Hi again, everyone! Here goes!
Second Hour was a bit different from my first experience. This session did involve some pain, with the Rolfer pressing REAL hard between those bones, just above my ankle. We worked on this area - my lower legs - trying to get me to loosen up the "space" between the two leg bones that run from our knees to our ankles. She asked me if I was aware of the fact that two bones make up the lower leg. She has a skeleton model in the room to PROVE where all my bones are! Oddly, I was unable to picture two bones in my right leg. It really seems like there’s only one. I told her that we were working against the lifelong perception that it is a good thing to be strong in that area. I do a LOT of walking and rollerblading and the like, and that area is pretty tight.
For some reason, my right leg was much tighter than the left. She explained that strength is great, but it does nothing to help us relax. She used an example of a great military man or warrior coming home to his infant child; all his strength and courage will mean nothing when he is holding this baby gently or trying to comfort it or get it to sleep.
At one point, when I was trying to relax that lower leg area, I started to feel a lot of congestion in my knee, as though the relaxation would not pass that point (don’t know if that makes sense, but there it is.) When I told her of this feeling, she started working on my thigh to relieve the block, and it seemed to work, the whole leg was very relaxed after that, and I was more easily able to visualize the two bones.
She also did a lot of work on my feet, and that was painful at times, too, with an awful lot of pressure on the soles of my feet. I was told to flex the toes and feet in different ways and feel how the rest of the leg responded to those motions.
It became very clear to me during this session that a big part of the Rolfer’s job is to make me aware of my body. She manipulates muscles that I never think about, and so don’t realize are even there. We talk about spaces in the body that again, are not obvious, and by talking about them, she makes them a part of me. It’s like Dr. Stoll, giving us information so that we can use it, but he is unable to do anything FOR us, other than guide us by showing examples. I had the problem after the first session of starting to "hold" my breath again when I was stressed, but I remembered what we had done to relax it, and was able to bring it back to normal. When I mentioned this to the Rolfer, she was thrilled - she’d never thought of it that way before. I think it helped her to see why she is able to help some people more than others. We must take with us what she shows us, and remember it during our day to day lives, or we’ll lose it.
Anyway, I did a lot of walking back and forth while she watched the way I moved, both before she worked on me and after. She felt that I am in pretty good shape, structurally, since I swing my legs from my hips. She said most people move from the knees. We were trying to determine which leg I lead with - ended up to be the left. (I must admit, it’s a bit weird walking back and forth in your underwear in someone else’s house, while they’re watching!) I felt a definite difference in the after, with my legs swinging much more freely. It almost seemed to lower my center of gravity a bit, making me feel closer to the ground.
She worked on my back, up and down my spine at the very end of the session, pushing into it as I pushed back while I was seated on a bench. Also some neck work. It’s really neat to have someone who is so good with their hands reach in and pluck the exact muscles that they want. An unexpected benefit - I can turn to the right much more easily on the rollerblades now!!!
So, I’m still very happy with this and looking forward to my next visit…I’ll keep you posted!
namaste’
trish
Follow Ups:
Re: Second Hour of Rolfing - you asked for it!!
Posted by Walt Stoll on September 11, 1998 at 10:47:55:
In Reply to: Second Hour of Rolfing - you asked for it!! posted by trish on September 10, 1998 at 12:17:14:
Thanks, Trish.
Your sharing this will help MANY people who still don't know WHO to believe.
Namaste` to you AND your Rolfer. Rolfers do Mother Nature's work!
Walt