What to expect in your first Bowen Therapy session

Your first Bowen Therapy session will usually last for 1hr to 1hr 30mins.  In the first part of the session I will be going through your details, reasons for appointment and also your medical history.  Part of this will involve me asking you about any previous trips, falls, accidents or illnesses going right back to your childhood. 

Why this far back and what does a broken ankle sustained at 8 years old have to do with a non- resolving stiff shoulder at the age of 48?  Well, the body is an amazing thing, it adapts and it compensates but it doesn’t always go back to its original blue print and even though that ankle is no longer an issue it may of made slight changes to how you maybe carry yourself and it is now biting you on the bum 40 years later!  Any information like this is always worth knowing to assist the body return back to a better state.

Once that part has been taken care of I usually carry out some assessments and make a note of posture, arm and leg length differences, pelvic alignment and any mobility restrictions you may be struggling with.  Some of this will be done with you standing and others whilst you are laid on the treatment couch before we start the session.  The session usually starts with you laid face down on the treatment couch, however I can also offer Bowen seated or stood so please ask if you  think this could be a problem.  I also usually work direct on to skin although you are always covered with towels however I can also work through light clothing if you are more comfortable with this so please just feel free to express your wishes.

During the session light rolling moves will be made on specific parts of the body.  After a sequence of moves I will then step away from you and usually make some notes however these pauses in treatment are intentional as it gives your nervous system chance to realise something has happened and its nothing bad so it then begins to relax.  Clients can also experience different sensations during these pauses such as hot spots, cold spots, tingles and even involuntary movements so again the pauses give the body chance to settle.  The session continues like this with you usually turning over onto your back half way through so the whole body is treated.

By the end of the treatment you should be feeling quite relaxed and you will be given some simple aftercare instructions.  Most people do not get off the couch and cartwheel down the road immediately, you have to allow your body time, however over the next week I will ask you to keep a mental note on how you are feeling.  A lot of people report on having a great nights sleep after Bowen however we do not want to wipe you out for days either.  It is also normal to have a few aches the following day due to your body making slight adjustments but again we want them to be manageable and short lived.  However you may also notice that you also start to have maybe less headaches, an increase in energy or an improvement in your mobility.  All this information is again valuable to me in your next session and I can then fine tune your treatments further to your own unique needs.