People come to me to experience Rolfing for many reasons. Some feel they are out of whack, some have old injuries that are resurfacing as chronic conditions, some want to age more gracefully, and yet others just hear about it and want to feel better without any specific goal in mind. What all these people have in common is that they are taking their health and well-being into their own hands.
Many people believe we develop in utero for nine months, are born, grow for eighteen years, and then start the slow decline. We accept deteriorating discs, back pain, mouth decay, hearing loss, bad posture, or forgetfulness as a function of age and something that just happens to us as we grow older. I don’t see it that way.
I see the gift of life as something to be nurtured, cared for, and taken as a lifelong responsibility. Our job in this life is to be the best version of ourselves. Dr. Ida Rolf, the founder of the Rolfing® Method of Structural Integration, saw the importance of structural stability as a fundamental stepping stone in human maturation.
Nurturing the Gift of Life
A child who has externally rotated legs may develop throughout their life with what looks like a duck walk. Those feet cannot properly ground that child; they may be prone to ankle twists. They might not move through the joints in the correct way and have issues with calcification, locked joints, instability, and pain as that child matures into adulthood and beyond. Going further, those feet might not provide the support that is needed to develop emotional stability as well. You cannot separate the body and the mind.
There is an order in nature and an innate order in our bodies. A client’s son was not walking yet; he would pull himself up and attempt to stand but would fall because he was on the balls of his feet. He did not have the experience of his heels contacting the ground. I worked on him for a few minutes as he stood holding himself up with his arms reaching up to a shelf. He was annoyed with my touch and interference, kicked out at me a few times, and then lowered his heel to the floor. He turned, looking shocked, and then smiled and giggled. We then did the same with the other foot. The next day, his mom told me he had started to walk. We just needed to wake up a response his body did not yet have.
That’s how I see my work as a Rolfer. We are waking up those parts that have either not functioned well from the beginning or have felt the injuries, traumas, and accidents of life. I work with my clients to create stability and normalcy in our bodies.
Our bodies are the vessels with which we navigate our lives. We look to create balance from top to bottom, side to side, and front to back. I encourage my clients to nourish themselves with healthy food, plenty of water, exercise, rest, and, most importantly, an awareness of who we are in the world and how we can be the best for ourselves.
Our Reliance on Medications Is Hindering Us, Not Helping Us
I recently had to pick up a prescription for a minor infection. I am not a drug taker, so my trip to the drugstore was a wake-up call. As I stood at the pick-up line, I gasped at three enormous walls full of baskets of medications ready to be picked up. I had never seen anything like that. The next day, I heard a newscast about which medicine to take if you wake up with a headache. Or which med to take for indigestion or as a sleep aid.
Again, I was shocked. We are a nation of medication takers, popping a pill for what ails us. In my own world, if I wake up with a headache, I look to find out if I slept wrong, if I was grinding or clenching my teeth, or if there was something else brewing in my system. I wouldn’t automatically take a pill.
Years ago, someone told me that he was on a statin drug so he could eat that bacon cheeseburger – the medication would handle it. I have clients who have lived on anti-inflammatories to take the edge off their pain, but they now have stomach issues from long-term drug overuse. Where does it stop?
We Need to Listen to Our Bodies!
We must stop ignoring what our bodies are trying to tell us. If you are bloated and nauseous after eating a certain food, stop eating it. If you have a headache when stressed, do something to relieve the stress. Even my dogs get restless if they do not have enough exercise. It is in their DNA to run, so I keep them – and myself – active. We can all be open enough to see the problem and find a solution that doesn’t involve medications that simply mask the issues. In pain? Find out why. Don’t settle for temporary relief when there is a lifetime ahead of you to be fully lived. Take time to know your body, listen to the signals, and get back to basics.
Rolfing, as I see it, is designed to bring us back to neutral. We can shift those negative charges that interfere with our natural rhythms. We all want to lead happy, productive, and healthy lives, so we must take personal responsibility to ensure we function as we were meant to well into older age. Explore your issues, find your balance, and set yourself on a path of discovery to secure your wellness. Your long, healthy life depends on you being awake and in harmony.
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 information or to schedule a consultation.
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