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Beyond the Recipe:Process-Oriented Rolfing@

Monica Caspari, Certified Advanced Rolfer, Rolf Movement Practitioner

and Adjo Zorn, Certified Advanced Rolfer, Rolf Movement Practitioner

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The soul of man with all the streams of pure livingwater seems to dwell in the fascia of his body. When

you deal with the fascia, you deal and do business withthe branch offices of the brain.,and under the general

corporation law, the same as the brain itself, and whynot treat it with the same degree of respect.

Andrew Taylor Still, 1899

We often hear it said that Rolfingis a process - not an event. Ori-entation to process is perhaps a

hallmark of "holistic" practice. But there aredegrees of holism. Rolfing by'the Recipe isholistic in the sense that considers the struc-

tural context of local symptoms and ad-dresses the entire bodYi and goes one stepfurther by interpreting the body in the con-text of gravity. What's more, with the de-velopment of the Principles of Rolfing In-tervention, we have a paradigm for thework to retain its holistic aspect and at thesame time be non-formulistic. Rolf Move-

ment Integration carries the work a stepfurther with its focus on function and the

"Circle of Being", which recognizes theneed to integrate the mental, emotional andspiritual aspects with the physical. Still, theholism of Rolfing is limited in that it doesnot formally address other dimensions ofcontext (although in practice, many Rolfersdo take them into account). For example,just as we are continuously exposed to thegravitational field, we are also exposed tosocial and cultural fields. But neither the

STRUCTUI{ALINTEGRATION! SUMMER 2001

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Recipe nor the Circle of Being explicitly con-siders them, although they do affect the fas-cial structure.

The process of Rolfing takes place withinthe larger process of the client's life. Giventhat these larger processes, in turn, takeplace in contexts having dimensions thatRolfing does not explicitly consider, howthoroughly can the Rolfing process reallyintegrate into the client's larger process?This kind of integration requires a style ofwork that opens space for these other di-mensions of the c1ient's process, while stillstrategizing each session or series accord-ing to the Principles.

STRUCTURE HAS MANY LEVELS

Imagine that you - as the "therapist" ofthe Golden Gate bridge - are responsiblefor ensuring its safety.! As you "read" thebridge, you first observe its general shapeand configuration. In a static analysis, youmight perceive the bridge as a network oftension and compression forces. If the ba-

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sic design is sound, you could then inspectparticular physical components. Thesemight include deck truss bracing and fram-ing members, cables, support tower col-umns, welds, and anti-corrosive coatings.If a single truss member is corroded, a lo-cal fix will be sufficient. But if many mem-bers exhibit sign,ificant corrosion or otherconditions reducing their load-bearing ca-pacity, the bridge is prone to sag and twist;thus, the overall state of the truss membersis a structural property, and any interven-tion must be strategized accordingly.

To a holistic engineer, addressing deck trusstorsion apparently arising from widespreadmember degradation would require morethan rebalancing opposing forces to accom-modate their reduced load-bearing capac-ity. It would require asking why the mem-bers were degrading in the first place. If theanswer were" age" - degradation commen-surate with the lifetime of the bridge andassumed material properties of the steel -the engineer might reinforce or replace themembers. If actual live loads were in ex-

cess of design loads (think sports or repeti-tive stress injuries), one might reinforce ex-isting members or add more of them (makeit stronger) - or reduce the live loads by

restricting the traffic on the bridge (rest). ButwhatH the condition were rooted in a

change in chemical properties - say, an in-crease in the kind or quantity of corrosivechemicals in the air or water (think meta-

bolic changes)?

Carrying the thinking further, what if thecorrosion of the members - although it ex-ists -is not the cause of the twisting at all?Perhaps a shift in prevailing currents hascompromised the foundations of the sup-port towers, which in turn has altered theposition of their columns? What if an earth-quake has affected the abutments intowhich the cables are anchored? Focusingonly on the truss members would not solvethe problemi it would merely yield a "blindfix". To go beyond blind fixing, you wouldhave to look beyond the forces of tensionand compression within the bridge itself.This is because anything that substantiallymaintains or influences the configurationand behavior of the bridge or its partsshould be considered structural.

Similarly, we will better integrate our cli-ents and avoid blind fixing if we recognizefactors that substantially maintain or infJu-ence the configuration of the fascia andother corporeaJ structural elements. This

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-meansof forcesin at least rec-

ognize in levels of structureother "stuff'. We all know

this, but the traditional presentation ofRolfingexcludes any systematicway to ac-count for these other levels.

The goal of this paper is to offer some sug-gestions in this regard. First, we describe atleast some levels of structure beyond thefascial that ought to be considered. Then,we offer some basic rules which, if followed,should increase the likelihood that our

work will touch upon these other levels.

