The Bowen Technique is a remedial, hands-on therapy that is applied using very gentle pressure. Thumbs and fingers are used on precise points of the body to perform Bowen's unique sets of rolling-type moves which stimulate the muscles and soft tissue of the body releasing tension and allowing the body to heal. There is no manipulation or adjustment of hard tissue and no force is used. The experience of a treatment is gentle, subtle and relaxing. A treatment consists of a series of gentle rolling moves with frequent pauses between, giving the body time to react and benefit from each set. Practitioners treat the body as a whole as well as targeting a specific problem. They are able to pinpoint stress buildup in muscle groups and then release it. The Bowen Technique both balances and stimulates, the restorative process beginning once the body is relaxed. The gentle moves produce good results by penetrating to a deep cellular level, making use of the body’s own ability to heal itself.
Gentle as a therapy, Bowen is truly light-touch. The pressure used in Bowen is quite subtle and can be extremely light and still get the job done. Because of this, Bowen can be considered for clients for whom other forms of therapy might be too aggressive, forceful or invasive. The tiniest of babies through to the frailest of adults have been treated with Bowen. A key element of the principle guiding Bowen, and indeed all complementary therapies, is that we work holistically, according to the well established principle of naturopathic medicine: 'That the body be treated as a whole, without referral to named disease'. With Bowen we don't diagnose and we are not treating just the named disease or condition, but we are treating the whole person.
The Bowen Technique treatment protocol is very well worked out in its effect on the whole body. For instance, probably the most common presentation for a Bowen therapist will be back pain. With Bowen we will give a whole-body treatment at the first visit, which includes the neck, knees and shoulders. This is because it is often very difficult to be completely sure where any given pain is coming from and to know how other structures are being affected by the original problem, Bowen's holistic way of treating will get to the root of problems gently and efficiently.
