Ingredients.

 

 

 

What creates really good Rolfing sessions?   What are the key ingredients that create fundamentally great Rolfing? There's the hands on work, of course. Yet, what are the other ingredients that make up a powerful and effective course of Rolfing sessions? A great deal of what goes into a Rolfing session is from me, your trustworthy Rolfer.   Yet, many other essential ingredients come from . . . you. Yes, you need to show up for a session to happen, but for the work to be even more deep, effective and long lasting, there are a myriad of things that you can do to help. I can do a lot to help you, but in order to get the best results, we are doing this together.  We can achieve the goals of Rolfing working with you, not for you.  True healing is a collaborative partnership, not a passive treatment.  We are creating this recipe together!  :) In other words, you'll get a lot more bang for your buck if you take the other following ingredients into consideration before, during and after your Rolfing sessions.   Ingredients: Patience. It took a while to get you to where you are at, and it takes a while to get you to a much better place.  All organic processes take time; Rolfing is no exception. As much as it would be fantastic to heal your aches and pains in one session, it rarely works that way. That said, it is glorious to see and feel startlingly immediate results.  Oh my god, my neck pain is gone!  This can happen suddenly and quite often actually.   Even then, to truly resolve long held patterns of tension, compensation, and pain it takes at least a handful of dedicated sessions. So if you can, stick with it!  Your body will be eternally grateful. So, when you embark on any healing journey, whether it be to find freedom from back pain or find support in your body to heal from long held trauma . . . be patient. Compassion. Often times folks come to Rolfing at their wits' end.  Literally.  They've tried everything and nothing seems to help.  They show up haggard, fed up and irritated.  Understandably so. Yet, as we move forward together and tend to your sacred body, be kind to yourself and your body.   Your body may feel stuck, out of whack and in pain, but it really, truly isn't the enemy.  It just needs some help. Instead of condemning the areas of your body that feel in distress, soothe these areas with compassion. Literally put your hand on the areas that hurt or feel disconnected and soothe them with gentle words and comforting deeds.  Let your body and soul know that everything is and will be alright.   As you heal, we are trying to bring you back to a place of wholeness.  Reclaiming all of you, including the places that hurt, is a vital part of this recovery. Be Curious. Similar to being compassionate with yourself, being curious about the Rolfing process will also help you find wholeness. Be inquisitive about the many sensations that course and move through your body during a session.  Pay attention to the undulations of energy, beautiful visualizations, memories, emotions and your felt sense. Pay attention to the shifts and changes that take place between sessions as well.  Be mindful of the overt and more subtle changes.  You might feel taller and more upright, perhaps a bit more confident, or generally calmer and at peace.   Too often we are divorced from our bodies.  We do this for a variety of different reasons:  we want to be as far removed from chronic pain as possible, it was the only way to survive a traumatic childhood, or perhaps the unrelenting stressors of life just haven't allowed you to drop in and simply be in your body. Rolfing is an amazing opportunity to become reacquainted with your body - to reclaim your birthright, your body and its infinite beauty. Rolfing is a powerful and effective modality.  More likely than not we will get you to a better place.  You might as well enjoy the journey while it happens! Rest. Sometimes clients report feeling tired and almost fatigued during and after a session. Rolfing is powerful stuff.  When you are getting Rolfed, your body, mind and psyche are going through some deep systemic changes. For one, your mind is laying down a slew of new neurological pathways.  How you perceive yourself in space (proprioception), how you navigate safety in the world (neuroception), and how you sense your body (interoception) are all radically changing.  This exerts your body a great deal.  Thus, you might feel tired. Secondly, clients usually shift from a more sympathetic "fight or flight" to a more parasympathetic "rest and digest" state.  You may have been holding on to stress and tension that you probably didn't even know you had.  Once this lets go, there can be a wave of exhaustion that follows. Third, when you are structurally misaligned, muscles that are more phasic (movement muscles) unfortunately take on the role of tonic (postural muscles.)  This can lead to a great deal of tension and confusion in your body.  Once the appropriate tonic muscles start to do their job again to keep you upright in gravity, your entire body may feel a deep and profound release of tension.  This brings deep relief and may leave you feeling drained. Because of all of these profound changes, for the love of god, rest!  :) Try not to do too much after a session and find pleasurable pursuits. Sleep more, nap more, and just putz around the house. When you are active, avoid intense physical exercise.  Instead, play with low impact movement, such as walking, gentle yoga, dancing etc.   Relish in this new found place of relaxation and ease.  Your body has been trying to get there for a long time.  Enjoy! Diet. Eating a healthy diet not only can help you alleviate chronic pain, but it can be a nourishing force for you as you go through a deeply transformative process. As I mentioned before in a previous newsletter, what you eat can either help or hinder your healing from chronic pain. This diet can also be deeply nourishing for your body as you go through the Rolfing process. First and foremost, eat whole, unprocessed food. Make sure you eat a moderate portion of lean, organic protein such as fish and chicken.  If you are vegetarian or vegan, make sure you get plenty of vegetable protein such as legumes, soy, grains or nuts. Eat a wide array of many colorful vegetables. In moderation, eat complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, quinoa, oats, and sweet potatoes. Don't forget the healthy fats.  These are considered to be monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.  You can find these in  fatty fish, various seeds, avocados, nuts and non-trans-fat oils. Oh, and drink plenty of water! Conclusion. The portions of these ingredients depends on the unique needs of each individual. Some people might need more rest than others, some folks may need to take a serious look at their diet, and others might need to prioritize using their time with Rolfing to really listen to their body more. Regardless, next time you come in for a session, know that there is much you can do to deepen the Rolfing process and make it much more beneficial for you. May all of the work we do and ingredients we add contribute to a powerful, effective, and pleasurable Rolfing experience.

