THE MILTON ALBRECHT CONNECTION - To THE BOWEN TECHNIQUE
ANOTHER MAN WHO TOM BOWEN LIKELY WOULD HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED
I am putting this paper together because the late Milton Albrecht changed; my life, podiatry career, retirement, and many of my patient’s lives. Milton also has directly and indirectly enhanced the legacy and training of the Bowen Technique worldwide, and this may be unbeknownst to many Bowen practitioners. He may also have had some direct or indirect influence on your training or career even though you had never personally met him. But, BTW - you may have already met him - via me or maybe someone else?
This tribute is to create more awareness of this great man who figured out many of our “Advanced or Special” Procedures, trained many of the present day practitioners, instructors, and then left some of his lore prior to passing in 2003.
My first encounter with Milton was in October 1994. He was always a very enthusiastic mentor for me as well as with many of his other students and associates.
My attempts to obtain more input from Milt’s students and clients to add to this paper so far have fallen a little short, so the recounting of Milton and his Bowen involvement is my recall, a few other’s stories including his late wife Denis’ tribute, and one of his closest friends who teaches in Milt’s shadow. I am hoping for some more input from; his sister Debbie, his students, and some of his patient‘s folklore about Milt. He was quite a character while at the same time a very powerful ambassador of Bowen Therapy as you will discover.
It has been documented that Tom Bowen acknowledged only 6 men in his fold prior to his passing in 1982. They were called “Tom’s Boys” by his receptionist Renee Horwood. In 1989 one of the men showed the late Milton Albrecht how to perform his “Interpretation of Tom Bowen’s Technique. If Tom had lived to know Milton, he likely would have acknowledged him too, as Milt was a master at “Working it out.”
PAINTING A PICTURE OF THE LATE MILTON ALBRECHT
This was a Bowen Therapist and Teacher that you need to know about
I bet Milton was a hellion in high school. He had traumatic arthrititis in one of his ankles that resulted from a fracture when he was attcked by a SOB at a drive in parking lot.
His occupation Before Bowen (B.B) was a machinist / mechanic. He built race car engines and hot rods. So he had great tactile and common senses. He put these to use in his Bowen career. He also seemed to develop a 6th sense over the years that I knew him. He became a “medical intuitive” so to speak.
Whenever the legal people came to him for a copy of his medical records his reply was, “I don’t keep any records. It’s all in my head. You can keep your $5.00. I can’t give you a copy of any records.”
When doctors called him for information he often hung up on them. Milt had a profound distrust of most doctors. He trusted; me, a local oncologist, the late doctor Joanne Whitaker, and some of his doctor Bowen students from around the world. Sorry if I left anyone out.
At a party or social gathering he would often do some moves on the side opposite of the problem and clear up the problem (next Monday - surgery cancelled).
He often treated people in his living room, back pateo, or front porch besides in his massage tables set up in two of his bedrooms.
His usual daily dress code was bermuda shorts, half buttoned shirt, bare foot, shave maybe, and hair might be combed, or maybe not.
Milt’s usual Bowen session was a mish mosh of the 23 procedures that Bowtech outlined in their 14 pages of “The Notes”.Circa 1990’s. However, I noticed over the years he followed certain patterns. So did his cousin Albert, and one of his assistants Joan. That’s where my recipe sequence came from. (See the files sections in; Bowen Therapy Worldwide, Bowen Therapy USA, and Bowen Therapy Education Worldwide). He also added in extra procedures when they were needed (many of which which he eventually called DTO’s (Don’t tell Ossie). This is explained in his wife Deni’s Tribute to Milton.)
Milt also performed the more is better technique – lots of procedures most of the time on most of his clients. His reason was, “When someone takes time off work and drives an hour to come see you - they deserve a full session.” Milt knew that Tom only spent about 5 to 7 minutes with his clients. Otherwise, how could Tom possibly see 65 to 70 clients a day whilst doing a full body session?
He had an unlisted phone number, no sign on the street, no listing in the phone book, only answered his phone between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM, and did not return calls left on his answering machine / voice mail.
He treated 25 to 30 people a day except when the flu season hit or the weather was bad. When I made my first appointment he was booked out for three weeks. He could have seen more clients a day except he was busy taking care of his invalid wife Deni, doing some internet stuff, and working on his classes.
His feet were in poor condition (he rarely wore footware). I went to his house after patients every couple of months to trim his calluses and get a Bowen Tune-up for myself, along with some of his words of wisdom. I wish that I had taken notes when I was there L. He told me a lot of stuff that I don’t remember. He told me lots more that I do recall and I will pass that on to you later. One thing he often related to me was that he could feel Tom’s presence and guidance while he was working it out on a client.
Milt also had a keen command of the four letter word vocabulary.
Milt always dressed up for his Bowen Classes. Face shaved, hair combed, long pants, shirt buttoned up and Van’s slip on shoes with no socks.
He preferred to teach people who had no massage, chiropractic, or medical background. He found the lay public more coachable. Believe it or not some very proficient Bowen Practitioners came from that demographic. In my class the massage therapists caught on to it much quicker than the rest of us. His classes were usually about 25 to 30 students. He usually started a class by saying, “I’m not a teacher but I’m going to show all of you this Bowen Technique which might change some of your lives.”
I often admonished Milt to quit smoking. His reply was always, “The three loves of my life are taking care of my wife, doing Bowen Therapy, and smoking a cigarette. I will never give up on any of them.”
Milt passed over at about 3:00 AM on the morning of January 14, 2003 at the tender age of 53.
I know that Milton still watches after me while I “work it out” on my patients and show it to my students. He always has and always will.
Following is what one of our colleagues and instructor says about Milton:
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I want to offer a huge "thank you" to Mitchell Mosher for his moving tribute to the late Milton Albrecht, the founder of Bowen Therapy International following the sad events causing the big breakaway split with Bowtech back in l997 when many of us were left in the wind. Milton was so special in our hearts, and his lovely wife Deni and I became extra special friends after his untimely passing in 2003. She and I were extremely close allies in our quest to protect and promote Milton's passion, his interpretation and dedication to Tom Bowen's work. For the past 12 years, as Bowen partners-in-crime, sometimes against all odds, we tried to stay true in honor of both Mr. Bowen and Milton - who I am sure Tom would have considered to be 'The 7th Man" had they had the good fortune to meet. I will never forget Milton or Deni and will strive to honor their passion for this amazing gift that we in the Bowen world have been fortunate to share with those who may benefit from it. This is truly a gift of love that has been passed down through a grateful band of blessed recipients, and I, for one, will never forget Milton who holds a special place in our hearts. We will continue to fly the Bowen flag as this work is too important not to get the recognition it deserves. A big "thank you" to Milt, Deni, Julian Baker (who made it all possible for us in the first place), and all our other Bowen friends out there! Cheryll
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If you have anything about Milt to pass on to our profession please e-mail it to me @ [email protected] so I can add it to this tribute.
About Milton Albrecht
Before Milt became a Bowen Therapist he had a machine shop, built race car engines, and hot rods. He was born, raised, and lived his entire life in and around Auburn, California, a foothills town on the way to the Sierra mountains and Lake Tahoe. He knew most everyone in town except the recent transplants.
Milt married a childhood acquaintance, Deni Larrimore, and she was instrumental in bringing Bowen Therapy to the US in 1989. Deni had suffered cervical pain in early adulthood after the local G.P.’s gave her some cortisone injections in her neck. Sometime later she developed signs of MS and then experienced continual back pain. Milton was convinced that the cortisone injections were what led to her symptoms. At this point she was managing the pain with pain medications. Until, Milt learned the Bowen Technique!
