ABOUT ROLFING

Rolfing® Structural Integration: Your Complete Guide

Rolfing starts with myofascial work to open the breath

John A. Wilson
Certified Advanced Rolfer®

Rolfing® Structural Integration is a holistic approach to improving how the body organizes itself in gravity and movement. John A. Wilson is a Certified Advanced Rolfer® with more than 20 years of experience helping clients explore relationships among structure, fascia, posture, and movement.

On this page

What Is Rolfing?
What Is Structural Integration?
How Rolfing Works
Rolfing and Posture
What Happens During a Session?
The Ten Series
Who Seeks Rolfing?
Rolfing vs. Massage, Chiropractic & Physical Therapy
Frequently Asked Questions
About John Wilson

What Is Rolfing?

Rolfing® Structural Integration is a form of manual therapy and movement education developed by Dr. Ida P. Rolf. It focuses on relationships among the body's connective tissues, movement patterns, and organization in gravity.

Rolfing is a holistic approach to soft tissue organization, working to build support for changes being made and work with the client to be able to adopt and integrate those changes. A Rolfing session focuses on fascia and muscle tissue differentiation along with joint mobilization and movement patterns. The goal is to improve posture and ease of movement.

Please take a look at my FAQ Article→

How Rolfing Works

Rolfing addresses muscle tissue and fascia, which is the network of connective tissue that runs throughout the body enveloping muscle, organs and bones. Fascia basically connects everything together, including muscle groups large and small. When fascia is restricted, it can limit free movement and effect posture so a Rolfer works to differentiate these muscle groups and also works with the client to improve movement patterns. This is done by better organizing an individual's structure and working with the client to be able to adopt a new relationship to gravity. Taking on a new pattern of posture and movement requires a greater sensory experience of the body. All of these experiences lead to a better integration of the areas worked with to the whole. This emphasis is why Rolfing is a holistic approach, not revolving around symptoms but the relationship of the parts to the whole.

Want to go deeper? Read: How Rolfing Works →

Read more: Can Rolfing Improve Posture and Movement? →

What Happens During a Rolfing Session?

What do I wear? Please wear something that is comfortable that will allow for assessment. Boxer briefs, work out/bicycle shorts, sport bra, underwear in general are fine.
What happens when I arrive? We will talk about your experiences, pain, restriction, your goals, then we will do walking and standing assessment. This is done every time.
Is the work done on a table? Much of the work is done on the table, some seated, even standing. There will often be exercises with gentle movement.
How much pressure is used? We try to work at the level of restriction in the tissues being addressed. Some moments will be challenging, but most of it should be pleasant. Of course you are welcome to check in throughout the session.
What happens afterward? Sessions will be followed up with more assessment. This is your time to relate your observations in sensation. There may be some more exercise in movement.

The Ten Series

The most fundamental approach to Rolfing is the Ten Series. In a series we begin by differentiating structures in the body for independent movement. We work to build support for changes we are trying to make, each session building on the previous sessions. We work with sensation and movement to help the individual to adopt and integrate changes so that these changes lead to a new way of experiencing posture, movement and embodiment. The structure of the Ten Series is as follows:

Sessions 1–3 — Sleeve

We begin with differentiation the larger more exterior muscle of action so that the deeper more intrinsic muscles of posture and movement can begin to express themselves.

Sessions 4–7 — Core

We work to get more sensation and activity in the deeper intrinsic skeletal muscle of posture and movement.

Sessions 8–10 — Integration

In the integrative phase of the series we work to get the parts of the body to function as a more unified whole, across joints, across limbs and in movement.

The purpose of the Ten Series is to undergo a systematic approach in organizing the individual's structure in relation to gravity and movement, in order to better experience a greater sense of embodiment.

For more info:

The Rolfing® Ten Series: A Complete Guide to All 10 Sessions →

Who Seeks Rolfing?

People seek Structural Integration for many different reasons, including wanting to explore changes in posture, movement, physical comfort, athletic performance, or long-standing patterns of tension.

Reasons to See a Rolfer Include:

Better Posture & Movement

Chronic Tension & Discomfort

Athletic Performance

Movement Awareness

Rolfing Compared With Other Approaches

Rolfing is often mixed up with other disciplines like massage or physical therapy. Although there is a lot of cross over for any discipline practicing manual therapy, Rolfing is different in that it is holistic, which means it is concerned with how the parts of a person relate to the whole rather than being symptom oriented. For a comparison between Rolfing and other forms or manual therapy, check out my blod articles below:

Rolfing vs. Massage →

Rolfing vs. Chiropractic →

Rolfing vs. Physical Therapy →

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Rolfing hurt? Rolfing should not be overwhelming, though it will have its challenging moments. Some work can feel intense because it is addressing restricted tissue and old holding patterns, but the goal is to work within a client’s range of tolerance. We do so by working with the tissue at the level of restriction and not past that level.

How long is a session? Most sessions last about 60 minutes. That gives enough time to assess, work, and integrate without pushing the nervous system too hard. Many Rolfer's believe that if you overwork the client's nervous system you can undo changes you are trying to make.

How many sessions do I need? That depends on what you want to get out of the sessions. Some people come in for a few focused sessions, while others choose a full series to address more complete structural patterns.

What does an Advanced Rolfer do? An Advanced Rolfer has additional training beyond the core certification and is prepared to work with more complex patterns and a wider range of client needs. The emphasis is still on precision, integration, and whole-body function.

See More questions in the Rolfing FAQ →

About John

John Wilson is a Certified Advanced Rolfer® with more than 20 years of experience studying the relationships between fascia, posture, movement, and chronic pain. Through thousands of client sessions, he has developed a whole-body approach to Structural Integration that emphasizes identifying the underlying compensatory patterns that contribute to discomfort rather than focusing solely on the site of pain. His writing reflects both clinical experience and an ongoing commitment to anatomy, biomechanics, and movement education.

John A. Wilson Certified Advanced Rolfer®

Credentials: