from my desk
Why Bowen Therapy??
In this fast paced world - where we are bombarded with sensory overload... Bowen Therapy may just be one of the most profound 'healing techniques' available in the twenty first century.
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Perhaps from my holistic background I could go further and say it is a gift that has been given to us at this time.
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'Bowen Helps the Body Return to Stillness and Heal'...
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As a Bowen Therapist, I'm often asked what the difference is between Bowen Therapy and other healing modalities. So it thought I'd write a note on my thoughts about the difference here... and why you might choose Bowen Therapy over another of the other treatments available.
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To me the answer lies rather not in the WHY, but in the WHY and WHEN. That, again,
to me is the crux of choosing Bowen Therapy.
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It's important for me to say here I'm a big fan of whatever works for you, to keep your body and your entire being in as good a condition as possible...
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In certain situations it may be that you require some Chiropractic Care, Osteopathy, Craniosacral, Meditation, Mindfulness, Yoga or Energy Work.
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So how do you work out what is best for you and when you would be best to have a Bowen?
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Bowen Therapy is a very gentle remedial technique
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- It doesnt say 'You Will' to the body
- rather it asks 'Will You?' heal
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...Then there are those ' breaks' where the therapist steps out of the room and allows it to do just that.
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Bearing in mind it takes the brain approx 90 seconds to respond to a message...given through the body and
begin to work on healing.
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This again is the crux of Bowen Therapy.
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So here in my mind is the 'Why and When' of Bowen
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- When we have a Chiro Session - there are very specific messages being given, particularly regarding the vertebral column
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-When we have Physiotherapy, there are specific messages and training's being given through the muscular system.
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-When we have a massage there are specific and multiple messages given across the surface of the body.
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-When we have Cranio Sacral there are messages being given through the brain pathways
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Each of these fields is using a system of communications with the body; Targeted in a different manner.
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Perhaps the closest thing to Bowen therapy and the way that it works is Osteopathy;
Whereby it targets speaking to the whole body system from a 'what is required' perspective
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That's why Tom Bowen originally thought of himself as an Osteopath.
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It was and is (sometimes more specifically and sometimes more generally) closest in comparison to it's approach
of all the body treatments to what we now call Bowen Technique.
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In the end Tom Bowen was not an Osteopath - though his 'magic' treatments drew more closely in it's alignment with this.
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Bowen Therapy draws on all the above systems really, in it's approach.
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- It targets the vertebral column by working closely with it
- It targets the muscular system, by working closely with it
- It targets the brain by working closely with it
- It targets the energy system by working closely with it
- And perhaps, unique to Bowen, it targets the Fascia; the bodies Informational System,
by working closely with it.
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This in itself is partly the reason for it's success. Often when people have tried other therapies and failed...
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Having said that Bowen can and does also work well with other modalities!
Bowen Therapy treatments are however, definitely stand alone treatments and because Bowen continues to work on the body throughout the following week, it is recommended there is a one week wait before having other types of treatments... Or even before interrupting a series of Bowen sessions. Talk to your Therapist about this.
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Bowen Therapy is so general, Yet so specific > with what it is doing with it's work with the entire and complete
Body Mind and (dare I say) Soul
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Then- and this is another major reason for it's success-
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There are those Breaks -
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That allow the body to have a conversation with the brain - and decide what it will do with the information- or input, that we as Bowen therapists have given it.
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These to me are the reasons for it's success:
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* It works with the entire body, mind and system in a gentle way.
*It asks a question of this system
*By it's 'breaks' allows it time to choose
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( ...and don't we know that deep down our body knows what's best for us?)
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There is a listen and a reply.
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Kind of like a good conversation... it works better with a listen and a reply
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There is perhaps one other component of Bowen Therapy that I've not addressed here...
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Most Bowen Therapy sessions take around 1 hour or just over.
Sometimes they're shorter as when working with children ( look at their attention span ability as to the reason behind this) - But generally Bowen Therapy will be between 45 mins to 90 mins.
Depending on the requirements.
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This takes us to the other side of Bowen Therapy - and brings us full circle.
STILLNESS
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...This is also where I believe Bowen Therapy combines yet another element of what is required for healing:
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It takes the body into a place of stillness.
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As with Meditation, Mindfulness, Yoga.
- Bowen taps into these known systems.
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...Yet again Bowen differs slightly from these and takes healing to another level
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Bowen takes the body into stillness...
and then ever so gently offers the body a message
that asks it to heal!
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Bowen begins all this over about a 45 min treatment session, which then continues to heal the body over the next days and weeks to come
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- STILLNESS
- gentle message
- heal
- STILLNESS
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Perhaps that's why people also consistently comment on feeling better overall and even in other areas of their life
when they have Bowen Therapy consistently and over time. And why people incorporate it into their busy lives.
Because it works So gently and consistently in all areas of our lives. It gives the body some me time and stillness.
THAT'S THE MIRACLE OF BOWEN
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