Milton’s late wife Deni Larimore Albrecht wrote the following Tribute to “Milt”, as he was often referred to. This is posted on The Parker School of Bowenology website.
Milton J. Albrecht, First Bowen U.S. Pioneer
Milton J. Albrecht, the first Bowen Therapist and instructor certified in North America 1948-2003
Milton J. Albrecht was the first Bowen therapist certified outside of Australia, sponsoring the first Bowen seminar held in the U.S., in September, 1989. Becoming internationally well-known for his progressive interpretation of Tom Bowen's Australian modality.
· Milton Joseph Albrecht – A loving tribute by Deni Larimore Albrecht
· Born on November 12, 1948, Milton was a lifelong resident of Auburn, California. He had already established a career as a highly regarded automotive machinist, when he and I married in April, 1985. Milton and I were first briefly introduced when I was around 13, but had no connection for the next 15 years. When we met again in September, 1984, I was confined to a wheelchair due to a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, 11 years earlier.
· On a solo trip to visit my parents in Sydney, Australia, in January, 1989, I had my first two Bowen treatments from Ossie Rentch (a student of Tom Bowen). Ossie and his wife Elaine were sheep ranchers in Victoria, who had known my folks for years, and Mother & Dad felt sure he could help me. A few months later, Ossie flew to San Francisco to organize his first North American Bowen training seminars, and Milton met him at the airport. Spending the first night at our house, Ossie briefly taught Milton the fundamentals of Bowen, because I had been noticing improvements from those first treatments in January. September 10-12, 1989, Milton and I sponsored the first Bowen seminar held outside of Australia/New Zealand, and Milton earned the first Bowen therapy diploma in North America. Although he took the class primarily to help me, the Rentsch’s were so impressed with his natural abilities and talent, they suggested Milton become a full-time Bowen therapist. Because he was already quite enthusiastic, Milton took the step that would change not only his life, but the lives of thousands. We were also asked to coordinate Ossie’s organization, Bowtech, here in North America, and in addition, began the first weekly student practice sessions, which we continued in our home for many years.
Milton worked very hard to promote Bowen, and treated everyone he could, friends and family alike. To add state legitimacy, he quickly enrolled in a general massage course, to earn a certificate in massage therapy (CMT). The instructors raved about his bodywork abilities, but Milton continually promoted Bowen, and demonstrated it at every juncture possible. He even secretly used Bowen during the final practical exam, and his instructor proclaimed it the best “massage” he had ever experienced.
· Because of his mechanical background, Milton understood the body worked like a machine, and applied this understanding to each client he worked with. His granddaughter was born with a severe clubfoot, and after just one Bowen session, it began correcting itself ! Doctors were astounded as she had been scheduled for corrective surgery, and today, that baby is a 17-year-old flyer on her high school cheerleading team. One of Milton’s uncles was experiencing chest pain and difficulty breathing, and Milton used Bowen to bring about immediate relief. A few years later, this procedure (Bowen therapists call these “moves”) came to the attention of renowned cardiologists in San Francisco, who contacted Milton about the drastic improvements they were noticing in mutual patients. (Students came to know this as the “Uncle Frank”
· Milton’s passion for Bowen constantly overflowed, and he could not wait to show Ossie his new developments. Ossie would always remark, "well, is it Bowen?”, and of course, the answer was always yes. At that time, Bowtech had only two courses, beginning and certification, and the Rentch’s traveled to North America once or twice a year, to conduct courses in several regions of the US and Canada. In September, 1992, for an article about Tom Bowen, Ossie was interviewed by Massage Magazine. But he couldn’t make the photo shoot, so the sidebar included pictures of Milton using Bowen with a very willing reporter. (I was asked to write the description.)
· Due to Milton’s popularity, Auburn classes were always full. So realizing even further Milton’s genius, in 1994, Ossie asked Milton to teach beginning Bowtech classes. As he became the first Bowen instructor not taught directly by Tom Bowen, delighted clients flocked to Milton’s classes. In addition, Milton traveled throughout the US with the Rentschs, and at seminar venues, alternative medical conventions, and even the prestigious HeartMath at Stanford, Milton demonstrated the effectiveness of Bowen therapy, as Ossie lectured. In one particular case, Milton used Bowen therapy to turn a breach baby in the womb. (To everyone’s surprise, except Milton, the baby was later delivered without complications!).
· By this time, Milton’s clientele was huge, and 60% of his clients were new, each day! As was the case with Tom Bowen, Milton never advertised, and even though he saw 25 people a day, six days a week, his reputation grew strictly by word of mouth. He usually saw 4 people each hour, and because there are usually 2-10 minute waiting periods between moves, Milton could go from client to client. He would often ask the client's family or friends to observe the session so he could explain not only what he was doing, but how they could help themselves in the future. Milt (as I called him) was interviewed several times by Cary Nosler (Captain Carrot) on his healthy living radio program, and demonstrated Bowen to the San Francisco 49er football head trainer, who unfortunately passed on sending some of his therapists to the classes. The effectiveness was not lost, however, on the athletes Milton initially treated, and pro (and soon college) athletes began Bowen sessions, most in secret (during that time, athletes were barred from receiving any alternative healing).
· People were flying in from all over the country for treatments, and because Milton grasped Bowen therapy so completely, they either wanted to take the seminar, or recommended a colleague. In every situation, he communicated his thorough understanding, and clients from several American cities pleaded with him to teach a class in their area. So with Ossie’s willing approval, he also taught beginning classes throughout the country. Traveling to meet me in Queensland, Australia, in 1995, Milton assisted Ossie in classes and demonstrations on the Sunshine Coast, and taught one on his own in Eagle Heights, the town where my family lived.
· 1997 was eight years after he had first learned Bowen, and Milton thoroughly understood each of the 12 beginning lessons. In addition, he had developed a great many new moves, all based on Bowen.
· We named Milton’s proposal Bowen Therapy International. The goals were to develop and promote Milton’s interpretation of Tom Bowen’s theories, plus establish and enforce instruction and quality control of these theories. Another goal of BTI was to promote research, in particular, Dr. JoAnne Whitaker’s innovative studies (Dr. Whitaker had also been unceremoniously dropped).
· Naturally, Milton’s students and family (were shocked that he was being treated with such disrespect,) and they implored him to develop an advanced class quickly, so as to first introduce his more accomplished and comprehensive version. For this reason, Milton’s premier class was an advanced level (Level IV), containing 14 innovative lessons. He felt a good instructor was only effective when they continued doing Bowen on a daily basis, and Milton enlisted advanced students who could instruct his work in other parts of the country. In addition, we traveled to Australia, where we researched Tom Bowen (and visited students and family). Milton’s skillful mastery of Bowen therapy, as well as his quick wit, attracted people from many differing professions, and made his classes highly sought-after. We heard from pupils of all ages, that Bowen therapy classes with Milton Albrecht were truly mountaintop experiences... for both students and instructor.
