Issue # 1

B WEN BULLETIN
Sean’s Squawk……
Welcome to issue 1 of the Bowen Bulletin, a
newsletter designed to educate, inform and
connect the Bowen community.
There is a quote from Bruce Lee that states “If
When I qualified as a Bowen practitioner a few you always put limits on everything you do, physical
years back, I had this nagging suspicion that I or anything else, it will spread into your work and
didn’t quite have the full Bowen picture. There into your life. There are no limits. There are only
were gaps in my understanding of how Bowen plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go
worked, why it worked and how did I explain beyond them.” This perfectly sums up what the
what the Bowen Technique was to potential approach to our Bowen practice should be. We
clients? And that is the simple reason for an should never plateau in our physical practice.
educational, informative newsletter to help the We should always be striving to understand
newly qualified Bowen student and practitioner more, stretching our minds and pushing the
deepen their understanding of Bowenwork but boundaries of Bowen knowledge so that we
also for the experienced practitioner to add to become better practitioners. This is a simple
their knowledge as well as share their way to honour the essence of Bowen.
expertise.
Enjoy issue #1
As this is our first issue the design and content
of the newsletter will definitely change over
the next few issues. We welcome any
comment, ideas or suggestions to make the
Sean
Bowen Bulletin more informative and helpful to
you. Please send your suggestions to
[email protected].

Tom Bowen left us a legacy, an amazing gift, in

the form of the Bowen Technique. It is a legacy
whose essence is simply to help alleviate pain
and suffering in the world. To honour that
legacy we as Bowen practitioners should
always be striving to better our Bowen craft to
honour the gift that has been left to us.
Facebook.com/seanjohnsonbowen

[email protected]

+27 61 016 0336

@seanjbowen

1
BOWEN BULLETIN ISSUE 1
John Wilks is combining technology and Bowen by launching a series of webinars for
Bowen practitioners. Each webinar is on a different topic (the first one was by Sandra
Gustafson presenting on Women's Health) and presented by different instructors from
around the world. Each webinar lasts 2 hours and is recorded so people can access it later.
The idea is to build up a library of these webinars as a resource for practitioners.

Bowtech has approved up to 8 hours per year for CPD points for these webinars (so
practitioners would have to attend a minimum of 4 webinars to get 8 hours CPD points).
People can also test their connection beforehand to make sure it’s working OK at
https://admin.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

The webinars consist of around 45 - 60 minutes of lecture material followed by questions

and answers. They are fully interactive with people communicating via messaging. There is
also the option with a smaller group for them to interact verbally through their
microphone. The big advantage of these is that practitioners can attend without taking
time off work and also without the extra expense of travel.

John has extended this webinar service to South Africa and Namibia and at present is
running these courses from 7.00pm to 9.00pm UK time.
John is also lining up a series of presenters throughout the year including Margaret Spicer,
Kelly Clancy, Louise Tremblay and hopefully many others.

The cost of each webinar is £22.00, which people book online, and when you consider the
cost of getting these top Bowen people out to SA for courses, is a much cheaper option for
South African practitioners. There is a discount being offered where if you attend 5
webinars you get an extra one free. The next webinar is on the 14 May 2013 and John
Wilks will be discussing a class on pregnancy, birth and babies. For more info and details or
to book a webinar please go to www.cyma.org.uk.

BOWEN BULLETIN ISSUE 1 2

THE PSOAS MUSCLE
The real cause of lower back pain?
The psoas muscle is the deepest muscle of
the human body affecting our structural
balance, muscular integrity, flexibility,
strength, range of motion, joint mobility, and
organ functioning. Growing out of both sides
of the spine, the psoas spans laterally from
the 12th thoracic vertebrae (T12) to each of
the 5 lumbar vertebrae. From there it flows
down through the abdominal core, the pelvis,
to attach to the top of the femur (thigh)
bone.
The psoas is the only ‘muscle’ to connect the
spine to the legs. It is responsible for holding
us upright, and allows us to lift our legs in
order to walk. A healthily functioning psoas
stabilizes the spine and provides support
through the trunk, forming a shelf for the vital
organs of the abdominal core. The psoas is
connected to the diaphragm through
connective tissue or fascia which affects both
our breath and fear reflex.

This is because the psoas is directly linked to the

reptilian brain, the most ancient interior part of
the brain stem and spinal cord. As Liz Koch writes
“Long before the spoken word or the organizing
capacity of the cortex developed, the reptilian
brain, known for its survival instincts, maintained
our essential core functioning. ”Koch believes
that our fast paced modern lifestyle (which runs
on the adrenaline of our sympathetic nervous
system) chronically triggers and tightens the
psoas – making it literally ready to run or fight.
The psoas helps you to spring into action – or
curl you up into a protective ball.

