Dr Ida Rolf, the founder of Rolfing®, realised that the body is inherently a system of seamless networks of tissues, rather than a collection of parts, this is encased in an endless web of connective tissue called "fascia". Fascia gives the body its shape and is often referred to as the "organ of form" which penetrates every muscle, bone and organ in the body creating a supportive structure. Fascia is constantly changing and adapting in response to demands placed on an individual's body, through the effects of movement and the adverse effects of gravity.

What is suprising is how little the importance of this network has been recognised until recently, and is now being studied as a whole. A way of picturing fascia is to cut an orange in half and squeeze all the juice out, the white material you are left with would be the fascia, except intead of rigid cellulose, it would be pliable collagen fibres.

In the normal healthy state, the fascia is relaxed and wavy in configuration, it has the ability to stretch and move without restriction. However when we suffer physical trauma or inflammation, the fascia will lose its pliability becoming tight, restricted and a cause of tension to the rest of the body.