What exactly is Bowen therapy?

People are always asking me what Bowen therapy is and how it works so I thought I would have another go at explaining it it simple terms. Bowen therapy moves look a bit like simple massage but they are actually far more specific in their action and can have very profound effects on mind, body and spirit.

The first thing you have to understand is that our bodies are composed of 70% water and all of our bodily communications and functions happen along fluid pathways. We all know about arteries, veins and capillaries and our lymphatic system. What many of us don't know is that they are just the beginning of the body's fluid transport and communication system. Nerves send signals using chemicals that pass along nerve fibers that are bathed in fluid. Nutrients leak out of capillaries into tissues that are mostly fluid and of course wastes are dissolved in fluids and travel through the body through different fluid pathways on their way to being eliminated.
In fact, we are so fluid-dependent, water is the one nutrient (and yes water is a nutrient) that we absolutely cannot do without. We die very quickly if we are denied water and we die slowly if we are starved of adequate water. Fortunately most of us never fit into that first category but unfortunately, many of us fall into the second category - we spend our lives consuming inadequate water and suffering the effects of that starvation - often shortening our lives considerably as a result.

The second thing you need to know about before I try to explain the way Bowen therapy works is fascia. Fascia is a connective tissue that is present all over the body from your head to your toes. Its is present in a layer just under the skin and also surrounds muscles and organs. It's role is partly to act as a physical support for those structures as well as their nursemaid. Tiny capillaries pass through the fascia and their precious cargo of nutrients leaks out into the fluid bathing the fascia. From there those nutrients make their way to muscles and other structures where they are needed. In return, waste products leak from muscles, etc. into the fascial fluid where they are sucked up by lymphatic capillaries and removed. Fascia also supports nerve and immune functions and the Chinese believe it is the pathway of our very souls - important stuff that fascia!

So how is Bowen therapy connected with all that you might ask? If we are dehydrated or injured, the network of fibers present in our fascia can get glued together and the vital fascial fluid thickens like jelly. This makes it very difficult for nutrients and wastes to move around freely and even nerve fibers can get trapped. This means muscles and other tissues that are supported by the fascia don't function properly and pain is often the result.
Bowen therapy acts by stretching the fascia allowing fluid to rehydrate tissues and restore balance in the body. Of course you have drink more water to allow this benefit to continue which is why I am always barking on about drinking more water to my clients.

More details? It get's quite scientific but I'll give it a go. The fluid bathing the fascia acts like a liquid crystal, so the pressure and vector (or angle) of the Bowen move has a piezoelectric effect, forcing whatever fluid is available to flood into the dehydrated fascia, quickly restoring function. The stretching action also allows the fascial fibers to return to their correct position - a little like stretching out a fishing net that has been left to dry out on a beach. Water (and nutrients) can flow more freely again.

So Bowen therapy restores normality to the fascia which then in turn, helps the body to function normally again. But that is only the start of restoring good health because as most of us know, our diet and water intake, together with our lifestyle choices regarding stress and exercise are the other parts of the equation. That part is up to you. If you've read this far, you are probably motivated enough to do whatever you can to restore your health to it's optimum. Good luck!

If you want to read more about Bowen therapy, you can go to my webpage at http://ntpages/therapist/25736

The truth about salt

What follows is an article from NaturalNews - an online health magazine. It is very interesting (even though it refers to America). It is just as relevant here in Australia and highlights some of the misinformation we are fed daily regarding our health. I have been recommending sea salt since reading Dr Batmangheldj's book "Your Body's Many Cries for Water" which explains that water and salt are vital for normal cell function (see my earlier articles). Let me know what you think of this article.

Ditch the table salt, not the sodium.
It's no secret that sodium has replaced carbohydrates and fat as the new scapegoat for all sorts of health issues ranging from high blood pressure and osteoporosis, to heart disease. New product marketing strategies boast "low sodium" or "reduced sodium" labels, and many brands are replacing sodium all together with potentially harmful potassium chloride. It is true that many studies have been conducted linking sodium to many of American's modern day health problems; however, these studies are conducted using table salt (sodium chloride) or isolated sodium (sodium that has been stripped of the minerals needed for the body to utilize it properly). The table salt found in high amounts in the standard American diet is not synonymous with the "un-tested" good type of sodium our body needs to maintain good health.

