In this article, I share with you some information concerning how Bowen for digestive health can work a treat. I share how I work with digestive problems and how these can often be resolved quickly and easily. I will also give some general advice on what you can do to help yourself.
Bowen for digestive health – Diet & Lifestyle
The health of your gut is critical to your overall health. The delicate balance of your digestive system is vital to feeling healthy and well, this also has a very direct link to the way we feel psychologically and emotionally. The digestive system in holistic terms is often referred to as the second brain. Our gut contains twice as much serotonin as our brain, it is clear, that a balanced digestive system is vital. Both diet and lifestyle are important factors in establishing and maintaining good digestive health. Getting enough hydration is also vitally important, as is taking regular exercise that works for your body type. Another very important factor here concerns minimising stress and inflammation as much as possible. Taking steps to reduce the stress you experience in your life will serve to help your health on so many levels including helping your digestion and absorption.
Bowen for digestive health – You are what you absorb
Forget about being – you are what you eat, in reality, you are what you can absorb. It might be that you are eating very healthily and doing everything right most of the time, but still, your digestive problems persist. This could be to do with absorption and the way your body works as per your own unique physiology. Some people for example simply cannot digest certain foods. Some people may be able to digest certain foods with the aid of a specific digestive enzyme. We are all very unique in terms of our body biochemistry. As I hinted at above, digestive health can also be linked to stress and/or emotional problems.
Bowen for digestive health – The Bowen Technique for digestive health
We have many procedures within the Bowen Technique that can address digestive health, all of these procedures aim to get the body working correctly once more. The Bowen moves literally communicate with the brain via the nervous system that is being activated whilst we are working on the muscles, tendons and ligaments when addressing specific areas of the body.
Bowen for digestive health – Respiratory / Digestive procedure;
This is generally my go-to procedure to help the body to start working at its optimum in terms of digestive and respiratory health at a physiological level. The procedure also helps the body relax and re-balance and people often report improvements with emotional and stress related problems including depression, anxiety and panic attacks. Stress and emotional issues can often be the root cause of both digestive and respiratory related symptoms. I have found Bowen to be invaluable when treating an individual’s digestive problems from a physiological perspective and also in addressing stress or emotional imbalance that might be causing other physical problems. The procedure can also often kick-start sluggish digestion, and metabolism significantly.
Oesophagus procedure;
This procedure is particularly useful when a person has difficulty swallowing and or constriction in the Oesophagus. If heartburn is a problem then this procedure can be used to address that. We might also use this procedure when a person presents with problems associated with their voice. It is useful for singers and can help restore health to the vocal chords. The procedure may also address tightness in the diaphragm.
Navel procedure;
This procedure is well indicated when there are general digestive problems present along with lowered vitality. It is often also used when emotional symptoms are present such as anxiety, depression, grief and has been used with PTSD.
Abdominal procedure;
This procedure can be used with hernia problems, general griping pain in the abdomen and is useful for tight rectus adominous muscles.
Colon procedure;
This procedure is well indicated to be used when colon problems such as Colitis, Crohns and IBS are presented. We would also use this when an individual is struggling with constipation or sluggish elimination.
Gall bladder procedure;
We have several procedures and protocol that can work with Gall Bladder issues. The issues indicated for use include; swollen or uncomfortable Gall bladder. Pain around the right rib cage and or under the right scapula. Bloating, flatulence and burping. Dizziness and in some extreme cases blurred vision.
We also have a protocol which addresses the Ileocaecal valve, which is vitally important for the proper functioning of the digestive system.
Problems that have responded well to Bowen digestive work include:
In practice, I use the digestive procedures a lot and I have found that a multitude of symptoms and issues seem to respond well to this work, as follows;
- Gastro-intestinal symptoms;
- Abdominal discomfort i.e. colic, hiatus hernia and indigestion
- Bloating
- Heart burn
- Nausea
- Malabsorption issues
- Liver, pancreatic or gallbladder problems
- Diaphragm problems and tightness
- Stress, shock, anxiety, grief
Remedies to help digestive health
Some of my go to remedies to help with digestive health include;
Digestive enzymes – These are a group of enzymes that break down food into digestible matter, they are present in the body but sometimes people do not produce enough of them or enough of specific enzymes in order to process and absorb nutrients from the foods that they eat. Stress is a major factor in disrupting our production of digestive enzymes so people might benefit from taking these in periods of stress.
L Glutamine – This is an amino acid that is essential for the processing of proteins. It also helps protect the gut wall. Often in periods of stress the body requires more of this amino acid.
Pre and Pro biotics – These essentially restore the gut flora to its optimal state of health. Many people now chose to take these daily or after specific illness and using specific gut disrupting medication such as antibiotics.
Bach flower remedies – There are several Bach remedies that work on the emotional states that brig about imbalance in the digestive system. The well-known remedy for calming the system as a whole is 5 flower remedy / rescue remedy. This is a blend of 5 Bach remedies and is suggested for use in stressful situations.
Homeopathic remedies – Nux Vom, Lycopodium, Arsenicum all have very specific actions on the digestive system. There are many homeopathic remedies that are used for digestive health and I can look at these in practice with each individual client.
N.B It is always best to seek the advice of a qualified practitioner before taking anything without checking. I always test clients to assess whether they require specific vitamins, minerals, nutrients and remedies.
Read more about The Bowen Technique here
If you would like to chat to me to find out more you can book a free 15-minute call to discuss what you are experiencing.