Does anyone know about rolfing?

[Raia]

I've recently started having Alexander Technique lessons to help improve my general body awareness and terrible posture, and my AT teacher suggested that rolfing might be really good for me, specifically to release the muscles in my upper back. I've googled to get the general gist but it would be great to hear from any MNers who've been rolfed (! visions of didgeridoos). Did you find it helpful?

No help to you what so ever but I thought this was about ROFL-ing as in roll on the floor laughing acronym....

As you where.

I thought this was a rosepettal related thread

you two!

I thought it'd be about drinking your wee

But I'm v interested in the Alexander technique

My posture is AWFUL I'm tall, large chested and my DM has developed quite a hunched back at 65

Are you finding it beneficial? Does it require a certain level of general fitness? (I am v unfit)

drinking wee, no ta

I've only had a couple of lessons so far SLWS - but I'm v unfit as well. That's part of the problem for me, I want to get fit, but I'm so clumsy and uncoordinated because of my awful bodily habits, I thought this would be a good way to improve my body awareness, balance etc so that then I could take up dance or martial arts or swimming or whatever without being a total klutz.

AT is about learning to use your body well through increasing your awareness, learning to inhibit bad or harmful habits. In the lessons you spend at least part of the time laying down having a nice rest, which is always a boon I say

Sounds like just what I need. I'm clumsy and awkward and uncoordinated

Hope someone who can help with Rolfing comes along soon :)

looks for rosepettal...disappointed.. leaves

I tried it a few years ago. I've a chronic back problem so have tried most things tbh. It was an interesting experience - bit like deep tissue massage minus the oil plus a bit of contorting So quite painful at times, to release the tension right at the ligament/structure level (?). Did it work? Not for me. Short term relief (but a back click from a chiro does that) & then back to normal. I've found only thing that actually works is regular yoga & swimming (which I actually don't manage to do ). Not sure exactly what it will add to your treatment though

ooh, thanks for posting MammyKaz. Sorry to hear it didn't solve your back problem though. Did you have the full ten sessions?

I'm thinking longer term that regular swimming/yoga/tai chi/pilates would be great for me to keep fit and keep my back in good order. The AT (and possible Rolfing) is more to help me improve my body awareness and help to release some very long term accumulations of tension that have resulted in awful posture. I've realised that my posture is the exact stance of someone who has spent years walking on eggshells Life has moved on and I don't actually need to walk on eggshells any more, but the habit is so ingrained I need some help to change it, iyswim?

PS the rosepettal refs are going whoosh way over my head!

I thought it involved a didgeridoo.

Sorry this will be short-I had severe pelvic problems during my pregnancy and approx 13/14 months after my first was born I still was in pain that I still struggled. I hadn't been able to lie on my side since very early pregnancy and after my first 10 session of Rolfing structural integration-I could lie on my side without agony. I cannot praise it highly enough-it's intense muscular and fascia work and extremely deep, you won't get these effects from anything else. Much more aware of posture and it corrected me to the point of my body being in alignment again. It's truly amazing and have me my life back-when at that point I had been told by an osteo surgeon to come back on another year and he'd pin my pelvis together......

That's amazing IndigoBarbie! Thank you