LEVELS OF STRUCTURE

Coordination

Do you want to have anAmerican pelvis? -

Ida Rolf, to a Chinese woman

In the 1960's, Nobel prize-winning biolo-gist Konrad Lorenz described in the motorcortexapreciserepresentation ofthe physi-cal body and its functional properties.2Since then, further research has supportedhis vielv;3and it is now commonly acceptedthat our brains not only "map" our bodies,but also that the brain works actively tomaintain body shape congruent with themap. In the Rolfing community, the closerelationship between the fascial structureand the motor cortex has been explored byHubert Godard in his work on "TonicFunc-

tion", and by R,obert Schleip.' These brainfunctions are indeed structural. As Peter

Schwind has commented, "working withan anaesthetized body is like working witha flat tire"; a RolfeI' will be more effective

by recognizing that the inner representationis affected.

During sessions, we know the inner repre-sentation has changed when the client ex-periences major proprioceptive shifts. Forexample, clients often "find" body parts orregions previously absent from their aware-ness. Or, the dient might have to re-map arelationship, like the woman who exclaims,"After all the work you just did in my shoul-ders and neck, I can't find the holes for myearrings without a mirror! "

The structural importance of the inner rep-resentation might also shed some light on

the phenomenon that body shapes differwith geography. For example, a Braziliangirl whose favorite place is the beach mighthave "learned" the anterior tilt and poste-rior shift of her pelvis to conform herself toa culturally desirable pattern. Once thelearned attitude is established in both her

fascia and her brain, it becomes "struc-tural". At this point, it is difficult to distin-guish mechanical structural preferencesfrom neurological ones. The RolfeI"shandswill treat the fascial issues; but unless the

neuromotor component is addressed andthe client gains an understanding of howthe fascial preferences arose in the firstplace, she is likely to revert to her old pat-tern. In this sense, "Ralring is nat a manipu-lative technique. It is a system of education."S

Emotions

Most Rolfers would accept that muscle andfascia can "hold" memories and emotions

from the past. So naturally, clients some-times experience emotions whenlongstanding fixations in fascia, joints orviscera are released. Often, clients seem to

experiencea combination of reliefand sad-ness upon finding space that was lost longago. On the one hand, because emotionalhabits are structural, fear or avoidance ofemotions can lead to reversion to habitual

postures. On the other hand, the client'srecognition of the correlation betweenphysical and emotional structures can bothenhance the physical changes and preventreversion. But for the client to gain that rec-ognition, it is important for the RolfeI' to bealert and open to the emotional level. Thismeans recognizing the importance of this"non-concrete" structural component. Atthe same time, we must treat emotions as

just one aspectof structure,and not ampJifythem or overestimate their importance tothe whole. This, in turn, requires Rolfers tohave some degree of openness to and un-derstanding of their own emotional pro-cesses.

Autonomic Nervous System

If you don't reach thenervous system, you

haven't got it.

Ida P. Rolf

The balance of tone in the fascial systemcorresponds to the balance between the

branches of the autonomic nervous system.Chronic sympathetic dominance generate;!,hypertonic skeletal musculature, shallowbreath, decreased peripheral circulationand inhibited peristalsis; whereas chronicparasympathetic dominance generates jointand tendon inflammations and increasedmuscular effort to overcome air flow resis-

tance into the lungs. As demonstrated bythe work of Jeff Maitland and JohnCottingham/' Ro]fing improves the balancebetween the sympathetic and parasympa-thetic - although this often happens acci-dentally, rather than systematically. Wewould prefer to get these results based onour understanding of the ANS and in fur-therance of structural goals, rather than bymere chance.7

Biosociology

We are not truly erect,standing; we are only onour way to being erect.This is a metaphysical

consideration. One of thetasks of the Rolfer is tospeed up this ongoing

process.

Ida P. Rolf

\Ve humans use our bodies - including ourfascial structures - to convey to each othernon-verbal social messages. Our ape ances-tors lived in social groups for eons, whichsuggests that body language is much olderthan verbal language. Only recently has thebehavior of our closestape relativesin theirnatural environmentsbecomethe subjectofscientific research - particularly by JaneGodall and Frans de WaaJ).8The apes' bodylanguage - in terms of both intention andmeaning - resembles some human behav-iors, and their body language is readilyunderstood by humans. Thus, humanscarry not only the "reptile brain", but alsowhat we might call the" ape brain" - at leastin respect to our communication and socialbehavior.

