Bowen for People and Animals

Testimonials

I have known Elizabeth for a number of years and have used her extensively on both myself and my horses.  I had not heard of Bowen treatments before meeting Elizabeth but after seeing her first treatment on my horse and then experiencing the benefits myself, I am a huge admirer.

I have not only used Elizabeth and her Bowen treatments extensively, I have recommended her to many, many people who need help with their horses or their own bodies.  Time and time again I witness firsthand the benefits of Bowen.  Time and time again, I hear from people how wonderful her work is.

Most recently I called her to help an older, adopted Standardbred gelding of ours who deals with pain issues from his days on the track.  I saw immediate results after his first session. Within days of his first Bowen treatment he began regaining weight - he had lost a dramatic amount in a very short period of time.  In addition to the weight gain, he moves with greater ease and he is a much happier horse.  He is now on a regular schedule of Bowen treatments, with more improvements each time.

I will continue to highly recommend Elizabeth and Bowen Therapy!

 

When I first had a treatment from Elizabeth, I hadn’t been able to touch below mid-shin for about 10 years due to tight hamstrings. After one session, I was able to comfortably touch my toes.  Later, a rather spectacular horse riding accident left my shoulder in a lot of pain with limited mobility for approximately 8 months – I couldn’t even reach to close my car door.  I had one session with Elizabeth which significantly reduced the pain and gave me a bit more mobility.  During the second session, everything released, removing the pain completely.  After allowing the residual swelling to go down for the next two weeks, I regained full movement and have absolutely no lingering effects.

 

I first heard of Bowen Therapy when I sought help for my horse.  He had various aches and pains, and a recent chiropractic treatment had left him surprisingly sore. I wanted to find relief for him, and I was introduced to Elizabeth Sleight and Bowen during this search. I was so delighted with the result of Bowen on my horse I thought I'd give it a try myself.
 
Well, I'd forgotten what it was like to live without that nagging pain in my lower back....and my upper back....and my neck.....and the list goes on.
 
Bowen Therapy not only took away that pain, but I also felt "square" for the first time in years. Aligned is perhaps a better word. I remember walking down the street the day after my first Bowen treatment and being very aware of my muscles (in a positive sense), particularly in my back, but also an even stronger sense of overall well-being.
 
All the twists and turns we take in our everyday life can contribute to bodies that end up aching or crooked or cramped or out of balance in some way. For me, Bowen restores the balance and relieves the toll of life's twists and turns.

 

I have had increasing lower back pain for the past two years. From the very first Bowen session I was able to stand up with the best posture I can remember in ages. Experiencing that relief from pain and discomfort is possible has motivated me to also do corrective exercises between sessions to speed recovery and to make this relief last as long as possible. Elizabeth is a very caring, sensitive and informative practitioner. Bowen is a very gentle but effective movement that helps release ‘frozen’ areas, rebalance posture and provide deep relaxation.

 

Thank you to Elizabeth for her work on my pony colt.  He had a serious injury from a huge wipe-out and his motor function was impaired. I tried all sorts of different treatments, some helped a little, some not at all, but the results from only two sessions of Bowen are the most remarkable! Where he could not properly lift his hind feet, or engage his rear end, he is now running and bucking, and trotting out like he did before his accident. What a wonderful thing to see! It was not invasive, it was not painful or stressful in any way and the results are there!

 

I took things easy yesterday and gave her the day off. Her breathing is SO MUCH better now. She still coughs a bit but nothing like before. I rode her this morning and we just got a bit of a cough when she cantered first time and then she was ok. Her breathing was good after we had finished. I will let you know how she keeps doing. I feel good, my left side is much looser and it is much easier to keep my pelvis level when I am riding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Piper's Story - January 2006

Working with animals is something that dreams are made of. My discovery of the Bowen Technique has completely changed my life. I initially studied Bowen with the sole aim of helping my own horse. I took the human Bowen certification and then went on to train further in order to learn how to treat small and large animals.

Over the last few years I have treated people, dogs, cats and horses. It has been an honour and a privilege to treat each and every one and to make so many new friends in the process. The animals always manage to touch me in some deep way and it is quite fascinating to observe how they communicate with me. Each and every animal will, if I just remain present with them, let me know exactly what it is they need.

My first insight came from a horse that positioned itself so that certain muscles were more pronounced than others. I did Bowen moves over these muscles and the horse visibly relaxed. My cat would accept Bowen only when she wasn’t feeling that great and only as much as SHE wanted before she would wander off. Some horses show me by facial expressions and body language what they want and what they don’t want.

Many years ago we used to breed Golden Retrievers and they have a huge spot in my heart. Imagine my delight when I was contacted by Piper’s owner wanting to give Bowen a try. Piper is a 9 year old Golden; you name it, he’s done it – flyball, high level Obedience, Field work, magazine covers.

About 4 years ago Piper suffered a soft tissue injury to a hind leg that was treated and pronounced healed. Despite this he still paced instead of trotted and would periodically go unsound. X-rays showed only mild arthritis, no other damage. Piper had to be retired from showing despite his love of it because of the risk of further injury.

Meeting Piper was an amazing experience, what a perfect example of what a Golden should be!! He has a sunny, generous and loving disposition with more than a hint of mischief and pure “bounce”. His owner explained that Piper would be reluctant to allow me to touch his right hind and that he would be fidgety for me as he wasn’t keen on people working on him. I sat on the floor with him and explained what I was going to do while he listened quietly and intently.

From the very beginning he allowed me to touch him and to do the Bowen moves. He wriggled a little the first time I touched his right hind but that was all. During the two minute pauses he would go and lie down quietly but as soon as I asked if he wanted to continue he would come and stand in front of me again. The session went really well. Piper touched me very deeply and I was honoured that he shared himself so willingly with me.

The next day his owner sent me this picture. Piper had slept almost continuously for 24 hours after I left apart from time to eat and bathroom breaks. Whenever he was awake he was really relaxed but content.

A few days later I received an ecstatic email from his owner. Piper was trotting instead of pacing for the first time in years. Not only that, his tail carriage was higher and to the huge delight of his owner he was now able to do that distinctive Golden “wiggle waggle” where the hind end moves from side to side along with the wagging tail. His owner hadn’t even realized it was missing until it came back!!

I treated Piper a second time a short while after. This time he was overjoyed to see me and definitely knew exactly what he needed from me. He came and stood in front of me as in the photo and wouldn’t move until I did the moves he wanted.

This amazing dog had figured it all out. He even decided that he would dictate the length of the pauses!! He would go and lie down quietly in his bed after each sequence of moves but as soon as he was ready to continue he would march back over and if I didn’t respond quickly enough he would pull at my arm with his paw.

And after I had finished he came over to thank me in true Golden fashion.

Piper is back in “work” and absolutely thrilled to be doing what he loves so much. Thank you to Cheryl and Piper for an incredible experience. It really brings home to me how very privileged I am to be able to help.