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Last week's blog discussed shoulder girdle rounding. This week, I am working with another client on the same issue, which Rolfing can address effectively. The client has shown improvement in the before-and-after comparison from a single session. Redirecting the shoulder girdle posteriorly creates lift and allows the head to be more balanced on top of the shoulder girdle rather than in a forward position, as seen in the before picture.

Together, we are working toward achieving better structural balance, which can be maintained and felt in daily life long after leaving the studio. Paying attention to detail in one’s body and learning how to adjust it for better support are essential steps in the repatterning process. This process is integral because the body adapts to the patterns we create.

This example demonstrates a significant improvement during my client's initial session. Her shoulder girdle has retracted, resulting in better balance and an improved lateral line. Additionally, there is reduced flexion in her thighs, improved extension into the ground, and an increase in height. By repositioning her shoulder girdle, her head alignment has also improved and sits more on top of her shoulder girdle. A great way to start the classic ten series!

My client experienced a major car accident, which resulted in him being thrown from the vehicle. The accident caused major injuries to his thoracic spine, which necessitated a fusion in his thoracic spine and an insertion of a plate in his lower right leg. However, the hardware in his thoracic spine failed and was removed 18 months after the fusion and was not replaced. Despite the impact trauma, my client’s lateral line was remarkably good although he did have a pronounced lordotic curve which is not visible in this back profile and did improve in the after image.  This session showed exceptional movement in his back profile where an upward right-to-left shift allowed for equal weight distribution down the centerline of his body. The shift indicates a better alignment and balance in his structure. Going forward, the next area of focus will be supporting his structure through work in his lower legs with special attention to his left foot; by addressing these and other areas we plan to enhance his stability and balance with better movement patterns.

Great results from my client’s first session can be seen in this before-and-after image. There is a very dramatic shift in the repositioning of his lateral line profile. We will continue working together to maintain this progress and make further improvements in subsequent sessions. Paying attention to shifts in the client’s internal states of awareness will be integral to the process. This is an example of a physical metamorphosis. My client has a muscular build, and there is slightly less flexion in his thighs after the session. Making room for his head to move back posteriorly was challenging due to the dense muscular development in his upper shoulder girdles. However, we created the necessary space for his head to move back and rest comfortably on top of his shoulder girdle, as it should, rather than being forced forward as shown in the "before" picture. Achieving this balance, with his head properly aligned atop his shoulder girdles, lifts the anterior portion of his upper body, alters his balance from a lateral line perspective, and allows gravity to provide greater support to his structure. This adjustment will not only feel better for him but also be more beneficial overall.

Favorable representation of my client moving toward the vertical in this before-and-after from a single session. My client was in town for a short time after moving away a few years ago and it was great to touch base again for a session. She remains proactive in her health regimen of healthy eating and active in an exercise protocol. In the Rolfing process we encourage our clients to embark on the journey toward becoming more upright. In this image you can see that movement, as there is much less flexion in her thighs helping to move toward the vertical. The more vertical with support, the more one is aligned in the field of gravity and that is beneficial to the client. The direction going forward would be to continue in the refinement of her lateral line.

A nice before-and-after from a single session showing subtle and meaningful shifts. Her hips shift to the horizontal which remains an ongoing theme when working with clients toward integration. Her weight is more evenly balanced after, and her left leg moves from a medial to parallel orientation and her hips are moving and rotating right to left. In the after picture, her shoulder girdles elevate and become more congruent.

A significant and substantial shift in this before and after from a single session with my client. An affirmation to our shape shifting capabilities in our structures. There is reduced flexion in her thighs allowing her pelvis to move back to a lesser posterior tilt to a more natural anterior tilt.  She is taller after with lift in her torso allowing her shoulder girdles to move back with significantly less rounding in her shoulders. Her head is better positioned on top of her shoulder girdles and her eyes align to the horizon without looking up or down preserving an eye-catching lateral line of integration in the field of gravity.

Very nice movement with my client in this before and after image from a single session. Although my client’s hips are horizontal to begin with which is one of the primary integrative goals in a person’s structure, hers are rotated and so what you can see is the movement right to left which moves everything above and below the rotation into better alignment for her structure. Her left leg is slightly outwardly rotated in the before picture and that leg rotates to the midline working in tandem with her pelvis in the after picture. In the after picture her pelvis has much better balance which reverberates in a sense up and down from the rotation to create a more integrated structure and there is some lift, so she gains a little height.

A few weeks ago, I profiled this client when we were working on getting her hips level back in September. This session since her hips held level, we worked on getting length on her left and right side and creating lift.  Often when working with people carrying extra weight this is an area that gets very compressed, and my client here is petite, and weight is not the issue. This client makes the point that even slim clients have the opportunity for expansion and more lift. Making space where it is needed and whole-body integration is part of the focus in Rolfing Structural Integration.

A before and after from a single session showing marked improvement. My client had been involved in a serious auto accident from 50 years prior involving injuries to his right side which included a broken pelvis, ribs, collar bone, and ankle. The lengthening in his right side is dramatic in the after picture as his hips move to a more horizontal presentation which is one of the major themes in the Rolfing integrative process. It is important that clients pay attention to the shifts happening in their structure which helps considerably in the process of retaining more of it as we progress to more whole-body integration.