Rolfing has been a steady part of the alternative health undercurrent for years, but if it’s new to you meet Scott Gauthier, practitioner of the Rolf Method of Structural Integration. He calls Rolfing “a hands-on technique that works with the connective tissue inside the body to allow freer movement.” Point being, he says, “to examine human structure and organize it so that it’s most efficient” especially with regard to gravity and posture.
Structural realignment can be yours with 10 Rolfing sessions, but there’s no gain without a little pain.
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How is it done, exactly? After a few diagnostic exercises, you stretch out on a massage table, breathe deeply, and Gauthier pushes his fingertips into different points on the body, rearranging the tissues. It feels like deep massage, with the key difference being that you must remain actively aware (no hurts-so-good spacing out). The manipulation causes the tissue to move around a lot. It makes you feel… squishy. And for me, kind of elated.
The session doesn’t end when you leave the office, either. According to Gauthier, once you’ve been through the 10 essential treatments, your body will continue to reorganize itself for months—promoting better posture, happier moods, relief from pain, and more energy. With similar goals to other posture-related therapies like the Alexander Technique and the Feldenkrais Method, Rolfing is said to get quicker results.
Still, it’s not for everyone. I asked Gauthier what he thought of its reputation as being somewhat painful, and he quoted the founder, Ida Rolf: “What do you mean by pain? What is your attitude towards change?” The pressure is adjusted to assure that you’re comfortable, of course, but give some thought to Rolfing’s intensity before you go. To learn more, visit Gauthier’s website at www.awarebody.com or contact him at 760-5999.—K.C.