Bowen Therapy is an Australian-developed technique, that has been used for over 70 years. It is now well accepted globally as a gentle holistic treatment for pain relief.
This unique system of body work combines osteopathic principles, chiropractic theory and acupoint sites, delivered through the body’s soft tissue. The outcome is structural integrity of the musculoskeletal system, resulting in optimum function of the body’s Central Nervous System, so that the body can heal and adjust.
an assessment-based approach
My approach to treatment involves assessments of your whole body. These help to ascertain your body’s patterns, restrictions and imbalances. Your body’s restrictions guide your individual treatment, based on what the assessments reveal.
Every move on your body is also an assessment, feeling for muscle tone/tightness.
You’ll notice throughout treatment that I’ll pause after particular moves to allow your body to respond to that move. I’ll also frequently reassess after that pause to check the change – repeating the move, checking your feet for leg length, or moving your body to review the change.
treat the source of pain, not the site of pain
Gentle rolling moves on muscles and ligaments relax and calm your body. Firmer moves in specific locations, determined by assessments, bring your spine and body back to balance.
These moves are likely not where you feel pain. My goal is to bring the body back to balance through treating the source of pain, rather than chase symptoms.
For some people, especially in their first session, there may be a few layers of restrictions to help unravel. A problem may have set up a compensatory pattern, which has further compensated…
Other specific areas of concern (eg. shoulders, knees, ankles) are addressed once the spine is in balance.
relaxed and balanced
At the end of a treatment, my goal is that your body will feel more balanced and stable.
Posture-wise, feet start to feel more equally weighted on the floor. Muscles in the spine feel softer and more even in tone. The body will feel calmer as it shifts toward parasympathetic-dominant. Improvement in spinal alignment allows the central nervous system to function better.
While many people feel immediate relief, others feel somehow “different” and will continue to feel changes in the days that follow.
on and off the massage table
Bowen is best done lying down (my key assessments are done lying face down), but most can be done seated. Bowen can be done directly on skin (with towels, of course) but is also effective done through loose, light clothing.
Depending on the assessment and the person, some Emmett Technique moves may be included – these are even more gentle, but can be very powerful.
I’m not able to diagnose medical conditions, but I can tell you the patterns I see and feel, and where key restrictions are (or were). I can also give some simple exercises, stretches or moves that you can do between sessions if I feel it will help.