammal, a primate species called  "human" or Homo Sapiens.  

There are some biological variations in the human species, such as blood type, genetic diseases, cranial features, organ systems, eye color, hair color, build and skin color.

Yet, all of our bodies, with some rare exceptions, are pretty much the same.  Most all anatomy tends to be in roughly the same place.  This makes my job a lot easier!  :)

Each petal has, with some variation, the same shape, size and contour.

During a session, be in wonder of what it feels like to be in this form, the human body.  Become acquainted with this miraculous and magnificent human body you have.  

I might work on your feet during a session.  Feel the intricate movement and motion of your toes.  The sense of grounding under your feet after a session.  I might work on your liver.  Perhaps find delight in this.  "I have a liver!  Whoa.  I am an animal, mammal and human being after all."  Perhaps feel the counter of it as I work, it's volume, it's massive size.  (I like to call it the big kahuna.).  I also might release a teeny tiny nerve in your neck, take note that most everyone you meet will have that same teeny tiny nerve in more or less the same place.

In doing this you might begin to see other folk more fully as well.  Everyone you meet and greet, know that their bodies are very much the same as yours. The template remains the same.  They too are a mammal called human being.  


Rolfing Seattle's Humanity.  

Even though it is just a small corner of the world, I can still emphasize and set the intention of what my practice represents.  It is an autonomous zone meant to facilitate healing and embrace all of which makes us human.  

In other words . . .

All of humanity is welcome here.

All of you is welcome here. 

All are safe here.  

To be even more explicit.

My practice is open to all regardless of their personal history, race, age, color, national and ethnic origin, ancestry, creed, religion, sex,  gender expression or identity, or sexual orientation.  

May this small gesture help heal the divide between all of us.  


Conclusion. 

Know that the ramifications of the work you and I do together can ripple out much further than we realize.  Through Rolfing you can become pain free and potentially more whole and fully human.  Consequently, you might begin to find a more intimate place in the human family.  There is love and healing here.

Testing.

 

www.rolfingseattle.net

As the BA.5 variant spreads, making infection and reinfection a stronger possibility, I am implementing a new policy to help ensure your safety, my safety and the safety of other clients.

As it stands now, I only work with clients who have been fully vaccinated.

I will also be implementing the following starting August 1 2022:

If you attend a potentially super spreading event (plane travel, sports event, theatre, wedding, concert etc.) and our session is within 14 days of you attending that event, I would ask that you test 5 days after such an event prior to your session with me.  If our session is before 5 days after you have attended one of these activities, we will need to potentially re-schedule.

When scheduling future sessions, let's consider this going forward as well.

Please keep in mind that I work out of my home office, and work with clients who have comorbidities or pre-existing conditions.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Free home testing kits are readily available:

https://www.covid.gov/tests

I can also provide you with a kit anywhere between 15 minutes to a half an hour before your scheduled session.

Again, your safety and my own are paramount.

If you have any questions about this, please let me know.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Regards,

Jim Allbaugh - Rolfing since 2003.

 

www.rolfingseattle.net

I am continuously fascinated by the body's complexity, deep beauty, and inherent wisdom.  

I am also intrigued by a dynamic that plays out often during a client's first session. It has caught my attention as of late.  I'd very much like to explore this with you.

We all have an inherent need to be seen and heard.  It is absolutely primal.  In my line of work, not only is it necessary for you to be seen and heard, but also tended to.  

Clients usually come to see me to find relief and resolution from chronic pain.  They have usually dealt with this discomfort for an extended period of time.  Perhaps months, years or even decades.

By the time they have come to see me, they have become very intimate with their pain.  

So much so sometimes, they have forgotten what it feels like not to be in pain.

They have come to me for help.  And I'll be damned if I won't try to help them.

Again, it is important to be seen and heard.

Let's say you come in with neck pain.  You obviously want some immediate help.

"The pain is right here in my neck."

I see and hear you.  

Here's where things can get a little tricky.

This is what I have learned over the years . . .

The symptom is not always the cause.

The pain is not always the problem.

My job, as your Rolfer, is not to chase pain around.

My job, as your Rolfer, is to bring your body back into vertical alignment with gravity.

I am always looking at ways to bring your whole body back into balance and alignment.

What this means is, I may or may not work directly on the area that hurts.

What this does not mean, is that I am somehow ignoring or not hearing you. 

On the contrary, I am looking for the deeper underlying factors that are causing your discomfort and pain.  I am looking for ways to help you become more whole and healthy, and consequently, pain free.

There are usually a variety of different reasons why you are experiencing neck pain.  All of which can be addressed.  Your relationship with gravity, the way in which you move, social support, your diet etc.

For this newsletter, let's explore the many anatomical factors that may be contributing to your neck pain.


Lines of tension.

