The Rolfing Ten-Series is the secret recipe Rolfers® use to work with the human body to bring someone into healthy postural alignment. Over the course of ten Rolfing sessions, a Rolfer will work on a person’s entire body structure from head to toe, keying in on specific areas that might need a little more attention.
Each session focuses on different parts of the body with different goals and each session serves a greater purpose within the Ten-Series as a whole. Let’s break down the parameters and goals of each session:
Sessions 1-3 (Sleeve sessions)
Session 1 focuses on “freeing the breath.” With this goal, we aim to free fascial and muscular structures that inhibit your breathing. As you might imagine, a lot of this work will focus on freeing the shoulder from the torso- allowing the shoulders to move independently from your body. In session 1, we also start to look at structures in the hips that might be inhibiting motion and ease.
Session 2 entails work primarily on the lower legs and feet. Your feet carry the weight of your entire body as they are meant to. So if there’s disorganization in your feet, that has the potential to feed more disorganization up through the rest of the body when walking or standing. In this session, we look at the mechanics of the foot and ankle in regards to being able to provide proper support to the entire body.
Session 3 addresses what Rolfers call the “lateral line,” or the sides of your body from neck to knees. Imagine two pieces of fabric sewn tightly together on two opposing ends. Metaphorically, we are loosening the string that brings the fabric together to create space. This allows the muscular structures bound within to move with more freedom.
The first three sessions of the Ten-Series are known as the Sleeve sessions as we typically work with more superficial structures. As such, Session 3 also marks the end of working with the superficial layers of tissue and the beginning of the work being done in the deeper layers of fascia.
Sessions 4-7 (Core sessions)
Beginning from Session 4, we start to work with deeper structures of the body. After having opened up the more superficial layers of tissue, we now have more accessibility to work with the deeper restriction patterns within the body. Session 4 focuses on the “medial line” or the inside of the feet, legs, thighs, and hips.
In Session 5, we aim to bring more organization to the front of your body, with specific attention paid to the abdominal region and viscera. Sessions 4 and 5 are often considered to be two parts of a whole. In session 4, we enhanced support feeding from the legs up into the hips. Session 5 continues the theme of enhancing that element of support from the legs deeper into the torso and also allowing the hips to move independently from the legs and the torso.
Session 6 works along the entire posterior chain of your body- meaning from your calves all the way up to your back. During the sixth session, you will be predominantly on your stomach while your Rolfer keys in on specific areas of restriction.
Session 7 focuses on the relationship of the head and neck to the rest of the body. Detailed work is done on the smaller muscular structures of the cranium, face, neck, and shoulders with the goal of having the head rest with ease on top of the body.
Sessions 8-9 (Integration sessions)
Sessions 8 and 9 focus on the theme of “integrating” the body. One session will focus on the lower body (hips, thighs, legs) and the other session will typically focus on the upper body (torso, shoulders, neck) with the goal of integrating structural changes and enhancing function. Oftentimes, work will be done in gravity, like sitting or standing. You may also be encouraged to participate in the session with different movement cues like flexing or extending a muscle or breathing more consciously to an area of the body.
Session 10 (Closing the Ten-Series)
Session 10 addresses the intermediate layer of fascia through the entire body. With the closing of the Ten-Series, we aim to have you closing the entire series feeling at ease and comfortable in your body, having adapted various changes in your structure and movement patterns.
It’s important to be aware that sessions in the Ten-Series are typically spread out by a week or two. The time between sessions is important to allow the changes in your body structure to “integrate.” I typically recommend clients to go for mindful walks after sessions if they can and bring their attention to their body, especially in areas that were worked on. Doing so can help keep the changes in your postural and structural alignment for a longer period of time.
After the completion of the Ten-Series, I recommend you to take a break from Rolfing for half a year. The goal of the Ten-Series is to help bring your body to the “highest order of organization” that is possible for you at that time and place. Continuing to receive Rolfing sessions can help with managing pain or discomfort but we want you as the client to take ownership of the changes to your body and structure and take time to continue exploring life and movement in those patterns. Some people even experience continued positive shifts in their posture for a year after receiving Rolfing!
Still curious about how the Rolfing Ten-Series works? Schedule a call with me and I’d be happy to talk more about it.