BOWEN BULLETIN ISSUE 1 3

If we constantly contract the psoas to due to
stress or tension , the muscle eventually begins
to shorten leading to a host of painful conditions
including low back pain, sacroiliac pain, sciatica,
disc problems, scoliosis, hip degeneration, knee
pain, menstruation pain, infertility, and digestive
problems.
A tight psoas not only creates structural
problems, it constricts the organs, puts pressure
on nerves, interferes with the movement of
fluids, and impairs diaphragmatic breathing. In
fact, “The psoas is so intimately involved in such
basic physical and emotional reactions, that a
chronically tightened psoas continually signals
your body that you’re in danger, eventually
exhausting the adrenal glands and depleting the
immune system.” And according to Koch, this
situation is exacerbated by many things in our
modern lifestyle, from car seats to constrictive
clothing, from chairs to shoes that distort our
posture, curtail our natural movements and
further constrict our psoas.
.
“Bowen is fantastic for releasing the psoas
muscle and therefore treating a wide
range of conditions.”
.
If you have completed your SBP1 (Advanced
Bowen) course then you will be familiar with the
Psoas Procedure. If you haven’t done the SBP1
then John Wilks in his book, The Bowen
Technique: the inside story, recommends the
following protocol to help release the psoas

BRM 1
BRM 2 stoppers and moves 9-16
Kidney procedure
Pelvic procedure
Supine respiratory moves
.
“Also recommend, the
Constructive Rest Position
to clients for 20 mins
a day to help soften
and relax the psoas.”

BOWEN BULLETIN ISSUE 1 4

 WHAT?
is Fibromyalgia……..
Fibromyalgia (pronounced fy-bro-my-AL-ja) is a common and complex chronic pain disorder that
affects people physically, mentally and socially. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome rather than a disease.
Unlike a disease, which is a medical condition with a specific cause or causes and recognizable
signs and symptoms, a syndrome is a collection of signs, symptoms, and medical problems that
tend to occur together but are not related to a specific, identifiable cause.

Fibromyalgia, which has also been referred to as fibromyalgia syndrome, fibromyositis and
fibrositis, is characterized by chronic widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain
processing, sleep disturbances, fatigue and often psychological distress. It is diagnosed in people if
they display 11 or more out of 18 painful points on their bodies. Its cause is unknown and there is
currently no cure for it. People diagnosed with fibromyalgia very often are sensitive to pressure
and touch on their bodies. Bowen has proved effective in helping relieve the symptoms of
fibromyalgia because of its light touch and gentle approach to treatment.

Top Ten
Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

Pain all over

Fatigue
Sleep difficulties
Brain fog
Morning stiffness
Muscle knots, cramping,
weakness
Digestive disorders
Headaches/migraines
Balance problems
Itchy/burning skin

“The majority of people who have fibromyalgia are women—

about 80% to 90% of people diagnosed with fibromyalgia are
women. But men and children can have fibromyalgia, too.”
BOWEN BULLETIN ISSUE 1 5
BOWEN
A twist on the TOP STOPPERS
As you can see in the anatomy chart
below, the Erector Spinae group divides
To perform an effective move into 3 different arms in the area that
over all 3 muscles try the you perform the BRM2 stoppers
following tips: namely the Iliocastilis,Longissimus and
Spinalis.

When you have a disease

don’t try to cure it.
Find your centre and
you will be healed
-Taoist Proverb

BOWEN BULLETIN ISSUE 1 6

 DO YOU KNOW
WHERE TO TAP?

Many years ago, the engine of a large ship

suddenly broke down. The Captain of the
ship invited one ship engineer after the
other, but none of them could fix the
engine. Then someone recommended an
old man who had been fixing ships for a
long time. He came in with his bag of
tools and inspected the engine
thoroughly. The owners of the ship were
watching him. The old man opened his
bag and brought out a small hammer. He
gently tapped something and the engine
revved back to life. He replaced his
hammer and walked away with the ship
owners watching with gratitude.
A week later, the owners received a bill
from the old man for R10 000.
“This is a rip off.” the owners exclaimed.
“What did he do that should cost so
much?” They immediately asked the old
man for a breakdown of his bill.

Here’s what his invoice showed:

Tapping the hammer ….. R2

Knowing where to tap …. R9998

If you replace the word ship with body and “tapping the hammer” with Bowen the
above story could very well reflect a Bowen treatment. How many clients have said
after treatment that you’ve hardly done anything? How often do you feel awkward
for charging a client for doing minimal work because that’s all that was required by
the body to correct itself?

As Bowen practitioners we work gently, precisely and in tune with the body’s natural
healing mechanism. We apply minimum corrective input into the body to maximize
the body’s healing response. The Bowen Technique is a very specific healing system
that offers something of value to most people. We should never sell ourselves short
or doubt that what we know and can do is worth being paid for. As Bowenwork
practitioners we know exactly where to tap on the engine of the body.
BOWEN BULLETIN ISSUE 1 7
Interesting medical facts

DID YOU KNOW….

Hugging releases oxytocin which helps to heal physical

wounds and makes someone trust you more!

The tips of your fingers have enough strength to support

the weight of your whole body

Our kidneys filter about 1.3 litres of blood every minute

& expel up to 1.4 litres of urine in a day.

It takes about 20 seconds for a red blood cell to circle the

entire body.

Your right lung is bigger than the left. The left lung is
smaller so as to compensate for the
heart being on the left .

You burn more calories while sleeping

than watching TV.

BOWEN BULLETIN ISSUE 1

8
If you would like to promote your business in the classifieds, the cost is an
honourable commitment to donate 15 minutes of your time to a person, idea, cause
or charity. We would love to hear how you have made the world a better place in
15 minutes so drop us a mail or send a photo. Be the change.

www.theyogarepublic.co.za
www.a-hoy.co.za

www.thegreeninitiative.co.za www.dekraauto.co.za

www.proudpups.co.za
www.yourturn.co.za

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,

committed citizens can change the world;
indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
– Margaret Mead

ISSUE #2 OF B WEN BULLETIN

OUT IN JUNE!
BOWEN BULLETIN ISSUE 1 9