Bodywork at Its Best: The Rolfing 10-Series, Sessions 4-10
What happens in the fourth through tenth Rolfing Structural Integration sessions? The middle three treatments of a Rolfing ten series, sessions 4, 5 and 6, are focused on reorganizing the core of the body.
The territory for the fourth session is the inner line of the legs, beginning with the feet and traveling up the leg to the bottom of the pelvis. The top of the body’s core is said in Rolfing to be like the soft palate of the mouth, so sometimes we also address that briefly at the end of the session to ensure the work down below does not get stuck at the jaw and mouth. The therapist looks at how the weight is balanced on each foot and leg, whether it seems the legs are being pulled up into the pelvis or if the pelvis is sitting heavily on the legs. We assess each sacroiliac joint in the back of the pelvis to see if it is functioning smoothly or getting stuck each time the client lifts his/her legs or bends forward. We look at whether the knees are touching each other or are more bowed, and notice if the legs look balanced front to back. With “big picture” eyes, we look at the territory from the feet to the nose to see if the core space of the body looks like it could use some more room to expand and help create a sense of ease and length.
Generally the fourth session begins with the client in a side-lying position with the upper leg on a pillow, allowing the lower leg to be worked on in a safe and comfortable fashion. We might ask the client to do some leg and feet movements or micro-movements of the hips and pelvis as the session progresses. For many people, the inner line of the leg is a sensitive area that does not get much touch, so we work gently and ask about appropriate pressure throughout the session. This is often a profound treatment as it begins to reorder the relationship between the legs and the pelvis. As with each session, there is neck and seated back work at the end.
The fifth session is said to be the second half of the fourth, since it continues working the inner line of the body. As part of the assessment at the beginning of the treatment, we look to see if the length that was evoked in the core space during the fourth session is continuing into the trunk of the body, and whether more lengthening is needed. The territory covered during the fifth session is the front of the body, often beginning with the upper ribs and moving into the abdominal muscles. Sometimes time is spent with the rib basket as a whole to encourage more movement of the ribs and to release any that are stuck. We might address any restrictions in the diaphragm or collarbone, and sometimes in the digestive areas as well. Often the session ends with work in the psoas muscles deep in the abdomen, and while for many clients they are extremely tight, getting these muscles more relaxed and elongated is often a very profound experience.
The sixth session works the back part of the territory covered in the fourth and fifth sessio. We assess the length evoked in the previous two treatments and notice where in the back we need to work to balance and match that spaciousness in the front. The treatment is mostly done with the client in a prone position with the feet hanging off the table to take stress off the lower back. We work from the feet up to the middle back, getting into the calves, thighs and hips. Many people love this session, since these are often areas they can feel are very tight and craving new possibilities.
The seventh session focuses on balancing the head on top of this now beautifully lengthened and opened body. For some, the treatment begins with work along the spine, creating more support for the head and neck to rest upon. Others have enough support going into the session and therefore more time is spent on the head, neck and jaw itself. Few of us get enough work in our head and neck, so for many this is one of their favorite parts of the ten series. Often there is a need for work done inside the mouth and occasionally inside the nose, especially for people who have had injuries, have recurring sinus problems, or chronically clench their jaw or grind their teeth. While few people look forward to work in these areas, most love the feeling of openness and freedom that comes after.
In the next three sessions, we turn the corner into integration. Sessions 7, 8 and 9 are somewhat more free-form, with the Rolfer assessing which areas of the body have not come along as much as others, and where the body needs still more freedom of movement and better support. For the eighth and ninth treatments, this usually means additional work in either the upper body (shoulder girdle area) or lower body (low back, legs, hips) or in the spine. The tenth session focuses on completion and putting on the final touches of integration without starting anything new.
Each Rolfer and each client create the ten-series according to the needs and resources of the client, so this article is only a rough outline of what can be expected. Sometimes your session might look a lot like what I have described, others it might be different. The themes are what stay the same, with the first three sessions revolving around general opening, releasing broad restrictions and freeing the breath. The middle sessions are about opening up the core structures and spaces, re-organizing and re-balancing. In the last three, we integrate and bring closure to the ten-series.
by Jill Gerber, LMT, Certified Advanced Rolfer and Rolfing® Movement Integration Practitioner
© copyright 2009 Jill Gerber all rights reserved.
