*This article is a translation of one I wrote while I was practicing in Japan.

I would like to report on the progress of Ms. N’s Session 6. After completing Session 5, Ms. N’s slender posture made a striking impression. When she arrived for this session, I immediately noticed her refreshed appearance from the moment she entered the doorway. It was evident that the stimulation from the first five sessions had been well-integrated into her body, resulting in noticeable comfort in her daily life.

When I asked Ms. N about her progress, she commented that the roundness in her back, which was the only remaining concern after the previous sessions, had become almost unnoticeable, and she was experiencing great comfort in her daily life. It appears that the approach to the clavicle, sternum, and upper rib area in Session 5 was particularly effective for Ms. N. Despite the focus being primarily on the upper body, I also noticed a significant improvement in the balance of her thighs, which had previously been slightly knock-kneed, compared to the last session. As Ms. N herself stated that she “currently has no particular symptoms of concern,” we began Session 6 with the aim of further improving her body balance, focusing on breathing.

Connection with the Spine

Session 6 is the only session primarily conducted in a prone position. As the approach is mainly from the back in the prone position, we primarily assess the balance between the sacrum-spine and the overall body fascia.
We focus on how the diaphragm and psoas muscle, which were approached in Sessions 4 and 5, relate to the sacrum-spine connection.
We connect the various parts that have been activated through Sessions 1-3 and 4-5 to the movement of the spine.
In Session 6, we first strengthen the connection between the lower limbs and the spine, with the sacrum as the focal point.

In Ms. N’s case, as the connection between her lower limbs and sacrum was already very smooth, we structured the session to enhance the connection with the spine, focusing on the psoas muscle.

Breathing as a Whole-Body Movement

Next, we approach the upper limbs, from the diaphragm to the ribs.
To deepen the approach from Session 5, we work on the ribs from the back while in the prone position. The main cause of the roundness in Ms. N’s back appears to be poor mobility of the ribs.
To effectively improve this mobility, it’s necessary to approach the rib area three-dimensionally: from the front, sides, and back. We used one of Rolfing’s characteristic techniques on Ms. N’s rib area, applying pressure from both front and back simultaneously.
There were 3-4 ribs with restricted movement on the left side and 2 on the right side. We performed AMP (Active Movement Participation, where the recipient moves slowly in coordination with the treatment) focusing on breathing in these areas.

While performing AMP on the restricted areas, Ms. N reported suddenly feeling “a sensation of air rushing in, entering the abdominal area below the diaphragm.”
As we continued with breathing AMP from the sternum to the clavicle area, she began to feel “the breath spreading from the abdomen through the pelvic floor and into the lower limbs.”
After Ms. N had fully experienced the expansion of breath in the prone position, we changed to a supine position. In this position, we again performed breathing AMP to promote the fascial connection from the sternum to the neck.
We continued our approach, focusing on sufficient expansion of the ribs and diaphragm, to further extend the breath expansion felt in the prone position throughout the entire body.

Ms. N reported that the breathing rhythm, which had extended to her legs, now spread throughout her body, creating a sensation of coordinated, whole-body breathing.
Finally, she remarked, “Breathing is truly a whole-body movement.” This statement from Ms. N was particularly impressive, and she exuded an energetic atmosphere that seemed to have taken Session 5 to an even higher level.

Cultivating Smooth Breathing

Breathing continues without pause from birth until death. We take approximately 25,000 to 30,000 breaths per day. While it’s possible to consciously control our breathing, over 90% of our breaths are said to be unconscious reactions. This continuous breathing shapes our posture, and conversely, our daily posture influences our breathing. It’s not uncommon to notice that we’re taking only shallow breaths when concentrating on desk work.
The tendency to hunch over during computer work further exacerbates shallow breathing.

The accumulation of shallow breathing habits leads to decreased rib mobility and becomes deeply ingrained in the body as a rounded back posture. Even when trying to take deep breaths and move the ribs significantly, many people find they can no longer take large breaths due to the limiting factor of [habitual shallow breathing = decreased rib mobility].
To improve posture and regain comfortable breathing, it’s necessary to first thoroughly release the rib restrictions formed through daily life. Nurturing smooth daily breathing means reassessing the approximately 30,000 daily life-sustaining activities. Regulating breathing is the foundation of physical health and ultimately leads to both mental and physical well-being.

In Session 6, we connected the previous sessions using the spine as an axis.
In Session 7, we will summarize the sessions we’ve built up from the legs, focusing on the face and head areas.
Session 7 will include approaches characteristic of Rolfing, such as working inside the mouth and nose.
I’m very excited to see how the core sessions will come together.

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