Dr. Ida Rolf

Dr. Ida P. Rolf (1896-1979) was originally an organic chemist with the Rockefeller Institute (now Rockefeller University). Driven to find solutions to her own health problems as well as those of her two sons, she spent many years studying and experimenting with different systems of healing and manipulation.

Throughout most of her life she explored many forms of alternative healing including homeopathy, osteopathy, chiropractic and yoga. Many of these healing methods share the perspective that health is related to proper alignment, physiologic function and anatomical structure.

Dr. Rolf agreed that the body functions best when the bony segments are in proper alignment. Specifically she observed how gravity affected bodily alignment and an overall sense of wellbeing.

She believed that structural imbalances placed demands on the body's pervasive network of soft tissues: muscles, fascia, tendons and ligaments, thereby creating compensations throughout the body structure.

Her life's work was devoted to this investigation, which led to the system of soft tissue manipulation and movement education that we now call Rolfing®. In order to pass along her work to others and to make the education process accessible, she developed an expedient series of ten sessions, which came to be known as the Ten Series.