Monday, August 25, 2025
"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭" ... 𝐃𝐫. 𝐈𝐝𝐚 𝐏. 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐟
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟕𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐎𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬, 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟎-𝟏𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓.
There’s an inextricable relationship between Gravity and Fascia. This is overlooked. [Interesting, remember how Fascia itself had been overlooked?]
Simply put, Fascia wouldn’t behave as it does without Gravity.
BACKGROUND
The Fascia Research Congress was started by Tom Findley MD, PhD and Robert Schleip PhD — both practitioners of Structural Integration, the method originated by Ida P. Rolf PhD. She is acknowledged as the “Mother of Fascia”.
Knowing the ideas which underpin Dr. Rolf’s approach will clarify the significance and utility of working with an included view of the integral relationship of the form that is Fascia with the force that is Gravity. And, hopefully recontextualize the subject to open for new creative ideas on approaches for the bench and for the office.
DISCUSSION
Key points on the Fascia-Gravity connection ...
Gravity is an essential reference. Balance in the architectural arrangement of the whole body is healthy, normal. The standard for bodily balance is the same as for all structures on Earth: balance in respect to the three cardinal planes. The Fascial system is the “Organ of Structure”. It is the bodywide, three dimensional fabric [“matrix”] of support and organization. Seeing its globally interconnected tensionality we now model the body as a tensegrity structure; i.e., true balance maintained in the equipoise span of the connective tissues. Imbalances in the Fascial web are contributive in symptoms of chronic pain and stress. Imbalances in the fascial web have accompanying compensations. Fascia is plastic, adaptive. Myofascial anatomy is a clinical map. Integration of the body structure with Gravity is wholistic, somatic: that is, we access the whole Human being at the concrete, hands-on body level. Upright verticality in the Human body structure is in the definition of normal. It is the direction of Human physical evolution.
CONCLUSION/SUGGESTIONS
The Human body design calls for balance with the force of Gravity. Imbalances contribute to dis-ease.
That the Human body can transform to such a level of structural integration is still to be seen as a realizable possibility. Much less a value in itself. Including this can open new areas for research study as well as clinical diagnosis and applications.
PROPOSED RESEARCH
Compile an image record of pre/post Dr. Ida P. Rolf Method Structural Integration processing enlisting models in training classes in schools accredited by the International Association of Structural Integrators. Images to include strictly comparable photographic imaging/analysis, and other innovative measurement devices; e.g., on site foot pressure plate mapping, gait analysis; selected digital pattern overlays in system with analysis of spatial and morphological variances.
Sunday, January 12, 2025
𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 ... 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠.
And, so ... ?
But, it is also said there are no straight lines in Nature. So, what is this “line” of Gravity? And, saying that it’s a straight vertical line? Can we see it from both sides? Of course you can. Stay with.
Let’s discuss ...
When we trace the action of Gravity we see it goes from being anchored at the center of planet Earth and extends out to the center of the Universe. [Of course, not just Earth; this is true for any rock you may find yourself on in God’s Great Creation. Elon Musk, take that to Mars with you!] Gravity as Mr. Einstein has pointed out has all to do with the attraction of mass. Like a lot of things, the bigger they are the more attractive. To the eye anyway. To me they're all lovely. But, did I just digress? Oh, yes, Gravity. And, then it comes back again. From the center of Creation back to wherever you may be standing right now. Gravity, that is, does that. Mr. Musk too, we pray will come back. If he ever gets there in the first place anyway.
Gravity doesn’t really travel; we speak of it that way for explanation purposes. You can’t see Gravity. Just its effects. But, you can put your finger on it. We’ll get to that a bit later. It's about a firm grasp of the obvious. Hint: your felt sense is a kind of seeing.
Dig this. Quoting Scott Russell Sanders from his novel The Paradise of Bombs ...
Let’s explain ...
That line of Gravity isn’t just a marked static line, like one drawn on a piece of paper. Or even that chalk line snapped on the wall with a weighted string to keep wallpaper going on straight. It’s dynamic. It’s alive really.
As a line, looked at on Earth there are two actions. The one pulling down/inward; i.e., centripetal. The other pushing upward/outward; i.e., centrifugal. So what, you may ask. The thing is we all get the pulling down part. Like when you drop Auntie’s fine bone china handed-down-the-generations Rosenthal tea cup and it falls and cracks into a million pieces to the floor breaking what otherwise was a proper afternoon tea time. And, smart-ass that you are you offer her the excuse that it was Gravity what done it.
