The basic Rolfing ® series consists of 10 sessions, about 50 minutes in length.  Each session builds upon the results of the previous one.  The first seven sessions remove strain from specific areas of the body, such as the lower back, neck, knees, etc.  The remaining sessions organize and integrate the body as a whole, resulting in better balance, enhanced freedom of movement, and a higher energy level.

The Rolfing ® practitioner sensitively applies pressure where the fascia is restricted.  You may be asked to breathe into an area and/or to make synchronized movements.  The combination of applied pressure and synchronized response frees and repositions the fascia, which, in turn, realigns the body’s segments.

Sensations in the area being worked may range from pleasurable warmth to momentary discomfort.  At times there may be very little sensation. You may experience a ” hurts-so-good feeling ”  that is sometimes associated with a deep shoulder/neck massage. Your Rolfing ® practitioner will communicate with you to maintain the applied pressure at an appropriate comfort level.

As the series progresses, connective tissues lengthen and become more pliable.  A sense of lightness and freedom emerges in the body.  This is accompanied by an increase in range of motion, sometimes to a remarkable degree.  People often gain from ½ to 1½ inches in height.  Chronic pain and tension fall away.

Along with these changes there are often psychological and emotional changes as well.  When the body lets go of old hardened postures, people find a sense of increased possibilities for their lives.  As the body becomes more resilient and responsive, the personality becomes more dynamic as energy is freed for more creative approaches to the challenges that life presents.

The overall goal of the basic 10 session series is to organize the body around the Line. The Line is the action of gravity on your body.  The sessions follow a general pattern but are always adapted to meet the needs of a particular client’s unique physical structure and condition. Therefore there is no way to describe accurately how every client will experience the individual sessions.

What follows are generalized and simplified descriptions of the ten sessions.  Depending on your unique needs, your experience of the basic 10 session series may or may not resemble the experiences described on the Basic Rolfing® 10 series breakdown page.