what should I expect?
Bowen Therapy is different to massage, as it does not use hard pressure and there is no awkward manipulation. The practitioner uses gentle pressure of the thumbs and fingers to perform a unique series of rolling movements that stimulate the muscles and soft tissue. It can be performed through light clothing, it is a subtle, relaxing and non-invasive treatment. A treatment session takes approximately 45 minutes, during which there are short breaks allowing the body to rest and respond. A course of three treatments at weekly intervals is wholly recommended.
The Two Minute Break
Tom Bowen was a man who had a great ability to accurately observe the often very subtle imbalances in the body and could therefore start the process of correcting these very quickly. Once he had started the process with a few well-chosen moves, he would leave the client alone in the treatment room before returning some minutes later to check how the body had responded and determine what more, if anything, needed to be done.
This element of allowing the body to rest for a few minutes initiates the process of repair and is important. The length of the breaks will vary from client to client and with different procedures, but on average we will leave clients for around two minutes in between each set of moves. The implications for these breaks become more apparent for experienced practitioners, but at the start of training many people find this a very difficult concept.
The breaks are probably one of the least understood parts of Bowen and yet it is during the breaks that the work starts to take effect and changes are implemented. The most fundamental principle of Bowen is that it is the client that is doing the work, not the therapist, and for this to happen the body needs time and to be left alone.