Rolfing Ten Series: Session I: The Breath

When I arrived for the session, I was given a robe and asked to remove all my clothes except my bra and underwear. After changing into my robe I was sent out to the waiting room to wait for my rolfer to come meet me.

My Rolfer is a brazillian woman, my age or maybe a little bit older. She studied energy work and cranial sacral therapy in Brazil before coming to Boulder to study Rolfing. After brief introductions I was taken to have my picture taken before the session began.

After having my picture taken, I was then led back into the main classroom, where an instructor and another student were waiting. I was asked to derobe and walk back and forth across the room. As I walked, my rolfer, the teacher, and other rolfing student began to discuss my body and the areas that they noticed to be of interest. My Rolfer, with the assistance of the teacher decided on three goals for the session-- focusing on the body mechanics of my breath, my sacrum, and my shoulders.

With that, I was led over to her table, where I was instructed to lay down face up. She began by explaining that there were not only pathways inside my body-- but pathways around my body that she wanted to seal off before she began the actual work on my body. She walked around the table and stopped for a few moments at particular spots of my body and just held her hand near me.

She then began with simply moving my wrist on my right hand. From there-- I can't say that I remember all the moments and all the things she did. At times it was like she was barely touching me, or not at all--and I won't lie-- at moments during my session I was uncomfortable. But the discomfort was not anymore than a challenging yoga pose. There was definitely some tension sitting in my shoulders and neck...my hips and legs as well.

At the end of the session I felt really-- balanced. The last thing she did was an energy hold on my sacrum-- which seemed strange at first..but at one point I felt my body release and I started breathing really well into my belly. She told me I could get up when I was ready...so I just layed there and breathed in and out of my belly for several minutes before I decided to get up. I wanted to really feel what was going on in my body, really experience it for myself-- I was honestly a little worried that the feeling would drift away.

I got up and did another walk for the teacher and my Rolfer. Walking did feel different...I felt more even on my feet...really centered. They took my picture again and off I went.

An hour after my session-- I feel a little discomfort in my opposite shoulder-- the one that she said was looser. I also feel tension in my right calf. But overall I feel good..still centered...maybe a little spacey. It was a good experience. I'm excited for the next session...