After My Second Baby
I began the Rolfing 10-series about 5 months after having my second baby. I had begun running again and was experiencing increases in stiffness and soreness. Mentally and emotionally, I was tired and feeling easily overwhelmed by external stressors. The Rolfing 10-series addressed these issues (and many more) so seamlessly, that I could almost not recognize how they faded away. As some of the deep structures, tissue, and underlying problems physically were worked, I was able to address many of the physical stressors that were affecting me emotionally. It was so helpful to have someone balanced and objective to help me to navigate through some of those difficult moments.
My experiences with Rolfing range from regenerative and healing to insight-building and emotionally packed. Through the alignment awareness I gathered from Dixie observing my stance and gait, I realized I had assumed an incorrect and tiring posture as healthy for most of my adult life. Carrying two babies through pregnancy increased the sway in my back and pulled back on my tailbone, creating quite a curve in my lower spine that wore on the muscles in my hips and abdomen. Correcting that posture has significantly reduced the amount of lower back strain I feel on a daily basis. I also benefitted from a weekly time to simply focus on myself and my body. With a family at home and working full-time, the Rolfing sessions were my chance to focus inward, making sure my body, mind, and spirit are aligned and grounded so that I can receive and support all of the needs and stimuli coming at me for the rest of the week. While each session was challenging in its own way—stretching out the bound-up or breathing through thick moments of tension—each session ended with experiencing space and relief where it had not been before, and an awareness to how to keep it, in spite of external stressors.
Rolfing is all about defining my body to myself- increasing the awareness of space and experiencing the postures and movements that will maintain openness and fluidity. My 10-series was an absolute joy to experience!
My experiences with Rolfing range from regenerative and healing to insight-building and emotionally packed. Through the alignment awareness I gathered from Dixie observing my stance and gait, I realized I had assumed an incorrect and tiring posture as healthy for most of my adult life. Carrying two babies through pregnancy increased the sway in my back and pulled back on my tailbone, creating quite a curve in my lower spine that wore on the muscles in my hips and abdomen. Correcting that posture has significantly reduced the amount of lower back strain I feel on a daily basis. I also benefitted from a weekly time to simply focus on myself and my body. With a family at home and working full-time, the Rolfing sessions were my chance to focus inward, making sure my body, mind, and spirit are aligned and grounded so that I can receive and support all of the needs and stimuli coming at me for the rest of the week. While each session was challenging in its own way—stretching out the bound-up or breathing through thick moments of tension—each session ended with experiencing space and relief where it had not been before, and an awareness to how to keep it, in spite of external stressors.
Rolfing is all about defining my body to myself- increasing the awareness of space and experiencing the postures and movements that will maintain openness and fluidity. My 10-series was an absolute joy to experience!
– Kate M.
A History of Injury and Compensation
Through my Rolfing 10-series, I learned that a history of injury and compensation led to imbalances that created pain and restrictions in my body. Through the series, I felt better overall physically, experienced less pain and tension between sessions – more energy, too. While I found some of the sessions had moments of discomfort, those sessions were the most impactful. For those thinking about trying Rolfing, while you may experience discomfort at times – the overall benefits are worth it.
-Elissa W.
Broken Ankle
My original interest for Rolfing sessions was due to my ankle, which I broke in 2011. The session focused on the foot and lower leg brought great results with my ankle. Additionally, I really appreciated my increased awareness of my body (especially my posture) gained through my Rolfing sessions. While only having 3 sessions, I was impressed enough with the small amount of work I had done to be interested in doing all 10 sessions. I’d like to continue exploring what it could do for my body as a whole, not just my ankle (which was a noticeable difference).
-Melissa S.
Moving More Freely
In general, after working with Dixie through the RolfingTen Series I could feel a significant difference in how easy it was for me to move. She has helped me feel more apt to move more freely and recover from my training sessions. I feel more open with my body and less strain with my muscles and joints with everyday movements. This is very important to me personally and professionally. As a trainer I have to move well, not only to demonstrate exercises to clients but also to inspire them to move in new and challenging ways. This would be difficult if I couldn’t show them how to do it myself.I’ve dealt with a major back injury with pain on and off for several years now, as well as a left ankle injury that caused a significant amount of pain in my right foot for the last year and a half. Throw in a shoulder blade that is chronically tight and painful and you can see I was walking in to this with some symptoms of my own. Working with Dixie helped me with all these symptoms.
One of the benefits I had with the sessions is with my breathing. I remember the feeling of having to force my inhalation as if against resistance. Throughout my Rolfing sessions I could breathe more fully and with greater ease. Another benefit I can see and feel is how much better my ankles move. Since my left ankle injury I’ve always noticed I have less range of motion in the ankle. Even after all the work with a foam roller and with all the corrective exercises, it still didn’t make much difference to improve the range or to how well my ankles and feet felt over all.
I am happy to report that not only do my feet and ankles have a lot less pain, I can see an increase in the range of motion in my left ankle. It’s a breakthrough that I know will have a positive impact in all of my exercises and movements going forward.
One of the benefits I had with the sessions is with my breathing. I remember the feeling of having to force my inhalation as if against resistance. Throughout my Rolfing sessions I could breathe more fully and with greater ease. Another benefit I can see and feel is how much better my ankles move. Since my left ankle injury I’ve always noticed I have less range of motion in the ankle. Even after all the work with a foam roller and with all the corrective exercises, it still didn’t make much difference to improve the range or to how well my ankles and feet felt over all.
I am happy to report that not only do my feet and ankles have a lot less pain, I can see an increase in the range of motion in my left ankle. It’s a breakthrough that I know will have a positive impact in all of my exercises and movements going forward.
-Ed S., Personal Trainer
Better Body Awareness
In going through the Rolfing Ten Series, my awareness was raised to areas of my body that are tight or not functioning at their full potential. Bringing more awareness to this and being open to the Rolfing process allowed for greater opening and release throughout my body. For someone considering Rolfing, it really addresses how your body fits and works together as a whole. It is a deeper structural manipulation that opens up spaces that have become more “crunched” up over time allowing a looser, fluid feeling to my muscles, bones and ligaments. Rolfing is specific detailed work—by working strategically and specifically throughout the sessions I experienced a greater overall result to my whole body. This was my first experience with Rolfing. Dixie was so attentive and committed to assisting my body to find its most fluid and open space. Her passion for creating more space in the physical body can greatly affect all aspects of how we live and move. I look forward to the continued effects of my Rolfing sessions with Dixie.
-Michelle H.
Integration of the Body as a Whole
Through completing the Rolfing Ten Series, I realized a great difference in how my body felt. My posture improved, my feet felt better and more grounded, and my head felt more connected to my torso. I could feel the gradual shift in how I moved and walked as I noticed my complete movement through my feet and up through my hips and back. I notice that I’m not looking down at the ground as I walk now. Instead I look out in front of me.
I love massage as a means to sooth the body and relax muscles, and my initial thoughts of Rolfing was that it was similar to massage. It isn’t! It is an integration of the body as a whole through the muscles and tissue in a much more physical way. It helps the body to find itself again – to re-learn how to move. I was constantly amazed at what I was feeling and how my body was shifting and re-discovering how it wanted to and needed to move.
I love massage as a means to sooth the body and relax muscles, and my initial thoughts of Rolfing was that it was similar to massage. It isn’t! It is an integration of the body as a whole through the muscles and tissue in a much more physical way. It helps the body to find itself again – to re-learn how to move. I was constantly amazed at what I was feeling and how my body was shifting and re-discovering how it wanted to and needed to move.
-Dale C.