Links to Additional
Resources
More Information About Rolfing® and Structural Integration:
- The
Rolf Institute:
My school, and a great resource for information about Rolfing®
Structural Integration. Search
here for Rolfers in any state or country.
- International
Association of Structural Integrators:
Professional organization that sets standards for the field of
Structural
Integration. Maintains a directory of practitioners.
- "Rolf Movement" Videos:
These gentle exercises pair with each session in the series to help you
integrate the work. You may do them prior to the session as well as
after each session, and it's also fine to go through the Rolfing
process without using them - it's just for those who want more!
Find more movement videos in the description of each session in the classic Rolfing series.
Portland Resources for Fitness:
- The Practice Space, Yoga Union, Yoga Refuge, DAYA Foundation,
Classes with Todd Jackson: My
favorite local yoga/pilates/movement studios. Slow, structurally appropriate, with an emphasis
on building awareness. A helpful
aid for your Rolfing
process. Online class options too.
- Oregon
Ki Society:
Aikido training will teach you how to "coordinate mind and body"
including using "one-point" as your center of gravity for improved
balance and mental focus. At the same time, you will feel yourself
connected to the entire universe. Softening the ego to focus on
universal connection is incredibly beneficial for the nervous system.
- Portland
Hikers' Field Guide: Searchable hiking guide
to the Columbia Gorge and nearby areas.
Portland Practitioners:
Resources for Movement and Body Care:
- Breath by James Nestor.
Most of us habitually overbreathe, meaning that we take in more oxygen
than we need, depleting the carbon dioxide that is actually essential
for balancing the pH in the blood and allowing hemoglobin to deliver
oxygen to the tissues. This book offers compelling science, fascinating
stories, and practical advice on how to retrain your breathing. This is
one of the most important ways to support your nervous system, decrease
anxiety, and treat many health issues. Try the audio book too.
- Tame the Beast: Animated 5
min video addresses chronic pain from a science-informed perspective.
- Retrain
Pain:
Easy-to-follow slideshow teaches how the brain and the body
deal with pain, and simple tricks to speed healing and
break the chronic pain cycle.
- Smart
Sitting Article by Mary Bond: Easy-to-read 13-page PDF teaches how to find comfort and support while sitting.
- Sitting Article from
NPR: Short stop-motion videos show how to make a chair more
comfortable.
- Bones:
Photos show genetic variations in bone structure, explaining why people
have different body pattern tendencies, including degree of spinal
curves and hip flexibility.
- The
New Rules of
Posture by Mary
Bond, Certified Advanced
Rolfer. This book is the “user’s guide to the body,” offering down-to-earth
descriptions of good body usage for daily tasks such as driving,
typing, and reaching up to change a lightbulb. The posture
and sitting
classes I teach are based on this book.
- Stack Your Bones by Ruthie Fraser, Certified Rolfer. Lessons in how to live in a human body and move with ease.
- Relieve
Stiffness
and Feel Young Again with Undulation by Anita
Boser, Hellerwork Practitioner. Simple movements that you can do
daily
to maintain or recapture youthfulness, fluidity, and comfort in your
body.
- Pain
Free For Women
by Pete Egoscue, PT. This book offers safe exercises that improve
alignment over time. Targeted for women but appropriate for all genders.
Resources for Personal Growth:
- Waking the Tiger
by Peter
Levine. Learn
how your nervous system responds to danger, and why people sometimes
get caught in that cycle even after a traumatic event has passed. I
also
recommend In
an Unspoken Voice and Trauma-proofing
your Kids by the same author, who was originally trained as a
Rolfer.
- The Body Keeps the
Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk. All about healing from trauma.
- Conscious Loving by Gay
& Kathlyn Hendricks.
Heart-centered
wisdom for emotional growth and healthy relationships. Learn to feel
your
emotions in your body. Lots of other great books by this couple, as
well as life-changing workshops and free materials on their
website Hendricks.com.
- Finding Your Own North Star by
Martha Beck. A
wise and sometimes humorous approach to learning to trust yourself and listen to the wisdom that your inner self can offer, for career, love, etc.
- Polysecure by Jessica Fern. Aimed at people who are "ethically non-mongamous" yet relevant for attachment styles in just about any relationship.
For links to articles about Rolfing, and to see research about Rolfing,
see
Press.