"I have found this Technique to be practical, effective & inspiring."
Beatrice, Data Administrator

The treatment

During the first treatment, a Bowen practitioner will enquire about:

• your state of general health,
• your medical history, and
• your reason for the treatment.

This enables your Bowen practitioner to better understand compensation patterns (i.e. a postural offset that is the body’s attempt to correct an imbalance) that might have occurred in your body. At the beginning of each subsequent treatment a quick assessment is made to note down any changes in symptoms so the Bowen practitioner can readjust the treatment plan if necessary.

At the beginning of each treatment, you will be asked to remove some of your clothing (but never your underwear). Clean towels or blankets will be provided to cover you during treatment and keep you warm.

The Bowen technique is most often performed on a massage couch. To minimise the need for disturbing the client’s rest, all procedures that require the client to lie face down are completed before they are asked to turn over for face up procedures. At the end of the treatment some additional procedures may be done with the client sitting or standing. The work can effectively be carried out with the client sitting in a chair/ wheelchair, or lying on a bed if required for comfort.

Although each treatment will vary according to the skill and experience of the therapist, as well as the presenting problems of the client, the initial treatment will normally address the whole body to prepare it for further, more specialised treatments. Succeeding treatments will involve adding, subtracting and combining procedures to achieve a synergistic effect.

The Bowen technique utilises a very light, rolling type of move performed with the Bowen practitioner fingers or thumbs directly on the skin. None of these moves will cause you any pain although there might be times when a tender spot is found.

Throughout the treatment your Bowen practitioner will leave the room regularly for a couple of minutes at a time and occasionally even longer. The breaks form a very important part of a Bowen treatment. Bowen moves send vibrational messages along the nerve pathways to the brain and these breaks give your body time to process these signals and respond accordingly. It is this response that is pivotal in enabling the body to begin to heal itself. During this break some people notice subtle sensations e.g. tingling, a warming or cooling feeling, which are normal indicators of your body’s response to Bowen.

Throughout the treatment talking is kept to a bare minimum to enable a deeper state of tranquillity to occur. Most clients report an effect of profound relaxation, and many even fall asleep on the couch.