How people deal with stress differs from person to person. But the constant that follows everyone is how damaging stress is to our mental and physical health. In severe cases, stress leads to serious long-term illnesses and can change the way you act, think, and behave for life.
There is a lot of information and support available to help people manage stress. More than ever really, but this is a reflection on the fact that there are more stressed people than ever. Modern living comes with all the comforts and gadgets that are designed to make our lives easier. Combined with the fast-paced, always changing environment that made these things possible.
If you have suffered from stress or are currently feeling overwhelmed with stress, you will know all too well how much it affects your daily life. From feeling tired all the time, unsociable, heartburn, sickness, being easily agitated, and more. What have you done to help manage stress? – Meditation, exercise, therapy, traditional medicine?
A form of therapy that has proven to be very effective for some people is using Bowen therapy for stress management. I will explain what Bowen therapy is and how it helps in more detail throughout this article.
What is Bowen Therapy?
Bowen therapy is a specific technique, it’s a form of massage in the way that it’s applied with the hands. The therapist performing the treatment will use their fingers and thumbs to press and massage certain points on the body. There are some unique movements and techniques involved that have been crafted and developed to form the overall treatment.
Unlike Swedish massage techniques and most other forms of massage, there is very little pressure used. It’s a gentle, soft, and relaxing treatment that aims to help the body balance itself and relieve pain through stimulating self-healing. It’s a more holistic approach that uses the body’s energy. As opposed to the force and manipulation of the body’s tissue’s to resolve pain and discomfort.
How Our Bodies React to Stress
When we are stressed our nervous systems are compromised. Our nervous systems are responsible for the majority of our body’s functions, and this is why we start falling apart is all kinds of ways when we’re overly stressed.
Our bodies go into ‘fight or flight’ mode when we’re stressed. That sounds like an overreaction, and indeed it is. When dealing with stress and trying to manage more than we can cope with this is the psychological mode we fall back on.
Being in this heightened state-of-mind puts a toll on our bodies. It raises our blood pressure, weakens our immune system, increases our chance of a heart attack, and clouds our thinking. I can’t reaffirm enough just how dangerous it is to be stressed and not attempt to manage it.
Using Bowen Therapy for Stress Management
The reason a lot of people find stress relief from the Bowen therapy is because it’s a soft and gentle form of therapy. A therapist uses soft touches, touches that make a difference to how the body’s nervous system is functioning.
The techniques used in Bowen therapy changes the fight or flight state-of-mind I mentioned above. It helps to reset the brain and actually make a difference at the source, your brain and how you’re thinking.
When you change how you’re feeling and thinking like this it has an effect on your whole body. You can normalise your heart rate, blood pressure, lift your mood, and start feeling yourself again. Stress is like a rain cloud following you around, you can break away from this cloud. When you do suddenly everything starts to fall back into place.
You have to remember that this form of treatment is not going to work for everyone. It’s also not a replacement for traditional treatment or something to consider against the wishes of a qualified professional.
It is however, a form of therapy to look into, and the results are not in question. You can find testimonials, studies, and evidence that shows how effective it’s been for some people. If you’re struggling with stress it’s certainly worth looking into as a natural and non-invasive way to deal with this problem where it counts.
You can find out a lot more about Bowen Therapy here.
I’m a MA, (CMT) Certified Massage Therapist, Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT), and Reiki Master — I’m a licensed massage therapist with over 10 years of experience in the industry.