May 2013
Rolfing is a form of therapy developed by Ida P. Rolf (1896 – 1979) that works with the fascia or connective tissue matrix of the body to harmonize its structural and kinetic patterns. Ida Rolf called her work “structural integration.” Integration refers to a bringing-together of things so they work in concert rather than in dissonance with one another; so they work as members in a unity rather than odd pieces. Hence, the goal of Rolfing is to foster efficiency, awareness, and resilience in the body.
The general approach of modern medicine is to wait until something has gone wrong and then try to fix it. But it is not necessary to be passive in this way. Instead it is possible to identify the fascial and muscle tension, structural imbalances, or harmful patterns of movement that render someone susceptible to injury in the first place and seek to resolve these causes at their root. Depending on the stage at which an intervention through Rolfing takes place, the expected result is that the injury is either preempted or, in case it has already occurred at the time of intervention, addressed at its origin rather than its symptomatic manifestation. By way of an example to illustrate this point, it is very likely that someone with lower back pain suffers from lack of hip mobility and, by the same token someone with lack of hip mobility risks developing chronic back pain. From the example it should be clear that unless the causal relations that condition a symptom have been discerned and addressed, an intervention is liable to treat the symptom in isolation with correspondingly little hope of permanent resolution. No amount of cold compresses or core strengthening exercises or mindful breathing can compensate for a chronic assault on it by stress patterns originating from lack of hip mobility.
In short, Rolfing seeks to foster the innate capacities and order of the body with the result that a person is freer and more efficient in movement and less prone to injury.
Rolfing is great. But don’t just take my word for it—experience it for yourself: call or text to schedule a session! Sessions are $150 with the possibility for discounts and usually last between an hour and an hour and a half. My office is located in South Addition near Downtown Anchorage at 1409 G Street.
About me:
My name is Max Leyf and I am a certified Rolfer & Rolf-Movement practitioner in Anchorage, Alaska. My last name is really “Treinen.”
After college I studied at the Rolf Institute® of Structural Integration in Boulder, Colorado & at the Associação Brasileira de Rolfing in São Paulo, Brazil where I received my Rolfing & Rolf Movement certifications in May 2013. In 2015, I left again to study Philosophy, Cosmology, & Consciousness in a Master’s program in San Francisco at the California Institute of Integral Studies. I since went on to earn my doctoral following a successful defense of my dissertation titled The Redemption of Thinking: A Study in Truth, Meaning, and the Evolution of Consciousness with Special Reference to Johann von Goethe, Owen Barfield, and Rudolf Steiner.
Please find the Writings page for a number of short articles and videos inspired from Rolfing—from practical exercises to metaphysics!
For more writings by the same author but in a different context, please also find my other websites, thelizardpress.wordpress.com (2013-2017), theoriapress.wordpress.com (2018-2022), and theoriapress.substack.com (2022 to present).
Max Leyf Treinen
The.way.of.the.elbow@gmail.com
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The Way of the Elbow 