· The first Level I-II (beginning) class for Bowen Therapy International was held in June, 1999. Because Milton’s practice was booked up about three weeks in advance (and because he was a perfectionist), writing the manual had been gradual. Using beautiful computer graphics, Milt enlisted a close friend, Doug Musso, (a dentist) to help him describe human anatomy. One page of the manual was devoted entirely to an explanation of Tom Bowen’s philosophy (something that had not been done before). Milton also sprinkled his own theories throughout the lessons, always careful to define which thoughts were his own. He did not change Bowen’s basic 12 beginning lessons, but developed easier, more accurate ways they could be learned and used. Neither Milton nor Tom Bowen had time to write down actual moves, and it was Milton’s belief that Bowen often used differing procedures for similar ailments, depending on the client. He also felt that Bowen passed on very little of what he actually used, to the six men he taught. Because they all had different professions, each had interpreted Bowen’s philosophies according to their own background.
· Now through BTI, Milton continued to introduce Bowen to numerous health organizations, and was interviewed on local radio several times. In October, 1997, Milton and Dr.Whitaker traveled to San Diego for a presentation to the Academy of Environmental Medicine, the first traditional medical journal to recognize and publish empirical research on Bowen therapy. Milton’s demonstration was such a hit, the next presenter was moved forward, and Milton was inundated by interested physicians. Several months later, my sister, Lois Larimore, had created and produced a TV show about alternative healing methods, and flew Milton to Toronto in November, 1999, for an interview. The show is called, “the Age of e”, and the East Meets West episode can still be viewed throughout the world.
· Certainly Milton enjoyed teaching and engaging in powerful discussion with an inquisitive public, but his first love was always the one on one experience with his clients. There were very few cases he couldn’t help, and most were healed within one session. He would always ask family members to watch while he worked, explaining how they could help themselves in the future. Milton had bridged the gap between traditional and alternative medicine, and hospitals asked him to consult, and local medical doctors referred to him. In between clients, he could be found on the phone, describing a simple procedure the caller could use, nearly always with positive results.
· Many times, Milton told me he believed he was “born to do Bowen”, and awoke each morning excited about what new ailments and maladies would come through the door. Milton understood the body is its own best physician, and although the therapist’s intent plays a role, it is important to not let the ego get in the way. Considering Milton’s bodywork virtuosity, his humility was astonishing, his confidence supreme, yet subtle. He often remarked that the therapist should remember to get out of the way, “so nerves and muscles could remember their job descriptions”.
· Unfortunately, Milton’s body sometimes had a difficult time remembering it’s own job description, and by 2000, was beginning to grow weary. Poor diet, stress and nicotine had gradually taken their toll, and even though he had quit drinking in the early 1990s, the combination was taking its toll on a cardiac system that was weak to begin with. (Although it's been written otherwise, Milton never drank while working on clients or teaching classes.) One of Milton’s cardiac moves had improved heart rhythms, and because he experimented on himself whenever possible, had discovered its remarkable effects on his own intermittent heart murmur. But the worn down system had difficulty eliminating fluid, and he developed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by 2002. On January 14, 2003, Milton made his passage to the next life, and although the cause of death was technically COPD, Milton’s heart, and time, just gave out.
· However, his heart goes on through every person who gives and receives Bowen Therapy in North America. Because of Milton’s energetic, passionate promotion, Bowen Therapy continues on this continent today.
· Sharing those years with Milt was a whirlwind experience, and I’m still here, long past my original prognosis, because I have continued to receive Bowen Therapy from 1989 to the present. Tom Bowen and Milton Albrecht were both extraordinary men, and for me, it has been an honor to have played just a small role in helping to introduce such a miraculous healing modality as Bowen Therapy.
My introduction to Milton
“When the patient is ready to heal – the healer will appear”
One Friday afternoon about September 1994 a patient told me about her foot pain and it sounded like an atypical sciatic nerve problem that was just showing up in her foot. I mentioned this and asked if she’d had any lower back problems? She said, "Oh no, it’s not my sciatic nerve. I’ve had that before. This is different. I got that fixed two years ago." I inquired as to how she, "Got it fixed?" She told me that she'd had Bowen Therapy. I said, "I've never heard of that therapy. What's it about?" She replied, "It's kind of new here and most people don't know about it. The man who does it learned from the Australian people about two years ago, so that's why most people haven't heard of it." She told me about a practitioner in Auburn, California who'd been trained to do the treatments by the "Australian People." I asked if he was a chiropractor. She informed me that he was a Massage Therapist, but that he didn't do massage, only this Bowen technique.
I volunteered to her that I was suffering from lower back pain and sciatic nerve problems. She said, "Oh, you must go and see my friend. Not only has he helped me, but I’ve referred my boss, and my sister, and two of my neighbors, and he’s helped us all with our back pains." I asked how to spell the gentleman’s name so I could get his number from the phone-book to make an appointment. She said, “Oh no, you won’t find him in the phone-book. He's got an unlisted number. I've got his card out in my car in the glove compartment, I’ll go get it for you.” After I finished my business with her foot she went out to her car and got the card. My receptionist copied it and gave me the copy and gave the patient back her card. Then she said, "Oh yeah. By the way, you must call him Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM. That's the only time of the day he answers the phone to make and change appointments, and if you call any other time and leave a message on his answering machine, he doesn't return calls." I thought, "That's a little odd?"
So on Monday morning, I saw the note on my desk and glanced at the clock. It was 8:10 and I thought, “Good. I'm within the window of opportunity", so I dialed the number. It was busy, so, a few minutes later I tried again. Still busy, so I handed the task over to my receptionist with instructions to get me an appointment as soon as possible. About 5 minutes past 9:00 my receptionist informed me that he had a cancellation that afternoon at 5:00 which I could have; otherwise the next available time was three weeks out. Not wanting to wait that long, I took the cancellation. That was the 3rd clue something was up; unlisted phone number, doesn't return calls, booked up three weeks out.
When I arrived in his driveway that afternoon, there was an elderly lady sitting in one of those plastic $9.99 lawn chairs, missing a front tooth, and smoking a Camel cigarette. She said with a slight lisp, "If you’re here to see Milton, you ring the bell he answers it himself." I thought to myself, "She’s quite a receptionist, but I guess he doesn't let her do the phones?" The front door was open, while the screen door was shut. About a minute after ringing the chime, a man shuffled to the door to greet me. He was bare footed, wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, which was unbuttoned to the breastbone. He had a pack of cigarettes in his shirt pocket. He'd not shaved yet that day, and his hair was all mussed up. He said, "Are you Dr. Mosher?" I replied, "Yes, I am." He said, "How do you do? I’m Milton Albrecht. Come on in." As he led me through his house to a back bedroom I spotted a couple of biker-looking guys on the patio outside the kitchen working their way through a 12 pack of beer. The room was adorned with a map of Australia, a couple of boomerangs on the wall, an ammo belt on the chair, and a rifle standing in the corner. Now I’m thinking, "What did I just get myself into?" He asked me where I was hurting. I told him that my lower back on the right side around the lumbar-sacral area was the problem. He said, "Cool. I’ll fix ya. Just lay on the table with your feet on the pillow, your butt in the air, and your face down in the cradle." I apprehensively complied.
During the treatment, many thoughts were racing through my mind. What was I doing here? How was a simple plucking of my muscles here and there going to relieve my back pain? Why'd he pluck a couple of muscles and leave the room for 3 to 5 minutes? Oh well, Ann my patient had relief, as well as all of the others she'd referred to this mystical man. After 10 to 15 minutes very deep relaxation set in and I almost fell asleep. One time he put his hand close to my low back and I could feel lots of heat radiating from me. He commented, “Ah Ha. You’re cookin now!” After he turned me over onto my back, he moved the Adductor Magus muscle in my inner thigh and I thought I was going to hit the ceiling it hurt so much. I asked him if this was Rolfing, and he assured me that it wasn't. After he left the room for me to rest following the procedure, my palms started to sweat. It wasn't the usual watery kind of sweat, but a sticky - syrupy kind of discharge.
