Lengthen the Side Line
In the 3rd hour of a Rolfing 10 series we take a look at the side lines, and differentiate front from back. It is all too often that our sides have become shortened, so just as a fitness instructure usually thinks of strength, the Rolfer usually thinks of length. This shortening can often be seen in the lower back in the form of an excessive lordotic curve, most often caused by a shortening of the quadratus lumborum, which connect the hip to the lowest couple of ribs. When there is excessive curve in the lower back it serves to shorten the lower back and the sides. Just as the quadratus lumborum connects the hip to the rib cage, the latissimus dorsi connects the hip to the shoulder girdle, providing a very powerful line of force that produces quite a bit of strength in the shoulder girdle, and must have come in handy for our ancestors when spending a lot of time hanging from branches.
In the 2nd hour session we addressed the feet and the lower leg up to the knee. In this 3rd hour session we may address the IT band starting just above the knee, up to the hip and shoulder girdles, even up to the lateral neck and side of the head. The girdles were addressed in session one, and there was work to affect the hip girdles by focusing on the lower legs in session two, now we come back to the girdles with the intention of lengthening the sides, and helping the client to cultivate a sense of front and back. As with the 1st and 2nd hour sessions, we are primarily concerned with the bigger more superficial muscles, known as the sleeve. Some people will be surprised that the work is not super deep or painful, just keep in mind the objective is not to just crank pressure on the person like its a hard massage, it is to help lift and differentiate the bigger exterior muscle groups in order to give the deeper muscles, the core some room to function better.
Sessions 1,2 and 3 form a short series of their own. Some people start with this just to get a feel for what Rolfing is. Just doing these session can be quite helpful, but if the client wants to go through a full 10 series it is then time to address the core muscles after the sleeve sessions. It is strongly recommended that an individual complete the 10 series after going into the core sessions, the middle of the series is not a good place to stop. Strain patterns are addressed, and new strain patterns are created as we go through the process of creating space, length and balance, and that stability may not really be there until the end of the series.