The manner in which a particular personmight use structure as a means of commu-nication is not necessarily congruent withoptimum upright posture. Therefore, if weignore body language, we might miss - or

mIsmterpret - structural issues related toit. For example, if a client cannot lookstraight into the eyes of others, changes in-duoid by Rolfing "\Tillchallenge more thanthe client's fascial system, We should at leastentertain the possibility that structural orfunctional characteristics might have socialmeaning for a particular person, and con-sistently include body language in our as-sessments and strategies. Although wemight observe repeated correlation betweenparticular structural issues and meaningsin persons from similar cultural milieus, wemust not forget that the semantics of bodylanguage do vary among different cultures.

Sense of Self

The way you walk throughthe room is the way you

walk through life.

Vivian Jay

A mentally healthy person has internalizeda definition of self. Erik H. Erikson hasshown how this sense of self relates to self-

esteem and independence, and influencesthe ability to find love and work in society.9Part of self-identity manifests as a clear"felt-sense" in the body. Discussion aboutwhat establishes the sense of self has

evolved from the purely philosophical intomore concrete and neuroscientific realm.Neuroscientists Antonio Damasio and

Vilaynur Ramachandran have been exten-sively exploring this question recently, andpostulate that one thing that establishes"self" is its specific embodiment; in otherwords, the" self" always relates to its imagi-nation of its particular body.1OIf the feltsense of the body is altered, the person cantemporarily feel strange or unnatural. Butas Myron Sharaf, one of Wilhelm Reich'smost brilliant pupils, used to say in hisworkshops, "If it feels unusual, it could behealing" .11

The physical changes induced by Rolfingpresent challenges to the client's physicalself-identity, which can in turn affect senseof self in other contexts. We must be aware

of the potential scope of the challenge andbe prepared to try to help the client to ac-cept and then resolve any discomforts,(such as fear or pain of growt.!-j)and thenintegrate the insights into other realms. Atthe same time, Rolfing presents a great op-

STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION / SUMMER 2001

portumty because, on me pnysicailevei, meclient's sense of self can be quickly andstrongly challenged.

Energy

We use the term" energy" here to describethe intensity - or energetic density - ofmetabolic processes. A person's overall en-ergy level can also be called "vitality" or"life force". It is that which both drives and

enables a person to strive for success, tocultivate himself, to move, to enjoy someform of art, to play, to love and to have grati-fying sex - and to create something thatwill last beyond his own lifetime. Energeticdensity is clearly affected by mental andemotional states. For example, energy isgreater in an engaged, happy person thanin an alienated, sad one. But it is alsostrongly influenced by the functions of thehormonal, immune and neurological sys-tems; e.g., the degree of flexibility in themusculature is related to metabolism,

which in turn depends on these other sys-tems.

Biologically, greater energetic density isgenerally a good thing; but this is not nec-essarily true socially. Psychologist AliceMiller has made a convincing case for theproposition that the more vital, indepen-dent and expressive a child is, the more thechild's social environment tends to_compelthe child to suppress his own vitality.12Thissuppression can manifest as physical orpsychological tension or withdrawal, aswell as psychological dissociation. Perhapsits influence on the whole structure canmanifest as "withdrawal-diseases", such asback, neck or shoulde pain, arthritis,asthma, allergies, fibromyalgia, bruxism,hypertension, sexual dysfunction, andmany others - which often produce our cli-ents' presenting complaints.

As much as Rolfing might address the fas-cial and functional aspects of tension orwithdrawal patterns, the patterns are un-likely to resolve completely unless the cli-ent adjusts the balance between the de-mands of the social environment and indi-

vidual needs. In such cases, lasting struc-tural changes are less likely without behav-ioral changes.

GUIDELINES FOR PROCESS-ORIENTED ROLFING

How, then, can Rolfers address levels ofstruchue beyond the fascial level? Althoughwe are not neuromotor chemistry experts,

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integrate our clients' physical structures, wcan and should recognize and acknowledglevels of structure beyond fascial balanoand neuromotor function. What follows arl

some guidelines for how to do so withiIthe scope of our practice as Rolfers.

POR Rule 1: Let the Client Define theGoals of the Process.

Ideally, the client is the captain, and thERolfer is only the navigator - at least bythe end of the Rolfing process. Often, clioents appear in our offices expecting us tefix them. With these clients, the first chal.

lenge might be to enroll the client as a part-ner. Authority and responsibility must bewith the client at least by the end of the se-ries, if not before. After all, only the clienthimself can heal or grow. Nevertheless, theRolfer can and should help the client toform appropriate goals, reasonable expec-tations and responsibility for his own pro-cess.

