Bio
Hi, my name is Andy and I became a Rolfer® to learn about myself. Incidentally I also learned that I love Rolfing and that I’m pretty good at it. Before Rolfing, I was a professional sound engineer, and I’ve also played music my whole life. This artistic background has given me a creative edge in the way I approach Rolfing. Along with music, Taoist qigong and craniosacral biodynamics influence my approach to Rolfing. Through my continued studies of the human body, spirituality, and creativity, I come to see more and more that we are inherently complete beings in a continuous process of shedding the things that impinge on that completeness. In my practice I am continually working towards wholeness within myself and for my clients.
With my spare time, I like to take lots of walks and do lots of qigong. My simple pleasures include a good night’s sleep, quiet mornings, and the smell of ponderosa pine trees. I make time every day to sing or play a little music. I love to cook, see live music with friends, and to sleep under the stars.
Why bodywork?
I came to bodywork after personally experiencing a great deal of physical and psychological distress. Bodywork, movement, and meditation have not only allowed me to heal disease that was considered otherwise incurable by conventional medicine, but these practices have allowed me to become healthier than I ever was previously. I believe that the same can be true for you! It is my mission to share what I have learned so that we may all find radiant health and wholeness beyond the threat of dis-ease.
Training & Qualifications
Rolfing® Certification Training – Boulder, CO
Anyone who wants to become a Certified Rolfer must pass this rigorous 700+ hour intensive training course. Practitioners learn diagnostic tools, treatment protocols, and principles of Rolfing combined with many hours of observation and practice. This training offers one of the best foundations in anatomy and kinesiology of any massage or bodywork training programs, which is why I chose it.
Energy Arts Taoist Water Method
Master Bruce Frantzis and the Energy Arts training community teaches The Water Tradition, a rare branch of Taoism that traces its roots to Lao Tau himself. Home to a living, breathing, authentic Taoist lineage, this training community offers the most comprehensive training available for tai chi, internal martial arts, qigong, and Taoist meditation.
Listening Hands Seminars
Thomas Walker, Certified Advanced Rolfer, teaches craniosacral therapy in a Rolfing context. Mainly informed by the work of James Jealous, D.O., Thomas teaches students how to apply the principles and contact style of biodynamic osteopathy to any type of manual intervention. This principles-based approach frees students from thinking about what they are doing with their hands and immerses students in the unconditional presence that is the cornerstone of craniosacral therapy.
Skills & Specialties
Every Rolfer has things they are good at or conditions they like treating. I have a few areas of personal interest:
Menstrual Cramps/Painful Period
The lack of discussion and treatment options for uterine issues always baffles me. This is not just in Rolfing but across all medical disciplines. Painful and sometimes debilitating cramps are considered normal for women who menstruate. The only mainstream treatment options are pain management, hormones, or surgery. Fortunately, Rolfing might be able to help. Using gentle manipulation and movement/awareness exercises, a practitioner can release fascial restrictions in and around the uterus. I have seen bodywork achieve long-lasting and possibly permanent results for clients who have painful periods. This can all be done safely and comfortably in Rolfing clothes with no direct pelvic floor contact.
Traumatic brain injury/whiplash
A treatment from a skilled craniosacral therapist can make a big difference for TBI and whiplash symptoms. The gentle contact of this modality is ideal to help resolve tension in the cranium and aid in the movement of fluids. Craniosacral therapy can also help clients deal with anxiety and mood disturbances that occur as a result of the injury.
Mental/Emotional/Non-Physical symptoms
Stress is killing us. Heart disease, cancer, and stroke are all made worse (caused?) by stress, and these are the leading causes of death in the United States. But hey, what doesn’t kill you makes you…stressed, not stronger. When we’re stressed we can’t learn, socialize, and have a positive & well-balanced mood. Our modern lifestyle demands that we operate with a certain level of baseline stress response, and many of the available tools to deal with it are limited in their effectiveness or poorly taught.
Craniosacral therapy supported by Taoist practice provides can provide immediate relief of stress and anxiety symptoms. Over time it can give a client tools to not only manage stress but with practice to gradually train their system to stay relaxed in stressful situations. These techniques are also effective for the deeper mental and emotional blockages that bother a person beyond the normal traumas of modern life.