Some people assume Rolfing will be a painful process. This is due, in part, to its history. In the early days of Rolfing, practitioners felt that discomfort was a necessity on the path to generating change in the connective tissue. Thankfully, Rolfing techniques have evolved over the decades. The community of Rolfers have learned that pacing, dialoguing with the client, and incorporation of techniques from such modalities as biodynamic craniosacral work can encourage transformation without too much discomfort. In reality, the more comfortable a client is during a session, the more likely she will incorporate and integrate the changes prompted by the work.
Rolfing is a dialogue between client and practitioner. The Rolfer will ask about quality of touch, amount of pressure, and sensation levels throughout the session. A Rolfer will adapt her touch to the needs of the client. Our touch ranges from deep and slow to light and gentle. With the deeper work, clients often will report increased sensation, but in a positive way. It can feel intense but good, like a deep stretch or an "itch that just really needed to be scratched". However, the Rolfer will always respect your unique comfort level and will work within those parameters.