Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1020464
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018 19 Free to move Why I love the Rolf Method By Lisa Marie O'Neil, WAC Rolf Method Practitioner Years ago, I found myself facing a potential lumbar fusion procedure following years of competitive javelin throwing and professional firefighting. In pain and desperate to avoid surgery, I stumbled upon the Rolf Method. Aer my first 10 sessions—the length of a typical introductory se- ries—I was able to alleviate my chronic pain, regain my sense of well-being, and say no to the knife. So impressed was I by the power of the Rolf Method that I began studying it myself. Now, as the WAC's new Rolf Method Practitioner of Structural Integration, I can't wait to share this powerful healing modali- ty with you. e Rolf Method of Structural Integration manipulates major muscle groups and surrounding connective tissue by applying slow and steady pressure while calling for small micro-movements. rough this process, tissue is liberated as new patterns are learned. Areas of our bodies that have felt stuck forever can glide, chronic pain is alleviated, and movement initiates with extension rather than contraction. By releasing core holding patterns that no longer serve us, the body moves freely and we feel lighter and younger. When your body is no longer in a permanent state of stress and constriction, healing can happen as a sense of grace and ease liberates the psyche and soma. As Rolf movement special- ist Rosemary Fetis noted: "When bodies function appropriate- ly, balance is free to happen, there is a spring in the step and a sense of well-being that is infectious." If you are suffering from long-term pain and have ever wondered if the Rolf Method might help, I invite you to give it a try. Just as our fascial tissues adapt to trauma by shortening and thickening, so too can those same tissues be re-taught efficient movement, freeing our bodies from chronic pain and delivering dramatic life improvement. — Lisa Marie O'Neil competed in the 1984 Outdoor Track & Field NCAA Championships and holds a spot on the Universi- ty of Washington's all-time outdoor track & field performance list for her athletic achievements as a javelin thrower. Lisa is available by appointment on Wednesdays from 1–7 pm. Reach her through the WAC Wellness Center at wellness@wac.net or 206.839.4780. For more information, visit wac.net/rolf-method. living fit the rolf method / molton brown ods he used to accomplish this were ahead of their time. At the WAC, we respect the tenets of Pilates' original methods while modernizing the practice with new exercises and instructor creativity. is allows us to serve our members no matter what their needs may be. So the next time you walk by the Pilates studio, stop in. You'll find that what you thought were torture devices are instead mechanisms that can help you become stronger, more balanced, and injury-free. —Reach WAC Pilates instructor Danielle Ortiz at dortiz@wac.net. For more on Pilates training, visit wac.net/service/pilates-training. A N I TA N O W A C K A B R I A N F R A N C I S Luxury from across the pond Experience a touch of Britain with opulent Molton Brown lotion and body wash in Women's Fitness, perfect for use aer a workout. Molton Brown products, made in England since 1973, are known for their beautiful fragrances and naturally derived ingredients from sustainable sources, such as refreshing mandarin peel extract and balancing clary sage. ey're paraben-free and never tested on animals. Molton Brown products are found most oen in five-star hotels and high-end department stores throughout the world. e lotion and body wash are also available for purchase in the Spa.