About Bowen

What is Bowen

A unique, non intrusive complementary State of the art therapy

"It is only a very few times in our lives that a rare opportunity presents itself and Bowtech, the original Bowen Technique becoming available to the world in the late 80's is one of those times”.
- Oswald Rentsch Founder Bowtech

The Bowen Technique or Bowen work as it is now called in the USA, was developed by Tom Bowen from Geelong, Australia, who successfully treated 13,000 patients a year.

Oswald and Elaine Rentsch, our Founders, then worked with Tom Bowen and documented the technique. They commenced teaching it after Tom Bowen’s death, as per his wish. They have since taken the technique to more than 30 countries all over the world and are the Principals of the Bowen Therapy Academy of Australia. In 2003, Farida Irani, a Senior Bowen Instructor from Australia, established, and began teaching the Bowen Technique in India.

Bowen is a non-invasive State of the art Technique and has profound effects on various chronic disorders including degenerated spine, arthritis, rheumatism, stress, chronic fatigue, acidity, fractures, sprains, sports injuries, musculo skeletal disorders, asthma, nervous disorders, mental and emotional equilibrium, women’s problems including fertility and many other ailments. Sometimes called the homeopathy of bodywork, it utilizes subtle inputs to the body (known as moves), stimulating the body to heal itself. Specific moves are made on ligaments, tendons or muscles which most likely activate the Golgi receptors and send signals to the brain, the neurological pathways, the fascia, also activating the meridians, and the electromagnetic field of the person. Unlike other treatments, the body does its own rectification and the will of the practitioner is not imposed on the client. It has been suggested that the Bowen Technique may introduce specific harmonic frequencies to the body systems on the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels. It complements conventional medicine.

History of Bowen

Bowtech - The Original Bowen Technique

The Bowen Therapy Academy of Australia has over 115 accredited Instructors. To date, courses have been held in over 30 countries.

The phenomenal growth and popularity of the Bowen Technique is reflected by the fact that The Bowen Therapy Academy of Australia has over 50,000 practitioners worldwide, who have undertaken Bowtech training. BTAA has affiliated associations in more than 18 countries.

Thomas Ambrose Bowen (1916-1982) began developing this technique in the 1950's in Geelong, Australia, to alleviate human suffering. He called it a ‘Gift from God’ and developed this technique with the help of his friend and secretary, Rene Horwood.

Mr. Bowen was extremely busy in his Geelong clinic, performing about 13,000 treatments a year. This was verified by the 1975 Victorian government inquiry into alternative health care professionals. Considering treatments were seven days apart and most people needed only one to three treatments, an amazing number of clients passed through the clinic and benefited from his gift. Mr. Bowen also held free clinics for children, people with disabilities, and community service workers.

In 1974, while attending a National Health Conference in Adelaide, Australia, Oswald Rentsch met Mr. Bowen for the first time. Although he knew nothing of Mr. Bowen's work, Ossie spontaneously asked if he could learn from him. Mr. Bowen shook Ossie's hand, held it for some time, and said, "Good! Come down and I'll teach you. I'll call my secretary and let you know." A couple of hours later Mr. Bowen sought Ossie out and said, "You be down at my clinic next Wednesday at 9 am."

For the next two and a half years Ossie studied Mr. Bowen's technique, ultimately being authorized by him to document the work. Mr. Bowen had no notes, charts or manuals, but with the help of Rene Horwood, Ossie produced a true representation of Mr. Bowen's original technique.

In 1976, Ossie and his wife, Elaine, began utilising Mr. Bowen's methods in their clinic in Hamilton, Victoria.

Honouring Mr. Bowen's request to teach the work after his death, Ossie and Elaine named it The Bowen Technique and held their first seminar in Perth, Australia, in 1986. By 1990 Ossie and Elaine were teaching full time throughout Australia. Dedicated to preserving the technique and ensuring it was taught in its original form, they founded the Bowen Therapy Academy of Australia in 1987, eventually naming the technique Bowtech-The Bowen Technique. Since then, Ossie and Elaine have introduced Bowtech to many countries, honouring the promise Ossie made to Mr. Bowen on his deathbed, to spread his work throughout the world. They are now supported in this teaching by a large faculty of dedicated instructors who are accredited by, and registered with, the Academy.

Because this technique is so effective, it has been widely embraced by a broad spectrum of people. Health professionals are impressed by the effectiveness of the Bowen technique and the diversity of problems addressed by it.

Bowen Therapy in India

Mumbai born Farida Irani lives in Sydney, Australia where she runs a busy complementary medicine, natural therapies clinic called Subtle Energies with her daughter Khursheed. They both visit India on a regular basis, as India is their second home, and they love to give of their time and expertise to their people.

They have been treating people voluntarily in Mumbai during their visits for several years, and now their team of dedicated practitioners do voluntary works regularly at the Happy Home and School for the Blind, the NGO Manav Foundation for the mentally handicapped, and at the Cusrow Baug Leagues and Sports Club. The Delhi practitioners also do charitable work at a hospital. In Pune, Bowen is being done at the Military hospital in Kirkee, as a service to the disabled in the army.

All the practitioners also run their own busy practices in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Jalna, Hyderabad.

Farida’s dream and passion was to establish this unique modality and science in India in its true and pure format so that Indians from all walks of life could avail of it.

The first batch of practitioners qualified in 2004 and the numbers have grown in leaps and bounds since then.

Vimla Rao, a Fiji born Indian living in Australia, was trained by Farida in Sydney as a practitioner, and now also as an instructor. She is a visiting Instructor and has trained practitioners in Delhi since 2011.

