Like all therapists, I followed government guidelines and closed my Bowen clinic during the lockdown phases of the pandemic. When the restrictions were eased, I was fully expecting a rush of people booking appointments, as they’d been unable to seek treatment for some time.
And that did happen. However, I was not prepared for how they were when they arrived at my clinic. Nearly every person was displaying physical signs of stress and anxiety in their bodies.
Stress and anxiety get written into our bodies
People whose body I knew well, suddenly for the first time had, for example, a tight diaphragm (breathing muscle), or tension in their neck, jaw or pelvis. Even people who said they had not had a particularly stressful time during lockdown showed the telltale signs of dis-ease in their body. They were mostly unaware of the tension they were holding. Until after the Bowen treatment, when they often sighed deeply, and said ‘Oh, I feel much more like myself now’.
We can all learn the Bowen skills to support those we care about
I imagine how different this could have been if a person in each social bubble had had the skills to give Bowen treatments. As we now know, stress has multiple negative impacts on our health. This includes headaches, poor sleep, forgetfulness and overwhelm, digestive problems, fatigue, and a less effective immune system. If the stress continues without being dealt with, it can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and mental ill health.
‘A healer in every household’
Lockdown was an extreme situation, however the pace of modern society causes stress in many ways, and it is debilitating. I am so looking forward to the time when there is a person with Bowen skills in every household. Then, we’ll not only be able to deal with problems as they arise, but also actively improve our general health, wellbeing and resilience to deal with future challenges.
If you’re intrigued by the idea of learning the skills to give basic whole-body treatments to friends and family, the 2-day workshop ‘Introduction to Bowen’ might be for you. These workshops are happening all over the country – come and join the growing number of people learning to support health and wellbeing at a community level.
For more information and dates, visit our Introduction to Bowen Therapy course page.
