The Rolfing Ten Series

The “Ten Series” is a series of ten sessions designed by Dr. Ida Rolf the founder of Rolfing Structural Integration to create a new baseline of alignment in gravity. Each Session focuses on a different structural relationship between bones, muscles, ligaments , and tendons. One can think of the overall approach as that of peeling away layers of an onion. The Ten-Series bolsters non-formulaic work because the Rolfer and the client have a shared language.

Sessions 1-3 address the more superficial layers of the body. The Practitioner and client work together to gain a greater sense of these layers and how they present in the client.

Session 1
In regards to staying within the realm of the superficial or sleeve layers of fascia focuses on the breath. Evaluating how the client expresses this and then how it can be improved. Creating an overall sense of adaptability for the client in regards to breath and space for the lungs and diaphragm.

Session 2
The theme of this session is that of support. Working through the tissue of the legs, ankles and feet to create greater untethered flexibility and stability for the overlying structures.

Session 3
Establishing more three-dimensional space along the vertical and horizontal lines of the upper body. This is done by manually working to free the appendicular structures from the axial structure. Therein finding a balance between freedom of movement and support that is necessary for a well-organized mobile body.

Sessions 4-7 address the deeper core of the body. Each of these sessions aims to elongate the body from its central line up through the feet and through the crown of the head. Through this deeper intrinsic tissue work the body can then initiate movement from the inside structures outwards with greater support and flexibility.

Session 4
Session four focuses on finding support via the midline of the body. The territory is up through the medial side of the legs to open and differentiate them from the pelvis and lumbars. Then working to create a balanced span along the pelvic floor. By doing this one will be able to walk with a less inhibited swing of the leg and strain to the lower back.

Session 5
Continues to establish deeper bilateral and pre-vertebral support for the client. This support extends upwards knowing that there is now the capacity to feel the support of the ground due to more open lines of transmission and literal grounding. Now the realm between the Pelvis and the Thorax can organize and balance garnering a deeper sense of self for the client.

Session 6
This session directly addresses the Axial complex with the main goal being to differentiate the sacrum(and subsequently the spine) from the pelvis while still allowing it to act as its keystone. Enabling greater ease of movement at the core.

Session 7
This is the final session of the deeper core sessions. Here the main focus is to create balance at the opposite end of the vertebrae, the head. Differentiating and harmonizing the tissue and how it attaches the cranium to the neck to the thorax. In this session there is great focus on the cranium and differentiating the neurocranium and viscerocranium from the vertebrae or core.

Sessions 8-10 are sessions of integration and ultimately closure for all the previous work done. In these sessions there is more attention and communication between the client and practitioner to how the deeper intrinsic structures now play with the more superficial extrinsic ones. The practitioner returns back to the superficial layers using an approach that is broader, the touch more global.

Sessions 8 & 9
These two sessions are somewhat interchangeable in their order of process depending on the client and their progress up to this point. Functionally as stated by Monica Caspari in her article from the Rolfing Journal of Structural Integration, March 2005, “To have the best possible support from the legs for the work of the arms (such as reaching or pushing) and the best possible balance front the arms to orient the work of the legs (such as walking or running)” To then also “see the axial skeleton providing the best possible support and stability to the girdles and limbs, so that the flow of movement from the bottom to the top and the top to the bottom appears to be uninterrupted” Page 22.

Session 10
Closure of the Ten Series. Structurally the final session addresses the whole body from head to toe, horizontalizing the superficial fascia. Returning to the initial territory from session one only now it has been rendered more supple, hydrated and flexible thus mobile. The goal is that total integration of the body in gravity, function, and expression in the greater social context occurs.