Ida Rolf - A woman ahead of her time
- Studio Yogares
- May 16
- 3 min read
Long before fascia had its scientific importance recognized in academic circles, Dr. Ida Rolf used to say: “Fascia is the organ of posture. Nobody ever says this. All the talk is about muscles”. At a time when anatomists were cutting up the fascia and throwing it away, thinking it was just a wrapping with no other function, Ida Rolf was already drawing attention to its importance.
Today, we know that, in addition to its importance in organizing and maintaining our posture, the fascia is rich in mechanoreceptors, making it our richest sensory organ and playing a fundamental role in the way we move and feel.
Born on May 19, 1896, she was only 24 years old when she received her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1920.
During World War I, with many men at the front or in military training, she was admitted to the Rockefeller Institute: ‘We [women] were given the opportunity to work, to express ourselves and to demonstrate that we could rise to any situation that presented itself.’
However, as is still the case for many women, she had to give up her career to look after the family when her father was ill for a long time before he died.
Even so, her curiosity and determination to find effective solutions to her own health problems, as well as those of her two children, kept her studying. From Yoga to Homeopathy and Osteopathy, she never stopped studying and investigating approaches that could not only cure illnesses and imbalances, but above all promote health.
From these studies, she began to realize the importance of taking a closer look at the effects of gravity on our bodies. Dr Rolf believed that imbalances in structure placed demands on the body's generalized network of soft tissues: muscles, fascia, tendons and ligaments, thus creating compensations throughout the body's structure.
As Rosemary Feitis said: “IPR (Ida Pauline Rolf) was not interested in curing symptoms; she was after a bigger game. She wanted nothing less than to create new, better human beings. The ills would cure themselves; the symptoms would melt as the organisms became balanced. Curing symptoms let you in for an endless chase around the body”.
Dr Rolf then asked this fundamental question: ‘What conditions must be met for the structure of the human body to be organized and integrated into gravity so that the whole person can function optimally and economically?’
Her life's work was dedicated to this research, which led to the system of soft tissue manipulation and movement education known today as Rolfing®. The difference between Rolfing® and other body alignment approaches is that Rolfing® aims to achieve balance and alignment through deep body awareness and perception. It considers not only the body itself, but also the whole person. What stories does each body tell? What does each body carry with it that justifies its form or posture? What prevents the body from fully expressing who we are, and how can we restore our full potential through body awareness and fluid movement?
Dr Rolf continues to be recognized as a pioneer in fascia studies, soft tissue manipulation and movement education (without necessarily being associated with physical practices and sports).
Next week, from 17th to 25th of May, Rolfers around Europe and all around the world will celebrate Ida Rolf’s birthday, opening their practice rooms with special events and discounts in order to honor her legacy and spread Ida Rolf’s word: “This is the gospel of Rolfing: When the body gets working appropriately, the force of gravity can flow through. Then, spontaneously, the body heals itself."
If you wanna find a Rolfer near you in Europe, click on the link: https://rolfing.org/find-rolfer
Sources:
"Rolfing and Physical Reality" (Edited and with an introduction by Rosemary Feitis), New York: Harper & Row, 1978.
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