You may have noticed, that at the beginning of each session, I place my hand on the top of your head.  Most every nook and cranny in your body can be felt here.  Any tension, adhesion or laxity reverberates through the cranium.  It is here that we often begin to sense and feel what needs to be addressed.  This is referred to as "General Listening."

Let's say you have come in with the aforementioned neck pain.  You mention that it is sharp and localized, right around the cervical vertebrae of C6 (in blue).  In particular, on the right side.  (Circled in red).

When looking at your posture, I can see that your neck is being pulled down and to the right as well.

In General Listening I can feel a strong pull from your right lung.  Upon further investigation, we discover that there is a substantial restriction in your visceral pleura, the membrane that surrounds the lung.  Believe it or not, there are a slew of suspensory ligaments that extend from this pleura and attach to your neck!  (The line in purple.)  Any restriction in your lung can pull your neck out of whack.  

 

Back to "The pain isn't always the problem."  

Within and throughout the body are sensory neurons in your body called, "nociceptors."  

Nociceptors respond to damaging or even potentially damaging stimuli by sending signals to your spinal cord and brain...lickety split.  If your brain believes that the threat is credible, it will then send the sensation of pain to the body part.  In this case, your poor neck.  

Here's where things get interesting.

These nociceptors can be found in some areas of your body more than others.  

In this particular case there are more nociceptors in the musculature of your neck than the pleura of your lung.  

In other words, the restriction in the pleura of your lung (very few nociceptors) is pulling on your neck (many more nociceptors.).  

Consequently, "Ouch!  My neck hurts!"  

After releasing the visceral pleura, upon standing your neck is not being pulled down and to the right, and there is less pain.  

But wait, there's more!  

In any given session we are more likely than not to find many different culprits.  All of which can create multiple lines of tension.  This can affect one area of your body more than others.  Let's continue with our hypothetical session . . .  

After releasing the pleura of your lung we find a restriction in your stomach.  Your stomach and your esophagus are pretty much one and the same thing.  Ascending upwards, your esophagus then becomes your pharynx, which attaches to the font of your neck and contributes to any number of cranial cavities.  In this particular case, the restriction in your stomach is creating a great deal of tension in your esophagus, which is pulling down on your poor neck.  (The line in blue.)

  

Again, not too many nociceptors in your stomach, but plenty in your already overburdened neck.  We release the restriction in your stomach.  Upon standing, you notice that your head feels further back and lighter.  

Then we find an adhesion in your radial nerve near your right elbow.  Nerves in particular are meant to glide and slide and not get stuck.  

Interestingly enough, you mentioned at the beginning of the session that your right elbow has been feeling a bit "achy" as of late.  This tells me that there are some nociceptors firing at your elbow as well, but not nearly as much as your neck, which is getting tugged on this way and that.  

The radial nerve originates from C5 to T1.  As you can see, the radial nerve has a direct relationship with your neck.  (The line in yellow.). 

After releasing the adhesion of your radial nerve, you notice that the range of motion for your neck has improved substantially.

Finally, we are drawn to an area that is much closer to the area of your discomfort.  An artery called the Subclavian Artery beckons us.  (The orange circle).  

 

Here we find an artery that is adhered to a nearby structure.  The Subclavian Artery is the main root for many other arteries that feed your neck, shoulder and arm.  

After freeing this artery, you immediately feel less pain in your neck.  You also notice feeling more warmth in your right arm and hand.  You mention that your right hand can get cold sometimes.  At the moment, it is feeling warm and "tingly."  

As you can see, there are a wide variety of anatomical structures that, if dysfunctional, can be contributing to your neck pain.  Nor can they be readily felt if they are askew either.

Hopefully this elucidates in more detail what it is I am looking for and working on to help you get out of pain and feel more whole. 

P A U S E

www.rolfingseattle.net

"If we were not so single-minded about keeping our lives moving, and for once could do nothing, perhaps a huge silence might interrupt the sadness of never understanding ourselves."

- Pablo Neruda

Our hearts need to be open during this time of crisis.

I find myself shuttering my heart from time to time, and then re-opening it.  It's easy to physically and emotionally hunker down.  Each time I open my heart, I am reminded of how a more vulnerable heart fills me with vitality, aliveness and connectedness.  It is an exquisite reminder of how we can exasperate an already stressful situation when we close our hearts.

With this being said, and with an open heart, I'd like to share with you some insights that I have been having during this time.

 
P A U S E

When I use Visceral Manipulation I sometimes use what is called "motility" to address a lesional pattern in your body.  For example, I might use this approach to free up your liver.

Motility is the inherent and energetic movement of each organ in your body.  It follows an embryological imprint from when you first developed in utero.  It applies to not only organs, but from what I understand and feel, all tissues in your body.

With a healthy liver, this movement gently moves from the median axis of your body upward and outward, called "inspir,"  As it moves back down and towards the mid line of your body it is called "expir."

