A fascinating read...
By John Wilks,
from the book “The Bowen Technique - the inside story”
When Bowen therapists talk about a treatment allowing the body to re-orient to an original ‘blueprint’ or an organizing principal, the question might be asked – what exactly is the body trying to orient to and when and how did this original blueprint arise?
If one looks carefully at the first few days of embryological development, one notices that some very interesting events occur. At the moment of conception, there is a merging of the mother and father’s DNA to form a single cell. After a moment of calm, there then occurs rapid cell division which happens within the outer ‘shell’ of the embryo, the zona pellucida.
Around day 15, a highly significant event occurs. A primal midline is established in the form of a furrow in the developing embryo. This primal midline is called the ‘primitive streak’ and it starts its uprising journey towards our embryonic heart from around the level that is later to become the coccyx and sacrum in the adult.
What exactly initiates it is something of a mystery, but it forms the basis around which the whole body organizes itself.
For a start it establishes a reference line for front/back, left/right and top/bottom. The primitive streak is referred to as an ‘embryonic organizer’ as it establishes a basic ‘body plan’. Different levels of the primitive streak determine the development of different areas of the body. For example the ‘head centre’ goes on to form the heart, brain and eyes, the middle centre, the gut and trunk and the tail centre, the pelvic organs and the neural tube.
What is interesting for us as Bowen therapists is the importance of the primitive streak in terms of developing bones, muscles, organs and connective tissue.
Many Bowen therapists have remarked on the power of the first 2 Bowen moves.
It is interesting to observe the sensations that start arising in the client after just these 2 moves. Many will have sensations of heat or an uprising force within the spine. The fact that so many clients experience an uprising force is interesting as their sensations correspond exactly to embryonic development as though those embryological forces are still present within the adult body.
The primitive streak will also form the neural tube which then goes on to form the brain, spinal cord, the autonomic nervous systems (sympathetic and parasympathetic) and the neural crest.
Neural crest cells help form the inner membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord (particularly the pia and arachnoid membranes) For example. In the coccyx procedure we move directly over the dura, arachnoid and pia membranes as they attach to the coccyx in the form of the filament terminalis – the only place in the body where all the 3 layers of membrane come together.
Because of the coming together of these three layers of dura, arachnoid and pia, this sends a very powerful impulse up the spine towards the cranium.
Another consequence of embryological development is the fact that blood supply and nerve supply to tissue is inextricably linked because of their derivation from the same embryological tissue
It is well researched by Mae Wan Ho and others that collagen holds memory and that it is highly adaptable at registering new experience.
Is it possible that by stimulating the fascia we are in some way allowing the body to access and re-orient to these deep embryological ordering forces held in the collagen at a cellular level in the body? From clinical observation, something of this kind certainly seems to be happening..
By John Wilks,
from the book “The Bowen Technique - the inside story”
When Bowen therapists talk about a treatment allowing the body to re-orient to an original ‘blueprint’ or an organizing principal, the question might be asked – what exactly is the body trying to orient to and when and how did this original blueprint arise?
If one looks carefully at the first few days of embryological development, one notices that some very interesting events occur. At the moment of conception, there is a merging of the mother and father’s DNA to form a single cell. After a moment of calm, there then occurs rapid cell division which happens within the outer ‘shell’ of the embryo, the zona pellucida.
Around day 15, a highly significant event occurs. A primal midline is established in the form of a furrow in the developing embryo. This primal midline is called the ‘primitive streak’ and it starts its uprising journey towards our embryonic heart from around the level that is later to become the coccyx and sacrum in the adult.
What exactly initiates it is something of a mystery, but it forms the basis around which the whole body organizes itself.
For a start it establishes a reference line for front/back, left/right and top/bottom. The primitive streak is referred to as an ‘embryonic organizer’ as it establishes a basic ‘body plan’. Different levels of the primitive streak determine the development of different areas of the body. For example the ‘head centre’ goes on to form the heart, brain and eyes, the middle centre, the gut and trunk and the tail centre, the pelvic organs and the neural tube.
What is interesting for us as Bowen therapists is the importance of the primitive streak in terms of developing bones, muscles, organs and connective tissue.
Many Bowen therapists have remarked on the power of the first 2 Bowen moves.
