SZAJA CHARLES GOTTLIEB, M.A., CERTIFIED ADVANCED ROLFER®

My name is Szaja (pronounced Shaya) Gottlieb and I practice in San Luis Obispo California. I was certified at the Rolf Institute in November, 2001. I became a Certified Advanced Rolfer® in 2008. In the 16 years since I became a Rolfer®, I have done over 10,000 sessions and the experience of doing and learning from those sessions has been equal or more important than my original schooling. I am also an editor and frequent writer for the Journal of Structural Integration, a compendium of articles written by practitioners, published quarterly, and available for purchase online. I have included many of my articles on this site.

I became involved with Rolfing in the late 70’s after continually experiencing back problems for many years. Rolfing not only eliminated those problems but unexpectedly set me off on a course of personal transformation. For the next 20 years I was an artist/sculptor working mostly in stone. Previously, in 1970, I had received a Masters degree in European intellectual history and was destined for a career in academia. For more on my journey, please read “The Art of Rolfing®SI and the Art of Sculpture: Seeing, Embodiment, and Space” included in my writings.

As I enter my 70th year, I am personally convinced that the body is an entity we take for granted. We often feel betrayed when it fails us, whether simply aches or pain or in a major way with disease and metabolic breakdowns. We expect a lot from our bodies but put little into it. The body, not the house or home we sleep and eat in, is truly our primordial structure.

On a personal note, I am also husband to my wife Ko, who is an archery coach, and father to my daughter Judith Dabin, who, as an archer, has Olympic aspirations. We live in Los Osos just a few minutes away from beautiful Montana de Oro.