THE RECIPE
"THE RECIPE" is the working cornerstone of Rolf Structural Integration. It was originated and handed down by Dr. Ida P. Rolf. A tremendous legacy.
It is both elegantly simple, and highly complex. Mysterious, even. It contains lots of ingredients. It represents a vision: a vision of the possibility of becoming fully human; living in true balance. It is a lens through which we reimagine the body transformed from random imbalance to alignment and integration. Wholeness. It has rules, goals, and suggestions. There are rather obvious anatomical territories for each session's goal(s). And, there's ultimately the objective of conveying a lasting, unambiguous take away for the client.
A more formal definition would be something like this:
Rolf Structural Integration is a peerless and definitive approach to human health and well being. It's goal is to evoke the inborn natural human potential for change. To enlist the energizing and healing effects of the Force of Gravity itself. Working with the body's natural plasticity, it fosters a transformation from imbalance to balance in respect to the line of Gravity. It seeks to inculcate directly into the makeup of the body a ingrained pattern of verticality, everything level and symmetrical.
Any carpenter, stone mason, builder, or architect never doesn't work with this standard in mind. "Plumb and square." Even a toddler stacking blocks gets the point. Understand though, in the human being, it's not static like a wooden soldier or a Grecian column. It's dynamic. Full range of motion. It enables the fullest expressive potential.
The news is that it's possible to live cooperatively with the simple dictates of the line of Gravity. It's a universal architectural standard we honor in all our buildings. As far as how we develop it in our own body structure ... well, that's still an evolutionary potential. Look around. It's a parade of the walking wounded out there. Yet, finding a good, healthy balance in respect to the constant and ever present pull of Gravity is doable. Yet, it takes some doing. So, hey! Do it!
Balance in the body is nothing new. It is understood to be healthy. Osteopathy and Chiropractic are based on this model. Even Hatha Yoga.
What Dr. Ida P. Rolf put on the table is next level: not only to integrate the various parts within the human body itself, but to also integrate the body as a whole within the Energy Field of the Earth. Gravity itself is now an active factor in human health and well being. Tasty, no? Yes. It's delicious. Have some.
It's no secret that the Force of Gravity is Universal. It holds the universe together. God's connective tissue. All things respect it's ordering control.
The Human body is a thing, no? When we look at how well our species is adapted physically to the demands of Gravity, what do we see? A chaos of individual personal histories randomly set into the fabric of our bodies. Imbalances heaped up and set in over time. All due to bad habits, limited learning, accidents, and traumas. We are shaped by our experience. Our inner imbalances which we project outward make the world what it seems to be.
There is hope!
This work which fosters a transformation in the makeup of the body to a vertically upright, easy, and energetic stance follows a progressive set process called "THE RECIPE". Gradually, and gracefully, the body becomes more vertically upright, with everything all level and even. The genius of the RECIPE is how in a fairly short period of time within the uninterrupted flow of daily living the body transforms to such a clearly more natural stance.
This transformation in the arrangement of the body is plain to see and feel. Living with a body in balance with the axis of Gravity is something you experience. And, it feels good! You recognize it as right. Your birthright even. No convincing. Proof in the pudding.
Big stuff, no? Splendid dish. For sure. Try it, you'll like it!
So one might ask, how come such a highfalutin wherewithal as Rolf Structural Integration, with so much promise, is based on a "Recipe"? Don't sound no too importante. Rather casual for something that moves the paradigm to us humans having the opportunity to take an active and conscious role in our own evolution.
Big stuff, no? Splendid dish. For sure. Try it, you'll like it!
So one might ask, how come such a highfalutin wherewithal as Rolf Structural Integration, with so much promise, is based on a "Recipe"? Don't sound no too importante. Rather casual for something that moves the paradigm to us humans having the opportunity to take an active and conscious role in our own evolution.
Maybe this will help explain the plain talk.
Dr. Ida P. Rolf is the originator of Structural Integration. She was a scientist. She was also keenly interested in human potential. It was her genius to recognize that we could live into the fullest expression of our human potential by organizing the arrangement of the body. To consciously and constructively utilize the force of Gravity itself for healthy, pain and stress free living. [And, by the way, top performance and full creative expressiveness too.] Her genius was also in introducing the awareness of this possibility into the culture through the recognized many successful outcomes in her own practice and in her speaking, writings. and her teaching.
