Along
with realizing the importance of fascia, Dr. Rolf recognized
that gravity is the basic shaper of the body. We have to balance our
bodies, somehow, against the pull of gravity. From birth to death,
gravity is always working on us. Consequently, deviations in the
muscle-bone system are never merely local. Gravity's influence requires
adaptions throughout the body. If the natural balance of the body is
disturbed, it doesn't follow the best geometry of the skeleton, causing
the whole body to gradually change form to adapt to the deviation.
For example, a child falls from a bicycle and injures a knee. To avoid
pain, he or she tightens the muscles around that knee.
Since the body
must work against the tug of gravity, the entire muscle and fascial
system gradually shifts to compensate for the first change. Movement
through the pelvis is influenced, as are the patterns of breathing and
the
set of the head. Because muscles alone cannot carry the additional
tension, the fasciae shorten to support the new movement, and, in time,
the shape and function of the whole body alters with them.
The human body is like a house. It's structured so that each part has its proper place, and each piece interlocks to balance the load of the others. As in the well-built house whose every post and beam is in place, the well-used (more than well-built) body functions efficiently. Because gravity pulls down on everything, out-of-place body parts are like beams unsupported by a post, and are pulled into painfully unnatural positions. The practitioner seeks a return to the original blueprint specifications.