Let's say there is a restriction in the liver.  This rhythmic cycle might become frozen, interrupted, or thrown off course.

When I tap into it's inherent motion, or motility, I will gently coax it back on course by taking it even deeper into it's lesional pattern.  Think of a kid on a swing.  You might push the swing just a bit more forward, so it will come back towards you with even more velocity.

Slowly but surely, the motility of the organ, or liver, begins to correct itself.

Sometimes after softly coaxing the motility deeper into its dysfunctional pattern, to get a swing back, there is a . . . pause.

The motility comes to a stop.

I have always been fascinated by this phenomena.

Sometimes this pause will last for a few seconds.  Other times I feel as if I need to look at my watch.

Yet, there I wait.  Patiently.

From my perspective there doesn't seem to be a great deal going on.  It's not tangible.  Perhaps someday, when I am more sensitive and attuned, I will feel more.

During this pause, I have a hunch there is a lot going on, that is more intangible.

From my perspective, there is a pause.  Silence.  Stillness.

Within this silence, there is a song of deep intelligence and wisdom being sung.

A song of silence.

Within this stillness there is a great deal being re-negotiated and integrated.

A churning stillness.

Then, slowly but surely, there is movement again.  Then, wooooosh, the liver finds a healthier rhythm once again.

It feels as if we are all in that  P A U S E .

Even though it feels as if our world has become encapsulated in amber, under the surface, there is still a great deal going on.

This space is mind boggling.  We are holding STILLNESS and movement, SILENCE and sound all at the same time.

The world of more tangible, moving, felt and concrete things has shifted to the more intangible.

This deeper, intangible and quiet world has opened way up, while the more superficial, tangible and frenetic world has practically come to a stand still.

This new space is different for all of us.  We meet it in different ways.  There is no right way to navigate through this uncharted territory, other than to muddle through it one day at a time.

   
 Silence. 

"There is a voice that doesn't use words.  Listen."
- Rumi

In this seemingly quiet world we might begin to re-discover, re-awaken, and re-connect with forgotten friendships, old connections, neglected hurts, ancient anxieties, archaic anger, lingering love from those who have passed, and rythmic waves of grief.

That is if we listen.  Deeply and attentively.  In this seemingly silent place, a deep and ancient wisdom can now be heard.  Meet all that may arrive with gentle compassion and tenderness.

You might remember a dear friend who passed away decades ago, and grieve a bit more fully.

You might reach out to an old friend, who is still very much in your heart, even though time and space has seemingly separated you.

With the waves of anxiety that comes through us during this time, you might also revisit similar and vague places from years gone by.

Old unattended to hurts might reveal themselves and gently rumble through your body, finally finding release.

A kind benevolence might gently caress your body.

Lost memories of love might touch your heart.

A deeper sense of compassion might settle under your skin.

That is if we listen.


Stillness.

"You must go in quest of yourself, and you will find yourself again only in the simple and forgotten things."
- Carl Jung

One phenomenon that we rarely see, sense or embody is stillness.  We certainly can now.

Take note of how much less frenetic movement there is now.

When going for a walk, instead of being distracted by a car, your eyes can linger on a cherry blossom tree.

Instead of hearing the roar of a passing jet, you can more fully hear the flapping wings of a crow.

Instead of running around for this or that errand, your soul can be touched by the leaves of a tree rustling in the wind.

Painting, gardening, writing, meditating, cooking, etc. might all be gently beckoning you.  These deeply nourishing tasks, often neglected or unheard, beckon us now with their transcendent and quiet allure.

See if you can embody this stillness that now surrounds you.

Just remember, this time will pass.  In the meanwhile, take a look around you and relish this quiet stillness.

Conclusion.

I want to emphasize that this still and quiet world is not happening for all of us.  It would be absurd to assume it is.  For those of you on the front lines, your world is anything but.  Yet, I hope you find these spaces and places when you can.  For those of you with kids and work to attend to, I also hope you find the time to feel these more vulnerable and tender truths.

Regardless, I hope you are muddling through this crisis/opportunity being mindfully aware of your safety and others, keeping and open heart, and finding beauty in this great and mighty P A U S E .

Self Care.

www.rolfingseattle.net

 I am someone who considers caring, in all of its forms, to be absolutely essential. As someone who has committed themselves to healing, for myself and others, I am here to tell you that self care can be much deeper than what we generally perceive it to be. 

Let's explore this further . . .


Self Care is Self Reverence.

Self care can be more than paying homage to your body, spirit and mind.  It can also be paying deep respect to a being, you, which is a miracle of existence in it's own right.

Here you are, some how and some way the breath of life fills you.  You exist and are alive which is inherently beautiful.  Some how and some way after billions of years of evolution, and countless ancestors, you are allowed to explore and be on this plane for an infinitesimally short period of time.  It is a gift and one that should be treated with reverence and gratitude.

