The History of Rolfing® & Dr. Ida P. Rolf

Dr. Ida P. Rolf

Dr. Ida P. Rolf looking to the side
Ida P. Rolf (1896-1970) was born in New York City and grew up in the Bronx. She went to school there and received a PhD in biochemistry from Columbia University in 1920 – a rare feat for a woman at this time. From a young age Ida was interested in yoga, osteopathy, and homeopathy, and throughout her life, her knowledge of these modalities would broaden and deepen. Hatha yoga was foundational to Ida’s understanding of the body and would eventually lead her to develop the bodywork of Structural Integration – later to become “Rolfing.”

Incorporating Fascia

The underlying drive behind Ida Rolf’s work was the realization that for a body to achieve true alignment, balance, and coordination, “the body had to lengthen.” And for this to happen in a permanent way, you had to work not only with the bones themselves, but with the soft tissues – the fascia – acting on bones. “Fascia is the organ of posture,” she said. She started working with people and a pattern emerged in her work that combined her deep knowledge of yoga and osteopathy. She began to formulate her methods and started teaching them across the USA.

“There can be a change of function, a contribution to the health, well-being, wholeness, and functionality of a body through a balanced change in structure.”

Dr. Ida P. Rolf

How Gravity Affects Bodywork

Rolfing Diagram
Ida was the first person to identify “gravity” as the underlying theme that differentiated her Structural Integration work from all other forms of bodywork. She would continually stress that the human body exists in the field of gravity, and that gravity powerfully and dramatically determines the body’s upright posture – or lack of it. The body consists of stackable units that are comprised of bones and soft tissue. When soft tissue is balanced then the heavy masses – the head, torso, and pelvis – are not pulled out of alignment by their weight.

“When the body gets working appropriately, the force of gravity can flow through. Then spontaneously, the body heals itself.”

Dr. Ida P. Rolf

The Rolf Institute

In 1972, Dr. Ida Rolf established The Rolf Institute in Boulder, Colorado. After her death, as per her wishes, Rolfing Centres were established in Europe, South America and Australia. The principles and techniques of the work have continued to evolve over the years to reflect and encompass ongoing research in fascia and the nervous system.

Rolfing: Getting Started