Okay my first session of Rolfing was pretty cool. I read up a little bit about it on the Internet but really did not know what to expect.
When I first arrived, I met my rolfer and we spent a good 5 to 10 minutes discussing what Rolfing is and how our connective muscle tissue is like a web connecting throughout our entire body.
Okay guys this last session is a little bittersweet because traditionally the 10th session is the last of the 10 Rolfing series. In this last session I will discuss briefly my experience of the actual session as well as offer some additional insights into my entire experience with Rolfing in Los Angeles.
First this last session 10 was much like session 8 and 9 in terms of purpose and focus. All the initial “work” was really created through sessions 1 through 7 and session 8, 9, and 10 kind of puts everything altogether. As a quick recap session 8 focuses on one half of the body and session 9 focuses on the other half. Half in this case is defined as the upper and the lower. In my case session 8 worked on my lower body such as my legs feet and hips. While session 9 worked on my chest back and neck.
As discussed in the last post regarding session 8 – session 9 is more of a continuation from session 8 and are intermixed… meaning that session 8 might work on either the upper OR lower body, and then session 9 would focus on the other half.
I like this idea as well as other concepts that Al, the los angeles rolfer that I found, discussed with me, because it sets up the 10 session rolfing series in such a way that there is structure with flexibility based on the individual.
In my session 9, we worked on putting my upper body in order. It was basically the same experience as session 8, but only with the upper body as the focal point.
One interesting observation is that pressure does not always equal release. There are several other factors involved. For example, time, for instance. I walked into my first rolfing session saying to Al, “Now I can take a whole lot of pressure, I mean I like when people walk on my back, so really go to town as I really want to experience rolfing to the extreme”.
Okay guys. Session 8 of Rolfing begins the first of the last three sessions in which the rolfer begins fully integrating all parts of the body, or as Al called it “putting it all together”.
I was told by Al that depending on the person session 8 and session 9 goes over the whole body from bottom to top or top to bottom. In other words it really isn’t session 8 and session 9 but one really long session broken into two parts.
Because my lower body seemed the most out of place we chose to work on that first. Now keep in mind that the other Rolfing sessions have already worked on my lower body, so this session is more like building a house after making sure all the pieces to build it are sturdy.
Hey guys,
In session 7 of my 10 rolfing series in Los Angeles, Al focused on my head and neck.
When we first began our sessions I found it peculiar that we did not intitially begin with the head and neck and first, let alonne wait all the way until now to really focus on it.
Al explained to me, that in order to get the most out of the work that we’d be doing today on the neck and head, we needed to take care of the rest of the body first.
I SHOULD NOTE HOWEVER: That even though we waited intill session seven to focus on the neck and head, Al did do a little bit of work everytime on my neck b/c I mentioned that I had some tension (like I am sure every single person who is reading this as well), in my neck region. So from my experience, the rolfer follows the 10 series but has enough room to play around and customize a program that fits best with the person.
Anyway onto the experience:
This marks the sixth session I’ve had with Rolfing. This is session is very complementary to session number five. What I mean is instead of working on the front part of my body, we worked on entirely the back.
From the back of my legs to the back of my hips to the back of my… you guessed it, back. The main worked on this again for me was the pelvis. As I continued to work with Al, I am slowly viewing my body more as bones and muscles, rather than just the whole organism.
Now I know what to say doesn’t getting Rolfed, have nothing to do with the bones and the muscles? Isn’t it the connective tissue between those two? Yes, it is. So I can only respond that it is because of this freer space of my connective tissue which allows me to view my bones and muscles as separate. If this is not making sense to anybody I totally understand. If I was reading this right now and have never been Rolfed before it might have been hard for me to understand.
Ahhhh, it’s wintertime in Los Angeles yet I’m still wearing a T-shirt and shorts with sandals to get Rolfed today, you gotta love LA!
Okay so this marks the midpoint of my 10 session Rolfing series with Al Fielder, (shout out to Al my Hollywood Rolfing guru!!).
I must say that it’s a little bittersweet, even though every session is unique onto itself I also know that one builds on top of the other and I am part anxious to finish the series to see how it all comes together and at the same time upset that I’m already halfway done with my Rolfing journey.
But enough of that, I’ll wipe the tears from my eyes and describe my fifth Rolfing session.
My fourth Rolfing session in Los Angeles shifted gears a little bit. I see a little bit because according to many rolfer’s it is a big shift however I only experienced a slight shift in what was going on.
Supposedly, your first three or Rolfing sessions concentrate more on the aesthetic outer lining of the in connective muscle tissue. And the fourth session begins the more inner core work.
Rolfer’s call this “the active core” and it is the structures that lie closest to the spine at the body’s mid-level (so think areas around the hip). Though I did know that this session was a little different I experience the same sensations of feeling muscles that were once tight (that I didn’t even know were tight), begin to release letting my bones and the muscles themselves almost shift in feel more room was created.
okay. This is my third Rolfing session with Al. He said that this is the last of the superficial sessions, though he did explain that the first three sessions were working on the superficial muscle fascia to be honest every session I go feels different in the fact that my body is being worked on in specific areas however the feeling every time is the same so I’m curious if you have ever received Rolfing if you ever experience difference between the first three sessions and the other seven.
Anyway the third Rolfing session covers pretty much the top of the body in a Rolfing terms they call it the lateral line from the upper arm to the thigh bone. We did a lot of work this time with me lying on the sides of my body.
Individuality is another aspect which I think is really unique to Rolfing versus any other body work. Every session is focused with the end goal in mind and even with the 10 sessions giving a nice template of progression every Rolfing session is really unique towards individual.
I know when I see a chiropractor or a massage therapist the techniques might be different from chiropractor to another chiropractor or from massage therapist to massage therapists, but once you visit the same one it’s usually the same stuff every time.
This logically make sense if you ever seen anybody at a job he’s used to doing the same thing over and over again people usually don’t question whether it’s right or wrong because they just assume that that’s how it’s supposed to be whether you’re being served food at McDonald’s or you’re seeing a reputable healthcare practitioner; people get caught up in what’s familiar to them and keeping to a routine.
So it has been 12 days since my first Rolfing session in sunny beautiful LA. I feel so great the Rolfing has stayed with me on like when I go to get a massage and I feel great while am getting in and maybe an hour or two afterwards but then by the next day it’s as if I never even went.
The second Rolfing session centers around the legs and, especially, the feet. Working on the foundation of the body. It’s about balance and equilibrium. Order and support in legs and pelvic girdle precede order in the core.
So the second Rolfing session was all about my lower body specifically my calves and feet. Now keep in mind that rolfer is will adjust the intensity specifically to the individual and also keep in mind that I told Al (my Los Angeles rolfer) that I love hard pressured intense massages and that he can Rolf me as hard as he once — ha ha that sounds pretty funny typing out but again it’s the reason why went to have Rolfing done.
Well let me tell you everyone, be careful what you wish for!
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