The Evolution of Rolfing.

 

Rolfing is such a powerful and effective modality.  I have seen it help clients find long lasting relief from chronic pain, become more at home in their bodies and feel more at peace. At the same time, there is some confusion about what Rolfing is and how it's done. The most common misconception I hear is that it is just a really deep tissue massage.  And if it isn't deep body work, then it isn't really Rolfing. This couldn't be farther from the truth. First off, Rolfing®️ is meant to organize and realign the body to achieve a more balanced relationship with gravity.  Massage, on the other hand, is a manual manipulation of soft body tissues to enhance a person’s well-being. Rolfing is under the umbrella of Structural Integration, which is a type of body work.  Massage might change a person's structure, but as an unintended result. ​Secondly, the ways in which to achieve the goals of Rolfing are many and varied.  It isn't just using deep tissue work.  Back in the day perhaps, but not anymore. The human body is a wonder.  When you are being Rolfed, it should be approached and tended to accordingly.  Not as a nail to be pounded on, but as a complex, nuanced and beautiful thing. Some History. Rolfing first came into being around the early 30's - 40's when Ida Rolf, a biochemist, was exploring osteopathy, yoga and other healing arts to help with her children's health. It didn't really reach fruition until the 60's when the word "Rolfing" was first used, and the foundation of the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute®️ (formerly known as the Rolf Institute) in 1971. So, if we were to say Rolfing first came into being in 1971, then Rolfing is now over 50 years old.  A half a century. And, I am here to tell you, Rolfing isn't what it used to be.  It has evolved and changed in profound ways.  As it should.   The Goals of Rolfing have remained pretty much the same over the years. To organize and realign the body to achieve a more balanced relationship with gravity.   The ways in which Rolfers achieve those goals has changed.   Back in the day, Rolfing predominately relied on The Rolfing Series (S.), developed by Ida Rolf.  This entailed using deep tissue work.  It was, and is, a brilliant strategy to help a client find better posture, ease of movement, and better balance.  Not to mention less pain. For quite a while, the goals of Rolfing were achieved by the Series (S.) and only the Series.                          Evolution. Over the years, various other modalities and techniques have been incorporated and utilized to achieve the goals of Rolfing. Let me explain a few of those here.   Neural Mobilization.  (N.M) Neural mobilization is a manual therapy used to help release stuck nerves adhered to surrounding tissues.  Nerves are meant to "slide and glide."  When they are stuck, muscles will become tense and tight to protect the nerve and surrounding tissue.  When released, the body feels lighter, less pain and more balanced.   Neurovascular release.  (N.V.R.) This is very similar to neural mobilization.  The main difference is that it tends to both nerves and blood vessels.   Scar tissue.  (S.T.) Scars can act as "tethers" that can pull the entire body out of alignment.   Scar tissue work uses gentle techniques to help reintegrate scar tissue back into the larger fascial web.   Bone work.  (B.W.) Bone work uses techniques to work primarily on the periosteum, and the bone itself.  The periosteum is a fascial membrane that surrounds bones. Similar to scar work, it helps reintegrate any distortions, calcifications or "scars" in the bone back into the bodies larger fascial web.   Movement work.  (M.W.) While Rolfing uses a good amount of manual manipulation, movement work addresses more functional aspects.  Both have a keen eye on helping you find better alignment. Movement work uses movement cues and a client's perception and orientation in space to help illicit change.   Visceral Manipulation. (V.M.) Visceral Manipulation was developed by a French Osteopath named Jean-Pierre Barral. V.M. addresses various types of anatomy that are often forgotten or neglected such as:  nerves, blood vessels, organs, membranes, suspensory ligaments, skin, adipose tissue etc. When there is a laxity, tightness or adhesion with any of these tissue types, it can profoundly affect the whole body.  V.M gently manipulates these areas to help the tissue find homeostasis.  The body then finds structural integrity. Source Point Therapy.  (S.P.T.) Source Point Therapy is a gentle energetic modality designed to complement the physical manipulations of Rolfing.  It addresses the body's underlying "energetic blueprint" which informs and influences the body's structure. As you can see, there are now a myriad of ways to achieve the goals of Rolfing.                        I am sure that there are other techniques and modalities that I am forgetting.   Every Rolfer has their favorite approaches to achieve the goals of Rolfing.  And every Rolfer will utilize various strategies and techniques that works best for them.  They use what feels like a good fit, like they are truly in their wheelhouse. Each Rolfer you may visit utilizes different tools for different situations as well.  With each intervention, some may be used more than others. Again, you are not a nail, and I am not a hammer.  Sometimes the pressure might be sustained and deep, other times it might be as light as a feather.  Each intervention is used to help us achieve the goals of Rolfing in the most effective, precise, and holistic way possible. How I Work. Finally, the diagram below shows roughy how I work.  I use Visceral Manipulation often with profound results.  I continue to utilize the brilliance of The Series with clients.  I also incorporate movement work and neural mobilization. I am glad and grateful to have a variety of tools at my disposal.  I always want to find the most attuned way to help your body feel less pain, more balanced, and more at peace.                     If you ever have questions about Rolfing in general, or my practice in particular, please let me know.

Laughter. 😂

 

It feels so good to laugh.  

There is nothing quite like a full, deep and hearty laugh.

When you laugh fully and deeply it is as if your body is dancing with delight from within.  

You've heard of the saying, "Laughter is the best medicine."  I believe it to be true.

Our bodies have an innate ability to heal.  Laughter is one of those ways.

Laughter can:

Reduce stress.  Laughter can reduce various stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine.  In turn, your body releases any number of "feel good" chemicals in your body such as endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin.  You know, the good stuff.  :)  

Help you become more resilient.  Laughter and humor can provide you with an instantaneous new perspective on things that once seemed dire.  What was once seen as being insurmountable or horrific, is then seen in a more unthreatening light.  (See Portland Frog above.)  

Help you to connect with others.  We feel less alone and isolated when we laugh with others.  There is an unspoken "knowing" that happens between people who laugh together.  Intimacy deepens and connections become stronger.  When we are with people we trust and feel safe with, laughter comes easier and more often.   

