Origins
- Tom Bowen
Bowen
Therapy was pioneered by Tom Bowen of Victoria, Australia in the
1950’s. He was an industrial chemist who developed his system of
bodywork with animals. Very little is known about the man, whether
he was an intuitive healer or if he created the system out of his
own research of eastern bodywork we will never know, as he was a
man who avoided publicity and, from all reports, the use of words.
He ran his clinic simply and efficiently; his clinic treated 13,000
people in one year with a 90% success rate and if any of his patients
ignored his advice they were unceremoniously sent home. Some say
he was an intuitive bodyworker who would only do what was appropriate
and would frequently send patients home after executing four simple
moves. He did not waste his time or his patients’ money, if there
was no response after two treatments he would refer them on (only
10% of his cases).
Tom Bowen died in the ‘80s as a result of complications from diabetes.
While he was alive he taught his techniques to only six assistants
working directly under his instruction; Keith Davis, Nigel Love,
Kevin Neave, Oswald Rentsch, Kevin Ryan and Romney Smeeton.
After
his death his techniques have blossomed and evolved as Bowen Therapy,
Bowen Technique™, Fascial Kinetics®, NST, Vibro-Muscular Therapy®,
and given time many more commercial names will be given to this
simple, gentle and effective therapy. These names are not important,
what matters are the intentions and integrity of the teachers and
their students - if these are pure then the results are remarkable
and often appear miraculous.