Table salt is mined from underground salt mines. It is then heavily processed, refined, stripped of all its minerals except for sodium and chloride (NaCl), and subjected to anti-caking agents like aluminum. Table salt is an acidic, inorganic substance; this means the body cannot break the chemical bonds to utilize the sodium and it is not easily excreted from the body. This leads to various health issues, is responsible for 100,000 deaths each year, and contributes to the "sodium is bad" mentality.

However, table salt (NaCl) and sodium (Na) are not synonymous. In fact, the majority of Americans are deficient in the good type of sodium the body needs. True organic sodium is essential, beneficial, and needed by our body in moderate amounts. This type of sodium is found in fruits, vegetables, natural sea salt and soil. Sodium is known as the "youth mineral" because it is associated with youthful, limber, and flexible joints. The alkalinity of organic sodium helps neutralize acids that result from stressful lifestyles and poor nutrition. Without adequate amounts of sodium, the body will take minerals from its reserves, including the bones, to neutralize acid. Organic sodium is essential for calcium absorption, digestion, bile production, fluid balance, and the function of the brain, kidneys, liver, lymph, blood, spleen, gastric secretions, cellular function, and metabolism. Unlike table salt, an excess of this type of sodium is easily excreted from the body.

There are many health problems caused by an organic sodium deficiency including: gallstones, kidney stones, hardened arteries, osteoporosis, arthritis, gout, brittle bones, heartburn, acid reflux, gastroparesis, nerve problems, indigestion, headaches, stiff or painful joints, abnormal pulmonary function, bacterial infections, poor memory, diabetes, bloating, fatigue, restless legs, weight gain, and headaches, and more.

To prevent a deficiency of this important mineral, ditch the table salt and add sodium rich foods to your diet. Foods highest in organic sodium include: celery, asparagus, barley, red cabbage, carrots, coconut, okra, lentils, kale, strawberries, sesame seeds, raisins, goat's milk, egg yolks, and pure (non-iodized) sea salt.

When using logic, it is clear. Organic sodium from food sources is not responsible for poor health, as celery or any of the other foods listed above have not been used as controls in the research and studies responsible for the negative sodium publicity. The vast amount of health issues attributed to "sodium" are directly related to the high amounts of table salt found in the processed foods most Americans consume. To prevent these health issues, ditch the table salt, not the sodium.

References

1. Dr. M. Ted Morter, JR., M.A., "Your Health Your Choice."

2. Dr. Bernard Jensen, Ph.D., "The Chemistry of Man."

3. Harvard Health Publications, "Salt and your health, Part I: The sodium connection."
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsl...



Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/031608_table_salt_sodium.html#ixzz1GLFEd9Qo

March 2011 Newsletter

Welcome clients to my March 2011 newsletter.

If you don't want to receive these newsletters, please send me an email and I'll take you off my list.
Feel free to forward this email on to friends and family that you think may find it interesting.

NEWSFLASH - LISMORE CLINICS
As of this week I will finally have a Lismore presence. I will be at the Inner Sanctum at 68 Magellan street on Wednesday afternoons from 9th March and at Traditional Medicinals at 133 Keen street on Tuesdays from 15th March.

Bookings can be made as usual by calling me on 6686 6117 or 0400 280 661 or you can call the clinics directly - Inner Sanctum 6622 7478, Trad. Meds 6622 4099.
Please feel free to let any friends you have in the Lismore area who may want Bowen therapy know these details.

Of course my Ballina clients can still see me at my home at 858 River Drive, Empire Vale or at the clinic at Go Vita, Ballina Fair by appointment - call 6686 6117.


TIP OF THE MONTH - DREAM BIG, LAUGH A LOT, FORGIVE EASILY AND LIFE'S RAINBOW WILL REWARD YOU WITH ITS OWN POT OF GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES

We all could do with some inspiration and I love coming up with different ones for twitter as well as reading what others have to say. If you are a twitter-follower, you might like to follow me and some of the inspiring people I follow - my twitter name is Bowentweeter - happy tweeting!

NEW TREATMENTS AVAILABLE

Lymphatic Drainage

Some of you may have already experienced my new Lymphatic drainage treatments. I use very gentle Bowen moves in a rhythmic way along pathways of the lymphatic system throughout the body. The moves stimulate the body's lymphatic system to help remove lymph build-up from the tissues. In some people lymph build-up manifests as oedema (or swelling) and for others it causes pain.

