November/December 2006

journey in health

Hellerwork: the practice of Mind, Body and Movement

BY CHRIS O'BRIEN

You’ve no doubt heard of Rolfing, a method of bodywork that works on the web-like complex of connective tissue in the body to realign and balance the physical structure. Hellerwork takes that practice two steps further by adding conscious verbal processing of attitudes and beliefs, along with instruction on how to move the body.

Founded in 1978 by Joseph Heller, Hellerwork has its roots in Rolfing. Heller was a personal student of Ida Rolf, Ph.D., and head of the Rolf Institute in Boulder in 1976. Using the highly effective structural integration techniques of Rolfing, Heller enhanced his personal practice by adding something he calls “dialog.”

“As I worked with people, I became aware that many of the stresses we are subjected to in our working life today are rooted psychologically rather than physically,” he says. “The body is still getting physically stressed, not because we are working hard—mostly we are sitting at desks—but because of ideas or experiences that influence the way we use and care for our bodies.”

Heller says that in order to help his clients deal with stress better, he began talking to them about their thoughts, attitudes and beliefs during the physical manipulation part of the session.
“With more experience, I became aware that different people talk about similar topics, relating them to the same parts of the body,” he says. “So, I came up with a system which is a generalization of the ideas that are most helpful for each area of the body.”

How It Works

A complete Hellerwork series includes 11 consecutive sessions, each focusing on a specific area of the body and each centered on a dialog theme. The eleven Hellerwork session themes are: Inspiration, Standing on Your Own Two Feet, Reaching Out, Control and Surrender, The Guts, Holding Back, Losing Your Head, The Feminine, The Masculine, Integration, and Coming Out. Each corresponds to a part of the body. Inspiration, for example, relates to the chest and breathing, while Standing on Your Own Two Feet relates to the legs and feet.

These themes provide a starting point for the dialog, which is usually individually tailored to meet the needs of the client. For example, during session 2, Standing on Your Own Two Feet, the practitioner may ask, “Are you the type of person who has your feet on the ground or your head in the clouds?” Responses to this can vary from grounded to unsure to flighty, from which a dialog can ensue.

Perhaps the client will realize that she is being too rigid, or trying to hold it together, which is affecting her physically and emotionally. Another might uncover that he is wishy-washy or noncommittal, and needs to focus on grounding himself in order to alleviate emotional and physical stresses.

The dialog portion of the practice is a technique to uncover overlooked, hidden or “stuck” attitudes, beliefs and experiences that are likely affecting the physical body.

“This work is ultimately about balancing the body in the field of gravity,” says Heller. “And stress is a factor that unbalances the body. Sometimes it’s impossible to achieve the physical balance without addressing some of the causative attitudes and beliefs.” Though Heller insists the dialog is not psychotherapy, clients may explore and release powerful feelings related to past traumas or beliefs and, in turn, experience a dramatic psychic as well as physical release.

In addition to dialog and the Rolfing-like bodywork, Hellerwork also incorporates the unique element of movement exercises. Through these exercises, clients are instructed in how to perform basic movements such as sitting, standing, running, walking or picking things up in ways that don’t stress the body. The goal of the movement exercises is to avoid returning to a stressed, misaligned or imbalanced state.

“I incorporated movement education because I realized if I didn’t show people how to use their bodies differently, they would go back to the same old patterns and build the same tensions again,” Heller says.

By combining body work, verbal dialog to explore the psychological components of stress, and training on how to use the body properly so as not to re-stress the body, Hellerwork has taken a traditional therapeutic practice to a more holistic level.
“Typical responses to Hellerwork include increased relaxation, greater flexibility and range of motion, a more graceful walk, slightly increased height due to better alignment, ease of breathing and a greater enthusiasm for life,” says Anita Boser, president of The American Hellerwork Association.

Getting Started

To find a qualified Hellerwork practitioner, go to the main Hellerwork web site (www.Hellerwork.com), where you’ll find a list of practitioners who are certified in Hellerwork. Heller himself recommends calling and talking to a few practitioners first to seek out one with whom you sense a good rapport. Since you’ll be engaging in the dialog portion of the practice as well, you’ll want someone you feel comfortable talking to.

As far as what you’ll pay, Heller advertises $90 sessions on his web site, but actual session fees range from $60 to $110. The 11-session series isn’t intended to be a one-shot deal. Heller compares it to a spring cleaning, to really get the cobwebs out of the corners, but recommends regular sessions to maintain the benefits of physical balance, range of motion, and emotional and mental relaxation.

If you’re already a fan of Rolfing or deep-tissue bodywork, put Hellerwork on your list of thing to try. If you’re a newcomer to bodywork, a complete Hellerwork session might be just the thing for you. You’ll get a thorough head-to-toe tune up, the chance to clean out physical and psychological stresses, and professional advice on how to best carry your body for optimal physical balance and alignment.

For more information on Hellerwork and a practitioner near you, see the following resources:

www.hellerwork.com the official American Hellerwork Association (AHA) website

www.josephheller.com Heller’s personal and professional site

www.hellerworkcanada.org The Canadian version of the AHA

“An Introduction to Hellerwork for Regaining Flexibility and Well-Being.” Joseph Heller (North Atlantic Books, 2004)