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

I would like to report on the progress of N’s fourth session.
Before beginning the session, we reconfirmed the body’s condition that was adjusted in Session 3 (Sleeve).
All the stiffness in the back, tension and discomfort while walking, and the sensation of facial bones feeling rigid that were felt during Session 1 had improved.
As the sessions progressed, there was a shift from feeling movement only in the lower back to a sensation of using the entire body.
This was summarized in the words, “I can now walk using my body more expansively.”

Core in Rolfing

While Sessions 1-3 deal with the outer cocoon called the Sleeve, Sessions 4-7 address the inside (Core).
The Core refers to the parts related to the body’s axis, and it’s often where habitual and subconscious body usage patterns manifest.
As this area tends to clearly reveal one’s physical constitution and characteristics, some clients find it a time to face themselves anew.
In this Session 4, we particularly focus on approaching the inner space of the legs, pelvic floor, and pelvic cavity, which are deeply involved in forming the body’s axis.

Fascial Chains of the Lower Limbs

Following Session 2, Session 4 primarily approaches from the lower limbs.
In the legs, we focus especially on the posterior tibial muscle (a muscle deep in the calf) and the adductor muscle group (muscles on the inner thigh).
The posterior tibial muscle is one of the important muscles that adjust foot balance and is closely connected to the interosseous membrane of the leg, which is the deepest layer in the calf.
Thoroughly relaxing from the posterior tibial muscle to the interosseous membrane leads to relaxation of the pelvic cavity through the fascial chain.

In N’s case, as there was a slight tendency towards knock knees, approaching the adductor muscle group was essential.
While the area around the posterior tibial muscle was in good condition, when we reached the adductor muscle group, there were areas that felt intense pain even with light pressure.
N mentioned feeling strong pain when receiving adductor muscle massages before, and they understood when I explained that this pain could be one of the causes of their knock knees.

The Body’s Supporting Hammock – The Pelvic Floor

One of the goals of the Core sessions is “to be able to use the body’s axis flexibly.” For this, approaching the pelvic floor is indispensable.
In Session 4, we particularly emphasize the fascial chain from the legs to the pelvic floor.
The pelvic floor, along with the diaphragm, regulates changes in internal pressure due to breathing and is the bottommost important muscle group supporting the internal organs.
It’s truly the unsung hero supporting the body during walking, and it forms a close connection with the abdominal cavity, thoracic cavity, and the space in front of the spine, which we’ll approach in Session 5.

Additionally, we carefully observe the movement of the internal obturator muscle (muscle on the inside of the ischium) and the piriformis muscle (deep in the buttocks), which are also strongly related to the pelvic floor.
In N’s case, there were hypersensitive painful areas at the adductor muscle attachment points below the pubic bone and ischium.
As this area is also related to Session 5, we took time to thoroughly relax it.

After completing Session 4, N themselves didn’t feel any clear sensory changes immediately after the session, unlike previous sessions.
While it’s common to feel clear changes immediately after the Sleeve sessions (Sessions 1-3), it’s often difficult to sense immediate changes after Core sessions.
This is because the Core sessions are deeply connected to one’s habits, subconscious body usage, way of thinking, and way of perceiving things, so it tends to take time to realize the changes.

Also, Sessions 4 and 5 were originally one session, and sometimes the changes in the areas addressed from Session 4 can only be recognized and integrated into the body after completing Session 5.
In Session 4, we approached the main causes of knock knees and the parts that support the body’s axis.
Posture is the accumulation of daily body usage and is deeply related to how we unconsciously use our body’s axis.
As a practitioner, I feel that the Core sessions are progressing very well, and I believe that in Session 5, N will be able to feel a comfortable cohesion inside their body.

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