It is interesting to observe the sensations that start arising in the client after just these 2 moves. Many will have sensations of heat or an uprising force within the spine. The fact that so many clients experience an uprising force is interesting as their sensations correspond exactly to embryonic development as though those embryological forces are still present within the adult body.
The primitive streak will also form the neural tube which then goes on to form the brain, spinal cord, the autonomic nervous systems (sympathetic and parasympathetic) and the neural crest.
Neural crest cells help form the inner membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord (particularly the pia and arachnoid membranes) For example. In the coccyx procedure we move directly over the dura, arachnoid and pia membranes as they attach to the coccyx in the form of the filament terminalis – the only place in the body where all the 3 layers of membrane come together.
Because of the coming together of these three layers of dura, arachnoid and pia, this sends a very powerful impulse up the spine towards the cranium.
Another consequence of embryological development is the fact that blood supply and nerve supply to tissue is inextricably linked because of their derivation from the same embryological tissue
It is well researched by Mae Wan Ho and others that collagen holds memory and that it is highly adaptable at registering new experience.
Is it possible that by stimulating the fascia we are in some way allowing the body to access and re-orient to these deep embryological ordering forces held in the collagen at a cellular level in the body? From clinical observation, something of this kind certainly seems to be happening..
The Story of Tom Bowen
Thomas Ambrose Bowen (1916-1982) began developing his technique in the 1950s in Geelong, Australia. He became interested in ways to alleviate human suffering and began to notice that certain moves on the body had particular effects. Tom Bowen developed his technique without having previous formal training in any modality or discipline. In fact, he frequently stated that his work was 'a gift from God'. He continued to develop and refine the technique throughout his lifetime with the help of his friend and secretary, Rene Horwood.
Mr. Bowen was extremely busy in his Geelong clinic, performing about 13,000 treatments a year. This was verified by the 1975 Victorian govern ment inquiry into alternative health care professionals. Considering treatments were seven days apart and most people needed only one to three treatments, an amazing number of clients passed through the clinic and benefited from his gift. Mr. Bowen also held free clinics for children, people with disabilities, and community service workers.
Tom Ambrose Bowen
1916-1982In 1974, while attending a national health conference In Adelaide, Australia, Oswald Rentsch met Mr. Bowen for the first time. Although he knew nothing of Mr. Bowen's work, Ossie spontaneously asked if he could learn from him. Mr. Bowen shook Ossie's hand, held it for some time, and said, Good! Come down and I'll teach you. I'll call my secretary and let you know. A couple of hours later Mr. Bowen sought Ossie out and said. You be down at my clinic next Wednesday at 9 am.
For the next two and a half years Ossie studied Mr. Bowen's technique, ultimately being authorized by him to document the work. Mr. Bowen had no notes, charts or manuals, but with the help of Rene Horwood, Ossle produced a true representation of Mr. Bowen's original technique.
In 1976, Ossle and his wife, Elaine, began utilizing Mr. Bowen's methods in their clinic in Hamilton, Victoria.
Honoring Mr. Bowen's request to teach the work after his death, Ossie and Elaine named it The Bowen Technique and held their first seminar In Perth, Australia in 1986. By1990. Ossie and Elaine were teaching full time throughout Australia. Dedicated to preserving the technique and ensuring it was taught in its original form, they founded the Bowen Therapy Academy of Australia in 1987, eventually naming the technique Bowtech-The Bowen Technique. Since then, Ossie and Elaine have introduced Bowtech to many countries, honoring the promise Ossie made to Mr. Bowen on his deathbed, to spread his work throughout the world. They are now supported in this teaching by a large faculty of dedicated instructors who are accredited by, and registered with, the Academy.
Ossie & ElaineBecause this technique is so effective, it has been widely embraced by a broad spectrum of people. Health professionals are impressed by the effectiveness of the Bowen technique and the diversity of problems addressed by it.
Mr. Bowen was extremely busy in his Geelong clinic, performing about 13,000 treatments a year. This was verified by the 1975 Victorian govern ment inquiry into alternative health care professionals. Considering treatments were seven days apart and most people needed only one to three treatments, an amazing number of clients passed through the clinic and benefited from his gift. Mr. Bowen also held free clinics for children, people with disabilities, and community service workers.
