Curiosity
Curiosity can be a rich creative spark. The image that comes to my mind is of the exquisite Pre-Raphaelite painting of Pandora at the box, peering into the unknown. I feel it’s a bit like that with Rolfing. Just as Pandora looked into the box with a sense of hope and wonder at what she might find, so people often discover Rolfing after working their way through a long list of other treatments.
When we are children curiosity is a given. Parents roll their eyes as their little darlings bombard them with yet another “why?” but it’s allowed, welcomed and understood. As a child’s awareness of their world increases, so too does their curiosity. It can be testing for parents as they struggle to answer some of the questions they’ve forgotten once interested them too. But then something changes in the child. The world becomes more known as more of the questions are answered. But what happens to this curiosity… where does it go?
It’s rare to meet an adult who possesses the same quality of curiosity that you’d witness in a child.
Why is that? Is there less to make us wonder?
One thing I know and see as a Rolfer is that curiosity creates openings. You can even hear it in your voice when you ask a question: somehow the words are more spacious and expectant. If we can meet our bodies with curiosity rather than fear we will find a sense of opening not closing. Curiosity allows an exploration of what’s inside. Important questions arise, such as “where did that feeling come from?” and “what makes me happy?" These questions reflect a curiosity about who you are. Where do you go to find the answer to these important questions? How do you make sense of the world?
Maybe you don’t want to think about who you are or consider any of these questions… maybe you just want to be fixed?
Rolfing isn’t really about fixing – it’s about understanding who you are and the things that have happened to you that have led you to read this. It is through this approach that we bring lasting change and not just cover the issue with a sticking plaster.
I believe curiosity to be a very rich part of being alive. I’m curious about where my life will go from this moment forth and I’m already wondering how I can wake up your curiosity to bring lasting change for your body. I really believe that, for this to happen, we must venture inside ourselves to look at our patterns and processes. That’s where the beautiful answers are waiting. But until then my question remains: how curious are you about what’s happening for your body right now?
