Rolf Movement helps us develop awareness of the subtle actions that are occurring in our body at any given moment and to ask ourselves: could this motion, position, or task be easier on my body?

Whereas Rolfing affects the structural organization of the body, i.e. Structural Integration, Rolf Movement helps affect the functional organization. We all have habitual patterns for the way we sit, stand, and move through the world, and just as repetitive injuries can create tension in the body, some of these habitual postures and motions can also contribute to chronic pain and tension. The difficulty — it’s really challenging to teach our brain-body how to move differently. That’s where Rolf Movement can help. Do you have pain from sitting at your desk? Does bodywork help but only for a limited time? Rolf Movement can help you discover and change your everyday patterns of restriction. Rolf Movement is not exercise, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be challenging sometimes. It’s always easier to do something we’ve done before. In Rolf Movement, we are not just teaching ourselves how to do something new, we are teaching ourselves how not to do what is no longer necessary.

What is Rolf Movement

These sessions consist of gentle movement therapy. There is no manual therapy or soft tissue manipulation during a Rolf Movement session. The practitioner will guide you through movement patterns and sequences using verbal and hands on cues. Work can be done on a massage table, the floor, or a Rolfing bench. Some of the functional movement patters we may learn include: the ability to move the pelvis in all three planes of motion, the ability to hinge at the knees, ankles, and toes while walking, the ability to stop bracing through the shoulders and neck, and the ability to find an efficient posture while standing and sitting. We can also choose to focus on a specific task, such as: how to sit while working at a desk, how to sleep comfortably, how to carry a heavy backpack, or any other task that you find yourself struggling with discomfort while completing. You will learn 1-3 Rolf Movement interventions that are chosen specifically for you. These interventions are slowly paced and very gentle.

What to Expect