I come across new Bowen success stories every week and I love them all. Even though it’s been many years since I discovered Bowen therapy I never tire of hearing new success stories and talking about the way it changes lives.
Some success stories come from clients I’ve personally treated and whose lives have been changed for the better by therapy and others from my students who go on to discover and create their own success stories once they’re trained practitioners.
I’m hoping to make Bowen Success Stories an on-going series so if you have a Success Story I’d love to hear from you. I’ll soon be sharing success stories from my clients and students but I thought it would be fun to go back to the beginning of Bowen, for me at least, and start with my own story.
The best way to do it is probably interview style with a few questions I get asked regularly so here goes!
How did you first hear about Bowen therapy?
Many years ago I was working at the Hyatt Regency Coolum when a group of fellow practitioners suggested I join them at an introductory course. I’d never heard of it before but it sounded interesting so I went along to see what it was all about.
What was your first experience of trying Bowen?
I must admit I was a sceptic when the introduction course first started as I struggled with the idea that such a simple technique could deliver such profound results. Over the course of the next four days, I was amazed at the reactions my fellow practitioners were having but was still a little unsure about it myself.
What made you want to become a Bowen therapist?
The course ended and I went on my merry way thinking that I might use some of what I’d learnt during the course but things changed when I woke up the next morning. That day and over the next few days I experienced a profound pain shifting, detoxing and sense that something was changing. By the end of the fourth day I felt amazing. I was pain free, conscious of my posture and felt like a load had been lifted off my shoulders. By this stage I was hooked and the rest is history.
How has it changed your career path?
Bowen has changed my life as well as my career. It has broadened my whole experience in the health care industry, allowed me to interact with a multitude of different complimentary and medical health care professionals and most of all has given me amazing results when dealing with a diverse range of physical, mental and emotional issues in my own clients.
Since practicing, I’ve witnessed things that I would not have thought possible and, as a career, it has allowed me not only to be a professional therapist but to become a Nationally accredited Bowen Trainer and Assessor. I see it as a wonderful honour to be able to represent and pass on Tom Bowens’ legacy to the world.
At this stage I must pay my respects to Ossie and Elaine Rentsch for bringing the Bowen Technique to the world, if it weren’t for these two beautiful people my success stories and my career would not have been possible. It’s a precious gift that they’ve given us all, and I will always be eternally grateful!
Has it personally helped you heal or treat any health problems?
Just recently I spent five days in hospital having my appendix removed. Ouch! I’d been in pain for five days prior to being admitted to hospital but my main concern was constipation because I hadn’t had a bowel movement for five days. I was in terrible pain and feeling very bloated and uncomfortable.
During the overnight hospital stay before having surgery, I did tell the medical staff that I was worried about having surgery while I was constipated because I knew that having an operation and taking pain killers would only make the problem worse but no one seemed to be concerned so I went to surgery in pain and constipated. Not good.
As I’d suspected I awoke with severe abdominal bloating and pain that was treated with endone (a painkiller) and laxatives. Not a nice combination. Over the next five days I lost count of how many dosages of each the nurses gave, me not to mention the enemas that were administered.
Needless to say I became quite desperate when there was no positive outcome. My abdomen became so distended that I thought I was going to burst. I was in extreme pain after the operation and the bloating made things a whole lot worse.
My first instinct was to rub my abdomen to relieve the pain, which did help to a certain degree then I tried the Bowen colon procedure which helped a little more but I was still in terrible pain. I was full of drugs, anxious and quickly becoming depressed.
On four of the five nights in hospital I roamed the corridors like a zombie, trying to get my bowels to move through exercise but with no effect and as sleep deprivation set in I became more desperate. Finally a dear friend came to visit with prunes, pear juice and to perform the Bowen Colon Procedure on me. Within four hours I had my first evacuation. I was over the moon, it progressed nicely from there and I was able to leave hospital the next day.
I got one more colon treatment and haven’t had any problems since then. I think that because I was so stressed when I tried the Colon Procedure on myself is wasn’t effective because I was in sympathetic dominance (fight, flight, fright), not in parasympathetic dominance (rest, relax, repair). So in this type of situation I think it’s definitely better to have another Therapist treat the problem!
I know you’ve treated hundreds of people but can you share one success story from a patient you worked with?
I have some great testimonials to view on my website which help to reinforce some of the many success stories that I have witnessed.
What are your future plans?
My future plans are to spread this amazing technique to as many people as possible and teach Certificate IV in Bowen Therapy to as many people as I can. I truly believe that every family should have a Bowen Therapist. Even if they just know the basics it can have profound health advantages to the whole family.
