By deepening and pursuing embodiment, we can gain orientation, get a deeper sense of our authentic self, and allow the natural movement that we want in our life to come forward.


a nutshell, Rolfing can help us find our spatial dimensions—how we relate our bodies to the space around us. Tis is the where. Core muscles need to be exercised, we are told by those


Where You Are, Who You Are, and Where You Are Going


by Rob McWilliams W


isdom from yoga and Chinese medicine has long indicated that there is a cognitive/emotional com- ponent of pain. Scientific studies show that the body


goes through identical processes with psychological pain as with physical pain, according to a 2012 Psychology Today article. Pain sets up reactive, compensatory patterns in body and be-


havior. When we work to unravel these in the body, there is a full body/mind response. Te phases of this work could be referred to as orientation; deepening the felt sense of who we are; and inte- gration. Dr. Ida Rolf, the creator of what became known as Rolfing structural integration, summarized this as “Where Am I?”, “Who Am I?”, and “Where Am I Going?” By deepening and pursuing embodiment, we can gain orientation, get a deeper sense of our authentic self, and allow the natural movement that we want in our life to come forward. In Rolfing, superficial muscles and fascia (connective tissue),


collectively referred to as myofascial structures, are the focus in the first sessions of a “classic” 10-session series to establish a clearer, more continuous outer container. Oſten people get their first hints at deeper shiſt, with the feeling—and some say actual physical change—of being taller. Some folks tune in to an enhanced connection, front to back. A new sense of width in the body oſten emerges, or a client “finds the heels” while standing. In


focused on fitness. Mostly this refers to transverse abdominals, but can refer to all abdominals, and the deep myofascial elements. Tese deeper, more vulnerable areas, especially the vital organs like the heart, stomach or lungs, are part of our core experience of who we are. Another Psychology Today article, from 2014, relates that studies show that emotion itself is connected to our bod- ies, and in particular our bellies, hearts and lungs. A lot of this is conveyed via the vagus nerve, and is radically affected if that is tethered by restrictions, a term referring to a situation in which fascia becomes stuck or shortened, limiting flexibility and causing pain. Te container work done in the first sessions was done to give “safe space” for this deep core release, and can be said to pro- vide a clear path to feeling more stable, secure and relaxed in who we are, inside. Tis is the who. Te last piece in Rolfing structural integration is the “in-


tegration” piece, which combines the first two pieces. When we are able to better orient in the ground of being, we can listen to the messages from our “felt sense of who we are” in our bellies, heart and felt sense of breath. Tis helps us to make decisions from a less noisy place inside. Tis does not imply only “feel good” choices. It could be about a steely determination fueled by a felt sense of right and wrong, or a felt need to deeply con- sider another’s point of view. Our decisions about our aims in life and how we want to get there start coming from a more felt, connected, integrated place—connecting body, brain and our relationship to the world. “Free your mind and you body will follow” works both


ways. Practitioners and clients of Rolfing state that the process brings much to the surface, including, but not limited to, recov- ered memories; trauma (reawakened from the bodywork, and then gently, slowly processed and reframed so that it no longer dominates the inner felt sense); and movement re-patterning. It’s important to stop a negative compensation pattern as well as strengthen a new way to adapt to stress. Trough this work, an enhanced sense of orientation, sense of self, and motivation—or where am I, who am I and where am I going?—can spontaneously emerge. And we dance, dance, dance…


Robert McWilliams is a certified advanced Rolfer and Rolf move- ment practitioner. For more information, call 303-887-6764, email RobMcWilliams@Me.com or visit RolfingOklahomaCity.com. To read the articles mentioned, visit TinyURL.com/y3uaz758 and TinyURL.com/y3m92fd. See ad, page 33.


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