Rob’s Blog
Posture, Meditation: let the arms float
If I sit meditation on a very low wood platform ( maybe 4 inches off ground) with palms up on my thighs, I can enjoy breathing through the back of my armpits and sides of my ribs. Palms are up up to avoid the reflexive down-pushing that results when the palms are down. This is […]
A Rolfer™ Heals His Own Tennis Elbow With Combined Tissue Treatment and Exercise, Then Brings That Information Into Sessions With Clients
My own tennis elbow condition got so bad in 2012 that I could not pour milk from a gallon container without a lot of pain. I had learned some new Rolfing® techniques and in my eagerness I lost good coordination, self-awareness and self-care. I also learned that, like for me, it is common for such […]
Hip Positioning In Re Pain, Stiffness, & Strength
The subject of this brief article could be summed up as: for the hip joint to work well in all directions, as in flexion, extension, rotation, circumduction, anteversion and more, it has to be positioned well (as in Rolfing® Structural Integration goals), and it also needs balanced tone. Otherwise, your body will not feel able […]
So you really ‘think you’re too old to change?’
This was the headline for a recent LA Times article. It shows how we make choices in our lives based on the “end of history illusion” that makes us sure that the Megadeath tattoo we got when we were a teen would still make us happy ten or fifteen years later. One of the hardest […]
What Does “Integration” Feel Like?
Smiles happen! Things work better. You feel connected yet able to move parts of your body independently. It feels like the brakes have been taken off of your wagon. You have more energy. You can feel more focused and centered inside while doing movement, large and small, and more at ease in stillness. Your balance […]
The Purpose of Rolfing® Structural Integration and All Body Work, to Me
The purpose of my work with clients is improved function. I do not seek to release every knot, or soften every tight spot. That approach leaves people just feeling like a mush pile – not “mobilized” or more responsive. As a client, you want to feel empowered and more available to life and movement by […]
How Do I Improve Extensions for Dance? Free the Ribs and Shoulders!
It’s always interesting to notice what happens when we release the body into a more normal dynamic functioning. When the ribs and shoulders are tense and stuck, they act to destabilize your balance, by pulling you off line, as well as add resistance in your hips to movement-including hip flexion and extension. Strong attachments between […]
Sprained Ankle Points Out the Merits of Hallux Rigidus Repair Surgery
So I was running down the mountain ( Mt. Sanitas trail-very steep!) in Boulder and my foot got wedged between two rocks. There was a resounding pop (!), but without the massive burning pain of ligaments being torn ( fortunately) that I know well from several bad dance-related sprains. So I limped down the hill, […]
Get Back On Track With Rolfing Structural Integration
Too tired? Using too much caffeine? Can’t sleep? This is a vicious cycle. We all know that we should exercise, meditate, eat well, but sometimes the pace of our lives – and yes, this is for the most part an issue of our own creation – makes it hard for us to ‘do the right […]
Layers and Integration in Rolfing® Structural Integration:”That which makes me more joyous and resilient makes me stronger AND happier!”
In a previous post, I wrote: “End feel, sensitivity to layers, functional and anatomical knowledge are necessary to couple with knowledge of techniques to release fixations, in the appropriate sequence, and then integrate.” Sensitivity to layers refers to the different layers of fascia around areas of the body, and also around a specific joint. Sequencing, […]
Our Gait Really is our Fate!
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) cites gait as a primary indicator of health in a individual: “Researchers found that predicting survival based on gait speed was as accurate as predictions based upon age, sex, chronic conditions, smoking history, blood pressure, body mass index, and hospitalization.”1 In addition to speed, what Rolfers™ and Rolf […]
Street Dance: Earth and Sky, Kelly and Astaire
Comments on this popular video:http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1664492411895&ref=mfI decided to take a look at this wearing my dance and Rolfer™ hats. One thing a Rolfer looks for in a client is their movement initiation preferences for using ground and spatial orientation. We all do both all the time, of course, but we will have a tendency for one […]