Rolfing—An Interview with Ann

A TONE reporter experienced an initial Rolfing session with Ann Ohlmacher, a certified Rolfer practicing in Ottawa. Ann was interviewed following the session.

• What is Rolfing?
• Is that shaped by our conditioning?
• What's the difference between Rolfing and massage?
• What do you mean by the extrinsic and the intrinsic?
• So you're working intentionally with energy through your hands?
• What kind of person would most benefit from Rolfing?
• Is Rolfing a painful process?
• Is it important to do all 10 Rolfing sessions or can a person do just 1 or 2?
• Over how long a period of time would 10 sessions be done?
• In what way can Rolfing help a person who is actively participating in the expansion of his or her own conscious awareness?
• How does Rolfing Movement relate to Rolfing Structural Integration?

TONE: What is Rolfing?

Ann: Rolfing is a series of 10 sessions of deep tissue manipulation intended to release the fascia (or connective tissue) which surrounds every muscle fibre under the skin so that the body can come into its optimal alignment. One of the goals of Rolfing besides the alignment is to create space in the body. If the physical structure has an accident or any kind of trauma, either emotional trauma, or just the stress of living in this society, what usually happens is that the body responds by tightening up in some way. For example, when it has an accident, the body glues itself together as a protective device. The organ or the structure that does it is the fascia which is made of a ground substance and collagen fibres or elastin or reticulin but mainly what we're talking about are the collagen. Fascia has the ability to either be resilient and flowing so that energy flows right through it or if there's sudden stress or undue stress or repeated stress, eventually that tissue will become glued there by the fascia. Fascia is kind of like the white of the orange; it's the stuff that holds the body together or gives it its form so to speak—it allows one to identify somebody by the shape of their body—like a silhouette. It's the fascia that molds it into that form or keeps it in that mold.

TONE: Is that shaped by our conditioning?

Ann: Like many things it's a combination of heredity, environment, emotional conditioning and accidents. The way we choose to respond to what happens to us is a big part of how we hold ourselves. The goal is to reestablish in that person—I say reestablish because as children many of us were very loose and fluid—to reestablish that kind of freedom, that kind of grace and spontaneity. We then have choice in our response to the environment instead of being held in by armour. Our patterns are concretized by the fascia. One of the most important points for Ida Rolf, who developed this therapy, was that when our body is out of alignment, when there are these holding and tight places, there is a constant war with gravity. When we're out of alignment, gravity pushes us down and actually works against us so that as people get older they get shorter and get depressed. One of the intentions of Rolfing is to lengthen a person's body and to align it so that gravity can actually lift them up and become their therapist. If the body is aligned and balanced it will heal itself which is in keeping with the philosophy of holistic medicine.

TONE: What's the difference between Rolfing and massage?

Ann: Mainly in the intention and therefore the technique as well. Sometimes people call Rolfing a kind of massage. The intention of massage is more remedial—a sense of relieving immediate tension or stress, getting the circulation going, generally making the person feel better afterwards. The intention of Rolfing is to transform the structure and to integrate, not only the different parts, but also the extrinsic with the intrinsic.

TONE: What do you mean by the extrinsic and the intrinsic?

Ann: I mean the actual extrinsic muscles with the intrinsic deeper layers not only physical but... it gets almost mystical in a way. Energy flows through the whole body and sometimes the holding is deeper. Sometimes it's just on the outside. The first session you just experienced is about this first layer of holding—it's kind of a "wet suit". The first 3 sessions are about working more on the superficial and then the intention of the next 3 sessions is more core level. You can affect deep structure especially if that's your intention—obviously I'm not going to do psychic surgery—my hand doesn't go past the skin, but you can affect deep structures through your intention and the intention is to do that. Each session has an intention and each session is different.

TONE: So you're working intentionally with energy through your hands?

Ann: Yes. It's through energy that you're affecting the fascia. It's not about moving muscles around. It's about releasing holding which will affect other structures and create the balance that you're looking for. Through the deep pressure and heat it can actually release the fascia that's tightly held.

TONE: What kind of person would most benefit from Rolfing?

Ann: Anybody could. It's more their state of mind, so the person that's going to benefit the most is the one who's open to it obviously. By that I mean someone who is willing to transform, willing to look at their own areas of resistance, look at their own patterns and say OK I'm willing to have choice, I'm willing to grow. So it doesn't really matter what kind of person. Sometimes the most dramatic changes are with people who've held the most trauma in their body. Not always. The people who don't benefit much from it are really attached to their belief systems and they don't want to give them up.

TONE: I've heard some people say that Rolfing is a painful process.

Ann: What do you think?

TONE: Well, I certainly experienced some painful moments but I didn't feel that it was excruciatingly painful. There was a rhythm to your work which allowed me to recover or allowed energy to move where it had been blocked. But it was intense and sometimes painful.

Ann: I think that your experience was pretty common. Some people find it a lot more painful, some a lot less. Really it depends on their attitude. If people are afraid of pain and are trying to get away from it, then it's very difficult for them. If people can realize that pain is actually a signal to them that something's amiss and they're willing to be there for it, and work through it by using the breath, then it's not so painful. Resistance creates persistence. When you resist something it becomes more and more painful.

TONE: Is it important to do all 10 Rolfing sessions or can a person do just 1 or 2?

Ann: I recommend they either do 1 or all 10. If you stop at one you've opened up the breathing and have begun to horizontalize the pelvis. It's a pretty general session. The 2nd session is all on the feet. The 3rd is all on the sides of the body. The 4th on the inside. The 5th on the front. The 6th on the back. The 7th on the head and neck and 8, 9 and 10 are integrated sessions. So it starts to be a recipe after two in the sense that one follows the other. Almost every Rolfer that I know recommends that you either do one and decide whether you want to do it and if you decide to continue then you make a commitment to 10.

TONE: Over how long a period of time would 10 sessions be done?

Ann: Most people come once a week.

TONE: In what way can Rolfing help a person who is actively participating in the expansion of his or her own conscious awareness?

Ann: It's very valuable in that if they've already done a lot of spiritual work or emotional work and they're still holding in their body, it hasn't really changed and it holds them back. If they come and do the body work they may find an exponential leap. It's very freeing. It's hard sometimes by ourselves to get at really deep or old patterns of resistance in the body. And it is fast—it's not necessarily something that everyone wants to do It's one of the faster therapies in that way.

TONE: So a lot can come up in a short period of time?

Ann: Yes. For somebody who has already been dealing with a lot of these issues it's not going to be too much to handle. For some people who never perhaps have even worked at anything like that, it might be rather difficult.

TONE: You also teach Rolfing Movement classes. How does Rolfing Movement relate to Rolfing Structural Integration?

Ann: With Rolfing, my intention is to open up space in the structure which will allow for a different function. The movement class is teaching people what optimal function is. As one begins to practice and have more choice and learn what optimal function is, they are able to open space too so that it becomes a really nice circle. There are some people who have done the movement work and don't get Rolfed and that's OK too. It's similar to a Alexander and Feldenkrais.

Source: Tone Magazine Vol 2 No 5, January 1987

Ann Answers Questions about Body-Centered Counseling (BCC)/Movement Therapy (MT)

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