Massage or Bowen? Two questions I get asked a lot are:

1. Which is the best?

2. What is the difference between Massage and Bowen?

I guess its because I am qualified to offer both modalities that I get asked so much. (I first qualified as a human massage therapist over 20 years ago.)

For me it largely depends on the final outcome you desire:-

Massage:

Is widely understood and accepted. It relaxes the body, it manually helps the body to release the built up lactic acid that causes the “knots” and tight spots, thus can help with some compensation patterns as well as aches and pains. It feels lovely although, sports massage can be painful. Most people will feel immediate, initial benefits. The practitioner “does” massage to you/ on your body. A variety of strokes are used that involve the tissues being moved, or vibrated in some way. These can be deep or superficial strokes designed to address areas of tension, normally performed on skin.

Bowen:
Is less well understood: - It will deeply relax the body and allow it to enter a healing state. It will address the cause of symptoms that could be resulting in pain or compensatory issues. It feels strange the first time as the moves are very light, and the practitioner keeps giving the body to break to process information. Fascia work offers the body information and thus works with the body. Occasionally they can make a symptom worse initially whilst it addresses the root cause of the issues. Fascia work is based on the principal that the body knows best what it needs. The moves are very light touch and make long term, real, improvements. Post treatment, people feel lovely and relaxed although best results are achieved when improvements are gradual and long lasting.

Personally for me the greatest pleasure is working WITH the body, rather than imposing ON the body. The results can be mind blowing both with people and animals.

In my opinion massage feels great and gives a RELIEF to symptoms of pain. Whilst fascia modalities offer the ability to address the CAUSE of said symptoms.

Both are great, I love a massage for the feel good and a fascia treatment to help sort the root of a problem out.