Tom Ambrose Bowen
1916-1982In 1974, while attending a national health conference In Adelaide, Australia, Oswald Rentsch met Mr. Bowen for the first time. Although he knew nothing of Mr. Bowen's work, Ossie spontaneously asked if he could learn from him. Mr. Bowen shook Ossie's hand, held it for some time, and said, Good! Come down and I'll teach you. I'll call my secretary and let you know. A couple of hours later Mr. Bowen sought Ossie out and said. You be down at my clinic next Wednesday at 9 am.
For the next two and a half years Ossie studied Mr. Bowen's technique, ultimately being authorized by him to document the work. Mr. Bowen had no notes, charts or manuals, but with the help of Rene Horwood, Ossle produced a true representation of Mr. Bowen's original technique.
In 1976, Ossle and his wife, Elaine, began utilizing Mr. Bowen's methods in their clinic in Hamilton, Victoria.
Honoring Mr. Bowen's request to teach the work after his death, Ossie and Elaine named it The Bowen Technique and held their first seminar In Perth, Australia in 1986. By1990. Ossie and Elaine were teaching full time throughout Australia. Dedicated to preserving the technique and ensuring it was taught in its original form, they founded the Bowen Therapy Academy of Australia in 1987, eventually naming the technique Bowtech-The Bowen Technique. Since then, Ossie and Elaine have introduced Bowtech to many countries, honoring the promise Ossie made to Mr. Bowen on his deathbed, to spread his work throughout the world. They are now supported in this teaching by a large faculty of dedicated instructors who are accredited by, and registered with, the Academy.
Ossie & ElaineBecause this technique is so effective, it has been widely embraced by a broad spectrum of people. Health professionals are impressed by the effectiveness of the Bowen technique and the diversity of problems addressed by it.
Ossie and Elaine Rentsch, the founders of Bowtech teaching methods,
have dedicated their lives to bringing Bowenwork to the World...and we Thank You!
have dedicated their lives to bringing Bowenwork to the World...and we Thank You!
How Bowenwork can address stress issues in the body
Sandra Gustafson http://www.bowenworkforlife.com
Let’s talk about Stress!
Stress... yikes! Just hearing or reading the word elicits an immediate, internal response!
We can all relate to it mostly in a negative sense, of “something” that is undesirable and overwhelming.
We are highly sensitive beings, constantly monitoring the input pouring in through our five senses, as being pleasant and calming, or annoying, painful and alarming. Our brain, nervous system and hormones constantly respond to the effect of the incoming information, even when we are asleep. Stress responses, in short bursts, are normal reactions that enhance our ability to manage intense situations. We are designed to maintain an equilibrium between responding appropriately to a heightened state of urgency or intensity, and then relax when it’s over.
Emotional, physical and psychological factors that cause injury, pain, a sense of loss or danger,
lead to multiple chemical reactions in the body, particularly the nervous system, brain and hormones. Adrenaline, released from the adrenal glands, increases the heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and blood sugar – all designed to get oxygenated blood to muscles, to either “fight” the offending situation, or take “flight” and get away as quickly as possible. This is known as a Sympathetic Nervous System Response. Once the threat has been overcome or removed, the calming effect of the Parasympathetic Response settles the body back into
equilibrium again.
Chronic stress leads to abnormal levels of hormones being secreted into the bloodstream for prolonged periods, mainly cortisol from the adrenal glands, which can adversely affect brain function, particularly memory and sleep. High levels of cortisol also affect two important parts of the brain that control all other hormones in the body – the hippocampus and the hypothalamus, which in turn affects our “Master gland” - the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland controls the thyroid gland, the adrenal gland and kidneys, the sexual glands and many other regulating mechanisms that control healthy metabolism.
Stress can have many long-term effects on the body and one’s sense of wellbeing. It affects mood and energy levels, lowers immunity to infection, accelerates the aging process and inflammation in the body, increases the risk of stroke and heart-attack, stomach ulcers, osteoporosis, and can lead to unhealthy lifestyle behaviour such as poor diet, increased alcohol and medication consumption and cigarette smoking. In addition many stress-affected people find themselves gaining weight, particularly around the middle, despite trying to cut back on calories and increasing exercise – which are helpful counter-measures, but may not be enough to offset the hormonal changes affecting the body’s metabolism.
Stress is a normal fact of life, we can’t avoid it completely and it can be a positive motivator to enhance our performance, such as running a race or finishing a deadline task. In an ideal world, we learn to adapt to it and balance our lives around it. However, it is the prolonged state of stress - feeling threatened, overloaded and “distressed,” that has negative consequences on our health and leads to “dis-ease”. The challenge is to stay healthy by finding ways to manage stress effectively.
Stress Management
"Stress management" doesn't just happen - it requires us to consciously seek time, space and activities that allow us to detach from the frenetic pace and sensory overload we find ourselves dealing with each day. It takes our bodies time to relax, and we need to give ourselves time to benefit from the relaxation, as often as possible. A relaxing space may be found out in nature, in the garden, resting, listening to guided imagery or music, or meditation. Switch off the phone, TV, radio, and step away from your computer! Give your mind a chance to settle down and "tune in" to your body and your inner feelings. Exercise helps to relieve stress by releasing the pent up energy in our muscles, promotes deep breathing and causes our brains to release "feel- good" chemicals called endorphins. Mindful exercises like Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Yoga and walking, can help to strengthen our internal ability to manage our reactions to stressful situations. Playing with children, pets and finding humor in life, can do wonders for a stressed person's soul! Massage, acupressure and other gentle forms of bodywork help to relax our whole body, and remind us of what it is like to feel calm again.
Bowenwork for stress.
Many stressed-out people feel achy and stiff in their muscles and joints, their posture changes under the burden of their situations, which in turn leads to feeling burned out, and the cycle of pain is exacerbated. Bowenwork is a unique and unusual form of soft-tissue bodywork that is very effective in relaxing muscle tension and reducing the body’s stress levels. It is a gentle neuromuscular technique that resets the nervous system, helping to restore calmness and deep relaxation throughout the whole body. By applying light rolling moves over specific muscles and areas of the body, signals are sent, via the nervous system to the brain, to reorganize the dysfunctional tension patterns in the body. Sets of moves are followed by two to five minute delays, where the practitioner leaves the client relaxing on the table and allows for the body to integrate the effect of the work. This leads to deeper breathing, slower heart rate, improved blood circulation to the tissues and the removal of waste fluids via the lymphatic system. When the nervous system relaxes, the adrenal glands reduce the amount of adrenaline and cortisol they are producing, which in turn sends signals to the brain and the rest of the hormone system to start returning to a point of balance. Pain levels can be reduced significantly and people report feeling more flexible, sleeping better, and are much more energetic for days after a session. The effect of a Bowenwork session can be quite profound and can last far longer than many other bodywork techniques. Many clients only need 2 –3 sessions, one week apart initially, and then a tune up once a month or when they feel the
effects of stress returning.
Recent Case Study:
A woman in her mid 50’s came to my office for Bowenwork to help with weight loss, bladder weakness and sleep issues. This lady is an administrative assistant and spends most of her day in front of a computer, working for a demanding boss. When she lay or sat in certain positions, she would get tingling and numbness in her hands. She was about 20 pounds overweight and felt too tired to exercise after work, so physical activities were limited to occasional walks on the weekends. In her 40s, she’d had a total hysterectomy and ever since then, she needed to go to the bathroom at least 3 times during the night, and had occasional incontinence. When I assessed her, she had significant tightness in her neck and shoulders. In the first Bowenwork session, I focused on general relaxation and supporting her kidneys and adrenal glands. She was surprised at how she almost fell asleep during the session, even though the amount of work I did on her was minimal with very light pressure. A week later she returned and reported to me that on the night of the last session, she had slept throughout the entire night! She woke up feeling very energized and was able to take a walk for a couple of evenings after work, and the tingling and numbness in her hands had not bothered her. I did one more Bowenwork session on her and asked her to keep in touch with me, to let me know how she felt.
The next day, she was back to the office, specifically to tell me how much better she was feeling, her bladder problem was gone, and she was not feeling nearly as stressed at work, even though her employer was still demanding.
For further information about Bowenwork by Sandra go to: www.bowenworkforlife.com