Balancing Your Body: A Self-Help Approach to Rolfing Movement

by Mary Bond

Going beyond good posture and movement efficiency, Mary Bond presents a unique self-help program of body transformation. Much of what we experience as physical tension or stress is the result of an imbalanced body. When our physical structure is habitually bent, twisted, and compressed, the body glues itself together with tension in order to remain upright. Bond demonstrates how the connective tissue that holds our bodies together is actually very flexible and will, with encouragement, adapt to new, healthy patterns of posture and movement.

Rolfing Movement combines touch and verbal messages to help you become more responsive to your body's inner cues. The author offers a practical series of structural awareness exercises that will help you redirect your awareness to internal sensations of tension or balance. These movement explorations are written as scripts so that you can practice the movements with detailed directions. By learning to recognize and respond appropriately to your body's internal messages, you will discover a new freedom of expression in your body, leading to a marked increase in health and vitality.

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1993

About the author

I’ve been a student of the human body since I donned my first dancing shoes at age six. After receiving an MA degree in Dance from UCLA, I was privileged to study with Ida Rolf, originator of a type of body therapy known as Structural Integration. I’m proud to have been certified as a Structural Integration practitioner by Dr. Rolf herself. Rolf taught that gravity organizes human structures and that people can achieve an optimal relationship with this determining force through bodywork and education.

It has been my experience that people who understand and respect their bodies tend to have an open and compassionate perspective on life. My mission, as a writer, teacher and Structural Integration practitioner, is to help people further that understanding and respect. I believe that becoming more attuned to our physical experience affects the choices we make in relation to ourselves, to our fellow human beings, our environment and to our planet. My mission, then, is to contribute to humanity’s deeper embodiment. My books, The New Rules of Posture and Your Body Mandala are my best efforts at sharing what I've learned about bodies and the mindbody relationship with the general public.

Formerly Chair of the Movement Faculty of The Rolf Institute® of Structural Integration in Boulder, CO, I began teaching movement and bodywork courses in 1994. I currently teach workshops tailored to the needs and interests of various groups such as runners, dancers, Pilates and yoga instructors, and massage therapists.

Reviews

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book completely changed the way I breathe!