Bowen Technique
What is Bowen Therapy?
Bowen is a muscle, nerve, soft connective tissue and subtle energy technique named after Australian, Tom Bowen (1916-1982), who developed it. It is a non-invasive, gentle form of bodywork that works within the limits defined by the specific elasticity of a person’s skin. The fingers or thumbs connect to the skin and gently draw the ‘slack’ back to the edge of a muscle, ligament or tendon. The skin is held for a short while. Rolling the fingers or thumbs back over the muscle, tendon, ligament and their fascia, completes the procedure. Bowen is a form of natural healing. It treats the whole person not just the part(s) of the body in which symptoms occur. Practitioners do not, therefore, make allopathic medical diagnoses. They use a process of visual assessment and physical/energetic palpation of tissue tension and energetic blocks to guide treatment. The number of practitioners in Britain now approaches a thousand.
Doctors confirm the effectiveness of Bowen Therapy
Now used worldwide, people visit Bowen practitioners to help many different conditions. Dr. Mercola says of Bowen: ‘A simple, short, powerful and effective technique for maximizing optimal health…it’s application is completely safe and appropriate for everyone from highly trained athletes, to newborns, to pregnant women, to the elderly and infirm.’[1]
Dr. Motha, an obstetrician, confirms Bowen’s usefulness. She prescribes Bowen to help with pre- and post-natal care. She recently presented her findings at the Royal College of Medicine and the Royal College of Obstetricians.
In the US, Dr. Joanne Whitaker’s study, measuring changes in the value and pattern in heart rate variability as a result of treatment, has found Bowen to be effective in balancing the autonomic nervous system. In particular, she has found it helpful in treating fibromyalgia.
Trials by sports scientist Helen Kinnear and Bowen instructor Julian Baker have shown Bowen to be effective in treating frozen shoulder. 70% of their subjects experienced improvement after receiving Bowen, compared to 20% receiving generalised massage.
Relieving a wide range of symptoms
Bowen has helped patients relax, de-stress and alleviate emotional problems. It has been beneficial for pregnancy symptoms, headaches and migraines, digestive disorders including constipation and irritable bowel syndrome, respiratory problems and reproductive disorders including menstrual problems and ovarian cysts. Its musculo-skeletal effectiveness extends to general muscle, tendon and ligament injuries, back pain, fibromyalgia, temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) problems, whiplash, repetitive strain injury, trapped nerves and sciatica.
A friendly therapy
Bowen is also very effective used with a wide range of other complementary modalities including osteopathy, chiropractic work, acupuncture, shiatsu, manual lymphatic drainage, cranio-sacral work, hypnotherapy, reiki, kinesiology, and homeopathy.
[1]Doctor Mercola on www.mercola.com, The Optimal Wellness Centre
Testimonials from Ety’s clients
‘For many years I suffered with pain all over my body. I even had to resort to a wheel- chair, as it was too painful to walk. Then I discovered Ety! Although with each treatment she worked on all parts of my body, the pain gradually disappeared one-by-one in different areas. It took some time to get to this stage, but now my body is quite supple and I just go for a top-up treatment with Ety when I need it.’
(Flo, Hereford)
‘I have been receiving therapy and treatment from Ety Donel- Baillie over period of years now and I’m very grateful to her for the care she has shown during this period. My sense of well-being, my energy and health have greatly improved as a result. Ety has also treated members of my family to their benefit. She radiates peace and calm and communicates this to ‘.
(Stuart Chandler)
I began receiving treatment from Ety in July 2011, initially with weekly treatments for 3 weeks and since then on a monthly basis. My fibromyalgia pain had increased during the first half of 2011 to the extent that walking a short distance and climbing stairs were very difficult with constant pain. Following the initial treatment the pain reduced and my mobility increased. The Bowen treatment proved very effective. My monthly treatment has enabled me to resume an active life again without constant pain. I intend to continue seeing Ety whose professional manner and caring nature are much appreciated.
(Ann – age 66)
Ety Donel-Baillie
Bowen Technique Practitioner
I took a four-year degree course in Psychology
I am a qualified Bowen Practitioner; I trained at The Bowen School, London E18 1AB.
I am also a certified practitioner of Meridian Therapies (Emotional Freedom Technique), awarded by the Association for the Advancement of Meridian Therapies.
I practise Reiki as well, finding that these three alternative therapies go very well together as they work on the higher more subtle levels of our being.
Most recently I have trained in the use of InterX Pain Relief Therapy.
I have worked with a wide range of clients, aged from a one month old premature baby to a client who is now eighty years old; I have treated a number of women during pregnancy and after they have given birth, and two babies in the first weeks of life.