Improve your health.  Laughter is a poultice for your body and soul.  By reducing various stress hormones, it enhances your immune system, it helps your heart by increasing blood flow and lowering blood pressure, and it can reduce pain by relaxing your body and releasing endorphins, which are a natural pain killers.

Laughter is cathartic for your mind and body.  It is also a complex physical reaction that moves through your body in glorious and delightful ways.  

Let's journey through the fullness and beauty of laughter as it ripples through your body from beginning to end.  


Precursor.

Believe it or not, there are a slew of neurological and hormonal changes that take place even before you physically laugh.

First, both the left and right sides of your brain get to work trying to make sense of some sort of incongruity or pleasant surprise.  Once the frontal lobe of your brain decides, yes indeed the Portland Frog is funny, it then passes it on to your limbic system.  

From there your body releases a cascade of hormones and neurotransmitters. The "feel good" cocktail mentioned earlier.

Keep in mind there is some chronology here, yet it is more of a complex dance with each one intertwining and lapping with the other.

All of this before the physical act of laughing.  

That comes next . . .


The Laugh.  

Once the stage is set, your brain then lets your body know it's now ok to cut loose.

Up to 15 facial muscles begin to fire, in particular the muscles around your eyes and mouth.  Eyes open wide with delight and your mouth opening into a full grin.

Your lungs begin to work overtime.  Your lungs begin to use deep but erratic breaths.  This helps increase your oxygen intake as well as increasing your lung's capacity.  

Your heart rate and blood pressure increase for a brief moment, pumping more oxygenated blood throughout your body.

The muscles of your diaphragm and abdomen contract and relax often and repeatedly.  Other muscles are used in your body as well, such as the intercostal, pelvic floor, back and shoulder muscles.   Ever notice how you feel a bit sore after a good long laugh?  You are getting a good workout as well!  

If you are laughing really deep and hard, you may begin to have tears in your eyes and you might sweat a bit.  You know you are in deep when this happens.  :)

After your laughter begins to subside, you may still be smiling yet your body is slowly beginning to reach a new state of equilibrium and begins to cool down.


The Cool Down.  

Once your laughter has passed, your body begins to unwind in delectable ways.  

Various endorphins and other neurochemicals can linger in your system long after the laughing has ended, contributing to a general feeling of well- being.

The fast and sporadic breathing from earlier subsides, and your breathing returns to its normal pace, perhaps even slower and fuller than before.

Your heart rate and blood pressure begin to drop to regular or even below baseline levels.  

Your muscles begin to relax and unwind.  You may begin to feel more content and relaxed.  

Your whole body may feel more at peace.  This state of being can sometimes last for up to an hour.


Lately I have been relishing how good it feels to laugh.  As this all unfolds in my body, I allow myself to create space for the laughter to be as full as possible and to linger with my laugh as it begins to fade.  So delicious.  

See if you can do the same the next time you find yourself laughing.  Take a moment to relish the complex beauty of laughter as it moves through your body.  

Your body will be forever grateful if you do.  

Summer Solstice. 🌞

 

Sunflowers (Third Edition.)