When he came back in the room and saw that I was patting my palms together, he touched my hand with his fingers and commented, "Ah Ha. That’s toxins working their way out." I said, "Oh yeah. What kind of toxins?" a little facetiously. He sniffed his fingers and said, "Probably lactic acid cause it don't smell." I left it at that. Then he had me open my jaw and close it and said, "Your TMJ'S out." I recalled that I'd been nipping the inner side of my right cheek when chewing food the past few weeks. He had me make a knuckle with my index finger and place it between my teeth. He then tweaked a number of muscles around the jaw and temple area. Upon opening my jaw afterward, I could sense that my jaw was completely realigned. He instructed me to sit up. Upon arising from the table, I was a little light - headed.
Standing up after my head cleared, I couldn’t believe how good I felt. I sensed more energy; the muscles all over my body were loose. My back didn't ache. Wow! the patient was right about this therapy. She'd referred her boss, sister and three friends to the therapist and he'd helped all of them, and now, me too. I commented that while he did nothing major to my back, but the pain was gone. He said, "There’s nothing wrong with your back. Your Adductor Magnus was all locked up." I said, "What’s that got to do with my back?" He said, "Everything. When that Adductor tightens the Iliotibial band, Tensor Fascia Lata, and Gluteus Medius muscles all tighten on the outer side of the hip in order to compensate. When you lift something and twist those tissues get strained, and then your back muscles go into spasm." I said, "That’s exactly what's been happening. Whatever made that Adductor muscle lock up?" He said, "Dunnow. You must have built up lactic acid in them some time ago." I was so amazed at how good I felt and was so relieved to be rid of the pain, I didn't figure out the lactic acid issue till a few days later.
I asked how much I owed him for the treatment. He said, "Oh, just give me twenty bucks." As I handed him a $20 dollar bill, I asked, "How much do you usually charge? I'll be sending you some clients, as I grabbed a hand full of his business cards." He told me that his usual charge was $35.00, but he gave seniors a discount and kids were free. I asked if he was always booked three weeks out, and he said, "Yeah, except in the flu season and during the bad weather when the older folks don't like to drive, it slows down a little." Then I sprung the main question that was on my mind, "How many people do you treat every day?" He replied, "25 or 30!" I thought, "That’s pretty good considering that he had very little overhead expenses."
While walking out to my car on my way to go home, I noticed that I was walking differently than before the treatment and the orthotics in my shoes were pressing up into my arch. So, I removed them and walked better without any arch support.
The night of the treatment I had such a good night’s sleep I didn't move my head on the pillow at all. In the morning when I got out of bed my back wasn't stiff, the feet, legs and groin didn't ache, and I felt like a new person. I recalled that I didn't have jumpy-restless legs awaken me shortly after falling to sleep, and I didn't wake up with cramps in my calf muscles at 2:00 to 3:00 AM as I usually did.
A week later as I was dressing one morning, I saw that the hammertoes on my left foot had vanished. Sometime between the morning of discovery and the day of the treatment! I had to do a second take in order to believe my eyes. I did surgical procedures to straighten hammertoes and sometimes they didn't stay straight following surgery. Traditional stretching and physical therapy rarely helped them so I realized that this might be the missing piece to the puzzle. I couldn't wait to get to the telephone and call Milton in order to tell him about these miracles, plus to find out how I might learn how to perform some of the techniques.
After I told him all about what had happened since his treatment, he laughed and said, "That happens all the time". I jokingly told him, "I won’t turn you in for practicing podiatry without a license if you'll show me how to do this for my patients." He asked me for my fax number so he could send me a brochure on a Bowen workshop he was teaching in January 1995, so I could sign up for it.
My first class with Milton
“When a student is ready to learn – the teacher will appear”
I attended a four day workshop in Auburn California to learn the Bowen Technique in January 1995. At the beginning of the class Milt said, “I’m not no teacher, but I’m going to show you all how to do this Bowen stuff. I know that it might change some of your lives.” I got a little pang in the pit of my solar plexus as he said that! The class covered Ossie’s, 14 pages called “The Notes”, which consisted of 23 different Bowen procedures including many foot and leg issues which were right up my alley. The notes were on colored construction paper and quite confusing to follow. Milt said this was so someone couldn’t take a copy of them and learn how to do Bowen. They also covered many other procedures that were not within my scope of podiatry practice. I figured that I would sort it all out and find a way to use it all.
Eventually, I obtained a massage license so that I could legally touch a patient outside of my podiatry boundaries.
Working Bowen Therapy into my practice
Arriving at my office on Monday morning after the Bowen Class, the very first patient needed a Bowen treatment. She’d had a sciatic nerve problem in the past and she was certain that it had reoccurred because she had been performing floor exercises for long periods of time and now her left foot had a tingling sensation like the previous bout with sciatica.
After informing her about the new therapy I'd just learned, it took less than a nanosecond for her to ask if she could have a treatment that morning. She was escorted her into the operating room which I had transformed into a temporary therapy room and placed her on the surgical gurney which would serve as a massage table until one could be purchased. After checking my class notes I began the treatment. I only performed the treatment in the waist, legs, and feet to stay within the boundaries of my Podiatry license. When the session ended, she got up and stood on her feet she said, "It sure feels better. Not all the way, but at least by 50%."
The next morning she called me to report, "That by noon Monday all of the symptoms had disappeared. The next time she got the sciatica back she would call me for treatment." I said, "To be sure she had a foot problem. And, thank you."
I eagerly began incorporating it into the podiatry practice. The first week I treated 12 patients with it. Six of them returned the following week for a second session. One of them said, "Dr. Mosher, I don't know what you did? But, you've changed my life!" Then, he explained how. Another said, "Dr. Mosher, you won't believe what happened after that treatment you did last week!" Then, she told me what happened. One other said, "I had a runner's high all day after the treatment. And, now I feel a sense of wellbeing and balance." Another one said, ''If only the medical doctors would take this holistic and natural approach to our health care issues."
As the months passed by, many would say, the same things or, "I sure wish that I had met you sooner so that my life could've been better. I've been through years of hell."
Thousands of patients experienced similar results from the treatments that I did and all were from what Milt taught me!
Chats with Milton during and after my Bowen sessions
Arrhythmia:
One of my favorite stories, which pretty much sums up Milton, was the one about an elderly lady client of his who was having problems with a cardiac arrhythmia. After a couple of sessions she discontinued her heart medication, and seemed to do just fine. When she went to her cardiologist at the University Medical Center for her follow-up appointment, she informed him of what she had done. He immediately performed an EKG, which was quite normal, and could not believe his eyes. He compared the present strip with the last one, and asked her more about what she had done. She told the cardiologist about her Bowen sessions and gave him Milton’s name and phone number. Also she gave him specific instructions to call Milton on Monday through Friday between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. He called Milton the next morning to learn more about Bowen, and asked if Milton could possibly come to the Medical Center and show and tell about the process. Milton replied, ‘Hell no”, and, hung up on him!
Optional Procedure:
Milton first taught me this procedure during one of our fireside chats circa 2000. Initially he taught it in his Basic Bowen course. However, he discovered that the students only practiced the one procedure because it worked so well, and they neglected the rest of the Basic lessons. So, he moved it to the “Advanced” section of his training.
