F.A.Q.

Will Rolfing get me out of pain	Most people have a reduction in pain from the first session. The stretching techniques that move the tissues back into alignment start to work immediately. Almost all pain comes about through twisted, rotated tissues. We follow the body back into balance and alignment.
How is it different to massage	Dr Rolf said “you can teach a monkey techniques, but you can’t teach a monkey to read a human body”. Rolfers are specifically taught to analyse people’s body structures. There are a lot of beneficial massage techniques available to us, but none that I know of, that restructures and realigns each person’s unique body patterns, as well as Rolfing does.
Is Rolfing painful	Mostly we are stretching at the level of what you could expect from yoga. Of course each person has their own imprint of life experiences, that will determine how stuck, or held, their body is. We always work at the level that we know will work for you, and are mindful to make the changes as easy as possible. The relief and freedom attained is always far more beneficial than any momentary discomfort.
What do I wear during sessions	It is usual to wear underwear, as we need to have good access to the soft tissues of your body. We provide towels for warmth and privacy.
Am I too old to be helped	Most likely not. I have worked with many people in their eighties and even nineties. Of course starting to look after your health is better from an early age. Soft tissues are more resilient and changeable when young.
Can I go back to work	Yes. People feel increased energy and well being, and as we do not use oils or creams it is easy to return to work.
Why is Rolfing not better known	Rolfing is better known in America and some European countries, where it has schools and institutes set up. Practitioners from Australia need to travel and live overseas for some time, which makes it costly to train. It is considered a post graduate or equivalent course. In Australia we have just a small number of practitioners, meaning that Rolfing does not get much publicity here.
Does Rolfing affect emotions	When Dr Rolf formulated her work, she considered her work to just affect the physical body. However it was soon discovered that people often held feelings in their bodies, which seemed to release as tensions were worked out. Mostly this occurs on a subconscious level giving people a very pleasant feeling of well being. Occasionally a memory may surface as held tension is released, but this is not common. Usually we just feel more connected to our body and ourselves.
Why 10 sessions	Dr Rolf decided on 10 sessions to give us a framework,so that practitioners can work through the layers from surface to deep. A sequential order to unwrap the patterns of each person’s body structure, and to make sure that all parts of the body were covered in order. Rolfing is a process of removing old body patterns that do not serve us, and allowing each body to reorganise into a balanced, free, upright and integrated structure. Generally the first 7 sessions identify and free up the twists and rotations. The last 3 sessions integrate and balance each person. People normally notice positive changes from the first session.