by Vincent Van Gogh

Today marks the Summer Solstice.  The longest day of the year. Summer can be an intense season.  There is much going on.  There is much to do. This makes sense.  The days are longer, it is warmer, people are more social, there is a great deal of growth, beauty and abundance everywhere.  It can be an uplifting and exciting time. Yet, at the same time, it can feel a bit frenetic.  Almost overwhelming. The other day I was taking a walk in my favorite park.  I came to a patch of sun and walked in it for an extended period of time.  After a bit, I began to feel a bit agitated and irritated.  The heat of the sun was beginning to feel a bit too much, a bit overwhelming.  At some point my body was asking me, "It's time to find some shade." I headed back the way I came and the trail was gently covered in shade.  The moment my body entered this space, my body and mind felt cooler under the dappled light.  I felt more relaxed at ease.  It felt soothing.   I felt safe.  Safety not only applies to your physical well being, but to your emotional self as well. Feeling safe is a full physio-emotional response. We are hard wired to ascertain if we are safe, or in danger, at any given moment in our lives.  It is a deeply subconscious phenomenon.  This unconscious process is called neuroception.  This can be an on and off again response, as it should be, or become chronic vigilance depending on our respective histories and traumas. What is often forgotten and overlooked, however, is that we are also hard wired to feel safe. When we feel safe we can more easily relate with others.  We feel more grounded and calm.  There is a deeper sense of agency, of purpose.   Our bodies relax, we sleep better, digestion improves, and our breathing is fuller.  A cascade of hormones such as dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin can ripple through our bodies. When we feel safe, I would argue, we also feel more alive.  When we are in a constant state of fight, flight or freeze the deeper pleasures of feeling alive seem distant, almost lost. It is very helpful to seek, find or create safety as often as you can in your day to day lives. At first it may seem elusive, but over time, you can hone in on what it feels like to be safe with greater and greater ease. Find and or create environments that feel nurturing and safe.  Surround yourself with beauty, minimize distractions and make sure your surroundings are familiar and known to you. We also need to feel safe within our own bodies.  Seek out practices or body work (hint hint. :)) that help soothe your nervous system.  This might be meditation, yoga, martial arts or simply going for a nice long walk.   Co-regulate with others.  This is absolutely essential.  When we are with others who we love and are loved in return, without fear of ridicule or shame, we can feel an even deeper sense of safety.  Again, we are hard wired for this as much as we are for seeking out danger.   It is your birthright. Be creative.  Find that safety which is profoundly and uniquely yours.   For me, it was finding shade after too much intense sun.  For you, it could be finding sun after being far too cold in the shade. I wish you a wonderful Summer Solstice, and deep safety.

Coherence in Chaos.

 

"When a complex system is far from equilibrium, small islands of coherence in a sea of chaos have the capacity to shift the entire system to a higher order."  - Iya Prigogine, Nobel prize-winning chemist.   Hello there. I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to write and acknowledge the challenges many of you are facing during these chaotic and uncertain times. To not reach out and acknowledge this ongoing phenomena was beginning to feel a little like negligence, which is in direct conflict with my ethics as a Rolfer®️. Some of you are fearful of losing your job, and some of you have already lost your job due to federal spending cuts. Others are fearful of even traveling the country due to your gender identity. Many of you simply feel less safe during this time of uncertainty and increased vitriol. I want you to know that with the work I do, I am ever committed to providing you with a safe and compassionate space to do this most valuable and essential work. The time and space that we share for an hour plus is sacred.  In many ways it is a temporary autonomous zone to experience and relish a way of being that is antithetical to what is happening on multiple fronts in our political discourse. Empathy. Compassion. Humor. Kindness. And maybe most importantly . . . Embodiment. From the moment I see you to the moment you leave, I want us to share these qualities of being. In doing so, we are able to create a space that is a small island of coherence in a sea of chaos. This co created space is essential, but so is getting body work. In doing so, there may be less chaos in your soma and psyche. Instead you may find a better sense of ease, balance and peace.  Less anxiety. Certainly less pain. We need this more than ever. When we find this coherence and balance within our bodies, we are better able to navigate the uncertainties of this world.  There is also more capacity to bring this sense of peace to others as well, which most everyone wants on a primal level. I continuously and consistently tend to myself with deep care as well.  I try and meet your body through touch in as much of an embodied place as possible.   I do not want to meet you with anxiety and fear, but with competence and care. I want my intentional coherence to reverberate with your soma and psyche.  I can only hope that this will limbically resonate with you, allowing your body to find a more peaceful and balanced place as well. Another island of coherence born. In the end, know that I am here.   Right here. Never hesitate to reach out if you are wanting to come in for essential body work, for essential care.

