Alexandra WellerI became a Rolfer™ because my initial experience with structural integration profoundly changed my relationship with my body. I’d had chronic back and neck pain from early adolescence. I had done the usual things - tried various therapies including massage, chiropractic, and acupuncture, and I had been practicing yoga and stretching for years. While I found value in all of these approaches, they offered only temporary relief. My very first Rolfing session almost entirely relieved what I had identified as “my” back and neck pain, and years later that pain has never returned. For me, that immediate relief would have been motivation enough, but the real surprise was discovering how much of my energy I was expending almost constantly to compensate for the discomfort in my spine. I suddenly realized that for as long as I could remember there had always been a portion of my awareness that was focused on negotiating the discomfort in my body. I had been accustomed to constantly adjusting and readjusting my position in an attempt to reduce the pain in my spine. It was a tremendous relief for me to be able to rest peacefully and it was exhilarating to discover how much more energy I had available for my activities when I wasn’t exerting so much of it to achieve a few moments of comfort. That was only the beginning. As I progressed through my initial series, I discovered spaciousness and lightness in my body, balance and coordination, all of which contributed to an increased feeling of confidence and well-being. In my twenties, my activities had been limited, my energy low, I was in constant pain, and I’d had an antagonistic relationship with my body which I’d felt had betrayed me. Today, many years later, my body is a source of pleasure and expression.

I often tell people that when we change our bodies, we change the ways in which we relate to ourselves, to the people around us, and to the space we inhabit. It’s difficult to describe these changes and impossible to predict the ways in which this will manifest for any particular individual. My feeling is that when we get more comfortable in our skins, we become more present in our lives and express who we are more fully. So, in a sense, Rolfing helps us to be more of who we are already and that’s different for each one of us. There has been a lot studied and written about the emotional armoring in human bodies, the ways in which tensions and holding patterns in our physical bodies can reflect and even perpetuate unresolved trauma. I don’t consider myself an expert in these matters, but I do aim to create a safe environment in which my clients can release these patterns and explore new ways of being in the world. Often our physical patterns have been held so long that we don’t know or don’t remember another way of being and that is when a therapeutic relationship can be beneficial to guide us through the labyrinth. I consider myself a guide in the process, but I honor that it is not my process, but yours, and you are ultimately the authority in your own life and of your own body. It is your path to walk. Every individual is unique in what he or she brings to the work and takes away from it, and it is always a privilege to be involved with another person’s growth and healing. Rolfing feels like a calling for me and I am grateful every day that I get to share this transformative healing process with others.