Feel free to insert any action if you want, and the answer is still the same. NO.
If you have an underlying pathology (i.e., disease), then there is something that can benefit from “fixing”. But other than that, there is nothing wrong with anything you move with your body. And if anyone (Rolfer or otherwise) tells you that, stop, turn around, and run out the door.
Rolfing looks to help free your body and give you options of moving differently. We want you to be able to choose what feels “right” for you in the moment to be able to do. Sometimes, having a slouched, hunched posture is really beneficial (think dark alley and not wanting to be noticed, or hide-and-seek)–it can make you smaller and harder to notice. If you’re getting yelled at by your boss or significant other, standing tall and proud may not help that situation. On the other hand, if you’re talking about how great your weekend was or something inspiring to you, that same posture isn’t really appropriate anymore.
I sometimes want to giggle on the inside when I hear “Is my breathing wrong?”. Are you breathing? Then it’s not wrong!! Now, there might be a more efficient and easier ways to breathe, but they aren’t “better” in a judgement way, just different. Unfortunately, I find the English language limiting in this way–better/worse shouldn’t be linked to right/wrong, but they often are.
Scoliosis provides a wonderful example. Everyone has some level of scoliosis–if you didn’t, you’d find it very hard to walk since your spine wouldn’t move very well. But some people develop clinical scoliosis. Are Rolfers looking to straighten that spine out? Nope. We want the spine to still be able to move functionally with no restrictions. Now of course, as you remove the restrictions, the spine tends to become straighter, but the motion is the real goal.
Basically, Rolfing helps you to find about the way to move that best suits you and your individual structure.
Recent Comments