He told me to, “Use this when your client is in so much pain that they can’t get up on the table. It will relax them so they can move a little better, and then they can get up on the table.” I filed this into my data bank and went about my business. On occasion, I found this procedure helpful for patients who were in acute spasms and could not climb up onto the table. It enabled them to be slightly more mobile, and it only took a minute or so to do.
K.C, who was one of my long-time, regular podiatry patients said, “Oh my gosh. I met your guru, Uncle Milty. I went to his house with a friend and he cleared up my gallbladder problem. Just to think that I was going to have surgery for my gallbladder. Now I won’t need it!” I was happy for her and we talked a bit about Milton and Bowen during the rest of her podiatry visit that morning.
After Milton passed in January of 2003, K.C. was in for her podiatry appointment. She lamented, “Oh, I sure wish our Uncle Milty was still here. My gallbladder problem has resurfaced and my doctor wants me to have surgery. I’m getting a second opinion tomorrow. I remember how he fixed my problem and that was over 4 years ago.” I said, “I can give you a Bowen session.” She said, “Oh! That’s right. I forgot you do Bowen too. I’ll schedule an appointment after I get my second opinion.”
I overheard my nurse bringing K.C. into one of my Bowen rooms. She said, “This is your first Bowen with Dr. Mosher isn’t it? You need to take your shoes off and lay face down on the table with your feet on the pillow and your face in the face cradle.” K.C. replied, “Oh no. I don’t have to lie down for this. We can just do it standing up.” I was on to what she was referring to so, I quickly stepped in to save an argument. I said, “K.C. you mean to tell me that all Milton did for you that time you saw him was the standing-up procedure?” She replied, “That’s right. He did it right there in his living room and I was fine all those years.” So, I did the standing Optional Procedure for her. I talk to my former office staff now and then, and they keep me posted on patients I was fond of, and she has been fine ever since.
At massage school I performed this procedure on a number of classmates who had gallbladder problems with equally good results.
Waits and number of procedures during a session:
As the years went by Milton started doing more of the procedure parts during a segment of the session and extending the waits rather than how I originally learned from his assistants and he - as is shown in the Full Sequence in the Files section on the Facebook group – Bowen Therapy Worldwide. He figured that the body could respond to the larger clusters of moves as long as the rest period was long enough to do so. How he knew how long was long enough, I do not know. Milt seemed to develop more medical intuitive skills during the latter part of his life.
Other Milton stories of interest
Shoulder Procedure:
One Sunday afternoon, I stopped by one of Milton’s Bowen classes to say hi, and see what was doing. He was in the middle of demonstrating the “Frozen Shoulder Procedure”. After the demonstration he told a story about a friend of his who one Sunday morning called to see if he could do a session to relieve his friend’s frozen shoulder.
Milt said, “Leave me alone. This is my day off. Call me in the morning”, and hung up. About an hour later the doorbell rang and here was his buddy standing there, holding his arm up to un-weight the shoulder. He said, “Come on Milt. Please give me a treatment. I can’t move my shoulder”. Milt said, “Come on in, but damn it and I told you I am not working today. Which shoulder hurts?” His friend indicated which one, and Milt had him turn to the opposite side. Milt hit him as hard as he could with his fist on the non-painful shoulder. The friend cried, “What did you do?” Milt said, “I just fixed your shoulder-shut up.” His friend said, “No. You made my good shoulder hurt.” Milt said, “Try out the bad one.” When he did, the pain and stiffness was all gone. Is this an “Advanced Procedure?” I promptly went home and tried it on my wife who had been experiencing off and on shoulder pain for the past 6 months. We had done all the Bowen procedures. She had been to physical therapy. NSAIDS were about her only relief. After the ringing of the bell (striking her good shoulder), she experienced an intense healing crises in the affected shoulder, after which, she has never had another pain.
Carpal Tunnel:
Since Milt knew everyone in town and was a very popular figure, he attended lots of parties, weddings, and festivities. When someone had a carpal tunnel problem in the right wrist, Milt would do the arm procedure on the left arm. Low and behold the carpal tunnel would disappear. Sometimes this resulted in cancelled surgeries and MRI appointments. Milt knew that the body-mind - nervous system doesn’t know the right from the left. This is the same as when his buddy had relief of shoulder pain on one side when the pain was evoked on the opposite shoulder.
Teeth and meridians:
The extraction of a bad tooth as recommended by Milt often cleared up his client’s symptoms. Multiple extractions led to dementia in some of his clients.
Ganglions:
At one of our fireside chats, he told me that ganglionic cysts were caused by an overload of caffeine. He told me that when he "popped" the cysts for his clients, many times they had sleepless nights following. I Thought, "Oh yeah. Sure". There was a large one behind my ankle when he told me this. At the time, I drank eight to ten cups of coffee a day. I cut down to two cups and about three months later, the cyst was 80% reduced in size. After three more months, it was gone! He was right-on once again.
The Ugly Sister Procedure:
Occasionally Milt would awaken in the morning and call his sister Debbie and tell her about a procedure that he had dreamed about the night before. He would try it out on her that morning and then he called it the Ugly Sister Procedure X.
At Milton’s Memorial Service 2003:
A young lady who was a college student stood up and told about her Milton experience. Her mother was a client of Milton’s. The daughter had a science class assignment in high school to write a paper about some type of health care therapy. She asked Milton if she could observe him work and ask some questions in order to write her paper. Of course Milt said yes. She spent a number of afternoons after school with Milt. She presented Milt with a copy of the paper when it was done. He was so taken by what she had written he enrolled her in one of his classes with her tuition waived. She was forever grateful to him for all of what his services were about and for teaching her how to do Bowen Therapy.
Milt’s connection to Tom:
Milt often told me that he was aware of Tom’s presence while he was working on clients and while he was working things out.
Stories from other students, friends, relatives, and clients:
Cousin Albert:
HELLO MITCH
HERE'S SOME INPUT I HOPE YOU WILL FIND USEFUL FOR THE LONG OVERDUE TRIBUTE TO MILTON;
MILTON ALBRECHT AND I ARE COUSINS -- WE GREW UP TOGETHER AND HAD LOTS OF ADVENTURES TOGETHER ALL THROUGH LIFE - AS YOU KNOW, BEFORE BOWEN, MILTON OWNED A MACHINE SHOP AND I OWNED A GARAGE -- HE REBUILT ENGINES AND I REBUILT TRANSMISSIONS - ABOUT THE TIME THAT HE CLOSED HIS SHOP DENI HIS WIFE WENT TO AUSTRALIA AND MET THE RENTCHES - GOT A FEW BOWEN TREATMENTS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD TO COME TO AMERICA AND IF MILTON COULD SET UP A SEMINAR TO COVER EXPENSES, THEY WOULD COME TO AUBURN AND TEACH IT-- HE WAS VERY ENTHUSIASTIC AND I HELPED HIM SET UP THE FIRST BOWEN SEMINAR AT AUBURN IN 1989...
