Rolfing Portland, Karin Edwards - Short Movement Workshops
To receive announcements, join my email list or you can follow me on Facebook.
Jaw Therapy at Home: a video class
Does your jaw need some help?
Headaches, neck pain, grinding, clenching, pain or tightness in the morning, even toothaches and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) can be signs of jaw trouble. For 17 years I have offered "intraoral work" in my sessions. Along with working inside the mouth on the jaw muscles, I often teach my clients how to do self-care at home.
Now you can learn this by video! We'll also explore some gentle movements that support the neck, jaw, and head.
Tickets: $50 (sliding scale availible)
You can access this video to watch on your own timing! Pay for your ticket by venmo @portlandrolfer or paypal portlandrolfer@gmail.com, and I'll email you links for the video and a handout.
I sometimes offer this class live by Zoom, but I don't currently have one scheduled.
Pain, emotions, stress, it's all linked. And it's all about the Nervous System! Let's explore how to shift our experience in this fun and informative class.
The nervous system strongly influences how much pain we experience. Pain does not mean there is damage to the tissue. It means the brain wants you to be careful and pay attention! The mechanism for pain is more complicated than you might think. We will cover the science in simple terms, then experience how we can apply this information for our own body care.
Appropriate for the public, yet content-rich enough to be relevant for practitioners of all types. This class is not a substitute for medical care.
Soon to be released as a video class!
$50 (contact me for sliding scale)
Learn About Your Nervous System
The nervous system impacts every aspect of our health!
Learn the basic biological reasons for emotions and stress, and gain compassion for yourself and others. We will practice how to monitor and consciously affect one's own nervous system. This material is very relevant to yoga, Aikido and other martial arts, spirituality, and personal growth work.
Past participants call this class "simple but life-changing."
Appropriate for the public, yet also will have juicy information relevant for health practitioners.
This class is not intended to treat severe trauma; upon request I can provide a referral to a trained therapist.
Based partly on the work of Peter Levine (see his book, Waking the Tiger)
Self-Care for the Nervous System: A Movement Exploration
The nervous system impacts every aspect of our health! So let's learn how to do self-care. Deeply soothe your nervous system with this gentle sequence of movements and awareness exercises, drawn from Structural Integration, Yoga, Ki-Aikido, Chi Gong, and other somatic practices. You will receive materials to help you apply it in daily life.
This class is not intended to treat severe trauma; upon request we can provide a referral to a trained therapist.
This class is held in person, with vaccine and masks required. To be scheduled for fall 2021.
$50 through Eventbrite (contact me for sliding scale)
Deep Fun: Using Play as Medicine for the Nervous System
Our nervous systems are wired for connection! As in all mammals, the "social nervous system" helps a baby connect to their caregivers, helps children learn their family rules, and helps adults make and repair bonds with others in their community. At the highest level, the mammal nervous system allows for the joy of shared laughter, the tenderness of vulnerability, and spiritual emotions such as awe, gratitude, and a sense of connection to something far greater than ourselves.
As a teenager, I learned how to use play and games to create community in my Unitarian youth group. Many of us say "it saved me." It taught me social skills (which I was severely lacking), within a context of unconditional love that made it feel safe to crack open.
I'm excited to offer these non-competitive games as medicine for the nervous system.
These games encourage creativity and layer-by-layer sharing. By the end, you may feel a sense of belonging and connection that you can take forward into your daily life.
If you would like me to bring this material to *your* group - family and friends, birthday party, sports team, church group, etc, please reach out to me. The ideal group size would be 6-25.
Some of these games involve some physical contact. I offer a non-contact version of this class by Zoom, and I'm willing to do a non-contact version as an in-person public class if there is interest, or for your private group.
In person event: To be scheduled for fall 2021, with vaccine and masks required.
Zoom event: To be scheduled for fall 2021.
Free Structural Integration for Children (annual event)
The 13th annual children's clinic has been postponed due to the pandemic.
Free sessions for children ages 0-10. We provide gentle bodywork to insure healthy growth and movement patterns, perform a structural check-up for preventative care, and offer treatment for concerns such as scoliosis, growing pains, pigeon toes, and more.
Would you like to see some photos from a past year?
Learn how you can treat and prevent foot problems by choosing shoes that promote foot health. We will take a look at the natural motion of the foot, discuss what to look for in shoes (and why!), and check your shoes to see how they measure up. (Please bring 4-6 pairs.)
You'll learn ways to modify your own shoes to improve foot health, and you'll leave with enough knowledge to confidently choose healthy shoes for future purchases. Pie Footwear is our partner for this event.
To be scheduled (as a Zoom class) or contact me to schedule a class for your group. Usually offered once a year..
Visit the Healthy Feet page for short videos, articles that I wrote about feet and shoes, and more foot health resources.
Back to the Sea: A Guided Exploration of Aquatic Movement
Let the fluid movements of marine creatures inspire you to move in novel and interesting ways. Video projections will transform our space into an aquatic garden. Music and sounds that elicit the ocean will be interspersed with thoughtfully chosen verbal guidance. We imagine that your nervous system will be deeply soothed by this experience.
You are invited to wear clothing in ocean tones or flowing garments if that helps you get into the spirit, or simply come as you are.
To be scheduled - This event is on hold due to the pandemic.
Are you perplexed by the question of how to sit?
Do you find it difficult to settle in to a comfortable sitting position without fidgeting?
The natural way to sit as dictated by your anatomy
How to find support from the ground up
How your sitting posture affects your breathing, your concentration & your state of mind
To be scheduled - or contact me to schedule a class for your group. Usually offered once a year.
For more information, read this article on sitting by my colleague Mary Bond, Certified Advanced Rolfer.
Why do we need new rules? The truth is the old rules–Shoulders back! Head up!–make most people feel stiff and unnatural. Healthy posture can be discovered from within, by cultivating your body’s ability to feel. In this workshop we'll share ideas about pain-free body use, including:
How your perception of the world creates your posture
Awareness of key zones in your body that shape alignment
How to change your habits without self-criticism
For more information, read this book on posture by my colleague Mary Bond, Certified Advanced Rolfer.
Contact Karin at 503-230-0087 or email: portlandrolfer@gmail.com
© 2021 Karin Edwards Certified Advanced Rolfer. All rights reserved.