I’ve been thinking about the fourth session of the Rolfing 10-series. These are the sorts of things you think about when you’re a Rolfer, but not the sorts of things you think about if you have pretty much any other life. Keep that in mind if you were thinking about a career change. Anyway. The fourth hour is big in a lot of ways. It’s the first of the ‘core’ sessions, after the first three ‘sleeve’ sessions. This focus of getting the body to relate to ‘core’ is key all through Rolfing and session four is continued through five, six, and seven, all of which wouldn’t be possible without that initial session four. The focus is on the insides of the legs and the pelvic floor. Not an area that’s often addressed in your typical massage. In fact, Ida Rolf said the difference between massage therapists and Rolfers was that Rolfers had the guts to go for the pelvic floor.
Not that I have a problem with massage. I’m not trying to start a fight here (although Ida might have been). I think massage is really helpful for relaxation. It’s great for calming a muscle that’s completely freaked out and won’t let go for all the tea in China. But Rolfing has more of that get-to-the-root-of-the-problem approach so that your massage can be that much more enjoyable. If you’re not focused on the pain in your shoulder, it might be easier to relax and enjoy the massage for what it’s supposed to be.
Of course, there are other differences as well. Rolfers tend to use little, if any, oil, lotion, or other lubrication. This is because our goal is not to slide over muscles, but to change the shape of the fascia. We’re more about sinking in and waiting than gliding over the surface of everything. Also, every session is different in Rolfing. Even within the confines of the 10-series, there’s a lot of variation. I’ve never done the same session twice, and I don’t plan to. We don’t work symmetrically, which can also throw people used to massage for a loop. It’s just that if you broke your right leg, but not your left, there’s no reason for me to work those legs in exactly the same way. Rolfers tend to do a fair amount of assessment before and after a session, as well as throughout. This can be visual, energetic, or tactile assessment, but you’d better believe it’s going on all the time when you’re getting Rolfed, whereas it might not be at any point during a massage. Also, there’s more client involvement with Rolfing than is typically expected in a massage. In the massages I’ve received, the most I’ve had to do was roll over from my stomach to my back. In Rolfing I’ve gotten work while standing, walking, sitting, doing knee-bends and stretches, reaching my arms and legs in different directions, even moving my eyes to look right, left, up, and down.
Rolfers, as a general rule, don’t like being compared to massage therapists. Which is kinda funny, ’cause well over half of the Rolfers in the world trained as massage therapists first and many of them maintain their massage certifications. But the fact remains; the Rolfers I know think what they do is VERY different from massage. I happen to agree. But when you haven’t experienced Rolfing yourself, it’s hard to understand what could be so different. You’re lying on a massage table for an hour, right? Sure, but that’s about where the similarities end. Now you know. Go tell your friends. Please. I’m tired of meeting people and hearing “oh, Rolfing, that’s like a deep-tissue massage, right?” No, sweetheart, not really.
