Yogis Discover Rolfing Enhances Their Practice
Yogis are discovering that the intense yet stimulating movements of Rolf Structural Integration can enhance their practice.
Did you know that Ida Rolf developed her work in part inspired by yoga? Rolf Structural Integration and Yoga seem to be variations of a single theme: both working towards the physical and emotional evolution of an individual through the lengthening and integration of the body. This is not surprising considering that Rolf Structural Integration has its roots in the principals of Yoga.
Many yogis are discovering it can help correct the various physical imbalances that keep them from reaching a more stable state of body and mind. A Structural Integration series can dramatically enhance your yoga practice by opening up new movement possibilities and when combined it is more beneficial than either alone.
Ida Rolf began studying yoga back in the 20’s in New York with a tantric guru named Pierre Bernard. She studied yoga for many years. At the time, yoga was almost unheard of in the U.S. so she never thought that there would be the kind of resurgence of yoga in the West the way there has been.
When she created Structural Integration (aka Rolfing), she was asking, “How do I create a yogic experience in a western way?” Structural Integration was aligned with the goals of yoga as “a physical system that enriches the student’s body, mind and spiritual well-being through an understanding of structural balance.”
Everybody was thinking of fascia as simply the packing material that goes around the other tissues. Now, we’re finding out that it’s a powerful regulatory system. I’ve seen this in my practice…as we make changes to the body, the person often experiences changes mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
We’re looking at the potential offered by body work, Yoga, Structural Integration, Osteopathy, and so on—all these body therapies are contributing to this realm of wholism. Going forward, I think we may see these modalities unite into a very powerful combination of manual therapy and movement, where everybody is speaking one language.
