The Bowen Technique, or Bowen Therapy is unique to the field of body work, is gentle and relaxing and triggers the body’s own healing resources to achieve balance and harmony, which can result in lasting relief from pain and discomfort. Benefits may be seen after the first session and may be long lasting. It is a gentle, manual, soft tissue therapy that is applied to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the body with minimal pressure over precise points on the body. It promotes deep relaxation and self healing. It is safe to use on anyone, in all ages and stages of life, from newborns to the elderly. Bowen Therapy addresses the human body as a whole rather than just the symptoms presented. It aids in restoring balance to the body via the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS controls over 80% of bodily functions. Healing can occur only after the ANS shifts from sympathetic (fight or flight) to parasympathetic dominance (rest, relax and restore mode). The Bowen technique allows the body to heal itself without forceful intervention. It can be used to enhance the effectiveness of other modalities. However, its effectiveness appears to be reduced by modalities affecting energy flow and deep tissue. It is recommended that no other therapies be performed for 4 days before or 5 days after a Bowen treatment. In most cases, the recipient can expect substantial relief after just the first session and cases of repeat injury or chronic illness may take longer to effect, but will none the less experience improvement gradually. Many people choose to have ongoing monthly or quarterly maintenance treatments once their initial complaint has been addressed. Some chronic conditions in particular may require more Bowen work than others.

What’s the Treatment like?

A Bowen treatment consists of sequences of moves, each at specific points on the body. A typical Bowen session generally lasts from 15 to 60 minutes. Clients typically lie on a massage table, or may be seated in a chair if required for comfort. The treatment is pleasant as therapists use light cross-fibre maneuvers of muscle, tendon or ligament with no forceful manipulation. Between each set of moves, the practitioner pauses for as many minutes as are needed for the client’s body to begin responding.

History of the Bowen Technique

The therapy itself was developed over 40 years ago by the late Tom Bowen of Australia. His extraordinary successes in treating thousands of patients were documented by a government inquiry into alternative health practices in Australia in 1975. The Bowen Technique is now in over 30 countries. Practitioners around the world have embraced Bowtech for its remarkable effectiveness, its gentle application and the diversity of problems it addresses.

Conditions Treated by the Bowen Technique

The Bowen Technique achieves profound relief from a wide spectrum of conditions. It reduces physical, emotional and mental stresses, improves joint mobility, lymphatic and venous circulation, supports toxin elimination, and promotes a state of ease and well-being.