Non-attachment- Allowing Space for Change

Written by John A. Wilson, Certified Advanced Rolfer®

Published April 4th, 2022

"You may take this for truth, that when a free mind is really disinterested, God is compelled to come into it; and if it could get along without contingent forms, it would have all the properties of God himself" Meister Eckhart

In my Rolfing practice the topic of non-attachment often comes up. This is probably because it is part of my own path of development, but also because I see attachment as a hang up to the progress of the structural organization of my clients. When we become fixated on ideas of how our posture and movement should be, we try to control posture and movement with our minds- from the top down. This can only lead to neurotic and unnatural changes in our posture and movement, and stand in the way of finding a more graceful and natural expression of the body in movement and static posture. To find a better way, we must learn to let go of our ideas of how we should be.

Being fixated on an emotion or an idea will show up in the body in some way. Attachment comes in many forms. One thing that comes up a lot is our identification with pain. Of course the Rolfer wants to find the strain patterns that are contributing to pain and address them, but sometimes the pain will continue even after many Rolfing sessions. Hopefully it will make the pain more manageable if not eliminate the problem, but pain management also depends on an individual's attitude toward pain, and the ability not to let it consume them entirely. I have covered this idea previously in blogs, but I want to point out that this all revolves around the idea of non-attachment.

Non-attachment is an idea that is central in Buddhism, because it is believed that attachment causes suffering, but this idea turns up in many traditions in different forms. One does not have to be Buddhist, or religious in any fashion to benefit from working with the idea of non-attachment. The above quote from Meister Eckhart, a German Medieval monk and philosopher, shows that this idea can even be found in Christianity. His term being Disinterest, is really another term for non-attachment that he expounds upon in detail. When we give up having our minds tied up in things, then there is space for God to enter, because the unattached mind is more like the nature of God.

Buddhists don't really believe in God, in fact some Buddhists claim the Buddhism is not even a religion but rather a method to gain peace, freedom, and clarity. What ever the case, one can see Meister Echhart is claiming that the mind needs to be free of attachment for something higher to enter, some sort of grace. Of course, no affiliation with any theology is need for structural integration to be successful, but these ideas are just as important to the atheist as they are to the theologian.

I have to work on giving up attachment to old forms for a newer and more organized way of standing, walking, and sitting to take place. Something deeper within knows how to do these things better than I ever could with only my mind. The changes that take place with Rolfing are changes that occur through allowing, not doing. It is in that way we can enter into a new experience of ourselves and grace can come into the picture. This is what I aim for in my Rolfing practice.

About The Author

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

• Certified Advanced Rolfer®

• Structural Integration Practitioner

• Over 20 years of clinical practice

• Specializing in posture, chronic pain, fascia, and biomechanics

• Serving Denver and Tucson

Editorial Note: Articles on this website are written by John Wilson based on his clinical experience as a Certified Advanced Rolfer®, continuing professional education, and published research. They are intended for educational purposes and should not replace individualized medical advice.