Bowen Therapy is a soft, subtle therapy that uses the sensors and stretch receptors in the skin, joints, organs, and/or muscles to create a change in the tension patterns and structures in the surrounding area. A Bowen ‘move’ uses a light pull which activates the sensory nerves that relay information to the brain and spinal cord. Similar to how a guitar player can strum a chord with intense force to create a loud vibration or use a softer touch for a mellow, quieter resonance, a Bowen Therapist can alter their touch to create a powerful correction in a localized area, or a softer impulse that has a more systemic impact including the brain itself.

Bowen Therapy is a soft, non-invasive way to create changes in the tissues and fascia of the body without causing new trauma that turns into fascial restrictions. The body is hard-wired with sensors, nerves, and reflexes that control every aspect of how the body functions, and Bowen Therapy uses these mechanisms to affect a systemic shift in the body, including places where fingers can’t get to such as inside the neck, skull, and rib cage or pelvis. Using the reflex that controls the contract-relax response, the therapist can trigger a release of deeply rooted issues without having to dig into the body using extreme force.

Fascia is composed of many layers and if these tissues are restricted in any way they can impede the movement and function of the joints, spine, and muscles of the body. A fascial restriction such as a scar or injury acts like a snag in a sweater, or a stiff seam in clothing. If the seam or snag goes across an area that is supposed to be free-moving, a restriction is felt and movements are limited. Just as fascial restrictions can impede movement, so can tight fascia by itself- the difference between stiff clothing like canvas vs our favorite sweatpants. When the body is subjected to stress, fascia tightens to make a firm outer layer for protection, and over time this stiffness becomes the new ‘normal’, slowly limiting our movements and compressing the underlying tissues causing nerve pain and problems with circulation and lymphatic flow. It can affect our posture, organ function, digestion, rib cage’s ability to expand and contract with a breath, and even our ability to swallow or turn the head.