As we celebrate Mother’s Day, it is important to remember those women who have influenced us in our lives. I am moved by the contributions of so many powerful women I have known who have inspired me in their own way. Some of them I have lost, some I never met, and one I know as Mom! This is a look at a few of those women who have helped me understand life, my world, and my life’s work.
Women of Inspiration
I first want to acknowledge Dr. Ida Rolf, a pioneer in the Body-Mind Movement, which started in the 1970s. Dr. Rolf was ahead of her time, with PhDs in biochemistry and human physiology in the 1920s. She looked for help with an issue one of her young sons was having and couldn’t find what he needed. That’s when she realized that direct manipulation of the connective tissue would shift the plasticity of the body. That led her to discover the basis for The Rolf Method of Structural Integration. Her students called it Rolfing®, and the name stuck.
Through her discoveries, Dr. Rolf created the body of work we now know as the ten-session Rolfing series, which has transformed the lives of people (including me!) since the 1960s and has trained students since 1971 at The Dr. Ida Rolf Institute® in Boulder, Colorado and various associated schools across the globe.
A year out of college, I heard about this work, how it organized and integrated the body. I knew deep in my soul I had to experience it. I found the only Rolfer in Connecticut and got Rolfed. In my second session, in 1977, I knew I had found the work I would do for the rest of my life. I did my prerequisite work and was certified in therapeutic massage, took a college course in kinesiology and more anatomy, wrote six research papers, and was accepted after two days of interviews at The Rolf Institute. I have been a Certified Rolfer since 1981, did my Advanced Training in 1988, and Rolf Movement Training in 1985. I love my work with people, witnessing them free up, feel better, and have more ability to live without pain. I am truly inspired by Dr. Rolf’s work and have devoted my life to it.
Those We’ve Lost
I have been greatly influenced by two women I recently lost. One, Mary Cahill, was a neighbor for twenty years. She died this December at almost one hundred and two. Her mind was still sharp until the end when she died in her sleep from a stroke.
Mary was outspoken, stood her ground, and forwarded town policies that represented our community. She was a force. She had enemies, she had friends, and she had a devoted group of neighbors who paraded in and out of her home, looking after her and keeping her up on events so she felt needed. Mary could expect a Sunday morning omelet from me even when she had a caretaker for the last eighteen months of her life. Mary was a straight shooter, expert manipulator, stubborn, and my very dear friend. I miss her.
In February I also recently lost a dear friend who was my best Rolfing® buddy. I met Dorothy Hunter when I needed to receive eight movement sessions to complete my Rolfing® application. Dorothy had decided to become a Rolfer and showed up for her first class while I was there. Our friendship was immediately formed, and we went on to do our final phase of the Rolfing® Training together, as well as our Advanced Training several years later.
We traveled the globe, taking classes and forging a friendship that spanned four decades. Through Dorothy, I depended on my spirit of adventure and travel, with which I recently reconnected on a trip to Paris and Porto, Portugal. I shook off the COVID-19, home-based life and embraced the world again. I miss Dorothy and honor her in my travels.
And, of Course, Mom
I have been so inspired by my mother, Doris Oberstein. I was raised by my parents to be an independent thinker, giving me the basis for my life. At sixteen, I took myself to college interviews and portfolio reviews in Boston and New York because my mom said I should. She was a devoted teacher in Hartford Public Schools, and my dad was a stockbroker. They were busy professionals, and they knew I was capable – and so I was! I was taught I could do anything I set my mind to do.
At ninety-six years old, my mom does chair aerobics twice a week, plays bridge at least four times a week, lives on her own, drives, has written two books and several plays, and only stopped playing tennis six years ago. She inspires me to live a full life, not letting anything stop me.
I treasure my mom and feel so blessed to have her still – for daily phone calls, words of encouragement, and ideas to bounce off her because I value her perspective and opinion. She is my
rock, my best friend.
Remember to Celebrate Your Inspirational Women
On this Mother’s Day (and every day!), please take time to show your love for the women in your life who helped you along the way and who have enlightened you with their presence and their knowledge. We learn from each other and are in no way alone in life.
Choose your mentors, seek advice from elders, and broaden your perspective by learning from others’ experiences. We are grounded by those who have successfully navigated the world before us, and in turn, we become the influencers of those who follow in our footsteps. Celebrate these powerful connections and be grateful for the opportunity to listen and learn. Get out there and know that someone has your back! We are blessed to have sisterhood.
Sharon Sklar is in her 44th year of private practice as a Certified Advanced Rolfer. She has been voted one of Natural Nutmeg’s 10BEST Bodyworkers for the last six years and is very grateful for the support. Sharon works with direct manipulation of the soft tissue of the body and movement re-education over a ten-session series to help her clients feel freer, get more balanced, and reduce chronic pain. Great for athletes, children, and adults recovering from the stress, injuries, or traumas of life. Inquiries are encouraged! State Licensed. Call 860.561.4337 for more info or to schedule a consultation.
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