Rolfing® — the body plastic

Rolfing, in 10 sessions, creates a dynamic difference in the way you feel in your body.

by Deanna Melnychuk — 

“The body is flexible, a fluid energy field that is in a process of change from the moment of conception until the moment of death. The flesh is not a solid, dense mass; it is filled with life, consciousness and energy … The purpose of [Rolfing] is to expand the awareness of the limits of the body and of its capacity for change …” (Don Johnson, The Protean Body, Harper & Row Publishers, 1977.)

One thing you know for sure is that your body changes. You gain weight and need new clothes. You grow older and your body shrinks. You sprain an ankle and the limp lasts long after the ankle is healed — and then the hips start to hurt.

You probably ignore the day-to-day changes, unless pain becomes severe. You just compensate — slump, sit more, curtail activities and chalk it up to getting old. Why do we accept that negative body changes are inevitable as we mature? Why do we look for quick fixes or surgical fixes to maintain our youth when our “plastic” body just needs Rolfing?

As you look for positive ways to change your body so that it is more efficient, vital and energetic, check out Rolfing. You will learn that what is required is a stable upright relationship between the head, torso, pelvis, legs and feet. This stability may be compromised due to accidents, surgery, emotional or mental stresses, or just from long-held postural habits. How do you get it back?

Your plastic body has a network of connective tissue that surrounds the muscles, bones, organs and nerve cells. This tissue (fascia) contains a component called collagen. Collagen fibers make the tissue stretchable — and like plastic, can be reshaped and lengthened through Rolfing.

Rolfing, in 10 sessions, creates a dynamic difference in the way you feel in your body. As you move through the 75 to 90 minute sessions, you become aware of how your breathing has been restricted but is now expansive in your relaxed torso. You experience your forward head moving to a place under your shoulders where it is supported. You learn how to shift your weight through your feet as you walk, so that you glide effortlessly instead of clomping through life.

Your body can be transformed. Make the commitment today to enjoy a vital, energetic and purposeful life with the help of Rolfing.

Deanna Melnychuk, B.Sc., is a certified advanced Rolfer and Rolfing® movement practitioner, licensed massage therapist, Reiki master, craniosacral therapist and reflexologist. 602-404-8685 or www.rolfingcentre.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 29, Number 2, Apr/May 2010.