Level 1 - Myofascial Foundation

The Myofascial Foundation (Level 1) is our flexible introduction to the world of bodywork from a Rolfing perspective and is open to everyone. As the courses build on each other, we recommend that you attend the first three courses, Movement 1, Anatomy 1 and Touch 1 for a 'taster'.

We also recommend that you have experienced at least three Rolfing sessions before starting Level 1. Self-experience of Rolfing is an essential foundation of the training and serves to deepen your understanding of what you have learned. You will also need the Rolfing 10-session series as experience to enter Level 2.

You'll gain a solid understanding of myofascial bodywork and movement principles. Explore the curriculum through three core topics Movement, Anatomy and Touch. 

This page explains who the workshops are for, what you'll learn.

Who these workshops are for

You can start with these workshops if you:

• have no previous experience in myofascial bodywork and want to find out if it is right for you

• work as a manual therapist, osteopath, or pilates or yoga instructor and want to expand your professional skills

• are a singer, dancer or actor and want to explore how myofascial bodywork can help improve your technique and delivery

• are a psychotherapists or coaches who would like to establish a connection to the body within your work

• are thinking about a career in Rolfing – as these workshops count towards the credits you need to move to Level 2 training

Foundation towards Rolfing training

The workshops help qualify you for Level 2 - Structural Fascial Bodywork.

Workshop topics

Workshops are grouped into three topics:

Movement

You can choose from three stages

Movement workshop 1: the dynamics of posture
Movement workshop 2: the dynamics of breathing
Movement workshop 3: the dynamics of walking

The Movement workshops are great to: 

• find out if myofascial bodywork is right for you
• expand your professional skills if you’re a manual therapist, osteopath, or pilates or yoga instructor
• gain the skills and collect the credits you need to continue training for a career in Rolfing

You’ll learn about:

• posture as a dynamic process in gravity
• how breathing involves the whole body and what could inhibit a free-flowing breath
• the dynamics of walking and how all parts of your body work together to create stability and mobility

Anatomy

You can choose from three stages

Anatomy workshop 1: support from foot to pelvis
Anatomy workshop 2: expression through shoulder girdle, hands and face
Anatomy workshop 3: sensing from the core

The Anatomy workshops are great to: 

• find out if myofascial bodywork is right for you
• expand your professional skills if you’re a manual therapist, osteopath, or pilates or yoga instructor
• gain the skills and collect the credits you need to continue training for a career in Rolfing

You’ll learn about:

• the basics of human anatomy terminology, from cells to tissue
• the basics of palpation and palpatory certainty

Touch

You can choose from three stages

Touch workshop 1: discovering the fascial net of the lower body
Touch workshop 2: exploring the fascial net of the upper body
Touch workshop 3: interacting with the fascial net of the trunk

The Touch workshops are great to: 

• find out if myofascial bodywork is right for you
• expand your professional skills if you’re a manual therapist, osteopath, or pilates or yoga instructor
• gain the skills and collect the credits you need to continue training for a career in Rolfing

You’ll learn about:

• the body’s fascial connective tissue system 
• using your fingers and hands to explore the body through touch (also called ‘palpation’)
• feeling different layers of the body, like the skin, fascia, muscles and bones
• understanding movement patterns and posture

How to choose the workshop that's right for you

You can book individual Level 1 courses at any time, for further training or for a taster session. We recommend the following courses as taster courses:
Movement 1, Anatomy 1 or Touch 1.

What to expect in class

During the workshops: 

• you're taught using a mix of practical exercises and theory

• you’ll work in pairs or small groups to explore and practice the course content

• you'll get plenty of support as there'll be one teacher for every 11 students and no more than 20 students per class

• your teacher is a faculty member of the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute Europe

• there’ll be some preparatory reading and homework

Please note that teaching material is often handed out in English. As the origin of Dr. Ida Rolf as well as the Rolfing training is in the USA, many scientific texts are only available in English!

What you'll receive at the end

For each workshop that you complete, you'll receive a confirmation of participation.
You will receive a certificate for participation in the Myofascial Foundation if you have attended all nine workshops of Level 1.

Locations and languages

We run the Myofascial Foundation workshops at the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute in Munich and at some of our partner schools.

Currently, you can choose from courses in English and German, please check out here.

For courses in Italy and Italian language, please check out the website of the Formazione Rolfing or contact their office here.

For courses in French, we will offer a Level 1 in 2025.

Costs

The cost per workshop is 580 EUR unless otherwise stated.

Meet your teachers

Your teachers are part of the faculty of the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute Europe with years of international experience as Advanced Rolfers. They’re leaders in their field and all have completed the rigorous teacher training at the European Rolfing Association e.V. They're committed to providing you with individual feedback and help you gain confidence with key concepts and new skills. View our Faculty.