Changes that Accompany Our Work

Many times since this journey of mine has begun, I have experienced changes in the consciousness of people on my table though our hands on work. I would say the most powerful aspect of our work is its impact not only on the physical ease of our clients’ bodies, but the changes in awareness that inevitably accompany the work.

We know that various forms of trauma, both physical and emotional, reduce the functionality or plasticity of the tissues. It’s unavoidable playing in the gravity fields! Our job is to sort that out through a series of sessions that restores plasticity to the connective tissues and creates a more economical and fluid organized structure. Hopefully, that gives folks a greater sense of ease of motion that is clearly recognizable because of our client’s relationship with our work. That is often the most obvious change that happens quite quickly. But, for those of us that have been on the “trail” for awhile, we are also very aware of the states of consciousness that accompanies those physical changes! Dr. Rolf’s beliefs revolved around the concept that the more fluidic and aligned a body was in space, the more the inner states were available to the client.
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I have often observed in my own practice, that a similar applied technique can yield completely different results. One client walked away feeling almost “healed” and another, well the impact in that session was no greater than that of a fart in a tornado. So, throughout my journey I have have been searching for techniques that might bring greater results. A technique that may have nothing to do really with the tools from either of the two disciplines that I practice. Rolfing has specific ways to apply tools of the trade, and cranial work brings a whole completely different set of rules and tools. In cranial work we talk about field dynamics and the practitioner fulcrum from which all the work unfolds or streams forth. Rolfing requires a quality of attention because fascial envelopes move throughout the body and our touch must be able to discern far from the place of contact. Those who know very little about Rolfing miss the subtleties of her art form. Cranial work is often thought of as purely energetic and also miss the subtle awareness of the practitioner must embody. When I was first taught cranial approach from the Upledger Institute there really was no emphasis on practitioner fulcrums. It was essentially following the purported moves of the bones, and then “adjusting” them sequentially. The Biodynamic Cranial training changed most of that.

When I was just started to ‘wear the healer’s robes” at the Rolf Institute, I heard a story about Dr. Rolf who had been involved in a study conducted by Dr. Valerie Hunt at UC Davis in the 60’s or 70’s. I am not sure of the dates. Roselyn Bruyere, who is the famous healer intuitive, was asked to observe various healers perform their art during this study. Roselyn’s part was to observe the flow of energy from the hands and field of each participant. She said, that she had never observed anyone “run” so much energy out of their hands as Dr Rolf. Hearing this story while I was a newbie at the Institute, I intuitively understood their was much more going on in the work then just techniques that could border on harshness, especially since many of my teachers also practiced cranial and visceral work. [Read more…]