An advanced certified Rolfer with private equine and human practice will be on the Island Monday.

Jim Pascucci is an experienced horseman who has been training his own horses for over 20 years. His equine clients are involved in a variety of disciplines from eventing to cutting and include some of the top dressage horses and riders in the United States.

His classes are fast-paced, informative and provide an environment to accelerate learning through immediate hands-on application.

He is returning to Bermuda this month to work with clients at the Health Co-op, on South Shore Road, Warwick, from January 24 to February 5.

He will also be holding a free talk on January 23, at 10 a.m., on both Rolfing and Craniosacral.

The aim is to educate people who are unaware of Rolfing and Craniosacral treatments and the many benefits that they can provide.

Mr. Pascucci explained some of the benefits and principles of both Rolfing and Craniosacral in this interview with .

The benefits are both physical and mental. As the body assumes a more upright posture it has more resilience, and many of the physical problems are resolved.

On the mental side have you ever noticed that it?s hard to be depressed when you are standing up? That it?s hard to be angry when you are smiling.

The physical body supports or pulls down on our mental body. One thing that?s unique about Rolfing is that the work continues after the session. In other words the ?peak? experience doesn?t happen on the table.

It works through the removal of restrictions in the soft tissue fascia. Fascia is (essentially all of the connective tissue in the body) ? a three-dimensional web throughout the body. It positions everything, organs, bones, blood vessels, nerves et cetera.

When there is a problem in the fascia, similar to a snag in nylon stockings, it is felt throughout the web.

The compensations that are set up for this little irritation can become overwhelming. Like being stuck in traffic.

Both. There are exercises that help the work to continue, but initially one works with a Rolfer.

Dr. Ida P. Rolf about 60 years.

I was first Rolfed in 1981 because of severe headaches. I left my position as an engineering manager at Hewlett Packard to become a Rolfer in 1993. I had very bad horse accident in 1993 and Rolfing was the one therapy that made a change in my body for the better. I started my practice in 1994.

If they get an appointment, they should come in and try it. Or they can come to the talk and demonstration and let me work with them a little there.

A gentle form of manipulation, Craniosacral therapy is a hands-on body therapy.

Craniosacral therapists listen to and guide the Craniosacral system, which includes the soft tissue and bones of the head (cranium), the spine down to its end (the sacral area) and the pelvis.

They also work with the membranes that surround these bones and the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord.

Although the therapist uses a touch so light that many patients don?t even notice it, most people report feeling many changes and relaxed after a treatment.

Craniosacral therapy has it?s origins in the 1930s with William G. Sutherland, an American osteopath and disciple of Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of osteopathy. Sutherland devoted nearly 20 years to exploring the concept that the bones of the skull are designed and formed to allow for movement.

The form of Craniosacral therapy I practice is based on the work of Dr. Sutherland, but should not be confused with Cranial Osteopathy. At no time will I make any diagnosis about you or your condition.

Craniosacral therapists believe that the movement of spinal fluid within and around the central nervous system creates a vital body rhythm, no less important to health and well-being than the heartbeat or the breath. The bones of the head move to accommodate this rhythm, although very slightly.

Restrictions in the movement of the cranial bones as well as the spine can cause a reduction in the cranial rhythm.

Traumatic injuries, ligament or joint strains, or dysfunctions in other parts of the body may cause these restrictions. As a cranial therapist I attempt to remove these blockages to bring the rhythm back into balance.

In a typical session, you will be clothed asked to lie down on the table. I will then gently use my hands to monitor the craniosacral rhythm at your head.

After sensing the movement I will encourage the tissue, again very gently, to release any restrictions in the bones and soft tissue to clear blockages and correct the flow of cerebrospinal fluid so it is smooth and even. A session usually lasts from 50 minutes to an hour.

When the craniosacral system is properly aligned and the rhythm balanced the cerebrospinal fluid can deliver nutrition to the central nerves.

It can reduce stress, improve the quality of sleep, increase energy, enhance the functioning of all the body?s organs.

Although no significant clinical trials have tested these claims, anecdotal reports considerable success for craniosacral therapy in the treatment of a wide variety of common ailments, including headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, and sinusitis.

Individual sessions cost $150 and run between 50 to 90 minutes. For more information ( 236-0336.