The thing with Bowen therapy is the wide range of responses people have, both on the couch and later off the couch.
All the following responses are normal:
spreading warmth
tingles
shivers/cold
absence of pain
And indeed, you may feel nothing AT ALL!
In the hours and days after you may feel odd, perhaps out of balance, cramps or pains may come and go....
But wait, you may be thinking, isn't this supposed to be a therapy to help pain?Nothing you experience will last. If you do feel discomfort, make sure to drink plenty of water and rest - your body is telling you something after all.
In general, the body takes time to process the therapy. This is why the therapist during treatment will take regular breaks from the hands-on therapy to allow the body to understand and adjust to the therapist's movements.
If the hands never came off, the benefits from Bowen would not accrue - it would simply be a massage (which can also be therapeutic but not Bowen therapeutic).
Hours and days are needed to fully process the Bowen treatment which is why it is advisable to go at least a week between treatments and make assessments. In the time after a Bowen therapy, you should take things easy, not try and go for a PB in the 5K parkrun. Drink water, walk. But while it can be exciting to tune into your body and try to notice any changes please give yourself time.
In the event of long standing or chronic conditions, great results can happen from one treatment. But more likely, you will need to wait for the changes to happen. Your body is working hard rebalancing, finding new patterns of movement, all while you are busy doing other things.
Give your body the best chances of success as it tries to heal:
Treat it with love and kindness.
Feed it right.
Hydrate it.
Give it gentle exercise.
And above all, be patient.
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