By Lucia Merlino, Certified Rolf Movement™ Instructor, Certified Rolfing® Instructor
Metaphors have long been integral to human culture, serving therapeutic, mnemonic, and spiritual purposes across various domains. From the rituals of shamanism to the structured practices of modern psychotherapy and rehabilitation, metaphors play a crucial role. In fields like sports and dance, metaphors organise movement perception and coordination, as seen in practices like Rolfing® Structural Integration.
The Evolution of Metaphors
Historically, metaphors were seen as mere decorative elements of language. This perception began to shift around 1970 when linguists like Michael Reddy argued that metaphors are fundamental to everyday communication. The work by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson in "Metaphors We Live By" highlighted that metaphors are central to human cognition. They help us make sense of the world by linking abstract concepts to physical experiences.
Facilitating Expression and Understanding in Rolfing®
Metaphors play a vital role in Rolfing, serving to facilitate expression, enhance understanding, promote ownership, and deepen integration. They can be categorised into didactic, sensory, and integrative metaphors.
Didactic Metaphors are used by Rolfers® to enhance specific aspects of perception, cognition, and body coordination. These metaphors can be either perceptual or anatomical. Many movement researchers have explored the power of imagery. In the early 20th century, Mabel Todd developed what later became known as Ideokinesis, an approach that focuses on using mental imagery to improve physical performance. It was further advanced by Eric Franklin, through his numerous publications. Other professionals continue to work to bring these visual metaphors to life.
Sensory Metaphors emerge from clients’ descriptive experiences. When the first timid images emerge from clients or students, it’s important for the therapist to validate and encourage them, thus initiating the learning of this new language of the body, whose vocabulary is evocative and metaphorical. Simple images often surface, such as one side of the body feeling bigger, heavier, or brighter than the other.
For instance, one client described the experience with her Rolfer in a vivid manner:
We aimed to bridge the gap between the upper and lower body, initially operating independently. The sternum softened, grounding me. I felt an unseen ‘musculature’ binding the bones together, akin to a heartfelt connection. As we explored further, visual metaphors emerged, like the ‘tail of a dinosaur’ and a ‘mop of hair."
Integrative Metaphors emerge as moments of insight and ownership, allowing clients to recognise new postural organisations that transform their perception of the world. A hypothesis is that these metaphors arise when clients free themselves from habitual and rigid patterns.
One client described their newfound sense of freedom:
It’s like I’m free from a condition of being crushed in a vise, from a silent suffocation. It feels like two eyes in the mouth of the stomach are opened, and that there is a vast space in the front. It feels like flying.”
Another client shared:
I was a lifeless puppet under the control of a strong puppeteer. After their dismissal, I felt a newfound agency in my movements, as if I had transitioned from object to subject.”
Conclusion
New metaphors, in the words of Lakoff and Johnson, enable the continuous construction of new coherences in life, giving new meaning to old experiences. The process of self-understanding is an ongoing development of new life stories. Rolfing, therefore, can be considered a work of composition, involving a creative dimension. As clients return to a state free of rigid tensions, metaphorical language helps them understand and process their experiences. Through metaphor, narrative becomes a powerful tool for formation and transformation.
Author: Lucia Merlino, Certified Rolf Movement™ Instructor, Certified Rolfing® Instructor, São Paulo, Brazil
Editing: Sabine Becker
Illustrations: Copyright © Eva Furnari
Further reading: Metaphors of the Body. A Resource to Advance the Rolfing® Process, by Lucia Merlino
More on Lucia Merlino
Lucia Merlino on Social Media: Instagram
Learn more about Rolfing® Structural Integration.
Find a Rolfer® or Rolf Movement™ Practitioner near you
More information on Level 1 Rolfing® training
More information on how to become a Certified Rolfer®.
Want to know more?
Sign up for our newsletter and receive regular information about Rolfing® Structural Integration.
