As stress builds in your body, it causes the connective tissue to shorten, tighten and thicken.
by Deanna Melynchuk —
For the last six months to a year, many people have been under a great deal of emotional and mental stress. Losing a job, having to relocate, children leaving home, being unable to provide a college education for your child … all these and more are stressors.
As stress builds in your body, it causes the connective tissue to shorten, tighten and thicken. This means you are not just feeling the mental and emotional strain, but also that your body is beginning to experience aches, pains and general physical discomfort.
When the body is too stressed, the immune system weakens and makes you susceptible to catching colds. It becomes a catch-22: you are stressed because you ache, and the aching causes you to become ill, which causes more stress.
One way to break this downward spiral is to investigate what Rolfing Structural Integration can do for you. Some Rolfers provide free consultations, and helpful information is easily accessible from their Web sites. An excellent resource to get you started is the Rolf Institute (www.rolf.org).
Rolfing Structural Integration is a modality that changes your body’s physical structure. In so doing, it releases tension caused by stress, as well as other traumas, such as a surgery or accident. As Rolfing releases the tension, your vitality returns. You will begin to feel better about yourself and become inspired to try new things and meet new people.
Rolfing is a series of 10 sessions, which can be taken weekly, biweekly or even once a month. The effects are still the same; they just take longer to realize. Sessions usually last between 75 to 90 minutes and build on top of one another.
Gradually, your body lets go of old patterns and habits as the Rolfer lengthens your tissues with her hands and/or elbows. Then she works with you to show you ways of standing, sitting and walking that are more energy efficient. This helps you hold the Rolfing work as your body responds to being lighter and more at ease in gravity.
Now is the time to create a new life with a touch of Rolfing.
Deanna Melnychuk, B.Sc., is a certified advanced Rolfer and Rolfing® movement practitioner, licensed massage therapist, Reiki master, cranioSacral therapist and reflexologist. 602-404-8685.
Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 28, Number 3, Jun/July 2009.
February 28, 2012
Career and employment, Emotional Wellness and Well-being, Injury, Pain, Rolfing, Stress