How I discovered Bowen Therapy

The year leading up to my first Bowen treatment was 2021, In the June I had a bad head cold and then a few months later I chose to have the Pfizer to protect my family, it was also a condition of my employment. I had strong reactions to the vaccinations which lasted about 24 hours, I had the stress of building a new house and working in a foundation school which involved a lot of long hours. I also later realised I had introduced new foods to my diet that can cause side effects due to allergies.

I found I could no longer exercise, not even short walks or practice Yoga without having energy crashes which lasted for days (I thought I had chronic fatigue - see PEM for more information)

I suffered ongoing headaches including severe Tinnitus which became exacerbated when a headache was brewing.

I had joint pain and stiff muscles, especially my shoulders and neck, nothing I tried would provide relief.

The fatigue was the worst, daily activities like housework or cooking seemed like huge feats to me, what I used to accomplish in an afternoon seemed to now take me days, as I would have to break jobs into manageable tasks.

My lower back and hips felt stiff and sore, like I had arthritis and would ache so much I constantly had my Hottle wrapped around me.

Eventually it all became too much, 12 months later, in August 2022 after 10 days straight suffering an ongoing headache that I couldn’t shake even with medication, I spent a day in bed, in pain and exhausted. I made an appointment at the local GP and had trouble even explaining all my symptoms due to headaches, fatigue, Tinnitus and joint pain causing mental exhaustion and confusion. The GP ran blood tests which came back completely normal. I was so disheartened as I was hoping for a medical “diagnosis” which would lead me to a treatment plan to help me reclaim my health.

Out of desperation I phoned my local Bowen Therapist as it is only a short drive away and I thought at this point I had nothing to lose. I had heard good things about Bowen Therapy from family and friends, but I had not tried it myself and I had no idea what Bowen Therapy involved. When I arrived at my first appointment at Picton Bowen Therapy I filled out a questionnaire and after a chat about my health and symptoms, Margaret, the Bowen Practitioner validated my symptoms, and gave me hope that Bowen Therapy could help. I remember her saying to me "Bowen is very subtle but very powerful".

The following hour was nothing like I expected, I am used to having deep tissue massage or physiotherapy with dry needling. I was surprised that after a few very gentle prods on my back Margaret left the room for a couple of minutes. She had explained the process but I really didn't understand how Bowen worked. I later discovered, this rest time between manoeuvres is where the magic happens! I enjoyed the hour relaxing though and during the treatment it felt like energy in my body had shifted and I felt calmer than when I had arrived. At the end of the session Margaret instructed me to drink lots of water over the coming days to flush the toxins from my system.

Within 48 hours of my first treatment, my headaches had disappeared, my energy increased and my inflammation had reduced. It was such a profound change. I was very much looking forward to my next treatment.

The month following my first Bowen treatment was astounding, within a few days I was back walking my dog and doing yoga, my head was clearer, and I could focus on things for more than a few minutes. I was off the painkillers, and I was looking forward to seeing what other ailments Bowen could help with.

I was starting to tell everyone I met about this wonderous healing modality that helped me get my life back. I started researching Bowen therapy on Youtube, podcasts and Ebooks. I wanted to know the history of it, the way it worked physically, I wanted to learn about other success stories. I could not understand why Bowen therapy was not more widely known as it originated in Australia. I did discover what a supportive community the Bowen industry was and how it was everyone’s mission to get Bowen out there to be available to everyone.

After a couple of treatments Margaret my Bowen therapist mentioned to me that there were not many Bowen Therapists and “we could always do with more” and I should consider studying it. My response to her was, “if you can help me get to a point where I can focus on studying I would certainly consider it”. And as the weeks went on I continued to see improvements in my health, mental, physical and general wellbeing.

The more I researched, the more I was intrigued. I stalked the Bowen Training of Australia website to see what was involved in becoming a Bowen (Bowtech™ )Practitioner. I discovered the nationally accredited Certificate IV course could be completed over 12 months with pay as you go instalments. After discussing it with Margaret I decided to contact Bowtech Instructor Farida Irani of Subtle Energies in Castle Hill. Farida sent me an information package which outlined the dates of the Practical Modules and the distance learning modules.