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING MILTON FELL IN LOVE WITH BOWEN THERAPY -- HE GAVE HIMSELF TO IT WITH NO RESERVATIONS -- HE WAS DEDICATED AND EXCITED ABOUT IT FROM THE FIRST -- ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFUL THINGS WAS HIS HEART FELT DESIRE TO HELP PEOPLE NO MATTER WHAT -- HE PRACTICED ON PEOPLE ON THE FLOOR - ON TABLES - BEDS - WE USED TO RAISE THE HOIST IN MY GARAGE, PUT PLYWOOD ON IT AND HE WOULD WORK ON PEOPLE THERE - HE WAS COMPLETELY GIVEN TO BOWEN THERAPY BECAUSE IT FIXED PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS
NOT LONG AFTER THIS I SOLD THE GARAGE AND MILTON LITERALLY FORCED ME TO LEARN BOWEN - IT CHANGED BOTH OF OUR LIVES --I BELIEVE THE TWO BIGGEST REASONS FOR MILTON'S SUCCESS WAS THAT FIRST, HE APPLIED A MECHANICS APPROACH TO THE THERAPY - A MECHANIC USES THE SYMPTOMS TO GET DOWN TO THE BASIC PROBLEM SO RATHER THAN SIMPLY TREATING THE SYMPTOMS - MILTON WENT BEYOND THAT AND FIXED THE CAUSE -- THE OTHER THING WAS THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, HE REALIZED THAT TO MAKE IT WORK, YOU HAD TO MAKE MAJOR MODIFICATIONS TO THE WAY IT WAS BEING TAUGHT -- AND THAT'S WHAT HE DID
THE EARLY SEMINARS WERE TAUGHT WITH STAPLED BOOKS WITH STICK FIGURE DRAWINGS (THE RENTCHES ONLY HAD A FEW PAGE OF NOTES) THESE WERE SOON REPLACED WITH STAPLED BOOKS WITH SKETCHES - MILTON AND DENI WORKED HARD TO REFINE THESE INTO RESPECTABLE TEXTBOOKS WITH DECENT ILLUSTRATIONS -- LOTS OF WORK BUT THEY TURNED OUT SUPER -- THAT'S THE THING - MILTON WAS ALWAYS WORKING TO MAKE BOWEN MORE ACCEPTABLE -- HIS PRACTICE GREW AND GREW BECAUSE HE FIXED PEOPLE WITH NO VOODOO - NO PRETENSE -- STRAIGHT FORWARD CARE AND HEARTFELT CONCERN..HE HELPED EVERYONE WHETHER IT WAS IN A BOWEN TREATMENT - OR TEACHING PEOPLE BOWEN - IT WAS THE LOVE AND MOTIVATION OF HIS LIFE ...........
I HELPED AT EVERY SEMINAR TAUGHT BY THE RENTCHES AND BY MILTON - MILTON WAS THE CO-ORDINATOR FOR THE U.S.A.AND WORKED HARD AT IT- HE DEVELOPED QUITE A FEW PAGES OF "ADVANCED" MATERIALIN 1997 MILTON AND I FLEW ALL OVER THE U.S. TEACHING BOWEN
MILTON AND DENI WROTE THEIR OWN BOOKS AND FORMED B.T.I. - BUT IT WAS HARD ON MILTON A HARD LOAD TO CARRY -- BUT IT NEVER INTERFERED WITH HIS INNATE LOVE OF HELPING PEOPLE -- THE PROBLEM WAS HE WAS BORN WITH A WEAK HEART AND LIKE SO MANY "HEALERS" NEVER TOOK CARE OF HIMSELF -- I USED TO YELL AT HIM REGULARLY -- ONE OF THE MOST REVEALING THINGS ABOUT THE MAN MILTON WAS IS THAT ON THE NIGHT HE DIED - HE WAS HAVING A HEART ATTACK - HE CALLED THE POLICE TO TAKE CARE OF DENI (HIS QUADRAPLEGIC WIFE) AND WAITED UNTIL THEY GOT THERE BEFORE CALLING THE AMBULANCE -- HE NEVER MADE IT TO THE HOSPITAL..................................
FOR YOUR INFORMATION MITCH -- I WAS THERE DIURING THE FIGHT THAT SCREWED UP MILTON'S ANKLE -- IT HAPPENED AT A FROSTY - A GUY HIT MILT'S CAR AND WAS AN ASS ABOUT- MILTON SAID SOMETHING TO HIM AND HE SHOVED MILTON DOWN -- I WAS SURPRISED MILTON DIDN'T GET UP AND THE GUY WAS TRYING TO HURT HIM ON THE GROUND -- I TRIED TO KILL THE GUY BUT DIDN'T SUCCEED (HIS FRIENDS HAD TO CARRY HIM OFF THOUGH) -- I TOOK MILTON TO THE HOSPITAL -- THE FUNNY THING IS THAT IF HE WORE SHOES, HE WALKED PERFECTLY - HE JUST NEVER WORE SHOES ------------------
MY BEST TO YOU MITCH -------------- ALBERT
Jerome and Jacquie met up with Milton around 1998.
Fortunately, Jerome’s naturopath M.D. told him to go see Milton for some Bowen treatments which he did not get. After a few weeks Jerome’s symptoms traveled from the lower back to the sciatic nerve. The only position he could tolerate was lying on his back with his legs in the air. Then he developed acute kidney pain on one side. It was after that he called Milt for an appointment.
It took Jerome 2 hours of labored effort and help from his wife to get him into the car to make the trip to Milt’s house. When they arrived Milt came out the door and stopped at the front porch, held the banister, turned his head to the sky, and rolled his eyes back. When Milt approached the car he once more turned his head back and rolled his eyes. After that he reached around behind Jerome’s back and made some little moves on the side opposite the kidney pain.
Jerome was advised to go home, move around, drink lots of water, and come back tomorrow for a session. It turns out the kidney was swollen and that had affected the Sciatic nerve. After a full session Jerome was fixed.
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Milton called on a dental office and told the receptionist that he had a good therapy for TMJ issues. She told the dentist and after a brief conversation a patient was called in from the waiting room and who was having TMJ problems.
Milt probably did the Neck, upper Respiratory, and TMJ procedures on her. At the completion she opened her jaw and said, “Okay, we can go ahead and cancel my surgery.” At that, the dentist escorted Milt out the back door.
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Milton began discovering suspicious students in some of his classes. BTW Milt was very intuitive, perceptive, and maybe even psychic. He refunded their tuition and tossed them out of his classes.
He approached the medical staff at the local hospital and offered his services to their patients. Of course, they turned him away. Now and then Milt would go to the emergency room and check in with some supposed problem or another. Sometimes he would get a wheelchair and wheel around the waiting room. After striking up a conversation with a patient waiting to be called in he would do some subtle moves where he knew that would help the reason for their ER visit. Often they would get up and leave. Apparently the staff and doctors figured out his game. That’s what prompted the sham students who were planted in his class so they could catch him at practicing medicine without a license. Of course, they never did catch him.
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As Milt’s wife Deni developed various problems with her organ systems over the years, Milt figured out many of his Advanced Procedures in order to help her with them. Again he used his mechanic’s sense to go from the symptom trace it back to the cause, and then how to erase the cause.
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Jerome and Jacquie have a very deep personal and spiritual relationship with Milton.
Story from one of Milton’s clients
He told my patient Joanne about her husband’s prostate cancer after he worked on him! Milt had no advanced knowledge that this 57 year old man had been diagnosed with prostate cancer a month before!
Milt’s Advanced Procedures:
I own a copy of Milt’s Training manual Levels 1 - 4. When he gave it to me he instructed me to take good care of it and to use it to promote the enhancement of the Bowen Technique on his behalf. I have the approval of Milt’s sister and a close friend of his to pass his Advanced Procedures on to those who want copies of these procedures. I am awaiting approval from his daughter.
