The holidays can bring on more than a normal amount of stress, with family gatherings, work functions, crowded 
shopping malls, meeting end-of-year goals, and the like. How do YOU combat the effects of stress during what should be the most joyous season of the year? There are many ways to get grounded and bring back a sense of normalcy and relaxation to your life.
One of those ways is through a fairly new (to the U.S.) bodywork modality called Bowen Technique. If you have never had a session, or even heard of this remarkable technique, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
Bowenwork is done on a massage table, but it is not massage. It removes blockages in meridians, or energy points, and improves the flow of chi, but it is not acupuncture. Bowen therapy brings a slight irritation to the immune and nervous system, so that it stimulates those systems to initiate healing, but it is not homeopathy (although some people refer to Bowenwork as tactile homeopathy). This modality improves the flow of lymphatic fluid, but it is not lymphatic drainage.
So then what IS Bowen Therapy? Technically, it is an osteopathic type of technique which is performed by varied therapists and practitioners, including massage therapists, chiropractors, physio therapists, physical therapists, nurses, energy workers, and more. It involves gentle, rolling movements on the client’s skin (bare or clothed). These moves communicate directly with the autonomic nervous system, giving subtle messages like, “Hey, remember when you used to be normal, healthy, and balanced? Wouldn’t you like to be that way again?” It sets the body up for deep, core healing at the cellular level.
Basically, these Bowen moves stimulate the proprioceptors in the muscles and tendons to respond in a new way to brand new neurological signals being sent to the brain and nervous system. A body that has been injured or simply has imbalances, can get into a pain/spasm/pain cycle. Bowen Therapy is perfect for breaking that cycle and down-regulating the autonomic nervous system. In other words, it takes you from a fight or flight stage into a rest and relaxation response.
Once you are in this alpha state, your body can respond more readily to the subtle signals so brilliantly delivered through Bowenwork. In this state, migraines disappear, ankle sprains resolve, carpal tunnel symptoms are relieved, back pain is removed, and stress and anxiety are reduced.
One of the most common responses from Bowen therapy clients is that during the session they feel more relaxed than ever, and once the session is over, they feel rejuvenated.