The Rolfing 10 Series
This Rolfing Series is a sequence of 10 sessions each of which focuses on a specific region of fascial geography and has detailed structural goals. The logic of this sequence is a consequence of over 50 years of frequently revised thought and practical application.
The underlying goal of the Rolfing Series is to provide a foundation from which your practitioner can understand the unfolding nature of your body’s “needs”. The Rolfing Series of sessions are governed by goals and principles unique to the relevant stage in the unfolding process.
Each session and/or series of sessions have specific outcomes that suggest a direction towards lasting change – building on the outcomes of the previous session while laying the foundations for the needs of the next session.
Sessions 1 – 3: “Sleeve”
Working from the outside in.
Loosen and balance superficial layers.
Session 1
- Enhance breathing
- Begin work with:
- Lower extremity to pelvis
- Upper extremity to shoulder girdle
- Rib Cage
Session 2
- Support from below
- Balancing the foot and muscles of the lower leg.
Session 3
- Begin creating the lateral line
Sessions 4 – 7: The “Core”
Session 4
- First entry into the “core”.
- Inner line of the lower extremity.
- From the inside arch of the foot and up the leg, to the bottom of the pelvis.
Session 5
- Balancing abdominal space front, back, and below.
- First entry into deep abdominals such as the Psoas and Iliacus.
Session 6
- Seeking more support.
- From the legs, pelvis and lower back.
Session 7
- Create the upper pole.
- Balance the neck and head on the shoulders.
Sessions 4-7 are referred to as “core” sessions and examine terrain found between the bottom of the pelvis and top of the head.
The idea of core also includes the deep tissue of the legs for its role in support.
Session four begins this journey, its territory extends from the inside arch of the foot and up the leg, to the bottom of the pelvis.
The fifth session is concerned with balancing surface and deep abdominal muscles to the curve of the back.
Session six seeks to enlist more support and moment from the legs, pelvis and lower back, while the
The seventh session turns its sole attention to the neck and head.
Session 8 – 10: “Integration”
Sessions 8 and 9
- Work to create integration from ground up and from top down.
Session 10
- End of the beginning:
- Integration, order, and balance.
“Integration” is emphasized throughout the remaining three sessions, as session 8-10 provide an opportunity for the practitioner to blend previously established advancements, and ones yet to be made, into the body in a way that encourages smooth movement and natural coordination.
During sessions eight and nine, the practitioner determines how best to achieve this integration, as the protocol is unique for everyone. Quite often the practitioner will seek to find if movement is till lagging more in the upper or lower half – from the waist up or down. They’ll make a choice based on several factors including quality of movement, level of support etc.
The tenth and final session is also one of integration, but more importantly, serves to inspire a sense of order and balance. For a lot of us we see this as not the end of the series, but the end of the beginning.
Post Series Treatment
The Rolfing Series can be considered the “end of the beginning”. The Rolfing process allows for ongoing needs to be addressed through further work.
Once your initial series of sessions has ended it’s important to give your body the time and opportunity to embody the changes that you have achieved. This may be 3, 6, or 12 months (or any length of time that feels right for you). The spacing between blocks of sessions is unique to the each client and further reflects the nature of this great work. Your follow up treatments (often called Post 10 sessions) provide a means to further consolidate your initial gains, and/or provide a deeper unravelling of any further needed changes.