Russell Stolzoff’s interest in Structural Integration was sparked in 1983 when he first  experienced Rolfing®. Right after his first session, he experienced a dramatic release of tension and ease of movement. His joints felt lubricated, and his movement felt fluid and flowing.
As a youth, Stolzoff was drawn to the beauty of graceful movement he observed in athletes and dancers. As an athlete in high school and college, he spontaneously experienced flow, but it was unpredictable and elusive. With Rolfing, Stolzoff discovered how easy posture and fluid movement naturally flow when the body becomes integrated.
The Rolfing experience fueled Stolzoff’s curiosity about the potential for change in the body, the relationship between the mind and body, and how the Rolfing process actually affects the body. This led him to train as a practitioner at The Rolf Institute of Structural Integration in Boulder, Colorado.
Stolzoff’s passion for his work eventually led him to want to help other practitioners learn the art of Rolfing Structural Integration. In 2001, he was accepted as one of 32 teachers in The Rolf Institute’s worldwide faculty. Today, he regularly teaches Rolfing courses and workshops through The Rolf Institute of Structural Integration in Boulder, CO. He has served as chairman of The Rolf Institute board of directors and is currently a member of The Rolf Institute’s Executive Education Committee.
Stolzoff has also helped popularize Rolfing Structural Integration by organizing regional training centers to inspire and train new Rolfers. His desire to educate the public about the value of Rolfing has led him to write articles about Rolfing for MASSAGE Magazine,Rolf Lines (the journal of The Rolf Institute) and The Clinician’s Complete Reference to Complementary and Alternative Medicine. His work has also been profiled in Climbing Magazine and Massage Today.
Of his achievements, he is most proud of helping to establish the Free Children’s Rolfing Clinic in Bellingham, Washington. The clinic has provided hundreds of free Rolfing to more than 200 children since 2000.
Since completing his basic training in 1989, Stolzoff has had a thriving full-time practice and has pursued diverse forms of continuing education.
When he is not working, Bellingham likes to explore and nourish his potential by spending time with his family and friends. He also enjoys travel, music, documentary film, conversation, cooking and sharing meals with friends.
