I had been seeing James regularly for 3 years for everything from tennis elbow to numbness in my hands and plantar fasciitis with great success when one day he discovered a hard lump, deep in my belly and suggested that given the location, I should have it checked out by my doctor, who sent me for an immediate CT scan which revealed aortic and iliac aneurisms which fortunately were not in imminent danger of bursting. I decided to have the surgery soon after though and spent a week in the hospital recovering. I came out feeling very tired and very protective about my belly and the sutures – the last thing I wanted to have anyone touch it much less work there.

But my friend, who had originally referred me to James had other ideas. He told me he was taking me in to see James the day after I got out. James worked very gently on the area of the surgery which allowed me to lengthen my belly without fear and I felt much of the stress and exhaustion of the surgery melt away. He also released the cramping around my colon which completely relieved the painful post-surgery constipation within hours…

So, I highly recommend James’ work: my tennis game and surfing are better and pain free, not to mention I am still alive (a burst aneurism can just ruin your whole day…).

Clark Soave

This work has been life-changing for me – when I first started getting Rolfed 10 years ago on my daughter’s suggestion, I had constant pain and a lot of concerns over the progression of my scoliosis, which is somewhat severe. My chronic pain went away within the first few sessions and the flareups I would have from time to time have gotten much less frequent and less painful and do not last very long. Most of the time now I am in no pain at all. I went to see a spinal specialist recently and he painted a dire picture of what my future could be but I just didn’t buy into it because I have seen that with Rolfing and the exercises I learned in physical therapy I have more control than I have ever had over my physical well-being.

Given the extent of my scoliosis, I still have to deal with weird things that seem to malfunction for no obvious reason but we seem to be able to resolve them more and more easily. Another bonus is that I look better – my wife always knows when I have been to see James because I look so much taller…

Ted Jarvis

I have had work from many Rolfers since I was trained as a Rolfer 37 years ago by Dr. Rolf – I have seen James for years when my body needs work because I really appreciate the way he combines the best of the work as Dr. Rolf taught it with newer techniques like Visceral Manipulation and in particular nerve work which has been especially helpful for me. I have referred many people to him for a whole range of issues because I have total confidence in his skills and experience. When he works on me, I feel taken care of on all levels…

Veronique Raskin

http://www.theorganicwinecompany.com/

Three years ago, after working as an esthetician for 15 years,I was forced to go on disability. My sciatica had become completely debilitating. My hip was stuck way out of alignment, my pelvis was locked and my lumbar curve was flattened out. Not only was I in excruciating pain, but I was deformed as well. I thought I would not be able to work in my profession again. I went to a chiropractor weekly for several months which helped a little.

A friend suggested Rolfing but I was concerned that it would be painful, but I was desperate. Calling James was the best thing I ever did – yes, there’s a little discomfort, but the relief that followed was immediate and profound. He has such a compassionate way about him, he made me feel completely safe. I have definitely had massages that did less and hurt more.

I started to feel better right away, but we had a breakthrough after about 5 sessions; that one session relieved so much of the acute pain that had me all twisted in knots that it allowed me to go off of disability. I still see him every couple of months, but my worst day now would have been my best day then. I feel like James gave me my life back.

Michelle Smith

As a fellow Rolfer who is quite picky about who I let work on me, James was my go-to Rolfer when I lived in San Francisco. I had chronic sacro-iliac pain and through his years of expertise of the body, ability to hold emotional stories that wanted to express themselves & his incredible nerve work, I am so happy to say that my SI is still singing about a year after receiving a series of sessions from James!
I miss him dearly & often wish I could snap my fingers and be transported from my new home on the east coast to his office. He is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, & is able to hold so much space for healing that just being around him makes me feel better! Don’t wait, get a session with James…your life will not be the same.

Rachel Felson: http://www.rachelfelson.com/

As a fellow Rolfing Practitioner, I know James as both a colleague and a client.  Having had about 15 sessions with James, I have made progress in the way I walk and stand from years of soccer and other athletic endeavors.  His method is refined over 20 years of experience, and I always leave feeling better balanced and upright. I place James amongst the top Rolfing practitioners I enjoy getting work from.  Now if we could just get him to teach!

Greg Brynelson   http://www.cityrolfer.com

My daughter developed Osgood Schlatter Syndrome when she was 11 years old, which is not uncommon in children who grow tall rapidly as she did.  She had to drop out of lacrosse and soccer from the intense pain she felt while running.  Her traditional doctor told us she would just have to “lay off and not run for 12 weeks” and ordered and an x-ray.  After 12 weeks she was no better.  So I brought her to see James Schwartz.  Besides being truly warm and engaging he is a master Rolfer.  Arianna had 4 or 5 sessions with James with dramatic results.  The sessions were a little uncomfortable for her, but not painful.  Soon she was running and playing soccer again pain free.  I was so impressed that I had James work on my own issues with my hamstrings and lower back.  Being a yoga instructor, I use my body for my work and cannot afford to be sidelined.  James again was masterful, working into my tissues with deep knowledge and a healing touch.  The results have been dramatic. I cannot recommend him enough!

Jean Johnson, yoga instructor

http://thegirlandthemat.com/wordpress/

“When patients ask whether Rolfing would be good for them, I reply that it depends on the practitioner. If the Rolfer has the vision to see the body as it is, the hands to feel into the blocks, the heart to truly work deeply, and the reflection to honestly measure the results, I would definitely say yes. James Schwartz has it all, the vision, the hands, the heart and the reflection. Add to that a wealth of experience and a hunger to keep learning and one can hardly ask for more.”

