Rolfing with Jim Gates
A key aspect of Rolfing’s orientation to the process of healing is that of holism. I look at the person as an individual, not as a condition. If someone comes to me with back pain, I start by looking at that person’s whole structure, how they stand, walk, sit. I work to align them in a more harmonious way with gravity, so that the cause of their pain is removed or diminished. Rolfers do not diagnose or treat specific ailments. I seek to align the physical structure of the body in a way that relieves pain and reduces physically damaging movement patterns. I seek to bring the client to a higher level of bodily organization. With this higher level, many of the causes of pain and discomfort are diminished or no longer exist.
I believe that holism is the basis of all true healing. All of what we are affects our body. It is like a hologram in that the physical aspect of our being is somehow a representation or our whole being, both in our uniqueness and in our universality. A hologram is a picture that has the amazing characteristic that if you cut a piece of it out you don’t end up with a small part of the picture, but end up with the whole picture, except that it is not as bright. Just so, our voice reveals what we are. We say that the eyes are a door to the soul. The way we walk, our handwriting, our footprints, are parts of ourselves that reveal volumes to a trained observer.
It takes the courage of the client to be willing to stand before the Rolfer and be seen in their wholeness, to say here I am, lets work together to bring my body back to myself, and through that physical embodiment, to change my relationship to myself and the world. This courage to open ourselves and to be truly seen, along with the training and integrity of the Rolfer, in the context of the holistic tradition that Rolfing is; allows the changes to take place. True healing begins with being truly seen. As we restore consciousness to different parts of the body; old injuries, traumas, mental and emotional blocks, tightness, pains, and discomforts can fall away or diminish; and life, circulation, joy, and well being can replace them.
There may be some momentary discomfort at times in this process. It is like the discomfort of getting out of bed in the morning, stretching a tight muscle, working out, or facing something we have been avoiding. But most people who do experience Rolfing, find it wonderful.
Rolfing is a gift to humanity. I wish that you do receive it and benefit from it.