I am not sure yet as to how to pass them on. But, the procedures will only be available by request and sent via e-mail as a PDF attachment. I will not put these on the social media format or word documents due to privacy issues. All of Milton’s Advanced Procedures were copyrighted in 1997. His complete Manual was copyrighted in 1998.
I am forever indebted to Milt for accepting me into his fold. Because, he had a profound distrust of doctors, and for some reason that he never revealed, he trusted me.
The Complete version includes Milt’s interpretation of the Basic Bowen Procedures, his Advanced Procedures, and all of the information I have gathered so far about Milt. It This will only be available to those who make a donation to the Tom Bowen Legacy Fund in the name of Milton Albrecht – amount TBA.
BASIC BOWEN PROCEDURES
Lower Back
Shoulders
Neck
Hamstrings
Knee
Ankle
Frozen Shoulder
Tennis Elbow / Carpal Tunnel
Kidneys
Asthma
Pelvis
Coccyx
Sacrum
Breasts
Hayfever
TMJ
MILT’S “ADVANCED” PROCEDURES
Abdominal Disorders
Breast & Lymphatic Drainage
Deep Sciatic & Posterior Tibial
Groin Pull / Spasm
Headaches 1
Headaches 2
Optional
Pain under scapula
Pelvis posterior
Relax arm
Sacrum
Sacrum Optional
Shin
Shoulder Neck
TMJ
Torso
Vegus (Vagus) & Pudic nerves
MILT’S OTHER STUFF
Buttock Pain
Chest Pain
Colic
Exercises
Milt’s Neck Traction Procedure
SOME STUFF FROM ME – not a tribute to Milt but may benefit your practice
A sequence that really works – Actually very close to Milt’s usual sequence until he changed gears later in his career
Allergies
Chairside Re-boot – Spin-off from the Optional Procedure
Cranial stretch / my neck traction procedure
Cravings
Emotional Clearing
Infertility
Plantar Fasciitis
Taping procedure for foot and whatever else ails you
Note: Anyone who has purchased my Home study materials in the past will get a discount on the donation amount for the complete Tribute and manual. Anyone who donates the full amount for the Tribute to Milton will receive a discount on my Home Study Materials if purchased in the future.
This is what I have gotten so far- still working on more information about Milt. Also, the logistics on how to make this tribute happen and that it is fair to all concerned including Milton and his Family.
ANOTHER MAN WHO TOM BOWEN LIKELY WOULD HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED
I am putting this paper together because the late Milton Albrecht changed; my life, podiatry career, retirement, and many of my patient’s lives. Milton also has directly and indirectly enhanced the legacy and training of the Bowen Technique worldwide, and this may be unbeknownst to many Bowen practitioners. He may also have had some direct or indirect influence on your training or career even though you had never personally met him. But, BTW - you may have already met him - via me or maybe someone else?
This tribute is to create more awareness of this great man who figured out many of our “Advanced or Special” Procedures, trained many of the present day practitioners, instructors, and then left some of his lore prior to passing in 2003.
My first encounter with Milton was in October 1994. He was always a very enthusiastic mentor for me as well as with many of his other students and associates.
My attempts to obtain more input from Milt’s students and clients to add to this paper so far have fallen a little short, so the recounting of Milton and his Bowen involvement is my recall, a few other’s stories including his late wife Denis’ tribute, and one of his closest friends who teaches in Milt’s shadow. I am hoping for some more input from; his sister Debbie, his students, and some of his patient‘s folklore about Milt. He was quite a character while at the same time a very powerful ambassador of Bowen Therapy as you will discover.
It has been documented that Tom Bowen acknowledged only 6 men in his fold prior to his passing in 1982. They were called “Tom’s Boys” by his receptionist Renee Horwood. In 1989 one of the men showed the late Milton Albrecht how to perform his “Interpretation of Tom Bowen’s Technique. If Tom had lived to know Milton, he likely would have acknowledged him too, as Milt was a master at “Working it out.”
PAINTING A PICTURE OF THE LATE MILTON ALBRECHT
This was a Bowen Therapist and Teacher that you need to know about
I bet Milton was a hellion in high school. He had traumatic arthrititis in one of his ankles that resulted from a fracture when he was attcked by a SOB at a drive in parking lot.
His occupation Before Bowen (B.B) was a machinist / mechanic. He built race car engines and hot rods. So he had great tactile and common senses. He put these to use in his Bowen career. He also seemed to develop a 6th sense over the years that I knew him. He became a “medical intuitive” so to speak.
Whenever the legal people came to him for a copy of his medical records his reply was, “I don’t keep any records. It’s all in my head. You can keep your $5.00. I can’t give you a copy of any records.”
When doctors called him for information he often hung up on them. Milt had a profound distrust of most doctors. He trusted; me, a local oncologist, the late doctor Joanne Whitaker, and some of his doctor Bowen students from around the world. Sorry if I left anyone out.
At a party or social gathering he would often do some moves on the side opposite of the problem and clear up the problem (next Monday - surgery cancelled).
He often treated people in his living room, back pateo, or front porch besides in his massage tables set up in two of his bedrooms.
His usual daily dress code was bermuda shorts, half buttoned shirt, bare foot, shave maybe, and hair might be combed, or maybe not.
Milt’s usual Bowen session was a mish mosh of the 23 procedures that Bowtech outlined in their 14 pages of “The Notes”.Circa 1990’s. However, I noticed over the years he followed certain patterns. So did his cousin Albert, and one of his assistants Joan. That’s where my recipe sequence came from. (See the files sections in; Bowen Therapy Worldwide, Bowen Therapy USA, and Bowen Therapy Education Worldwide). He also added in extra procedures when they were needed (many of which which he eventually called DTO’s (Don’t tell Ossie). This is explained in his wife Deni’s Tribute to Milton.)
Milt also performed the more is better technique – lots of procedures most of the time on most of his clients. His reason was, “When someone takes time off work and drives an hour to come see you - they deserve a full session.” Milt knew that Tom only spent about 5 to 7 minutes with his clients. Otherwise, how could Tom possibly see 65 to 70 clients a day whilst doing a full body session?
He had an unlisted phone number, no sign on the street, no listing in the phone book, only answered his phone between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM, and did not return calls left on his answering machine / voice mail.
He treated 25 to 30 people a day except when the flu season hit or the weather was bad. When I made my first appointment he was booked out for three weeks. He could have seen more clients a day except he was busy taking care of his invalid wife Deni, doing some internet stuff, and working on his classes.
His feet were in poor condition (he rarely wore footware). I went to his house after patients every couple of months to trim his calluses and get a Bowen Tune-up for myself, along with some of his words of wisdom. I wish that I had taken notes when I was there L. He told me a lot of stuff that I don’t remember. He told me lots more that I do recall and I will pass that on to you later. One thing he often related to me was that he could feel Tom’s presence and guidance while he was working it out on a client.
Milt also had a keen command of the four letter word vocabulary.
Milt always dressed up for his Bowen Classes. Face shaved, hair combed, long pants, shirt buttoned up and Van’s slip on shoes with no socks.
He preferred to teach people who had no massage, chiropractic, or medical background. He found the lay public more coachable. Believe it or not some very proficient Bowen Practitioners came from that demographic. In my class the massage therapists caught on to it much quicker than the rest of us. His classes were usually about 25 to 30 students. He usually started a class by saying, “I’m not a teacher but I’m going to show all of you this Bowen Technique which might change some of your lives.”