The underappreciated aspect of Gravity is how it exerts that upward lifting action. I know, like nobody’s let go the ball and it goes up. Not without a push anyway. So how do we grok this upward thing?
We need to talk centrifugal some more. Okay?
My professional interest is in the process of balancing of the Human body with the Gravitational field of the Earth. Dr. Ida P. Rolf’s brilliant observation is that, “When the body gets working appropriately, the force of Gravity can flow through”. She goes on to say, “Then, spontaneously, the body heals itself.” If that is a new idea to you, pause and give it a thought. That’s for real, for real! The approach she developed and handed down is called Structural Integration. Some may be familiar with the nickname “Rolfing”.* There are other brand flavors also. The one common factor is that balancing the body in respect to the demands of Gravity is the main goal.
The core idea with that definitive and peerless approach is in how we already know the body is designed to be arranged in an architectural balance. This is well known science. Both Anatomy and Physics. Architects and builders know this as a central point. In architectural terms the body is just like any other physical structure on Earth. And, since imbalances can creep in and — importantly — since the body is plastic, individuals can learn this simple, basic normal balance and/or be restored to such a healthy balance.
Let’s get back to “centrifugal”. Just like a tree, roots go down and the branches go up. Humans too. We don’t have physical roots, but the pull of Gravity confirms our rootedness. We feel that. Especially after a long day of work. Or, that triathalon. Or, a pub crawl. You know what I'm talking about. Right?
As for the up — the centrifugal action of Gravity — some good news! But you gotta be in balance to appreciate that. Some semblance of balance anyway. Otherwise, out of balance, Gravity is entropic; it pulls you down, tears you apart. We live in default of having chronic aches and pains and stress for not recognizing that body imbalances as such are the culprit, in whole or in part. And, that those imbalances exacerbate other health problems. And, we take it for granted that there's nothing to do about it but to take pills. Or, get all cut away or propped and stoked up with some fancy procedure.
To recap ... when you’re out of structural body balance Gravity is a downer. In balance, now you’re ALIVE.
Dr. Rolf also observed: “Some individuals may perceive their losing fight with gravity as a sharp pain in their back, others as the unflattering contour of their body, others as constant fatigue, yet others as an unrelentingly threatening environment. Those over forty may call it old age. And yet all these signals may be pointing to a single problem so prominent in their own structure, as well as others, that it has been ignored: they are off balance, they are at war with Gravity.”
Now you get it that out of balance, it’s only a downer. A lot of what ails us is due to imbalances in the makeup of our body. These have been accrued inadvertently over time. Like the Grand Canyon. Years upon years of slow erosion of flowing water. If you’ve ever been there and taken in the Grand Canyon you’ll know the awe inspiring presence of something so vast and ancient. Profound. You might not be ancient, but being out of bodily balance sure feels that way. Causative factors: repeated bad habits, unresolved accidents and traumas, inadequate or improper training, modeling significant others who themselves may not have been good examples of correct balance.
That we can learn such balance is due to the natural plasticity of the body. We are shaped by our experience. Some of it misshaped. At any age and with any life experience one can learn the simple balance of the body in respect to the dictates of the force of Gravity. And, undo imbalances accumulated over time due to those contributing factors. Here again, the culprits: bad habits, unresolved accidents and traumas, insufficient or improper training, modeling significant others who themselves may not have been good examples of such bodily balance.
Perhaps with the talking about spiritual matters you're getting that The Line is not just about a better body. We talk about the body because we can get our hands on it. The entire enterprise is what's called "somatic". Entering within yourself at the felt sense bodily level, but understanding that it's a wholistic event. Body, mind, psychology, soul, spirit. We separate these for speaking purposes only. Words will do that. The reality is that it's a unity. In other words, you can think of The Line as the Shepherd's Staff. Guiding a good life. What's a "good life"? Well, having a sense of simple basic bodily balance is a help. You do you. But, be righteous. Righteous? Now with all these words surely you have a sense that it involves simple geometry. As for ultimate matters, when the student is ready the Teacher will appear. Gravity is a teacher. In the Teacher's Hand.
