Introduction
Since June 2015, I have offered Rolfing sessions. Approaching the fascia brings the posture into order, and the movement of the body improves along with it.
Every testimonial so far has been a session with a person. This time, of all things, it is a cat. I visited the home of Sachiko Aimoto, the freelance announcer, and as Pokke’s pelvis came into order her back lengthened — so that is what I would like to share.
There are two cats in Sachiko’s home: Pokke, who is ten, and Nonno, who is four. (In the photograph below, Pokke is in front and Nonno behind.)
Animals, cats included, move from instinct rather than from thinking. For the first fifteen minutes after I arrived, I watched for any wariness. A video was playing, and seeing the two of them absorbed in it, they seemed relaxed to me, so I began to come closer, little by little.
Pokke Came Up onto My Lap of Her Own Accord
Something told me that this session was Pokke’s, and I began working slowly with the fascia, mainly around her pelvis. Changing position as I went, I kept at it — and then, whether the wariness had gone or not, about forty-five minutes after I arrived, she climbed onto my lap, having met me only that day.
What I felt watching Pokke was that there was tension around her belly. The best way to let that go is to release the muscles around the pelvis and the legs. As in the photograph above, I waited for the fascia from the hindquarters through the pelvis to release. Fifteen minutes or so must have passed. Then Pokke stepped down from my lap by herself.
What surprised me was that she came back afterwards, to say thank you. It is a pity there is no BEFORE and AFTER pair to compare, but in the AFTER photograph you can see her back well lengthened and her belly fully down on the floor.
Conclusion
This was my first session with a cat, so I have shared how it went.