Who you are, at this very moment in time, is deeply complex, vast and rich.

Tend to yourself in a way that honors this miracle, this mortal coil.  Be conscious, rather than unconscious, of your precious existence.

Rather than treat your existence with anxiety, shame, guilt and or self condemnation, treat it with reverence and the deep respect that it deserves.


Self Care is Love of Community.

You are needed and loved.

We forget this far too often.

No matter what community or family you are a part of...whether it be a dance troupe, yoga class, catholic family, martial arts dojo, healing circle, neighborhood, political organization, or work group, you are a part of a larger whole.

There are friends, family and loved ones who need you.  They need you to be happy and whole.  Fully functioning and quintessentially authentic in every way you can be.

They need you to be healthy, not burned out, exhausted and running on fumes.

To tend to yourself is to tend to yourself not in a vacuum but in the context of a larger whole.  You are a colorful and beautiful thread in a very very large tapestry.  This tapestry, this community needs you to be healthy and whole.

Yes, self care is care for the self, but it is also with the understanding that in tending to yourself, you are acknowledging a greater responsibility and connection to a larger community...who needs you, all of you at your very best.


Self Care is Self Attunement.

We often learn how to regulate our nervous system from our primary caregivers.  They were, for better or worst, the sun we revolved around for nourishment and warmth.  Unfortunately, this light or warmth may have been distorted or dimmed from time to time.

Attuning to your needs and wants, your own light, on a moment to moment basis sounds easy, but it can be quite challenging.  What you need and want can be usurped by unconscious forces formed early on in our development.

I have to check in with myself often, to make sure my needs and wants are being tended to in a compassionate and thorough way, rather than being ignored or pushed away.

This takes tenderness and patience.

Self care and self attunement entails listening deeply to yourself.

To start with, our most biological needs should be addressed.  If you are tired, rest.  If you are hungry, eat.

Then there are more subtle and nuanced wants and needs.  These can be easily lost if there is a disconnect in our listening.

Instead of attuning into ourselves, we might unconsciously push through and away from more vulnerable wants and needs.

For example...

There might be a tendency to push through pain and discomfort, when a deeper need is beckoning, perhaps allowing yourself to feel rest and pleasure.

We might push through fear, rather than allowing a deeper need to unfold, perhaps finding compassion and tenderness for yourself.

We might become swept away in anxiety when a deeper need to feel and express grief is ignored.

Instead of pushing for productivity and success, allow a more profound want to manifest, perhaps seeking out simplicity, silence and beauty.


Self Care is the Creation of Healthy Boundaries.

You can choose who and what you want in your life, and who and what you don't want in your life.

This is not only essential for our survival, but for our quality of life as well.

This form of self care is very similar to the care of self attunement.  This requires listening deeply to yourself.  Being mindful.

When our boundaries are ignored or crossed, self care is paramount.  It is important to re-establish and be clear with what our boundaries are.

These boundaries are, of course physical, but also psychological.  They do not need to be militant or hard, but sturdy and pliable none the less.

They don't need to be explained away or justified.   They are simply an expression of who you are and what makes you feel safe.  This is quintessential self care.

Never be afraid to express what your boundaries are, especially while doing the work we do together.  It is an inherent part of our healing process.

For example:  You might be thinking, "The pressure feels a bit much, (insert subverting thought here) but I can take it!  Besides, I don't want to interrupt his process." Nope!

Instead, listen deeply to yourself and assert what your boundaries are.
"The pressure feels a bit much, (being clear with your boundaries) I should tell Jim.  He's cool.  He will get it!"
Yup!


In Conclusion.

I wanted to present to you more the intentions of self care rather than the what of Self Care.

What kinds of self care are abundant.  Rolfing (hint hint), yoga, tai chi, a good diet, meditation, spending time with good friends, being with nature, pedi and mani (I still haven't tried it!), gardening, and or going for a walk.  All of these are viable and good.

Yet, when we tend to ourselves in a deeper way, it is more of a moment by moment, day by day practice.

I hope this blog post has helped you re-discover the beauty and necessity of deep self care.

COVID-19

www.rolfingseattle.net

Updated:  February 25, 2022


Hello there.

I hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe and well.

My practice is now open.

Please keep in mind that my clients need to be fully vaccinated and immunized.  I will ask for proof of vaccination.  

KN95 or N95 Masks will also be required.

I have been fully immunized as of May 30th. 2021.  I have been boosted since January 14th. 2022.  I can provide proof of both upon request.

Again, your well being and my own are paramount.

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. 

Also, If you would like general information about my practice, please subscribe to my newsletter.

Newsletter Subscription. 

I look forward to connecting with you.  :)

I wish you the very best.

Be Safe.  Be Well.

Regards,

Jim Allbaugh - Rolfing since 2003.

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

- Frank Herbert