5 minute read
by Laura K. Cowan
from Issue # 80
When is a Massage Not a Massage?
Lisa Teets
By Laura K. Cowan
Lisa Teets is a local Bowenwork healer, Tai Chi instructor, and fan of wellness modalities in general. I met her in a local Tai Chi class several years ago, and we hit it off. As many of us struggle with stress into year three of the pandemic, I wanted to learn more about her primary modality—Bowenwork—to ask what makes it different from a massage and how people might know if they would benefit from trying it.
Laura Cowan: Hi, Lisa! Tell us about Bowenwork. What sets it apart from “normal” massage?
Lisa Teets: Bowenwork is capitalized and trademarked, and it cannot be referred to as massage, actually. [It’s considered] "other bodywork.”
Laura Cowan: So, how does it work?
Lisa Teets: Bowenwork is a gentle manual therapy that works on the autonomic nervous system [in order] to reset the body to heal itself. Muscles, joints, and tendons play a large role in keeping our body in balance. Oftentimes when we receive an injury, our body’s response is to lock down that area, creating a muscle cast or protection for that injury. The targeted and gentle touch [of Bowenwork] will stimulate proprioceptors, which send signals to the brain about how we hold ourselves in space. The brain sends messages back down into the body to initiate unwinding and resetting of tissue tension.
Laura Cowan: Fascinating. So, you’re connecting with the nervous system to help the body unwind and heal itself.
Lisa Teets: Bowenwork is a holistic healing modality. The body's innate healing intelligence is mobilized to take the liberated energy and use it where the body most requires it. Bowen work utilizes very gentle and precise moves that are performed on the belly of the muscle. These moves stimulate proprioceptors in the muscles and tendons. There is wait time between the moves to allow time for the brain to send messages down the body through the fascia to initiate unwinding and changes in the tissue tension.
LC: How did you get into this area of healing?
LT: I had been receiving massage and chiropractic for many years to keep my neck and back pain from worsening. When I started receiving Bowenwork, my issues were becoming resolved, more than just my back and neck. After several weeks of sessions, the changes were so profound that I looked into training. I wanted to offer this modality to others. Many clients come to me regularly, and some only need a few sessions. But always, they refer others to me.
LC: What else makes this modality stand out to you, or why do you love working with it?
LT: I have always been a teacher. I would teach my sister as a child. I tutored mathematics in high school and college, and I enjoyed a career as a high school mathematics teacher. After beginning aerobics, I pursued training in teaching aerobics. I did the same with yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi. I have loved helping clients with Bowenwork, and I love teaching Bowenwork to others. LC: How can people get in touch if they want to learn more?
LT: Besides [offering phone consultations] to help my clients, I also teach a four-hour introductory course for self-help titled "Bowenwork, an Introduction to Wellness in Your Hands.” These classes will be offered several times throughout the year. It is a powerful healing modality, and I love offering this power to others.
LC: Tell us about what it would be like to experience BowenFix in a session. What happens first? What does it feel like to work with this type of healing modality?
LT: First, I have a telephone consultation with people that are unfamiliar with Bowenwork to let them know how a session will proceed. When they arrive, we sit and again speak of their issues and how the session will go. Some choose to remain fully clothed, some wear less clothing, and they are fully covered with blankets or a sheet. I will do a few moves, usually beginning with the lower back.
LC: How does it progress in a session? Does it take time?
LT: There is wait time between each set of moves to allow the body to respond to the messages that I set in. This time allows for holistic changes in the muscle tension. Clients are always amazed at the deep sense of relaxation that ensues during a session. I have many clients that see me once or twice, and their issues are resolved enough that they need not schedule more appointments right away. I have other clients that choose to see me a few times each month to maintain comfort.
LC: So, this really isn’t appropriate to call a massage at all. How else does this treatment differ from massage?
LT: There are no lotions or oils used on the skin. The client can be seated, standing, or laying down. There's no deep tissue work. This work is very gentle. It is more fixative than massage. My experience indicates that it works as well as physical therapy and chiropractic.
LC: Tell me more about the movements used on the muscles.
LT: Bowenwork primarily consists of soft rolling movements over soft tissue and includes wait time for the body to respond. The moves are never painful or intense. Most people find the procedure to be extremely relaxing.
LC: How would someone know if this is the right modality for them? Does it help with certain conditions particularly well? Are there any contraindications to consider before trying?
LT: Bowenwork is safe and appropriate for all, from babies to the elderly, from athletes to people with chronic conditions. It is also used on animals and racehorses. There are very few procedures that are contraindicated for any person or any condition. When we injure ourselves, the body keeps that area safe and protected for a time. Sometimes that protective tension is not released, and we carry it for many years. The tension then affects other parts of the body. Bowenwork messages go to the original injury and unwind the trauma from that site and along the entire fascia line. Since there is wait time between each set of moves, I can see more than one client at a time. I have worked on several people at once at conferences and healing fairs. The healing in your hands class that I offer addresses low back pain, shock, breathing capacity, breathing difficulties, asthma, heartburn, acid reflux, hiatal hernias, gastrointestinal complications, knee problems, neck pain or restriction, and tension headaches.
Conditions that can be addressed also include frozen shoulder, restless leg syndrome, post-traumatic stress, whiplash, backache, carpal tunnel, TMJ, joint pains, scoliosis, fibromyalgia, knee problems, and headaches.