Dr. Rolf was most intelligent. Intelligent enough to be plain spoken. She taught by showing, not so much in words; yet, even her words were just another way of her showing. She was down to Earth. For sure. "Do this!" Sure she had ideas. Concepts. But, knock on wood, her method came down to simple plain facts. This goes here, that goes there. The human body must deal with the pull of Gravity. So, let's deal with it. Only now, intentionally. And, correctly.
Dr. Ida P. Rolf is the originator of Structural Integration. She was a scientist. She was also keenly interested in human potential. It was her genius to recognize that we could live into the fullest expression of our human potential by organizing the arrangement of the body. To consciously and constructively utilize the force of Gravity itself for healthy, pain and stress free living. [And, by the way, top performance and full creative expressiveness too.] Her genius was also in introducing the awareness of this possibility into the culture through the recognized many successful outcomes in her own practice and in her speaking, writings. and her teaching.
Dr. Rolf was most intelligent. Intelligent enough to be plain spoken. She taught by showing, not so much in words; yet, even her words were just another way of her showing. She was down to Earth. For sure. "Do this!" Sure she had ideas. Concepts. But, knock on wood, her method came down to simple plain facts. This goes here, that goes there. The human body must deal with the pull of Gravity. So, let's deal with it. Only now, intentionally. And, correctly.
What she showed her students to do, was what they did. What we do. That should give you some sense of how calling it "THE RECIPE" is basically a way to keep both feet on the ground amidst such heady pursuits.
So, we follow the RECIPE.
So, what is it? [Thought you'd never ask. Maybe, thought I'd never get to it. I know there's a lot of words. Be patient.]
In the traditional 10 session series for each "class" there's a specific educational theme. With specific Anatomical goals to meet, and visible hallmarks. And goals for what is to be conveyed experientially to the client/student. That last one there, that's what ultimately counts. The take away. So you should get your money's worth. Unambiguously.
The RECIPE may not be perfect. But, in its originality, it is sufficient and we get good, consistent results. Some who use the Recipe stick with it as traditionalists. K.I.S.S. [Keep it simple, stupid.] Others want to branch out, to innovate, experiment. Add stuff.
The thing about following a traditional approach and just doing it like she gave it, doing it like that also opens up to soul development. There's a freedom in the process as written. It lets your consciousness explore the inner side of things. Looking to improve and innovate can get you into an infinite rabbit hole of searching for the next new thing. There's room for both. Just be sure to keep both hands on the wheel. Or, holding the bowl with one hand while you stir with the other.
Rolf Structural Integration deals directly with tangibles. The human body is plastic; it takes shape. It has taken shape over time through use, and misuse. If it can be shaped, it can be reshaped. The idea is to train a bodily balance respecting the universal standards of architecture. This can be a corrective; or, with youngsters, a lesson they have for life. Vertically stacked, even, and level. That's what Gravity demands, you know. As Dr. Rolf so succinctly put it: "Gravity is the tool. Gravity is the therapist."
In other words, when you live with a body in structural integration [balanced with Gravity] you thrive, and the physical limitations you've been trying to change or have been putting up with clear up just in the process of life itself.
Think of Gravity as the "leavening agent". Or, the "sauce". [Since we're talking "recipe" here.]
Here are the goals of the RECIPE, framed in terms of the take away. Each represents a direct, discernible experience of an essential living fact. Again, there goes Ida Rolf ... dishing it up plain:
1. You breathe.
2. You have support.
3. You have dimension.
4. You have a core/center.
5. The core/center moves upward [toward the head].
6. The body has a wrapping/sleeve/surface ... it moves downward.
7. Your core is pointed in the right direction. Up. From the top of your head.
8. You have a lower part. The "below".
9.You have an upper part. The "above".
10. There you are*.
* There you are: present, alert, clear-eyed, responsible, capable, upright, pain free, stress free, easy ...ALIVE! It's there, folks, just for the taking.
That set of recognitions is not the end product of Rolf Structural Integration. It's a beginning. An initiation. It is a set of understandings which inform your living on the Earth. A reference, if you will. A life lesson. A living gift.
Thank you, Dr. Rolf.