Saturday, September 14, 2024
𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 — “𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐮𝐩.”
There’s also the opposite and equal force. “Centrifugal”. Upward ... lifting. That latter one, the upward movement, that one we don’t really appreciate in an every day, directly experienced way.
Here’s something you might not know. When your body is aligned in its makeup in respect to the demands of Gravity that upward movement is an empowering, healing agent. You feel it. It’s a lived experience. It’s alway there, just now to pay attention.
Big thing to know: There’s always an up and a down. An upside, and a downside.
Then there’s bombs.
What does Gravity have to do with bombs? Bombs go BOOM. Also, they go down. No surprise there. Is there an upside? What goes up from bombs? Nothing good. Reading the news should fill you in on the details.
Same for rockets, and bullets. While those mostly go horizontal — call them vectors —the force of Gravity which always exerts its downward pull. Again, what comes of it, it’s a downer. Down and out when they strike their mark.
Maybe it’s time to evaluate things on just how they perform on the scale of up and down? Just sayin’.
Bombs, rockets, bullets are violent. They bring nothing constructive. Unless, of course, your idea of things is that you have to use them to get what you want. I refer you again to the news of the day. Or, to prevent someone else from getting what they want at your expense of what you want. Or, it’s how you make a living. A living from dying. Does anyone see the irony in that?
Net, net ... war/death and destruction/militarism, that whole indigestible Enchilada, it’s a downer. And, add to that any other way the ingenuity of mankind can figure how to kill their fellows. Unless, those so-called fellows are sub-human. Then, it’s pest control. You have read the news ... Oh Boy!
So, where do we go from here? Ask yourself. What’s it gonna be boy? Yes, or no? To war?
If you’re in a position to do something on a geo-political level, and you want war to end, then work on that. Your smart enough to have got yourself in that high seat; so, you go! That is, if you’re not beholden to interests who want war for political and/or pecuniary reasons. No new news there. Then, you have a hard choice to make. Put bread on the table, or find a new line of work. Or, wait until it all blows up, then pick of what pieces you can. Of course, using your guns to keep others from taking what’s yours. Skip the news, read Human history.
If you’re an average citizen of the world what can you do? Purify your heart. Take the war out of yourself. Didn’t the Dalai Lama and others essentially say, “No peace without inner peace”?
“Some individuals may perceive their losing fight with gravity as a sharp pain in their back, others as the unflattering contour of their body, others as constant fatigue, yet others as an unrelentingly threatening environment. Those over forty may call it old age. And yet all these signals may be pointing to a single problem so prominent in their own structure, as well as others, that it has been ignored: they are off balance, they are at war with gravity.”
Sunday, July 7, 2024
𝐈𝐬 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥?
Good question. And, perfectly understandable. A lot of people have the same concern. Even some who have been "Rolfed" say it's painful. What they don't usually mention is that the experience is about pain leaving. Or, that there can be occasional intensity, but not something hurtful. But, as a client you are in charge. Everything proceeds with your permission and acceptance. That's the plain fact.
Have you ever had an experience of pain leaving? Or, moving into a place of discomfort and discovering just out of being willing to go there it transforms from pain to pleasure? Try it, you'll like it.
This will answer the big question to your complete satisfaction. You don't want to miss choosing to do something good for youself out of a simple misunderstanding. Wrong information. Do you?
Okay? Let's unpack the question ...
But it does depend on three things:
What do you mean by is?
What do you mean by Rolfing?
And, what do you mean by painful?
That may sound like a smart-ass answer, but a few things need to be cleared up and given the necessary context. That understanding will settle the question. Promise.
"Is"
What is the "is" in question? What's the "is-sue"?
Your body. Every Human body. Any Human body.
We're talking about the individual Human being and their condition in simple, basic bodily terms. In this case, it's about its condition in respect to how it stacks architecturally. What it takes for that arrangement to live in a normal healthy relationship to the constant and ever present force of Gravity. It's that simple.
Let's take a look. There's balance, and there's out of balance? Frankly, usually a mix of both. Typical patterns: head forward ... one shoulder higher ... ministry of funny walks. Those imbalances, though ... ouch! They can be painful. Not to mention the compensations necessary to keep everything together.
How do we look at the body as a structure? What do we look for?
