Janco Volk

After a severe car accident, I was in search of help for myself. Pain and the discomfort of misalignment led me to a succession of practitioners; physiotherapist, neurologist, acupuncturist, osteopath, and at last Rolfer.  

By the end of my second Rolfing session my pain was considerably lessened. The question arose in me, whether this method might be something that could have a greater impact on my life, beyond reducing pain.

After the tenth session I decided to attend a fourteen-day introductory Rolfing course called Spectrum, at the European Rolfing Association (ERA) School in Munich. This experience deepened my interest in Rolfing so that in 2008 I attended the full intensive educational program to become a Rolfer. I am still very happy that I decided to deepen my interest in Rolfing, not only for myself but also for my clients and the sessions that I go through with them.

When I am not Rolfing, I am in the park walking or jogging, or somewhere in the landscape hiking, playing tennis, or cooking, or busy in a too-small garden;-/ or reading/writing, or socializing with friends or my daughter Leona.

If you’d prefer another narrative, this one is also true.

As my father and brother are photographers, I have some visually oriented background. A magical moment sometimes happens when you see instead of just looking. This kind of perception and communication lead me to become an artist including sculpting. Then it seemed I needed a new medium and three dimensions☺.

After my civil service working at an adventure playground in Düsseldorf/Germany, I continued to do an apprenticeship in a foundry as a chaser for bronze sculptures.

In classical sculpture, which I also did, you always need a foundation and a skeleton or midline on and around which to build beauty.The foundation and midline provide balance and good behavior in gravity.The work of sculpting constantly trains the sculptor’s physical senses of touch and balance, and hand-eye coordination. But wait! you say, most sculptures have no nervous system, they don’t breath and move. This is true, and names another way in which I had to move on to a new more dynamic sculptural medium.

After travel in West Africa, I started my studies at the art academy in Amsterdam, continuing my personal exploration of this material way and world. 

Healing my wounds from accidents and other events I slowly began to develop more interest in the world of the body.

Sports have always been a part of my life, later kung-fu, and after the accident Tai chi, meditation and Rolfing.

My interest in the body and anatomy continue and following from this also physiology, breathing, and air, which becomes a less material world.

So, the connection from body to space, inside to outside, a functioning movement in space becomes more interesting and new kinds of questions arise, like; Where are the bridges between the material body and the felt sense, breath, expression and meaning. What is a thought? Where and when does being become meaning? What happens by touch and/or from just shifting attention? What is consciousness?