| |
For as long as I can remember, I've suffered from back pain.
Although I have experienced some relief using heat, cold, massage,
chiropractic and acupuncture, invariably the pain has always returned.
Until one day I visited a friend in California who had similar back
problems. She told me she had some body work done called Bowen.
Her back and hip pain were gone after just one session!
I was definitely intrigued. I couldn't wait to find out more.
When I arrived back home I got on the internet and learned that the
Bowen Technique involves a series of very gentle rolling moves on the
body using thumbs and fingers. It was developed in Australia in
the 1950's by Thomas Bowen, a gifted healer who devised a simple but
powerful method for releasing pain.
Hoping to find a Bowen practitioner near me, I emailed close to 40
practitioners around the U.S. and asked if they could refer me to
someone. After 39 "no's" I got one "yes!"
I arranged to have three Bowen sessions. After the third session,
my back pain and sciatica were "history!" I got so
excited I decided to train to become a Bowen practitioner.
The Amazing Tom Bowen
Tom Bowen was a gifted natural healer from Australia. Late in life
he discovered he had an unusual gift that allowed him to intuitively
know what was ailing people and how to help them relieve their pain.
His healing technique is unique in that it was developed without him
having had any previous medical or healthcare training.
He claimed he could feel tiny vibrations in people’s muscles that
helped him find the exact location to work on. He spoke of his
skill with great humility and frequently stated that his work was
“simply a gift from God.”
Tom had the capacity to quickly assess what was wrong with someone and
where they were out of balance. He could look into a room full of
people, glance at them for about 20 seconds, and know what their
problems were. Although he never advertised, it was estimated that
he treated over 13,000 people in the course of one year, and he claimed
a success rate of about 88%!
A Unique Technique
The Bowen Technique is quite unique. There are several features
that set it apart from other modalities
Gentle
It is so gentle that you hardly notice you’re being touched.
People usually become very relaxed right away, and often fall asleep
during a session.
Fast
Rapid pain relief is common. Most pain and injury will respond
within two or three sessions.
Long-Lasting Relief
People often experience a deep and long-lasting relief. Two to
three sessions spaced one week apart are usually enough to achieve
lasting relief, even from long-standing pain or injury.
Safe
There is no one who cannot be treated safely with Bowen. It is so
gentle, it can be used on babies, pregnant women, the elderly and the
disabled. It is not dangerous to those suffering from chronic
illness and it is ideal for treating children because it is non-invasive
and non-threatening.
Two Minute Pauses
It is a unique feature of the Bowen Technique that there are two minute
breaks in which the practitioner actually leaves the room. These
pauses are crucial as they allow the body time to absorb the
“messages” presented by the moves.
Painless
There is no cracking, no force and no needles. There is little
discomfort or pain involved because there is no heavy pressure or hard
probing into sensitive muscles or joints.
Less Is More
The practitioner does the minimum needed to bring about a healing
response in the body. The more acute the pain, the less they do.
The less they do, the more profound the effect on the body.
Great First Aid Tool
When you apply the Bowen Technique right after a fall, injury or
accident, the release of tension acts in a preventive way to help
correct any imbalance before it can adversely affect the body.
Easy To Learn
The technique is easy to learn. There is only one basic move.
How Does Bowen Work?
The gentle yet powerful Bowen moves send neurological impulses to the
brain resulting in immediate responses of muscle relaxation and pain
reduction. The moves create energy surges which are concentrated
in specific areas of the body using "blockers" or
"stoppers." These are released when you stand up.
The Bowen Technique helps the body remember how to heal itself.
Electrical impulses sent to the nervous system remind the body to regain
normal movement in joints, muscles and tendons. This helps
relieve muscle spasms and increase blood and lymph flow. Several
of the moves are located along acupuncture meridians or on specific
acupuncture points which are known to stimulate and balance the body’s
energy.
A Bowen Session
A Bowen treatment lasts about 30-45 minutes. No oils are used.
Treatment can be done through clothing or directly on the skin. The
practitioner "rolls" over the muscles with her fingers, which
causes the muscles to relax. The moves are done in groups.
Between sets, the practitioner leaves the room for at least two minutes
to allow the body to relax and make its own adjustments.
The moves send out signals which:
* stimulate energy flow;
* facilitate lymphatic drainage of toxins and waste;
* promote good circulation;
* release tension;
* increase mobility;
* encourage the body to relax, realign and heal
itself.
Some people feel shifts in their bodies during and after a Bowen
session. While many experience immediate pain relief, improvement
is just as likely to unfold over the next few days to a week. Two
or three treatments are usually enough to achieve long-lasting relief.
Even long-term conditions may respond very quickly.
The ideal situation is to give the Bowen Technique a try for 3 sessions,
once per week, without having any other kind of bodywork in between.
After A Session
1. Move Your Body
Do not sit too long. Get up every 30 minutes and move around.
Walk at least 20 minutes a day for the next week.
2. Drink Water
Drink 8-10 glasses of water each day to flush the toxins out of your
body.
3. Take It Easy
Avoid heavy lifting or strenuous exercise.
4. Avoid Extreme Heat or Cold
No heating pads, ice packs, hot showers or hot baths.
5. Keep Your Feet Together
Put your weight on BOTH FEET when you stand up, get out out of bed, a
chair or a car. This will help bring balance back into your body.
6. Avoid Body Work
Your body will continue to heal during the next week. Any form of
bodywork, even a backrub, can "short-circuit" the healing
process.
7. Eat Lots of Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables "soothe" the body and help reduce pain.
* * * *
Success Stories
Arthritis
My eighty year old mother suffers from severe arthritis. After
just one Bowen session, she slept through the entire night for the first
time in six years. The next morning she was able to walk without
her walker.
Frozen Shoulder
A woman who suffered from severe pain in her shoulder couldn't lift her
arm. Her hands and fingers felt numb. The night after her
second session she called from a restaurant and said that during dinner
she heard a "popping" sound. Her shoulder had popped
itself back in place. She's been pain-free ever since.
Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue
A woman with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue lived in a constant state
of severe pain (a "10" on a scale of 1-10). After
two sessions her pain level dropped to a "4". She slept
through the night and was able to go through an entire day without
having to rest constantly.
The main difference between Bowen and other modalities is how fast it
works, how gentle it feels and how long the pain relief lasts.
Anyone can learn how to do the Bowen Technique: there is only one
basic move. (see self-help video).
The technique has been successful in treating back pain, sciatica,
headaches, migraines, arthritis, fibromyalgia, sports injuries and much
more. For me, the miracle lies in the fact that doing so little
produces such long-lasting relief.
|
|
