Do you ever feel like your body is bound up, fragmented, or crooked? I bring together Rolfing®, craniosacral work, and visceral work as needed to create optimal structural balance, so that the surface and core layers are in harmony. I call this “whole-body integration.” Any “problem” will involve patterns through the body structure and systems as a whole. Below you'll find brief descriptions of the modalities I use. You can find more information in my blog entries by category, or for the most basic articles about each type of work (What Is Rolfing®? How to Find a Rolfer®, etc.), see my earliest posts in the May 2008 folder of the Archives.
Rolfing
Is your body out of balance, like a house on a crooked foundation? Rolfing® Structural Integration, developed by Ida P. Rolf, Ph.D., is a sophisticated bodywork system that aligns the body in gravity by balancing the fascia (connective tissue). Using a simple metaphor, in your body the bones are the scaffolding, the muscles are the movers, and the fascia is the “shrink wrap” that holds it all together in a particular shape.
Rolfing is traditionally done as a 10-session series, and each session has a particular goal and territory to work. We eventually work through the whole body, taking apart old patterns and creating new integration. I like to think of this as the body’s 50,000 mile tune-up. Most clients report that the 10 sessions give them more energy and flexibility as well as taking away most of their musculoskeletal aches and pains.
If you have one particular physical problem, or a recent injury, I can also use a “fix-it” approach where our primary strategy is to get you quick relief. This may be the way to start if you have one main problem, but I still use the Rolfing approach of assessing the whole body and creating balance and alignment.
Craniosacral Work
Do you suffer from stress, headaches, TMJ pain, or a stiff neck? You may benefit greatly from craniosacral therapy, a form of gentle bodywork that balances the cranial bones, the sacrum, and the related membranes that house the brain, spinal cord, and cerebral spinal fluid. Imbalances in the cranial system often result from injuries - especially to your head, neck, and spine, but also hard falls that jolt your body as a whole. You can also have issues in these areas as a result of a difficult birth, poor posture, high stress levels, and trauma. Common problems of the craniosacral system include headaches, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain and dysfunction, ringing in the ears, teeth grinding, and the inability to deeply relax/sleep.
I am trained in both the “biomechanical” and “biodynamic” approaches to craniosacral therapy. The first approach is more directive, the second more a listening approach where I effectively say to your body’s intelligence, “you lead, I’ll follow”. Each has its time and place. Biodynamic work requires more training and subtlety of touch. I have trained extensively in both approaches over a dozen years, most recently a long biodynamic training over three years with teachers from Franklyn Sills’ organization.
Visceral Work
Have you tried many body therapies and not found relief to your postural or pain issues? Visceral work (also called visceral manipulation) may be the missing piece of the puzzle to help you. It addresses strains patterns on the internal organs and their attachments, and as I practice it, it is a structural approach to the body to relieve core tensions. It is not meant to treat or cure any illness or physiological issue.
When there are visceral strains, your body must prioritize. As the functioning of the organs is more critical for life than, say, a comfortable neck or back, your outer body will shape itself to core patterns so that the organs function as well as is possible. Thus, an asthmatic will tend to have elevated shoulders if that protects the lungs, even if it causes neck pain.
