An interview with Olympic high diver Marion Reiff
Marion Reiff, former Olympic high diver, is now a successful Pilates trainer and Certified Rolfer®. In this interview, she reveals how Rolfing® Structural Integration enriches her work and why she recommends Pilates trainers to learn about Rolfing.
Find out how Rolfing Structural Integration can better meet the individual needs of your clients and take movement training to a new level.
How does Rolfing® enrich your Pilates classes?
Rolfing® training has significantly changed my understanding of the human body. Thanks to body reading, I can ‘read’ my clients' bodies better and understand the interplay between structure and function in a more differentiated way.
Biomechanics is an essential foundation for Pilates instructors. The knowledge gained from Rolfing expands this perspective considerably by allowing me to grasp the individual body structure and its movement patterns in all their complexity. Every body is unique, and bodyreading helps me better understand movements and possible blockages or compensation patterns.
My Pilates classes - whether in a group or one-to-one - benefit enormously from this. I adapt exercises flexibly, explain who they are particularly suitable for and, if necessary, modify them to make them easier to implement and personalise. This personalised approach demonstrably improves the quality of my clients' movement and makes it easier for them to integrate the exercises into their everyday lives.
Rolfing has taken my Pilates training to a new level - for me and my clients.
How has Rolfing changed your view of Pilates?
In classical Pilates, there are clear principles for the ideal posture: the core and pelvic floor remain active at all times, the pelvis is brought into a predetermined neutral position, and the so-called ‘hollow back’ is frowned upon. These rules were justified in my time as a high diver, as constant control and tension ensured safety.
However, Rolfing has given me a more dynamic understanding of posture and movement. Today I know that the body should be flexible - tension and relaxation alternate depending on the requirements of the movement in question. The core does not always have to be active, but must be able to adapt dynamically. The same applies to the pelvic floor. This adaptable approach makes movements both more effective and more comfortable and easier to integrate into everyday life.
The view of lordosis (hollow back) has also changed. Instead of ‘correcting’ it, I see the natural curve of the lumbar spine as perfectly fine and desirable! The decisive factor is not its elimination, but that this region remains flexible and mobile. I also question the concept of a standardised, ‘neutral’ pelvic position. It does not take into account the individual anatomy of each person. Instead, I work with my clients to find the best pelvic position for them - a position that can and should vary depending on movement or strain.
Despite this view, classical Pilates and its principles are still justified, especially as a safety concept. However, Rolfing has shown me how I can vary these principles if necessary and adapt them to individual needs. I say to my clients: ‘The more variation in your training, the more your body will benefit.’
My aim is to offer my clients a versatile training that helps them to feel, understand and embody movement - a process we call ‘embodiment’ in Rolfing.
Thanks to Rolfing, I am now a better Pilates instructor who takes a holistic view of the body and responds flexibly to individual requirements.
How does Rolfing help to solve movement problems that Pilates alone cannot address?
While Pilates promotes flexibility and muscle strength, Rolfing uses targeted hands-on techniques to create a structural foundation that makes movements easier and more natural. I use these as a Pilates trainer and help my clients to better understand and consciously execute movements with small manual impulses.
Using the ‘Rolfing touch’, I can reactivate areas of the body that are under-utilised, or relax tense, over-dominant regions. This often leads to aha-moments in which movements suddenly feel easier and more natural.
At the same time, Rolfing teaches us how to reduce unnecessary tension and develop more efficient movement strategies. This expands the movement possibilities and gives the body new impulses.
One focus is on the fascial network, which influences every movement. Working on the fascial structure promotes a harmonious sense of movement. In this way, Rolfing and Pilates support each other perfectly: Pilates shapes and strengthens, while Rolfing creates the conditions for flowing, free movements and space in your own body.
How do your customers experience the ‘Rolfing Touch’?
My clients experience the ‘Rolfing Touch’ as pleasant and special. It is not a matter of corrective ‘pressing into place’, but of a touch that addresses and guides or supports the whole body. Many people report that it helps them to understand movements better and become more aware of themselves.
The touch is supportive, guiding and accompanying, not just corrective. As a result, clients feel involved and develop trust in me and their own body.
The experience should have an effect beyond the lesson and trigger lasting changes in body awareness and movement behaviour. If you have a positive association with it, it simply works better.
How does spatial orientation differ in Rolfing and Pilates?
In classic Pilates, the focus is primarily on a very upright, held posture with the aim of counteracting gravity. In Rolfing, on the other hand, gravity is used as a support to harmonise the body in space. The focus is not only on straightening, but also on ground orientation and the integration of the entire body - from the feet to the top of the head.
Rolfing consciously works with spatial vectors to promote freedom of movement and better body awareness in space. These approaches make it possible to experience the three-dimensionality of the body and utilise gravity as a resource.
The strict posture rules in Pilates allow for little variability, whereas Rolfing gives you room to manoeuvre and emphasises the natural variety of movement.
How does your mantra ‘The best posture is the next posture’ influence your Pilates classes?
My mantra ‘The best posture is the next posture’ directs the focus away from rigid discipline-based ideals and towards the body's natural ability to adapt. There is no perfect posture, but a natural dynamic that supports the body in every situation.
This approach, inspired by Rolfing, takes the pressure off my clients. Posture becomes less associated with effort and discipline and is experienced as something that can be comfortable and easy. If you understand that you can adapt and vary your posture in everyday life - that it is okay to ‘slump today’ - then this change is not only physically noticeable, but also mentally liberating and provides an impetus for everyday life.
This not only makes Pilates training more effective, but also more suitable for everyday life and more sustainable.
Why is Rolfing Structural Integration such a valuable manual method?
Rolfing creates space - and where space is created, movement becomes possible. Through targeted Rolfing sessions, we release restrictions in the fascial tissue that block movement. For example, we often observe restricted mobility in the hips during Pilates. In such cases, Rolfing can help to release blockages and increase freedom of movement.
The result: frustration during training is reduced and joy and ease return to the movements.
What tips do you have for Pilates instructors who want to learn about Rolfing?
Be sure to experience a Rolfing session for yourself! This is the only way to understand what it feels like to feel your own body in a new way.
As trainers, we act as role models. If we have these experiences ourselves and feel them within ourselves - embodiment - we can pass them on authentically.
This not only enriches our own work, but also strengthens the connection with our clients and opens up new perspectives for teaching.
Are you curious?
Find out how the Certified Rolfer® training can enrich your work as a trainer!
- Register for our free webinar on Tuesday, 11 February 2025 and get to know the Rolfing® method.
- Experience the benefits of Rolfing for yourself - at our introductory Meet ROLFING® weekend on 15-16 March in Amsterdam. Secure your place today!
Interview partner: Marion Reiff, Certified Rolfer®, Pilates trainer, high dive trainer - Vienna, Austria
Interview and editing: Sabine Becker
Photos: Copyright © Marianne Schnitzler
More about Marion Reiff
Marion Reiff’s Website
Marion’s Social Channels: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube
Learn more about Rolfing® Structural Integration.
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