Khursheed Irani is an international Instructor and she has been training students as well with Farida in Mumbai.

Freny Palia is the first Bowen instructor of India trained by Farida and she has been training people in Mumbai.

Tejal Bhagat, a qualified Bowen practitioner for years is on her way to becoming an instructor, hopefully by next year.

Farida’s dream has finally come to fruition. When people ask ‘Who is your best practitioner?’ Farida replies ‘All’ as they all are very competent and she ensures they only qualify when they have achieved the highest standards on all levels.

Her mission is to see people succeed as practitioners in their clinics setting up their own businesses and also helping our underprivileged society and those less fortunate wherever we can.

Bowen India has a very successful vibrant Bowen Therapy India Association.

Being an Ayurveda practitioner, and a clinical Aromatherapist she follows the Ayurveda philosophy that life is all about balance, and what better way to achieve this than helping our brethren when they need it.

Details of Farida and all her qualified practitioners are available in the Find A Practitioner section of the website.

FAQs

What is Bowen Therapy?

Bowtech, the original Bowen therapy, originated in Australia. It is a gentle, yet dynamic, state of the art sof tissue therapy that taps into the body’s innate intelligence to balance and rectify various conditions. Working on a cellular level, it enables the body to return to its original blueprint, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. For more information, please refer to the About Bowen link.

How quickly does Bowen work?

Each individual is different, with different body types, different capacities to heal and external influences that affect them. Conditions may be acute or chronic, therefore it is not possible to generalise.
Normally, 3-4 consecutive sessions done at an interval of about a week bring about a vast improvement. In some cases, a single session brings about amazing results. After a set of 3-4 sessions, a break is recommended to allow the body to assimilate the treatment. One can then return for treatment as required or have maintenance treatments at regular intervals to keep the body rejuvenated and in balance.

How long is a Bowen session?

A Bowen session could take anywhere from 30-45 minutes, and sometimes longer. The wait between moves may be longer at the therapist’s discretion, depending on client feedback during the session. An in depth consultation is done at the first session and feedback welcomed at consecutive sessions thereafter.

Is Bowen Therapy right for me?

Bowen Therapy is gentle, yet very effective. It is safe and non intrusive and can be done on anyone from neonates to the elderly. It can be done seated, standing or lying down, to ensure that the client is comfortable. Since it complements conventional medicine, it is an effective addition for those undergoing treatment even for chronic issues.

Does one experience pain during or after a Bowen session?

It is very rare for a person to experience pain during a Bowen session. Some people experience a ‘healing crisis ‘ in the days following a session - anything from pain or discomfort, to nausea and lethargy, as the body detoxifies itself. All that is required is maintaining a regular water intake to flush out toxins. In case of extreme discomfort, the client can choose to take a painkiller, under the advice of a medical practitioner.

Is Bowen Therapy like Chiropractic, Accupressure or Physiotherapy?

Bowen, as a modality, stands on its own. The gentle slack, challenge and rolling moves done on the belly of the muscle, send messages via electrical impulses through the Golgi receptors, through the fascia, meridians, nadis (subtle energy channels) and chakras to the brain. The brain reverses the brain map and in turn sends messages to various parts of the body that require fine tuning on a cellular level, and the rectification process begins. Two minute waits between moves allow the body to assimilate messages and begin the rectification almost immediately.

Is Bowen like massage?

Bowen is not a massage. However, the gentle rolling moves that work on our subtle energy fields definitely bring about a deep sense of relaxation to the mind and body.

Can one have massages alongside Bowen?

Bowen fine tunes the body using a vibrational technique. Therefore we recommend no massage or any other tactile therapy five days before and after a Bowen session for optimum results.

Can one have Bowen during a pregnancy?

Bowen can safely be done during a pregnancy. In fact, regular Bowen sessions take care of pregnancy related issues such as backache, nausea, heartburn and oedema. Bowen also aids the development of the foetus and prepares the mother’s body for a relatively quick and easy delivery, if done regularly. Bowen has a special conception protocol that helps couples conceive naturally.

What is Bowtech Ease?

Bowtech Ease is an amazing Ayurveda Aromatherapy formula, created specially for the Bowen Therapy Academy of Australia by Subtle Energies. It contains rich EFA based vegetable oils such as Black Seed Sesame and Ashwagandha, along with powerful essential oils like Kunzea, Black Pepper and Eucalyptus, amongst others. It enhances the effectiveness of the Bowenwork when used after a session, to address injuries, coughs and colds, and even indigestion. It acts as an anti inflammatory and an analgesic. For more information please refer to the Products link.

How do I know a Bowen therapist is qualified?

All Bowen therapists in India are certified from the Bowen Therapy Academy of Australia after intensive training and assessment by qualified, accredited instructors, from Australia and India. They are also required to have a sound knowledge of Anatomy and Physiology and First Aid. Therapists are further trained in business and communication skills and how to run a successful practice. They are certified to be practitioners only on completion of Bowen modules and above mentioned prerequisites. They are also registered with the Bowen Therapy Academy of Australia.

Why are doctors not recommending Bowen?

Bowen Therapy is a relatively new concept in India. It is slowly gaining recognition by word of mouth, and from testimonials given by those who have seen amazing results. The medical fraternity and physiotherapists are also recommending clients to Bowen practitioners after seeing marvellous results with various conditions. Some doctors and physiotherapists have even become Bowen practitioners themselves, using the technique as a wonderful adjunct to their practice. For more amazing Bowen success stories please refer to the Testimonials link.