The body's lymphatic system is not perfect - we have two main drains - called ducts - that drain lymph into the circulatory system so that the waste products contained in the lymph can be removed by the kidneys and flushed out of the body. The two drains are situated near our collar bone - above the heart.
The right duct drains the lymph from the right arm, right breast, neck and head. The left duct drains lymph form the left breast and arm and all the rest of the body and the legs. So you can see that the left side has a much harder load to bear than the right.

Another interesting fact is that 80% of breast cancers are located in the left breast - can you see the connection? In those women, the left (or thoracic duct) may not be clearing the lymph as efficiently as the right lymphatic duct.

This is not meant to scare you. Most people who exercise regularly and are basically healthy have no problems with their lymphatic system but for others, lymph build-up is uncomfortable and unhealthy. For them, a regular Bowen lymphatic drainage treatment can be a less painful treatment than regular Bowen or massage with wonderful results.

Lymphatic drainage can also aid weight loss and is a wonderful detox for the body. It is also a very pleasant treatment to have and a variation from regular Bowen.

Bowen Massage and Foot treatments

I get a occasional requests for massage and foot treatments so have included gentle relaxation treatments and foot treatments as part of my services.
These treatments are designed as relaxation treatments and are wonderful for de-stressing and as gifts for friends and relatives who may not usually try Bowen therapy.
These treatments are a bit like a cross between Bowen and massage - without the messy oils. I've actually had clients fall asleep on the table during a Bowen massage - that is fine with me by the way - it just goes to show how much they needed the treatment!
The foot treatments include optional massage with peppermint foot cream which leaves your feet smelling fresh and clean.

BOOK REVIEW - LIFE OF PI

My book of the month is "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel.
Another non health book but like Great Expectations last month - I think it has some important messages that can be applied to your spiritual health and wellbeing.
It's funny that last month I reviewed a book about a person called Pip and this month it's about a person called Pi - weird.

Anyway, Pi is a 16-year-old Indian boy who has been raised by a father who ran a zoo. Pi's family decide to relocate (with some of the zoo animals) to Canada by ship - and the ship sinks suddenly with massive loss of life.
Pi ends up in a lifeboat with a large Bengal tiger called Richard Parker (don't ask) and the way he learns to survive make for some of the most exciting and absorbing reading I've had in a long while.
The book was written as if the author was a journalist who was recounting the story of a real person - the details were amazing and the whole thing seemed so real. I had to look up the internet to convince myself it hadn't really happened! There I discovered blogs from people who had had the same experience.

Pi has to use his ingenuity to avoid being eaten by the tiger, find enough food for the both of them and survive for many months on the ocean without human company.
He does this by applying the knowledge he already had (from being in zoos so much), learning new skills such as fishing and raft-building and by putting his faith in God.
Pi is a very religious boy - in fact he believes in all the major religions of the world so he is about as spiritual as you can get and it is his faith that make the big difference between living and dying.

Studies have shown that people who have some sort of spiritual connection - whether it's with mother nature, angels, God or whatever, cope better with difficult situations than those who feel no connection. Many feel comfort in the thought that someone is watching over them or that there is some purpose to our lives on earth. Even if all you feel is that you are part of the wonderful world of nature - that can help you cope with the trials that life throws at you. Through overcoming difficulties we develop strength and gratitude for life.

In Pi's case it was his faith in God that provided him with the strength he needed to survive some terrible times at sea and strive to find solutions to his problems. Near the end of the story the boat reaches land and the tiger jumps out and runs away into the jungle. Pi expresses his gratitude to the tiger for helping him to survive the ordeal and wishes him well "So farewell Richard Parker, farewell. God be with you." It's a sad moment as the two "friends" part for ever, but a moment filled with hope and peace.
I hope you all can find hope and peace in your lives.


REGULAR TREATMENTS CAN HELP WITH WHATEVER LIFE THROWS AT YOU
We all need a helping hand from time to time and Bowen treatments can be part of your armory that helps you cope with life's challenges.

MORE INFORMATION ON MY WEBSITE AND BLOG SITE
Prior newsletters are available and you can also check out updates and detailed articles on my blog site at http://bowentherapytips.blogspot.com/

If you would like to see more information about Bowen Therapy, you might like to check out my web page on the
Natural Therapy Pages at http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/therapist/25736
You can also follow me on twitter - @Bowentweeter


Best wishes to you and your families,

Carolyn.