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Frequently asked questions


What happens during a Rolfing Session?

At first, your Rolfer will look at you in standing, walking and sitting in order to determine your movement pattern and body structure. The session is done on a massage table while the Rolfer uses his hands or arm parts of the arm to apply pressure to specific parts of your body. This is also done with the client sitting or standing. The quality of the touch ranges from light to deep and intense.

Time can also be spend on movement education during the session. The Rolfer instructs the client on improved body-use for better economy of movement.

After each session you will experience a difference in your body and its structure. Most clients describe the feeling as »lighter« and »more freedom«.

How long does a session last?

A session lasts around 60 to 70 minutes. Rolfing is less concerned about the duration of the session than it is with achieving a specific goal within the session. Rolfers account for their work per session an not per hour. This means that certain session may be shorter or longer than others. The fee per session is therefore not changed.

How many Sessions are needed?

When you only want relieve of specific pain or symptoms, one to three session will be sufficient. When you want more than just symptomatic relief and your goal is long-lasting results, it is recommended that a series of ten session should be followed.

Classic Rolfing consists of a series of 10 sessions, one building on the other. When the Rolfer works with the client step by step, it is easier to bring the body in line and to achieve maximum economy of movement. After the ten sessions you will notice the change in your body and the change in quality on movement. Normally a resting period of six months to one year is recommended, before further sessions are done, if needed.

How much time do I need in between session?

Ideally two to three weeks should be spaced between the sessions. This gives your body enough time to integrate the changes. The intervals of the sessions depend mostly on individual circumstances. Shorter interval are also possible.

Does Rolfing hurt?

The Rolfer’s touch is sometimes intense, but should not hurt. When you feel pain you should inform your Rolfer. She will adjust his touch or technique in such a way as to still achieve the session’s goal, but without putting you in any discomfort.

Does Rolfing help for…?

The primary goal of Rolfing is not the removing of symptoms, but rather the improvement of structure, bearing and movement pattern in the total body. Certain problems of the movement apparatus, such as back pain, headache (especially tension headaches), neck and shoulder restrictions is partly a result of poor structure and support, or burdensome movement, which can be resolved through Rolfing.

Are the results from Rolfing permanent?

A ten session series offers huge potential for permanent changes. But it depends on the individual case and the goal of the entire series. Your age, general condition, the body’s condition at the start of the series, all influence the permanency of the results. Other factors can also play a part, eg. How prepared you are to accept changes; are you actively taking part in the process.

How much does it cost?

Our current prices you will find here.

Can children also be Rolfed?

Rolfing can be used for children of all ages. The ten session series of around 60 minutes each, prescribed for adults, is often not applicable to children. The sessions are shorter and the amount of sessions is determined individually. With specific it could be helpful that the child is Rolfed during the entire growth process.

When is Rolfing not advisable?

Always visit the doctor when a serious illness or injury occurs. The Rolfer should always be informed about your medical history. When in doubt always talk to your doctor before receiving any Rolfing sessions.

Do scientific studies exist to proof the results from Rolfing?

A lot of research and studies have been conducted over the past years., please also see Service.

The latest german research was conducted by the University of Ulm, and was presented to an international audience at the first international facia congress in 2007, at Harvard University, Boston.
Please see www.fasciaresearchsociety.org oder www.fasciaresearch.com

Who was Dr Ida P. Rolf?

Ida P. Rolf, a native New Yorker, graduated from Barnard College in 1916. In 1920 she earned a Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. Dr. Rolf worked for twelve years at the Rockefeller Institute, first in the Department of Chemotherapy and later in the Department of Organic Chemistry. She rose to the rank of Associate, a rare accomplishment for a young woman in those days.

In 1927, she studied mathematics and atomic physics at the Swiss Technical University in Zurich and homeopathic medicine in Geneva and Germany. Returning to the United States in 1930, she spent the next decade exploring osteopathy, chiropractic medicine, yoga, the Alexander Technique, and Korzybski’s work on states of consciousness.

Dr. Rolf was integrating these diverse learning experiences with the desire to find more effective approaches for conditions that conventional medical treatments seemed unable to help. She developed a new approach to working with the body and called it Structural Integration.

Over the next twenty years, she actualized this system in a series of ten sessions, which later became known as Rolfing. She established the Rolf Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and began teaching basic and advanced training classes. She wrote Rolfing: The Integration of Human Structures (1977) and continued teaching, giving direction to the organization, planning research projects, writing and public speaking.
Her work is continued through the Rolf Institute in Boulder, Colorado and internationally in Europe/Germany, Australia, Brazil, Japan and Canada.

»This is the gospel of Rolfing: When the body gets working appropriately, the force of gravity can flow through. Then, spontaneously, the body heals itself.«

Dr Ida P. Rolf