Links to Additional Resources

More Information About Rolfing:

• The Rolf Institute: My school, and a great resource for information about Rolfing. Search here for Rolfers in any state or country.
• International Association of Structural Integrators: Professional group that sets standards for the field of Structural Integration. Maintains a directory of practitioners.
• Audio of lectures by Dr. Rolf

General Health Resources:

• Smart Sitting Article by Mary Bond: Easy-to-read information on how to sit. 13-page PDF.
• Epsom Salt: an inexpensive miracle drug. Use 2 cups in a bath and soak for 15 minutes or more. Epsom Salt has magnesium and sulfate that get absorbed through your skin to help reduce soreness and optimize healing. Find it in the pharmacy section at the grocery store for about $1/lb., buy in bulk at your co-op, or buy a 50 lb. bag for $25 at Concentrates. 
• Bones: Photos show genetic variations in bone structure, explaining why people have different body pattern tendencies, including degree of spinal curves and hip flexibility.

Local Resources for Fitness and Health:

• Oregon Ki Society: Ki and Aikido Training (Southeast Portland and Tigard).
• Amrita: Center for Anusara Yoga – my favorite complement to Rolfing (Southwest).
• Yoga Shala: Excellent yoga studio (Southeast).
• Balanced Wellness: Professional private yoga therapy and ayurvedic consultation (Westside).
• Portland Hikers' Field Guide: Searchable hiking guide to the Columbia Gorge and surrounding areas.
• Affordable Acupuncture: Directory of community acupuncture clinics, offering group acupuncture for $15-40 sliding scale.
• Equine Natural Movement: Learn to do structural bodywork on your horse, or find an equine practitioner. This is Structural Integration for horses! (Southern WA)
• Northwest Foot & Ankle: Podiatrist Ray McClanahan's holistic advice about choosing footwear and treating foot problems, especially for runners, walkers, and hikers. (NW Portland) 

Recommended Books:

• The New Rules of Posture by Mary Bond, Certified Advanced Rolfer. This is the “user’s guide to the body,” offering down-to-earth descriptions of good body usage for daily tasks such as driving, typing, and reaching up to change a lightbulb. The posture and sitting classes I teach are based on this book.
• Relieve Stiffness and Feel Young Again with Undulation by Anita Boser, Hellerwork Practitioner. Simple movements that you can do daily to maintain or recapture youthfulness, fluidity, and comfort in your body.
• Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. An engaging story of tribe in Mexico who are ultrarunners, using nothing but a handmade sandle for 3-day races. Compelling argument against modern running shoes.  Very complimentary to the material I teach in the Shoe Clinic.
• Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine. Learn how your nervous system responds to danger, and why people sometimes get caught in that cycle even after a traumatic event has passed. I also recommend In an Unspoken Voice and Trauma-proofing your Kids by the same author, who was originally trained as a Rolfer.
• 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back by Esther Gokhale, LAc. Lovely photos of correct posture and movement, including many indiginous people. Understand how to use your body correctly. Fascinating ideas on how to carry babies to incourage good posture for both parent and child. I disagree with some of the author's opinions about shoes and feet, but otherwise excellent.
• Conscious Loving by Gay & Kathlyn Hendricks. Personal growth and relationship skills based on learning to feel your emotions in your body. Lots of other great books by this couple, and I also highly recommend their workshops. 
• The Core Program by Peggy Brill PT, Gerald Secor Couzens. A program you can follow to maintain myofascial strength and balance for the rest of your life. Written for women but works for men as well.
• The Endless Web: Fascial Anatomy and Physical Reality by Louis R. Schultz, Rosemary Feitis. Want to learn even more about fascia? This is an oldie but a goodie.
• The Multifidus Back Pain Solution by Jim Johnson PT, Scott D. Boden. Short book based on hard science. Easy exercise, only 2 minutes a day, 3 times a week. Helps keep vertebral disks healthy.
• Pain Free by Pete Egoscue. Another solid resource for exercises that change alignment. Also by this author, Pain Free for Women is updated with better photos.
• Rolfing: Reestablishing the Natural Alignment and Structural Integration of the Human Body for Vitality and Well-Being by Ida P. Rolf, Ron Thompson. If you want to learn about Rolfing from the master, this is the source.
• Yoga for Scoliosis by Elise Browning Miller. Presents poses for scoliosis, information on scoliosis, describes benefits of yoga for scoliosis, and how to adapt each pose for your specific pattern. Video.
• Nourishing Traditions by Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon. Focuses on vegetables, meat, healthy dairy, good quality fats, and fermented or cultured foods. Comprehensive with many recipes.
• Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon. This easy-to-read book explains why coconut oil, butter, olive oil, and other "good fats" offer health benefits. Includes good recipes.
• Primal Body, Primal Mind by Nora Gedguadas. A different perspective on dietary fats, protein, and carbohydrates, as well as concerns such as cholesterol and nutritional supplements. The author advocates for her version of the carb-free"paleolithic" diet but much of her advice is quite relevant for omnivores.

For links to articles about Rolfing, and to see research about Rolfing, see Press.