Steven L. Katz, D.C.
Chiropractic Orthopedist

Rolfing has taken at least 10 years off my legs. When I started working with James 7 years ago I was constantly sore and tight and struggled with hamstring, calf and foot problems. Right from the first session, I felt a dramatic difference in my recovery rate – I could work out harder, longer and recover much quicker. As my chronic problems got better, I improved to the point where I was able to maintain a running streak of over 400 consecutive days, something I have never been able to do without injuring myself. I was doing 50 miles of strenuous training per week including high intensity speedwork on the track, yet nothing was hurting. Later that year, I was successful in attaining a personal goal of running under 5 minutes for the one mile run at the age of 50 with a nationally ranked time of 4:56.39.
Mike Fanelli, competitive runner for nearly 40 years.

Alón Sagee, an active athlete his entire life, sought me out after a major injury. “Five months ago, I had major spinal surgery on my low back. With the help of my diligent yoga practice, I had made what my doctor thought was a remarkable recovery, but I still felt that certain yoga postures that required a deep opening were all but impossible for me. I had been Rolfed years ago and had remarkable results, but it was so intense that I was not looking forward to going through that again. However, I felt resigned to the fact that this was the only thing that would work to open my body. James later told me I looked very serious when I came in for my first session. Really, I was just nervous – my previous experience with Rolfing was so painful. So, as my first surprise, it felt great! Don’t get me wrong – it can be challenging at times, but even then it felt like what my body had been wanting for years. I ended up laughing through most of the session because I could hardly believe what I was experiencing. It felt like I had just done six months of yoga in an hour! I could breathe fully – possibly for the first time – my back expanding easily with each inhale. Walking to my car was remarkable: My hips, knees, legs, back – everything James touched seemed to be lubricated, moving with an ease I had never known before. I hardly recognized my own body. I’ve now had five sessions with James, and the “conversation” that both of us are having with my body continues to expose and release old patterns, freeing me to flow through my day with a newfound calm. In my daily yoga practice, I now do stretches I simply couldn’t do before beginning this process.”
Alon Sagee
www.yogabusinesscoach.com

For years I have been suffering, and I mean suffering, with a pain like a needle under a callus on the main joint on the bottom of my big toe. I would see my physician and he would scrap off the callus and send me on my way. The pain would get so bad I could barely step on that foot. I bought a pair of foot cushions, used a pumice stone, and worked to keep the pain down. These things helped but the relief was only partial and would always become unbearable again. I went to a podiatrist who scraped the callus and said there was nothing more he could do.

Having a long term relationship with Rolfing and James, I decided to visit him. The results were, and I don’t say this lightly, miraculous. He felt that the pain was probably caused by a tethered and inflamed nerve and after one session with him, most of the pain was gone. Within a few days the pain was totally gone. I have continued to work with it on my own but have not needed another session and the pain has not come back. This has made a huge difference in the quality of my life.

Laury Ostrow

http://www.dancinghelix.com

I cannot say enough about James’ work. After a long career as a professional ballet dancer, and three major orthopedic surgeries (the last being a total hip replacement) in the last six years, I was constantly searching for help in healing my body. I’ve tried a myriad of modalities over the years, including Rolfing, and I had begun to feel helpless about ever changing the patterns and restrictions that had set in after years of compensating to the injuries and surgeries. After one session with James though, I knew I was on the right path. He obviously had many years of experience, intuition and curiosity, This is not to say that a few sessions transformed my body – I wasn’t expecting miracles – but in every session we made progress. James is experienced, intuitive, collaborative, curious, and genuinely invested in my physical restoration. Restrictions and body patterns that I have long felt hopeless about are actually changing! I look forward to the continued transformation that future sessions will undoubtably bring.

Maurya Kerr

I met James back in 1997 after reading and hearing about Rolfing and how it can help align the body for better posture. I was attempting to qualify for the Boston Marathon and have always had stooped posture, making breathing a challenge when trying to increase my running speed. At my first visit with James he went right to work on my loosening my back and shoulders to free up my rib cage. I can’t say I enjoyed the process but I sure did enjoy the next run when I felt taller and my breathing was so much easier… Consequently I was able to intensify my training and increase my speed and I did qualify for and run the Boston Marathon. I continue to see James every year whenever I come up with a new challenge, like when I decided to run a 100 mile race. I think he doubted my sanity on that one but he worked with me and not only did I finish within the time limit but my recovery was amazingly easy. I doubt that I could have ever done this without the Rolfing sessions…

Marcy Shone

My wife, my daughter and I have all seen James for over a decade and have had the same experience so many times we can now laugh about it. Typically something seizes up and we pretend that maybe if we just give it a day or two or some Advil the problem will just go away. Inevitably we wait too long, and then when things look really dire, we hobble into his office and he somehow straightens us out, usually in one or at the most 2 sessions. We then resolve that next time, we will call James before total strangers start walking up to us on the street asking, “Are you okay…?” but of course we still wait too long again and repeat the cycle, but somehow, no matter how bad it gets, he never fails us…

Steve Perry

“Linda Gill, a former UCLA cross-country and track athlete, tried Rolfing to recover from a nagging hamstring injury. After several sessions, she noticed that, ‘Rolfing really helped my overall body mechanics; the tension I historically felt in my shoulders was gone, my hamstrings felt great and breathing became easier as my chest opened up.’ Six months later, Linda won a Black Shirt (given to the first 35 finishers, out of the approximately 1000 runners) in the famous Dipsea, a cruel 7.1 mile race in Marin County California, and the following year was the fastest female finisher.

(Excerpt from “Where’s the rub: Purge your trail-running imbalances with Rolfing” Trail Runner Magazine, July 2005) trailrunnermag.com/article.php?id=87&start=Here’s&cat=6