Bowen Technique - History

[Lyndell Fortin]

History of Bowen Technique

Thomas Bowen (1916 - 1982) The initiator of the Bowen Technique

Tom Bowen was born in Australia on April 18, 1916. In the 1950's Tom began his practice treating workmates and others that had heard of his reputation in the front room of a friend's home in the evenings after
work. Word of his healing hands spread throughout the region and soon he
could not accommodate the number of people wanting his treatment in
this part-time manner so he opened a full time practice.

Not being formally trained in any bodywork modality, Tom, through his own study and practice, developed what we now call the Bowen Technique. With his amazing skills of assessment, he was able to alleviate many
people's problems with very few, relatively gentle, soft tissue
manipulations.

Tom was highly selective of those who wanted to watch him work and learn his technique. Only six people worked with Tom over his years of practice. One of these was Ossie Rentsch from Hamilton Victoria. After
many months of following Tom and watching him treat his many patients
Ossie began to understand the technique. Under Tom's close supervision
and his assistance Ossie documented the work (a painstaking exercise as
there were no charts or explanations available), and this is an original
record of Tom's work.

What eventuated was a carefully documented and authenticated record of this amazing technique. The technique could be now taught and became what we know today as Bowtech®, the Bowen Technique.

After Tom died in 1982 Ossie and his wife Elaine formed the Bowen Therapy Academy of Australia and began to teach the technique. They had promised Tom that they would make his work known throughout the world
and they have more than kept their promise. Today over 10,000 people
have completed basic Bowtech®, the Bowen Technique course, in fifteen
countries and in six languages. Worldwide, there are now 67 instructors
teaching Bowtech®.

Above info has been sourced from the Bowen Association of Australia  www.bowen.org.au