Spring. 🌱

Cherry Blossoms

Matsumura Goshun

Today marks Spring Equinox. I so love the early Spring.  When going for a walk it is delightful to see flashes and flourishes of color juxtaposed against the dark and grey hues of a Winter slowly dissipating. I try and make it out into nature at least once a day.  These changes of Spring can come and go so quickly.  Each time I take a walk, I am amazed by the changes taking place day by day.  Where just yesterday a tree was asleep under moss and frost, today it is dazzling for all the world to see with small white flowers glowing in the grey afternoon. These changes can be subdued and subtle, but vibrant none the less. When going through Rolfing®️, there are a dynamic array of changes taking place during and after each session.  Some of them obvious, others more subtle and nuanced. It is important to pay attention to all of them.  Yet, I invite you to pay attention to those changes that are quieter, barely perceived but still brilliant and powerful.  Like cherry blossoms in the early Spring. When we begin to bring our attention to the more subtle sensations in our bodies, not only are we tapping into the bodies ancient wisdom, but we are also tending to ourselves in a deeper way as well.  We are listening, trying to hear what our body is telling us with a whisper.  This is the antithesis of neglect and abandonment.  It is a compassionate intention to sense and feel all that is you.  Sometimes these quiet utterances can be deeply transformative and healing. At the end of most sessions, I may ask you a deceivingly simple question, "What are you experiencing in your body right now." Clients respond with a wide variety of responses, nothing, there is less pain, I feel further back on my heels, my hips feel more under me. If we linger, we may begin to sense and feel the more subtle. A low level tingling in your extremities, a wave of energy moving up and down your spine, feeling just a bit more heavy. Perhaps faint emotions beckon you to pay closer attention as well.  A poignant sense of relief, an ancient grief from long ago, gratitude filling your heart with warmth, a low level vibration of rage kept at bay for so long. This isn't always easy.  Words don't always do what you are experiencing justice.  Yet, if you can, try.  It doesn't have to make "sense."  If words just don't work, try expressing your new found awareness with movement or perhaps even a drawing.  Be creative.  As long as it is a truth that resonates deep within you.  When we sense the more sublime sensations, and give them meaning, they become more embodied.  You become more whole and another level of healing can take place.   In healing, we aren't looking for perfection, we are looking for wholeness.  To embrace and recover all that has been, will be and is currently you. Sometimes this can be found in the quietest corners and edges of your soma and psyche.   Like a tree deep within the forest revealing bright Spring buds to the early morning light.

Winter. ❄️

 

Black Door with Snow.

Georgia O'Keeffee

This is always an interesting time of the year.  It can be a time of strong churning dichotomies. To begin with, Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year.   I find great comfort in this.  I love and relish the stillness and quiet that can be found on this day.  It beckons me to turn inward and listen to the deeper currents that gently ripple through my body and soul.  Dark and beautiful.   There can also be a pull to huddle and cuddle with those you love.  Finding warmth, solace and humor in the company of those you feel absolutely safe with.  I find myself gravitating towards this limbic lusciousness more this year than years past. The Holidays are upon us as well. In the darkness of Winter, there is also a well spring of activity around the Holidays.  On one hand, as the weather dictates, we may want to hibernate and snuggle.  On the other hand, there is a strong pull, whether it be organic or forced, to celebrate with friends and family. To help navigate these turbulent waters, as much as you can, pay close attention to what resonates with you moment by moment.  This may change minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day.   One of the best ways to do this is by listening to your body.  If there is an activity that you feel drawn to for whatever reason, and your body begins to subtly tighten and your breath shortens, you may want to reconsider.   If, on the other hand, such an activity makes your stomach gurgle and you sigh a bit, chances are you are on the right track. In this very moment your body may want you to make a cup of tea and commune with your favorite tree.  A few hours from now the idea of baking cookies for friends, family and neighbors for the Holidays may fill your body with excitement.  This baking fantasy then becomes a mess induced but delicious reality.   Tomorrow or the next day you might feel the genuine desire to go, with an open heart and strong appetite, to a friend's annual Christmas party. No matter the expectations, no matter the "shoulds" of it all, stay in close proximity to your deepest wants and needs.  Keep listening to your body.  That way, for this solstice and Holiday season, no matter what you do, you will find authentic joy, nourishment and love.