The body has an anatomical design, its natural and healthy architectural arrangment. There is a set of definite relationships of the many segmented parts; that is ... feet, legs, hips, belly, chest, shoulders, hands, arms, neck, head. This arrangment as a whole stacks up and operates under the influence of Gravity. Just like any physical structure on Earth. We know the rules of Gravity for our buildings. Same for the Human body. Vertical, symmetrical, even. Bada bing!
Imbalances often occur. Bad habits, unresolved accidents and traumas, lack of training, no training — we're self-taught mostly [who taught you how to stand, to sit, to walk?] — modelling significant others who may not have been themselves good examples of balance in the makeup of their own bodies.
This is what the orginator, Dr. Ida P. Rolf said about that: "Some individuals may perceive their losing fight with gravity as a sharp pain in their back, others as the unflattering contour of their body, others as constant fatigue, yet others as an unrelentingly threatening environment. Those over forty may call it old age. And yet all these signals may be pointing to a single problem so prominent in their own structure, as well as others, that it has been ignored: they are off balance, they are at war with Gravity."
It's plain to see looking at any individual's body in terms of how well it stacks up along the straight line vertical; also looking for necessary symmetries, and levels-evenness front to back.
In summary, the "is" in Rolfing is your body and it's alignment in respect to the dictates of Gravity.
"Rolfing"
Rolfing is a legal service mark name held by the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute. It's one of the schools in the field known as Structural Integration. While the question was put regarding "Rolfing" this answers for the entire field of Structural Integration.
Structural Integration is a definitive and peerless approach to Human balance. Unique in that its main goal is to balance the body with the Gravitational field of the Earth. As such. Sure, anything you do that's good for you contributes to balance. But, bodily balance as such, that's the whole Enchilada in Structural Integration. While we have the innate ability to heal and become whole, other than Structural Integration there is no other formal method designed to address whole body balance along the lines of the demands of Gravity. Repeating ... as such.
Dr. Rolf, put it this way: "This is the gospel of Rolfing®: When the body gets working appropriately, the force of Gravity can flow through. Then, spontaneously, the body heals itself."
As is well known, the Human body takes its shape over time through lived experience. On average it's a random bag. We arrive at adulthood with a mix of balance and imbalance fixed into our flesh.
Balance is normal and healthy. Imbalances require compensations. "Dis-ease." These, unless resolved, set in and we find ourselves living in patterns which are inefficient, limiting performance and creativity, and sapping vital energy to maintain. Ouch! That's painful! Yet, we can be seduced to accepting this as "Just the way I am". That there is no alternative.
Well ...
Good News! The Human body has a plastic quality. It has taken the shape you're in, and it can be reshaped.
You may be wondering if that's the "painful" part. The reshaping. Stay tuned. No problemo.
Structural Integration offers individualized assistance to bring the body to a naturally effortless, graceful upright stance; with ease, flexibility, and fluidity. As Dr. Rolf put it, "So you should be easy in your harness".
So much more could be said, but this should suffice. When you decide to do something constructive to bring this kind of balance into your life, all your other questions can be answered. You can add a comment/question below this post.
So now, let's talk about the Elephant in the room.
"Painful"
"Just what do I have to do today to get you into a balanced body?"
Most people look at things like Structural Integration as a therapy. I got a problem; I need it fixed. I've tried everything, maybe this'll do it? With medical attention and therapies typically something is done to you. You're a passive recipient. You take your medicine. You take the shot. Get a procedure done to you. Go under the knife.
Strutural Integration is a system using manual touch and guided self-movement. Rather than "fixing" a symptom, chronic problems get resolved out of fostering that head to toe balance in the whole body. And, the big difference is that in terms of dealing with "painful" in Structural Integration you are in control*.
*Structural Integration is taught in schools recognized by the International Association of Structural Integrators. An important distinction about this approach is that it is not a therapy. That said, yes, bringing a higher order of balance into the makeup of the Human body may have therapeutic effects. But, the work is a teaching. A training, to learn to live in balance in tangible, and noticeable ways. This is something you take away from the process. As an experience. It's not just intellectual, conceptual. It's perceptual. You own it much in the same way you own how to ride a bike, swim, juggle. Or anything else you've learned to do, and now it's set in muscle memory.
Friday, September 8, 2023
What is Dr. Ida P. Rolf Method / Structural Integration?
What is Dr. Ida P. Rolf Method