The Rolfing® process was originally created to improve the physical structures of normal, healthy individuals’ bodies and to improve the bodies’ alignment with gravity. Dr. Rolf saw that gravity was an ever-present force that was constantly pulling us downward. Over time, she saw, even slight deviations from vertical alignment will cause stooping and other postural distortions that her work could correct.

Practitioners of Structural Integration (‘Rolfers®’) discovered that this remarkable work can also dramatically improve and alleviate the physical effects of accidents, illnesses, aging, stress, surgery, pregnancy & repetitive self-use issues. In recent years, a good deal of positive attention is being given to the extraordinary effects of Rolfing® by the medical, biochemical and physiological research communities.

While Rolfing® bears a superficial resemblance to massage - in that it is a hands-on process, it is far more accurate to compare Rolfing® to ‘quasi-surgery’, in that like surgeons, Rolfers® can make dramatic changes in the relationship and function of body parts.  Indeed, on many occasions, by just experiencing one or a few Rolfing® sessions, people scheduled for surgery have been able to avoid that surgery altogether.  And, where surgery has already been performed, Rolfing® can be used to eliminate or greatly reduce the constricting effects of scar tissue left behind by even the most adept surgeons. In terms of the practical benefits, Rolfers® can comfortably address many common problems, such as those related to breathing, posture, flexibility, scar tissue, joints, migraines and cumulative stress.

Richard has taught at the Rolf Institute, has led workshops & seminars for physical therapists & has worked with medical doctors and chiropractors at leading sports medicine & rehabilitation clinics, hospitals & growth centers. 

Richard has invented several innovative tools that greatly enhance the direct manual contact experience, making his unique style of Rolfing® an unexpectedly effective & pleasant experience. 

Richard is also an Advanced Practitioner of Rolfing® Movement Education and offers his Clients information and re-training in such basic movement behaviors as walking, sitting, running, resting and more. This is an important adjunct to the hands-on work as Clients can learn more positive, self-aware & effective ways of self-use. 

Richard currently sees Clients in the Garden of Paradise Healing & Retreat Center, conveniently located near the famous mile-high tourist destination, the small town of Vilcabamba, located in the Valley of Longevity, in Ecuador’s south-central Andes Mountains. He occasionally travels to Cuenca and Quito to see Clients.

Rolfing®, also known as Structural Integration,

was named after biochemist, Dr. Ida P. Rolf.

Dr. Rolf called her invention

‘Structural Integration’

Her clients and students

call her work ‘miraculous’

Clients wear either light clothing or simple undergarments for sessions, depending on their preference. Frequency and timing of sessions can be scheduled to match a person's needs and budget.

Richard’s sessions last approximately 90 minutes and the fee for this full-length session in Ecuador is $120. Shorter sessions can also be arranged at $20 for 15 minutes, $40 for half an hour and $80 for an hour.

To schedule an appointment with Richard, please click here. We will respond promptly. If you don’t hear back from us within 48 hours, please persist and resend your email, as cyber gremlins may have eaten it.

For US session locations and fees, please contact Richard by email as he is mostly in Ecuador now.

focused or they can be focused on enhancing the Client’s performance & normal functions. For example, Richard can greatly expand breathing capacity, profoundly change body energetics and grace of movement, improve metabolic function, improve anatomical form and structure (e.g., posture and abdominal contours). He has spent decades helping athletes, musicians and artists improve their performances. At the Client’s request, digital ‘before & after’ photographs can be taken to document results and overall progress. 

To learn more about our Garden of Paradise Healing and Retreat Center, please click here.

If you’d like to see photos of Café Cosmos, our elegant B&B, and schedule a visit with us in the Garden of Paradise website, please click here.

To visit Richard’s personal website, please click here.

The Rolfing® logo was originally traced from photos of the results of Dr. Rolf’s work with a young boy.

Richard Wheeler is a Certified Advanced Rolfer® who studied with Dr. Rolf and has 45 years of experience in the USA. His sessions can be therapeutically