I have set down a list of nine objectives for Rolfing® work, created by contemplating the Nine Types from the Enneagram, for those of us that are interested in that.
1. “Perfectionist”: Rolfers invite more symmetry to your structure, to help improve balance of body-tone in action. Total, perfect symmetry is not only boring; it is structurally impossible and undesirable.
2. “Giver”: Imagine actually feeling more of the support in yourself for your own goals that you try to offer to others. Imagine how much easier it can be to reach out to others, or the “stars”, without clinging on to them. Rolfing can help this effortless grounding.
3. “Performer”: Yes, Rolfing enhances performance. What does this mean? What would it be like to have increased power, range of motion, flexibility, speed AND subtlety, harmony, balance and control? That’s what Rolfing can offer.
4. “Romantic”: A truly resilient organism has the capacity for strong highs AND lows. Rolfing helps you adapt to the changes in life, and to develop the clear witness sense within the maelstroms.
5. “Observer”: Rolfing can help us clarify and refine our own personal boundaries, to better reach beyond them.
6. “Loyal Skeptic”: Sometimes recoiling from unpleasant sensations in our body gives them power over our experience. Rolfing gives us an opportunity to experience some of the feelings and areas in our bodies that we have recoiled from, allowing us to peacefully confront and master our fears about ourselves.
7. “Epicure”: Rolfing is a way to cut through some of the non-sense that we carry about our bodies. We are our bodies, we can be more grounded and we can take care of our needs and those of others in a common-sense, sensible, sensate and sensitive way.
8. “Protector”: Rolfing helps you learn to be able to use just the right amount of force, around clear axes and fulcrums, recruiting just the right amount of effort from the appropriate areas of your body/mind into play. After efforting is done, we have more resilience to spring back into response-ability for the new moment, experience, sensation, perception, awareness, decision, and joy.
9. “Mediator”: Like a sailboat riding on a breath, nudged by a rudder and helms-person, Rolfing indirectly invites and gently directs you towards change. It is foolish to go against the wind, and foolish to blow about the ocean without a sense of direction. The Rolfer senses which way the wind is blowing for the client, and keeps the map of desired goals in mind.