This requires a certain humility on the partof the Rolfer, who must not yield to thetemptation to take on the role of a "guru"or "magic" person. We must understandthat some clients will encourage us to takethat role as a way to justify their own pas-sivity or reluctance to take responsibility fortheir processes.

POR Rule 2: The Process of Structural

Change is Self-Revealing.

Of course, a plan is a good thing to have.But we should be willing and prepared toabandon our plans for good reason. Anyliving organism - including a Rolfing cli-ent - has an idea of what it ought to belike, and will defend that idea. A Rolfer can-not impose change, but only educate theclient to its possibility and offer an invita-tion for growth. And growth cannot be pre-cisely planned because life - if it is trulyalive - is full of surprises. Start each ses-sion by asking yourself, "What wants to bedone here and now?" Observe which of the

many issues in the client's multi-level struc-ture presents the most obvious restriction,in the sense that addressing it will bring theclient's whole being to a higher level orfunction. The client might reveal the allsweron any of several levels: by a fascial strain,.an incomplete movement pattern, dUro-nomic changes, body language, or dearverbal expression.

One potentially important clue is -re:;;js-tance." In connection with psy~

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-the concept of "resistance" was originallydeveloped by Sigmund Freud; but WHhelmReich perceived the importance of "work-ing with resistance" Y Because RoHing in-duces changes that chal1enge the c1ient'sseH-perception, it can produce resistance.In the context of Rolfing, resistance mightmanifest as voluntary muscle contractioncontrary to the intention of the work; last-minute cancenations; devaluation of the

RoHer; pain symptoms with the messagethat the Rolfer is making them worse, orthat the c1ient is afraid of what might hap-pen next; co11apseinto suffering; escape intodrugs or frenetic activity; inability to recanwhat was done in the previous session orfailure to do the homework; or fear of be-ing stronger, freer, happier, or more success-ful or even erotic. Resistance is not neces-

sarily an obstacle; it is a sign post towardprogress if it helps the Rolfer to perceivethe next step in the growth process. What'smore, if the client becomes aware of his re-

sistance, it will help him to hold the work.

POR Rule 3: Balance Support andChallenge.

When Alfred Adler - one of SigmundFreud's most famous students - was asked

how to raise children, he replied, "There isone ultimate thing: the best that can hap-pen to a child is an obstacle that he canbarely crawl over."J" This is commonly in-terpreted at the psychological level, but onemight ask whether Adler's structural / func-tional metaphor should better be taken lit-eralJy.

Adler's insight certainly applies to Rolfing.On the one hand, Rolfing with lots of stimu-lus, challenge and even pain - but little

support - might gratify clients who long to

feel anything at alL We calJ this style "Sa do /Maso-Rolfing". On the other hand, Rolfingwith lots of support and little challengemight gratify childlike or the burned-outc1ients. We can this style "Cradle-Rolfing".Although either style can produce happyc1ients,both might yield only limited struc-tural results.

The history of Rolfing shows a trend awayfrom the first style toward the second -perhaps corresponding to changes in soci-ety as a whole, or perhaps arising from ourdesire to escape Rolfing's reputation forbeing rough and painfuL Nevertheless, ourwork should include the element of chal-

lenge. Not only does it enrich the process,but also retains a key attribute of Ida Rolf'sown stYle.She and Moshe Feldenkrais both

were demanding of their clients.

I don't need a friend whonods when I am nodding.

My mirror image does thismuch better.

Goethe

POR Rule 4: In Addition to Integratingthe Results of the Work into Gravity,Integrate Them into Functional and SocialContexts.

Were fascia the only component of struc-ture, table work alone would suffice. But

because it is not, it is crucial to bring theclient off the table and into the world. We

need to help the client integrate the tablework not only into the gravitational field,but sometimes also into social and relationalrealms. Of course, we should teach the cli-ent to maintain the release of restrictions in

gravity; to feel newly acquired internal andexternal space and deepening of the breath-ing; and to recognize the sensations of let-ting go into gravity through the pelvic floorand into the feet whHe at the same time al-

lowing upward lift. Here, sitting, standingand walking can be much more than evalu-ative tools. Made part of the session, theybecome every bit as important as the tablework.

At the same time, we can acknowledge andsupport expressions of uneasiness, feelingsor fears that physical and proprioceptivechanges might induce - e.g.,fearsof losingcontrol or standing solid, of feeling uglybecause of having a belly; of unaccustomedsexual feelings from letting go of the pelvicfloor, of vulnerability because of an openchest, and countless others.

