Somewhere between a massage and osteopathy

Rolfing lies somewhere between a massage and osteopathy claims an article on Toytown Germany.

Rolfing was invented by the first female PhD in America Dr. Ida Rolf . She was born in 1896 and started her professional studies at Barnard College. As a biochemist she joined the Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research. She then pursued studies at Columbia University and earned a PhD in 1920 ( Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons ).

By 1927 Ida Pauline Rolf had moved on to the Swiss Technical University of Zurich where she studied mathematics and atomic physics. During this period she gained knowledge that she would later turn into her theory of Structural Integration or Rolfing.

In 1971 she founded the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration which claims that somewhere between a massage and osteopathy lies a techniques of healing called Rolfing which is a" holistic system of soft tissue manipulation and movement education that organized the whole body in gravity".

Dr Ida Rolf describes her method in this video.

See part two of The Rolf Method - somewhere between a massage and osteopathy


Since then several holistic centers have integrated Dr Ida Rolf's Rolfing techniques into their programs. Meanwhile some people in the scientific community continue to find fault with her claims and some bring forth studies that seem to disprove her claims that Rolfing can help people stand straighter, gain height, and correct soft tissue misalignment and improper posture.

Dr Ida Rolf passed away in 1986 but she will always be remembered as the inventor of Rolfing - a holistic healing method that corrects posture and promotes healthier living and that lies somewhere between a massage and osteopathy.

Who recommends seeking the help of a Rolfer practitioner ?

Dr. Oz the popular TV doctor says that if a person is plagued by muscle pain then this practice which is even deeper than a deep tissue massage should be considered.

Kevin Trudeau the TV infomercial guru who claims "things they don't want you to know" states that learning this technique and applying them once a week for approximately one hour and a half will go a long way to restore health and avoid the Doctors office.




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Resources

Rolf Institute of Structural Integration

Who invented the teddy bear

Many stories go that Teddy Roosevelt is the person who invented the teddy bear.

That's information worth investigating. Teddy Roosevelt  of course was the 26th President of the United States of America and lived from 1858 to 1919 and took over the presidency from William McKinley in 1901 and served until 1909 when the top job in America was taken over by William Howard Taft.

As for who invented the teddy bear here's how it goes according to page 128 of Shelby County Indiana : Histories and Families by the Turner Publishing Company.

The American middle class was in the midst of political and social reform in the first decade of the 20th century, the period called the Progressive Era. President "Teddy" Roosevelt was the champion of the "strenuous life"  and his interest in the great outdoors led to the creation of  a new toy, the "Teddy" Bear, which little girls were soon cuddling. On a hunting trip in 1902, to Mississippi, Roosevelt refused to kill a small bear. The Washington Star published a cartoon of the incident, and a local toy maker sewed a stuffed bear similar to that in the cartoon. Roosevelt gave permission to name it "Teddy" Bear. These toys appeared in stores in 1903. One small manufacturer made over 900,000 bears in 1907 alone.

 So there you have the answer to who invented the teddy bear. Well maybe not quite.

Should the credit for the invention of this particular stuffed bear go to the person who started calling the President "Bear" or to Berryman who used the concept in a cartoon, or to the toymaker who made the first "Teddy" Bear ?

The plush or stuffed bear, those not named "teddy" existed much earlier than this.