What is Bowen Therapy?
Bowen Therapy was developed in Australia, by Tom Bowen. The actual origins of his concepts are unknown or at least unclear though there do appear to be relationships to a variety of modalities, including osteopathy and traditional Chinese medicine. However, at some point he recognized an apparent common relationship in many seemingly unrelated painful conditions, particularly musculoskeletal but including neurological and other health problems. He identified this causal link as being the soft tissue or fascia that envelops the whole body from head to toe.

After working with thousands of clients, along with much studying of other modalities, he developed a "move", that has come to be known as the Bowen technique/Bowen Therapy/Bowenwork™. This move, when applied in certain sequences and with time between moves, seems to stimulate a variety of physical and emotional responses, often resulting in long term, and sometimes immediate, resolution of the problem/pain at hand.

Why did you decide to learn this modality?
I was looking for a gentle approach to help clients with fibromyalgia, as they frequently seek massage for pain relief. Many clients with fibromyalgia find massage to be painful both during and afterward for a day or two, but they come in anyway because they often receive temporary pain relief after the initial pain wears off, which makes it worthwhile. I was hoping to find something that was effective at relieving their pain without causing pain, and Bowen therapy had a reputation for helping many fibro clients. It is also great for those who may not be able to handle the pressure of massage, as well as anyone else seeking relief from pain.

What can it help?
Although Bowen therapy is wonderful and helpful for many people, like everything else in life, it doesn't work for everyone in every situation. However, according to the Bowenwork™ Academy, the following conditions often respond well to Bowenwork™:

* Frozen shoulder and shoulder pain * Tennis elbow * Carpal tunnel syndrome * Arthritis pain * Fibromyalgia * Scoliosis * Migraine * TMJ syndrome * Postural and gait problems * Sports injuries * Shin splints * Plantar fasciitis, other foot and ankle problems * Hernia
* Knee and hip restrictions * Pelvic problems * Sciatica * Asthma * Bronchitis * Hay fever * Sinusitis * Allergies * Colic * Crohn's disease * Indigestion * Constipation * Chronic diarrhea * Hemorrhoids * Bed wetting, children * Infertility * Menstrual pain * PMS * Mastitis * Fibroids: breast and uterine * Prostate problems * Chronic fatigue syndrome * Balance problems * Tinnitus * Ear ache and ear infections

Who can receive it?
Bowen therapy is extremely gentle, and is generally safe for everyone - babies, the elderly, pregnant women, etc... A few of the techniques may be contraindicated in a few situations (i.e., during pregnancy), but overall, anyone can receive the Bowen technique.

What can I expect?
The client lays upon a table, much like in a massage. If undressed, the client will be covered at all times with appropriate draping material, and only the area being worked on will be uncovered. The work can also be done while the client is dressed in most cases, although it is strongly recommended that the client wear thin, loose fitting material. It is nearly impossible to work through jeans and a heavy sweater.

Using gentle touch, a practitioner makes precise movements over various muscles and tendons throughout the body, sometimes only one or two moves at a time. The therapist then leaves the room for several minutes to allow the brain to integrate the information it has received, and then will return to make a few more moves. The moves create a resetting of the body’s various systems for the purpose of bringing the body into balance, thereby promoting healing and well-being. The body can use the energetic signals facilitated during a session to elicit deep, healing responses within the body on many different levels - mind, body and spirit. Some clients go into a very deep state of relaxation (many state it is much more relaxing than massage), while others report significant pain relief in addition to the relaxed state.