Here, it helps to allow time at the begin-ning and end of each session - and at theend of the series - for verbal integration.We are creatures of language, and verbal-ization helps us to concretize and" own"our experiences. It can also help the clientto integrate his physical experience withother layers of his being, and to assume re-sponsibility for his own process. Finally,verbal integration can be used to bring clo-sure to a Rolfing series. For the Rolfer, thisrequires considerable ski1Iand practice, butcare in listening and mirroring is a goodstart.

IS POR STILL ROLFING?

RoIfing could become extinct in either oftwo ways: by adhering to narrow ortho-doxy, or by incorporating too much andlosing any defining border. We can find thebalance between these extremes by gener-alizing Ida Rolf's ideas while remaininggrounded in the traditional work AlthoughIda Rolf recognized that "comprehensiverecognition of human structure includes notonly the physical person but also, eventu-any,thepsychologicalpersonality- behav-ior, attitudes, [and] capacities",!3 manyRoIfers see" structure" only as the facial net.This view limits both understanding andefficiency. We believe that the concept ofstructure is made more powerful by con-sidering factors other than fascia, while atthe same time keeping the focus on thephysical body moving in gravity (and - bythe way - with inertia, which wi11be thesubject of another article coming soon.).

If we say, for example, that the legs are con-gruent with the spine, we are speaking thelanguage of c1assicalRolfing. If we add thatthis fascial structure is congruent with theclient's pattern of walking, we incorporatethe language ofRoIf Movement Integration.But with Process-Oriented Ro1fing, we cango further, and discuss aselementsof struc-ture factors contributing to the client's for-mation or maintenance of fascial patterns,such as learned postural and functionalconfigurations, self-definition, body-lan-guage, emotional habits, and demands ofthe social environment. Then we can saythat the fascial structure is congruent withthe client's behavior, as well. Althoughmany RoIfers consider these things already,this approach should be systematically in-vestigated.

NOTES

1. The discussion that follows is

derived from modern SystemsTheory, which addresses stabilityconditions in complex systems. As intraditional Chinese medicine, con-cepts of "cause and effect" havelimited applicability. In SystemsTheory, "structure" means that whichis quasi-stable in an "ordered chaos"system, such as the human body."There is no such thing as cause andeffect. There are patterns of co-existence." Ida P. Rolf 1977, as quotedin Rolf Lines, Nov/Dec 1988, p. 7.

2. Lorenz, Konrad, UhertierischesundmenschlichesVerhalten,Piper 1964.

3. For example, in a recent issue ofTheJournalof theBritish MedicalSociety,neurologists reported brainscan research with experiencedmeditation practitioners. The part ofthe brain that holds the inner repre-sentation was inactive during medita-tion! which might explain the sub-jects' reported experiences of "leav-ing space and time". For reference!contact zorn@rolfing.de.

4. See,TalkingtoFascia-Changing theBrain,Rolf Institute, Bouldel~Co.,1994.

5. Ida P. Rolf, as quoted in Rolf Lines,Spring 1992, p. 62.

6. Cottingham! John, et al.: "Effects ofSoft Tissue Mobilization - RolfingPelvic Lift on Parasympathetic Tone",Am. J. Physiology, vol. 68(3), 352 - 356!1988.

7. For some basic ideas how tobalance the Autonomic Nervous

System, see the article entitled,"Rolfing, Stress and the ANS",published in Portuguese in the Apriland June 2001issues of Rolfing Brasil,and in German at www.RolfingB.de /stress.htm.

8. See their work concerning thebehavior of chimpanzees, gorillas andbonobos, e.g., Jane Goodall, Chimpan-zeeFamilyBook,North-South Books,1997;Dian Fossey,GoriJlasin theMist,Houghton Mifflin, Wilmington, MA,1988; Frans de WaaI, ChimpanzeePolitics, Power and Sex Among Apes,Johns Hopkins University Press! 1998.

9. Erikson, Erik H. , Identity andLifeCycles,International University Press,Madison, CT, 1967.

10. See, e.g., V. Ramachandran and S.Blakeslee,Phantomsin theBrain:ProbingtheMysteriesof theHumanMind, 1998.

11. By memory from Adjo Zorn, whohas attended several workshopstaught by Myron Sharaf.

12.Miller,Alice,TheDramaof theGiftedChild, Harper Collins, NewYork, NY, 1996.

STRUCTURAL INTEGRi\TIO," / SUMMER 2001

13. Reich, Wilhelm, Characteranal~S. Fischer, Frankfurt, Germany, IS1976.

14. Adler, Alfred, V0111Umgang miSorgenkindern, S. Fischel~ FrankfwGermany, 1930/1979.

15. Rolf, Ida P., Rolfing: Reestablishthe Natural Alignment and StructwIntegration of the Human BodyforVitality and Well-being,Healing AJPress, Rochester, VT, 1989.

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