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.

Resources for Healthy Feet and Shoes: See the Foot Health page!

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: Hiking guide fo the greater Columbia Gorge sorted by difficulty, location, and special features such as waterfalls, old growth, snowshoeing, backpacking, family.

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. Many language options.
  • 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.
  • © 2023 Karin Edwards Certified Advanced Rolfer. All rights reserved.