(Exerpt from: Americanbowen.academy)

The purpose of a Bowenwork session is to activate the innate healing mechanisms within the body so that, given time, the autonomic nervous system will self-regulate, energy will move more freely, and the body will heal to the extent it is able.

The work is gentle on the client’s body. In line with Bowenwork’s overarching philosophy of “Less is best,” practitioners aim to provide only enough inputs to elicit the body’s healing response. The number of inputs and length of the rest periods are determined for each client during each session; hence sessions do not have a fixed duration but rather can vary from a few moments to an hour, with the rest periods generally taking more time than the hands-on work.

Responses in the nervous and energetic systems can continue for up to 10 days after each Bowen session. Typically sessions are therefore scheduled a week or two apart to allow these processes to complete before providing new input. The client is given self-care advice about staying appropriately hydrated, performing targeted gentle exercises daily, and seeking advice from other health-care providers as needed.

The work is also easy on the practitioner’s body, in large part because it does not include sustained pressure or repetitive motions. As a result, many Bowenwork practitioners are able to continue practicing for as many years as they desire without suffering overuse injuries.