Hi Frangipani,
Did you know that you are my favourite flower? I lived in Mauritius for about 8 months and they were everywhere! I loved the white and yellow one with the citrus smell.......
Explaining Bowen: tricky, isn't it? Depending on who I am speaking to, I will use one of three ways to explain it:
[LIST=1]
Is for fellow therapists. Here, I am free to talk about manipulating the body's energy, about encouraging the body to bring itself back into balance.
Is the one where I speak about the way the body recognises certain types of touch: a stroke, a caress, massage, a slap, a pinch, etc. The Bowen touch is unusual, and the body doesn't automatically recognise it, so it is forced to evaluate what exactly has happened by turning its attention to the area. I use the metaphor of the brain sending out its little chappies to see what exactly has happened in that area and, lo and behold! it then becomes aware of the structural damage there (which it may not have been aware of because of nerve endings being damaged and therefore faulty information being passed back to the brain). The brain is then obliged to tell the body to "sort it all out".... and, of course, it does!
The third is for techies. I talk of the body's fascia (and often describe it as being like the thin membrane on a chicken breast, under the skin.) Fascia has a multitude of functions, including the passage of fluids, nerve impulses etc. Our muscles and vital organs are wrapped in it. It is also like a spider's web, in that when one end is pulled out of shape, the whole thing becomes distorted. So it is with the body. Our gentle moves influence the fascia, rather than necessarily trying to "force" the muscles and so the body is gently drawn back into balance.
These are all valid explanations (I think!) and my clients seem to accept at least one of them. Once the work has been done, most clients don't really care HOW it works, just that IT DOES!
I hope this is helpful to you: it's just another therapist's view....
Which part of Australia are you in, Frangipani? I'm currently planning a trip for September, hopefully to do some courses and connect with therapists I know, as well as holidaying!
Best wishes,
Debbie
