Have Roller — Will Travel

I couldn’t believe it.

I was watching Shark Tank, a TV show where entrepreneurs pitch their product ideas to investors. Former National Football League tight end Nate Lawrie and his business partner Tom Hopkins demonstrated MORPH (Affiliate link)*, a collapsible foam roller. 

Wow! One of my dreams came true!

You see, as a Feldenkrais® teacher, I regularly use rollers to help my students learn new ways of moving in individual sessions and group classes. They are great for creating a dynamic base of support, amplifying the effects of small movements, and transforming balance and coordination. 

I’ve even created a series of recorded Awareness Through Movement® lessons — Finding Midline — for folks who want to benefit from using a roller at home. 

These sturdy devices also play a central role in my self-care. I use them regularly to unwind from a stressful day, as a break from working at my desk, and to realize my commitment to improving my coordination and learning new ways of moving. 

For the last twenty years, I’ve traveled an average of 100,000 miles a year to teach public workshops, work in Feldenkrais teacher training programs, and provide postgraduate courses for my colleagues. Even with all the hassles of modern travel, I still love being on the road, experiencing the rhythms and perspectives of other places, and connecting with dedicated, like-minded folks around the world. 

Even so, travel is physically demanding, to say the least. Airplane seats have gotten less and less comfortable and the amount of room allotted each passenger has decreased. I do the best I can to mitigate the difficulties and discomfort by rolling up a sweatshirt or jacket to support my back, getting up and walking around regularly, and doing Feldenkrais and stretching in my seat and in the aisle. 

Despite my best efforts, by the time the flight lands, I can feel pretty beat up and out of sorts. Thankfully, I know what to do to take care of myself . . . but I have to do it without my favorite, most effective and reliable tool. For years I’ve been wishing that I could bring a roller with me. Though they weigh almost nothing, foam rollers take up a heck of a lot of space. It’s difficult enough to figure out how to pack the essentials; I never have enough room for a roller.

That’s why I was so excited when I saw the MORPH on Shark Tank. I searched online to find the details. I learned that it goes from being a 2.5” (6.35 cm) flat package, about the length of two paperback books end to end, to becoming a sturdy foam roller in a matter of seconds. The roller is a perfect size: 5.5” in diameter and 14.5” in length, which is just under 14 cm across and almost 36 cm long. What’s more Brazyn Life, the company that makes the MORPH, even offers an extension kit that makes it possible to combine two rollers into one longer one!