 Holly Howard |
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For Appointments: Phone: 410-367-8890 email: RolfInfo@HollyRolfer.com |
Welcome to my website. I have spent over 30 years developing a language of touch, presence, movement and tracking. Here's a description of my work. There are three aspects to my work and they happen sometimes simultaneously and sometimes sequentially and not necessarily in this order.
RolfingŪ Structural Integration: Dr Ida Rolf developed RolfingŪ out of her understanding of biochemistry and quantum physics. The connective tissue of the body is a "tissue of relationship" wrapping all the muscles, organs and bones. It provides a direct current nervous system communicating tensional forces, compression and position as well as electrochemical information. RolfingŪ is the systematic manual release of restrictions in and alignment of this tissue. Dr. Rolf thought of gravity as a supportive environment for the vertical alignment of our bodies. Since we are actually traveling through space (at about 1000 miles/hour as we revolve around the Sun and rotate around the Earth's axis in an expanding Universe), opening perception to orientation in space (time) tunes us to allow support from gravity. RolfingŪ is done in 8-12 sessions on the table and in movement work.
Cranial/Visceral Work: Vitality in the core body is an important aspect of health. The organ systems are regulated by the autonomic branch of the nervous system which cycles in a continuous rhythm of activity. Tracking this inner activity is helpful in learning self-regulation and in finding holding or deficit areas. I use visceral manipulation techniques to touch the suspensory ligaments of organs and release the motility (intrinsic movement) of the organ systems, aiding in both physiological function and posture. I use craniosacral technique to touch the central nervous system through the 14 bones of the head and 27 bones of the spine. The brain and nervous system also have a rhythmic movement of cerebrospinal fluid as it circulates around the tissues. These ways of sensing provide a doorway into the vast resources we have available to us internally.
Movement Work: Creating long lasting structural and movement change often requires working back to the root of habit patterns, exploring new options and applying those to real life situations. Rolf Movement works to enhance felt sense awareness by examining orientation (sensing ground and space), directionality (lengthening in two directions) and premovement (usually unconscious preparation for movement). I sometimes use sequences from developmental and evolutionary movement to elicit fuller bipedal (human) patterns. When applied to activities and exercise programs, these reinforce new ways of moving in every day life and help eliminate tension and pain.