Marion Rosen is a physical therapist who has dedicated her life to easing the suffering in others.  Through out her life she studied and gathered methods to re-new and rejuvenate as many as she could, founding a work, the Rosen Method Movement and Rosen Method Body Work, that is now 50 years old, with over 320 practitioners in 13 countries throughout Europe, Australia and the U.S. Her unique approach to bodywork (including breath work) and movement has earned her international recognition as a leader and originator of body oriented therapies.

Born in Nuremberg, Germany in 1914, her early years were challenging due to being born Jewish, yet raised Lutheran.  This mix of heritage became a key factor in her life journey, which ultimately led to Berkeley, California.

Marion’s lineage traces to the influence of psychoanalyst Dr. Carl Jung and Elsa Gindler.  Elsa, a contemporary of Jung, specialized in the integration of physical and personal development.  While breathing and relaxation techniques are ancient and well respected in the East, Ms. Gindler can be credited as one of the forerunners of Western breathing and relaxation practices.

One of Elsa’s students was Lucy Heyer, (wife of Dr. Gustav Heyer, colleague and former student of Dr. Jung).  Lucy’s focus was using massage, breath work and relaxation methods.  She, along with a small group of other therapists, created a multi-disciplinary, experimental clinical setting, which drew patients from all over Germany because of the accelerated results of the integrated therapies. It was Lucy Heyer who took Marion Rosen as a student for her two year apprenticeship.

When Marion’s family fled Germany due to Hitler’s influence, she found herself in Sweden.  She completed her first formal physical therapy training in Stockholm.

Deciding to leave Europe entirely due to World War II, Marion heading for the United States and settled in Berkeley, near the Richmond shipyards, during the early 1940’s.  She began working as a physical therapist at Kaiser Hospital, which led her to obtain her US Physical Therapist Certification from the Mayo Clinic in Minneapolis.

Returning to Berkeley, Marion ultimately left the hospital setting and opened her own practice.  Years later, she formalized the Rosen Method Bodywork and Rosen Method Movement Classes, including opening her base school in Berkeley, California.