At your session your practitioner will ask you about your health history and reason for the visit so as to find out the best procedures to apply. After the intake interview, the client lies on a bodywork table while wearing loose clothing. If necessary for comfort, Bowenwork can also be performed with the client in a chair or standing. The practitioner will apply gentle, precise movements across specific muscles or tendons. Each move applied sends a healing message to your body, allowing it to relax and regain proper function. A session includes essential pauses between each series of moves to give your body time to integrate the signals into the healing process. The pressure used by the practitioner is almost always less than you would expect. Bowenwork is unique in its ability to bring about many changes in your body without the use of force or painful manipulation. The most common reactions to a Bowenwork session are a deep sense of overall relaxation and lessening of muscular tension and pain.
A session may last from fifteen minutes to an hour, depending on the client’s needs and how their body responds to the work. Bowenwork follows the philosophy of “less is more”. This means that the ideal session is a balance between doing enough to address the problem, but little enough so that the work you have already done is not diluted. Doing fewer moves allows the body to use most of its energy to respond to the necessary areas. Therefore, the length of the session bears no relationship to its effectiveness.
Visits are scheduled approximately one week apart for the first three visits. After this point your therapist may recommend a pause of 3 to 4 weeks before resuming treatment if necessary. Frequently, only a few sessions are needed to alleviate complaints.
Following each session the client is encouraged to follow the self-care advice of the 3 W’s to help support the healing process during the week after treatment:
- Walk – Try to walk when possible on a frequent basis. On the day of treatment, sitting less than 30 minutes at a time helps the body form a healthier, more balanced pattern.
- Water – Drink a good amount of water the day of treatment and for a couple days following treatment. Drinking extra water allows your body to expel built up toxins.
- Wait – The wait is because Bowenwork continues to work for several days following a session. Wait for at least a week before receiving any other bodywork manipulations.
The first 24 hours after treatment should be restful; do not overdo things with regard to exercise or exertion.
Your body will continue to process and respond to the healing signals for up to 10 days after each session.
