OWEN MARCUS M.A.
Certified Advanced Rolfer
Please Note: No longer practicing Rolfing
I have moved to Nevada City, CA to devote my time to my new endeavor, EVRYMAN.
We use science and three decades of work to bring men the skills we never taught so our lives and relationships are what we want them to be.
assume if you are at this page, you want to learn something about me. When I am reading about something new, I want to get a good sense of who is doing it.
Power of Rolfing
After years of clients and colleagues asking for a user-friendly explanation of Rolfing SI I decided to write The Power of Rolfing. Clients who experience the benefits of Rolfing want to share it with others—they want a book that explains what they experienced. The key principles of Rolfing SI are simple, understanding their applications can also be simple.
Background
In 1975, I earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Plattsburgh State University of New York. Later, I earned a master’s in health education from the Professional Studies Institute of Arizona.
I began studying Rolfing and holistic health in the mid-1970s while living in Boulder, Colorado. In 1980, I began creating a holistic clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, employing and mentoring other Rolfers, including a senior Rolfing instructor. This clinic of massage therapists, Rolfers, nutritionists and physicians treated a full range of clients in Arizona and beyond.
Sport Rolfing SI
At the clinic I developed Sports Rolfing from working with Olympic and professional athletes. This work with elite athletes led me to do the first research on Rolfing and performance enhancement (conducted through Arizona State University). During this time, I also became the first Rolfer for Ballet Arizona, the professional ballet company for the state of Arizona.
During the 1980s and 1990s, I worked with business and legal professionals as I developed my holistic/Rolfing SI clinic. During this period, I designed and taught courses for companies such as IBM and GE. These courses included team building, communication skills and public speaking. Using my skills in body-centered psychotherapy, I was able to offer a unique perspective to these traditional institutions.
Out of an interest to explore the traditions of other treatment methods, I also began the study of indigenous medicine in 1982. During this time, I learned how to use aspects of the Natural World to assist in healing. Integrating the subtle knowledge of body-centered psychotherapy and traditional healing allows me to understand an individual’s needs and how to communicate a comprehensive plan for his or her full renewal.
After a year’s sabbatical in northern California, I moved to Sandpoint in 1997. I chose Sandpoint in part because it reminded me of my hometown in Vermont. Also, after 17 years in a large city developing a leading holistic health clinic, I was ready for a more relaxed life-style .
I created the Healing Journey™, a unique group and individual process that allows a client to heal the causes of an old problem. Through gently accessing the physiological as well as the psychological patterns created by trauma, a person consciously and unconsciously releases the trauma. When the restrictive patterns are no longer present, the body/mind naturally learns more productive behavior for achieving what the person desires.
Expanding in scope of practice
While in Arizona, I went on to co-found the Scottsdale Institute for Health and Medicine, Inc. One of our ventures was conducting Mindfulness Stress Reduction programs for the public, corporations and hospital networks. At the time, we were the largest company providing Mindfulness Stress Reduction classes in the nation. (Don’t be too impressed, though–this was much more a labor of love than a money making proposition.) Teaching the body how to not recreate stress is the key to both stress reduction and Rolfing.
A few of my women clients inspired me to do a study on Rolfing’s effect on reducing cellulite. Although I never promoted these effects, a good percentage of my practice in Scottsdale came to me because of how women’s bodies transform from Rolfing.
Natural Walking and Natural Running
Out of my history of working with runners I started teaching Running Flow™, the application of Natural Walking™ to running. Even the Olympic marathon runners I had as clients were not using gravity to aid their running. Not only does the wrong form produce many of the running injuries I saw – it just takes the fun out of running. Learning how to run like our ancestors ran is like setting a caged animal free.
Educating the community
Throughout my career in health care, I have led classes and groups that focus on educating the participants on how to be self-sustaining. It is my belief that good health and a more enjoyable life can be learned and maintained.
In the mid 90’s I began studying how to lead men’s groups. Since then, I have created and led men’s groups in Arizona and California. Currently I am leading weekly groups here in Sandpoint where I’m also teaching other men to be group leaders. I created a www.sandpointmensgroup.com for the Sandpoint Men’s Group to help the group members share with the community their experiences with the group. In attempt to expand my support of men I created the blog – www.owenmarcus.com. My passion for helping other men form free men’s groups had me create the nonprofit, Men Corps – www.mencorps.org.
As one of the founding member of the Sandpoint Wellness Council I developed a blog to post the articles the Council members publish in the local papers and magazines. This Council is the hub of Sandpoint being a Holistic Town.
I still consult and coach on personal stress management and performance enhancement. Much of this work is conducted over the phone. On occasion, clients fly in to work with me in person.
I love learning new ways to help others. After 40-plus years of working with clients, I am more convinced than ever that we are capable of healing virtually anything. If I feel your time and money will get you better results some other place, I will send you to the person I feel can help you best. Good Rolfing is amazing at its ability to deal with conditions based on stress, soft tissue and structure. Outside that rubric, our effectiveness declines significantly.
My goal is to provide the best Rolfing possible.
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ADDITIONAL TRAININGS
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My training and experience in soft tissue manipulation extends beyond Rolfing, so I created this synopsis of my trainings.I began training in Boulder, Colorado, in 1976, studying several traditional and oriental forms of bodywork, ranging from acupressure to cranial sacral therapy. In the late 1970s, I received training in Feldenkrais’ work with some of the original students of Moshe Feldenkrais, Ph.D. Much of my cranial sacral therapy training occurred between 1984 and 1985, when Peter J. Armitage, D.O., an English physician exclusively practicing cranial sacral therapy, worked in my Scottsdale, Arizona, clinic. I began my study in visceral manipulation from its French originator, Jean Perrie Barrell, D.O., in 1987. My postgraduate training in the psychotherapy arena began early when I became one of the original students of Ron Kurtz’s body-centered Hakomi Therapy®. I went on to study Gestalt Therapy, Bio-Energetics®, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), men’s issues and therapies, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Over the course of 15 years, I did extensive training in Clinical (Ericksonian) Hypnosis, primarily with Stephen Gilligan, Ph.D. I also studied, and now apply, Peter Levine’s Ph.D., Somatic Experiencing® to my Rolfing and men’s work.Based on my experience gained from leading Jon Kabat-Zinn’s, Ph.D. Mindfulness Stress Reduction courses, I am able to incorporate the gentle acceptance of mindfulness in all my work. The integration of both my psychological and bodywork training and experience formed the foundation for my Men’s Coaching practice. From my training in Somatic Psychology I continue to be a Clinical member of USABP, United States Association for Body Psychotherapy. Currently my focus is on training men to lead men’s groups using the principles of Somatic Psychology. Over the last 30 years, I have familiarized myself with other aspects of healing by studying clinical nutrition, herbal medicine, oriental medicine, martial arts, homeopathy, organic and permaculture gardening, yoga, Anatomiken® Anatomy Trainings, Jin Shin Jyutsu®, Ideokinesis® and Rolf Movement®. Many of these disciplines are woven into my unique Rolfing style. Others are used to guide my clients in enhancing their Rolfing experiences. I often rely on my training in other arenas along with therapies I have personally experienced, such as acupuncture, to suggest adjunct treatments for my clients. Many of these disciplines contain elements of the public and professional courses I taught. Every year I work to expand my professional development by extending my knowledge and skills into new areas. |
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