History

Dr. Ida P. Rolf, a biochemist and Rockefeller University fellow, founded the Rolf Institute in 1971, in Boulder, Colorado. Rolfing® is a brand of Structural Integration and is a registered service mark of the Rolf Institute® of Structural Integration.

Dr. Rolf began her inquiry more than fifty years ago, devoting her energy to creating a holistic system of soft tissue manipulation and movement education that organized the whole body in gravity. She eventually named this system Structural Integration and later it was nicknamed “Rolfing” by clients and practitioners. She discovered that she could achieve remarkable changes in posture and structure by manipulating the body’s myofascial system.

Rolfing®, Structural Integration, offers a combination of bodywork and movement education. It manipulates the body’s connective tissue to rebalance the body, and bring pain relief from chronic pain, stress, and injury. Most Rolfing feels really good, like a deep massage, and may offer immediate results. Using their fingers, hands, and elbows, Rolfers slowly work through deep layers of tissue to release built up tension and results can be dramatic. Rolfing Movement Integration offers education about your body, so you can recognize habitual movement patterns, and learn to move with greater ease, elegance and freedom of expression. Professional athletes, dancers, children, business professionals, and people from all walks of life have benefited from Rolfing.