The territory for the fourth session is the inner line of the legs, beginning with the feet and traveling up the leg to the bottom of the pelvis. The top of the body’s core is said in Rolfing to be like the soft palate of the mouth, so sometimes we also address that briefly at the end of the session to ensure the work down below does not get stuck at the jaw and mouth. The therapist looks at how the weight is balanced on each foot and leg, whether it seems the legs are being pulled up into the pelvis or if the pelvis is sitting heavily on the legs. We assess each sacroiliac joint in the back of the pelvis to see if it is functioning smoothly or getting stuck each time the client lifts his/her legs or bends forward. We look at whether the knees are touching each other or are more bowed, and notice if the legs look balanced front to back. With “big picture” eyes, we look at the territory from the feet to the nose to see if the core space of the body looks like it could use some more room to expand and help create a sense of ease and length.
Generally the fourth session begins with the client in a side-lying position with the upper leg on a pillow, allowing the lower leg to be worked on in a safe and comfortable fashion. We might ask the client to do some leg and feet movements or micro-movements of the hips and pelvis as the session progresses. For many people, the inner line of the leg is a sensitive area that does not get much touch, so we work gently and ask about appropriate pressure throughout the session. This is often a profound treatment as it begins to reorder the relationship between the legs and the pelvis. As with each session, there is neck and seated back work at the end.
The fifth session is said to be the second half of the fourth, since it continues working the inner line of the body. As part of the assessment at the beginning of the treatment, we look to see if the length that was evoked in the core space during the fourth session is continuing into the trunk of the body, and whether more lengthening is needed. The territory covered during the fifth session is the front of the body, often beginning with the upper ribs and moving into the abdominal muscles. Sometimes time is spent with the rib basket as a whole to encourage more movement of the ribs and to release any that are stuck. We might address any restrictions in the diaphragm or collarbone, and sometimes in the digestive areas as well. Often the session ends with work in the psoas muscles deep in the abdomen, and while for many clients they are extremely tight, getting these muscles more relaxed and elongated is often a very profound experience.
The sixth session works the back part of the territory covered in the fourth and fifth sessio. We assess the length evoked in the previous two treatments and notice where in the back we need to work to balance and match that spaciousness in the front. The treatment is mostly done with the client in a prone position with the feet hanging off the table to take stress off the lower back. We work from the feet up to the middle back, getting into the calves, thighs and hips. Many people love this session, since these are often areas they can feel are very tight and craving new possibilities.
The seventh session focuses on balancing the head on top of this now beautifully lengthened and opened body. For some, the treatment begins with work along the spine, creating more support for the head and neck to rest upon. Others have enough support going into the session and therefore more time is spent on the head, neck and jaw itself. Few of us get enough work in our head and neck, so for many this is one of their favorite parts of the ten series. Often there is a need for work done inside the mouth and occasionally inside the nose, especially for people who have had injuries, have recurring sinus problems, or chronically clench their jaw or grind their teeth. While few people look forward to work in these areas, most love the feeling of openness and freedom that comes after.
In the next three sessions, we turn the corner into integration. Sessions 7, 8 and 9 are somewhat more free-form, with the Rolfer assessing which areas of the body have not come along as much as others, and where the body needs still more freedom of movement and better support. For the eighth and ninth treatments, this usually means additional work in either the upper body (shoulder girdle area) or lower body (low back, legs, hips) or in the spine. The tenth session focuses on completion and putting on the final touches of integration without starting anything new.
Each Rolfer and each client create the ten-series according to the needs and resources of the client, so this article is only a rough outline of what can be expected. Sometimes your session might look a lot like what I have described, others it might be different. The themes are what stay the same, with the first three sessions revolving around general opening, releasing broad restrictions and freeing the breath. The middle sessions are about opening up the core structures and spaces, re-organizing and re-balancing. In the last three, we integrate and bring closure to the ten-series.
by Jill Gerber, LMT, Certified Advanced Rolfer and Rolfing® Movement Integration Practitioner
© copyright 2009 Jill Gerber all rights reserved.
posted by High Desert Healthcare and Massage at
2:44 PM
Photo courtesy of ABMP
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home