One of the questions I’m often asked is: how does Bowen Therapy work? Bowen is a subtle approach, quite different to most other remedial therapies, so the answer is itself full of subtleties. The best way I’ve found to describe it is as a conversation between the therapist’s hands and the nervous system of the person being treated. The unusual rolling moves we make on the body with our thumbs and fingers ask a question, which the client’s nervous system responds to, and in doing that it begins the process of change.
Where we do the moves is important. Many of the places happen to be over the ends of muscles where there are receptors which feed information to the brain about tension and stretch. Others tap into, or stimulate, nerves involved in the rest, digest, and repair function of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system runs our bodily functions – things like heart rate and digestion. The opposing part of the autonomic nervous system to rest, digest, and repair is fight, flight, or freeze – the stress response. Sometimes we work over nerves involved in this, to soothe them. Clients often report a deep sense of relaxation during a Bowen session. Whilst this is a lovely experience in itself, it’s also fundamental to the healing process. Shifting away from the stress response kick starts important bodily functions which have been put on the back burner in a survival mode essentially evolved for short bursts of escaping predators, or fighting. Digestion is a classic – clients’ tummies often start rumbling during a session. They usually apologise, but I urge them not to because the sound is music to my ears. Shifting the nervous system into a safer place is an important starting point for the journey away from aches and pains. This is down to the way that pain works. Pain is a protector. It might stop us moving a body part to allow injured tissues to heal. Sometimes the pain goes on long after tissues might be expected to heal (which is another blog in itself). How pain happens is like this: the brain weighs up evidence coming in from the nervous system within the body and from external sources, if the credible evidence of danger outweighs safety, and the brain decides protection is in the individual’s best interests, then it will switch on pain. The pain is in the body, very real, and very individual (I’m definitely NOT saying it’s all in the mind). Conversely, if the credible evidence of safety outweighs danger, or a pain response is not in the individual’s interests then result = no pain. So, in a Bowen session we have a person feeling safe, experiencing a non threatening touch therapy which shifts the nervous system away from the stress response towards rest and repair, and which also prompts the system to re-evaluate muscle tension (minimising the ‘warning’ messages relayed to the brain). I make that several wins in one.
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The temperatures have dropped and the days are getting shorter, so I think we can say that Autumn is definitely here. There are lots of things to like about the season - autumn colours, crisp days, snuggly jumpers - but it definitely brings challenges too. Here are some ways that booking a Bowen session can help you sail through autumn more easily.
Mud: The slippery or sticky stuff returns. It makes walking the dog, or looking after livestock and horses, that little bit more difficult. Pulling your feet out of the ground takes more effort. Staying upright takes more effort. As a result, the areas of the body that do all the pulling and stabilising get tired and grumpy, leading to things like low back pain. Wellies (see Mud): Wellies are a brilliant invention. I, like many of you, live in them all winter. They do have a downside, which is that they tend to make the feet and ankles lose flexibility. Feet and ankles need to be springy for efficient walking, because the feet act like a lever for each step. Think of twanging a ruler on the edge of a school desk...Blocky feet and ankles make movement harder work for the rest of the body, which can make those other bits grumble. Winter bugs: If you're unlucky enough to succumb to whatever lurgs are doing the rounds, you can be left exhausted with an aching upper body in the aftermath. This is because coughing, sneezing, and being sick involve incredibly powerful muscular contractions. I also do lymphatic Bowen work. The lymphatic system is important because it generates some of our immune responses, and transports waste away from cells. Book in for a Bowen and give yourself a boost! |
Sarah SwadlingBowen Therapist in the glorious Mid Devon countryside. . ArchivesCategories |