I often admonished Milt to quit smoking. His reply was always, “The three loves of my life are taking care of my wife, doing Bowen Therapy, and smoking a cigarette. I will never give up on any of them.”
Milt passed over at about 3:00 AM on the morning of January 14, 2003 at the tender age of 53.
I know that Milton still watches after me while I “work it out” on my patients and show it to my students. He always has and always will.
Following is what one of our colleagues and instructor says about Milton:
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I want to offer a huge "thank you" to Mitchell Mosher for his moving tribute to the late Milton Albrecht, the founder of Bowen Therapy International following the sad events causing the big breakaway split with Bowtech back in l997 when many of us were left in the wind. Milton was so special in our hearts, and his lovely wife Deni and I became extra special friends after his untimely passing in 2003. She and I were extremely close allies in our quest to protect and promote Milton's passion, his interpretation and dedication to Tom Bowen's work. For the past 12 years, as Bowen partners-in-crime, sometimes against all odds, we tried to stay true in honor of both Mr. Bowen and Milton - who I am sure Tom would have considered to be 'The 7th Man" had they had the good fortune to meet. I will never forget Milton or Deni and will strive to honor their passion for this amazing gift that we in the Bowen world have been fortunate to share with those who may benefit from it. This is truly a gift of love that has been passed down through a grateful band of blessed recipients, and I, for one, will never forget Milton who holds a special place in our hearts. We will continue to fly the Bowen flag as this work is too important not to get the recognition it deserves. A big "thank you" to Milt, Deni, Julian Baker (who made it all possible for us in the first place), and all our other Bowen friends out there! Cheryll
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If you have anything about Milt to pass on to our profession please e-mail it to me @ [email protected] so I can add it to this tribute.
About Milton Albrecht
Before Milt became a Bowen Therapist he had a machine shop, built race car engines, and hot rods. He was born, raised, and lived his entire life in and around Auburn, California, a foothills town on the way to the Sierra mountains and Lake Tahoe. He knew most everyone in town except the recent transplants.
Milt married a childhood acquaintance, Deni Larrimore, and she was instrumental in bringing Bowen Therapy to the US in 1989. Deni had suffered cervical pain in early adulthood after the local G.P.’s gave her some cortisone injections in her neck. Sometime later she developed signs of MS and then experienced continual back pain. Milton was convinced that the cortisone injections were what led to her symptoms. At this point she was managing the pain with pain medications. Until, Milt learned the Bowen Technique!
Milton’s late wife Deni Larimore Albrecht wrote the following Tribute to “Milt”, as he was often referred to. This is posted on The Parker School of Bowenology website.
Milton J. Albrecht, First Bowen U.S. Pioneer
Milton J. Albrecht, the first Bowen Therapist and instructor certified in North America 1948-2003
Milton J. Albrecht was the first Bowen therapist certified outside of Australia, sponsoring the first Bowen seminar held in the U.S., in September, 1989. Becoming internationally well-known for his progressive interpretation of Tom Bowen's Australian modality.
· Milton Joseph Albrecht – A loving tribute by Deni Larimore Albrecht
· Born on November 12, 1948, Milton was a lifelong resident of Auburn, California. He had already established a career as a highly regarded automotive machinist, when he and I married in April, 1985. Milton and I were first briefly introduced when I was around 13, but had no connection for the next 15 years. When we met again in September, 1984, I was confined to a wheelchair due to a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, 11 years earlier.
· On a solo trip to visit my parents in Sydney, Australia, in January, 1989, I had my first two Bowen treatments from Ossie Rentch (a student of Tom Bowen). Ossie and his wife Elaine were sheep ranchers in Victoria, who had known my folks for years, and Mother & Dad felt sure he could help me. A few months later, Ossie flew to San Francisco to organize his first North American Bowen training seminars, and Milton met him at the airport. Spending the first night at our house, Ossie briefly taught Milton the fundamentals of Bowen, because I had been noticing improvements from those first treatments in January. September 10-12, 1989, Milton and I sponsored the first Bowen seminar held outside of Australia/New Zealand, and Milton earned the first Bowen therapy diploma in North America. Although he took the class primarily to help me, the Rentsch’s were so impressed with his natural abilities and talent, they suggested Milton become a full-time Bowen therapist. Because he was already quite enthusiastic, Milton took the step that would change not only his life, but the lives of thousands. We were also asked to coordinate Ossie’s organization, Bowtech, here in North America, and in addition, began the first weekly student practice sessions, which we continued in our home for many years.
Milton worked very hard to promote Bowen, and treated everyone he could, friends and family alike. To add state legitimacy, he quickly enrolled in a general massage course, to earn a certificate in massage therapy (CMT). The instructors raved about his bodywork abilities, but Milton continually promoted Bowen, and demonstrated it at every juncture possible. He even secretly used Bowen during the final practical exam, and his instructor proclaimed it the best “massage” he had ever experienced.
· Because of his mechanical background, Milton understood the body worked like a machine, and applied this understanding to each client he worked with. His granddaughter was born with a severe clubfoot, and after just one Bowen session, it began correcting itself ! Doctors were astounded as she had been scheduled for corrective surgery, and today, that baby is a 17-year-old flyer on her high school cheerleading team. One of Milton’s uncles was experiencing chest pain and difficulty breathing, and Milton used Bowen to bring about immediate relief. A few years later, this procedure (Bowen therapists call these “moves”) came to the attention of renowned cardiologists in San Francisco, who contacted Milton about the drastic improvements they were noticing in mutual patients. (Students came to know this as the “Uncle Frank”
· Milton’s passion for Bowen constantly overflowed, and he could not wait to show Ossie his new developments. Ossie would always remark, "well, is it Bowen?”, and of course, the answer was always yes. At that time, Bowtech had only two courses, beginning and certification, and the Rentch’s traveled to North America once or twice a year, to conduct courses in several regions of the US and Canada. In September, 1992, for an article about Tom Bowen, Ossie was interviewed by Massage Magazine. But he couldn’t make the photo shoot, so the sidebar included pictures of Milton using Bowen with a very willing reporter. (I was asked to write the description.)
· Due to Milton’s popularity, Auburn classes were always full. So realizing even further Milton’s genius, in 1994, Ossie asked Milton to teach beginning Bowtech classes. As he became the first Bowen instructor not taught directly by Tom Bowen, delighted clients flocked to Milton’s classes. In addition, Milton traveled throughout the US with the Rentschs, and at seminar venues, alternative medical conventions, and even the prestigious HeartMath at Stanford, Milton demonstrated the effectiveness of Bowen therapy, as Ossie lectured. In one particular case, Milton used Bowen therapy to turn a breach baby in the womb. (To everyone’s surprise, except Milton, the baby was later delivered without complications!).
· By this time, Milton’s clientele was huge, and 60% of his clients were new, each day! As was the case with Tom Bowen, Milton never advertised, and even though he saw 25 people a day, six days a week, his reputation grew strictly by word of mouth. He usually saw 4 people each hour, and because there are usually 2-10 minute waiting periods between moves, Milton could go from client to client. He would often ask the client's family or friends to observe the session so he could explain not only what he was doing, but how they could help themselves in the future. Milt (as I called him) was interviewed several times by Cary Nosler (Captain Carrot) on his healthy living radio program, and demonstrated Bowen to the San Francisco 49er football head trainer, who unfortunately passed on sending some of his therapists to the classes. The effectiveness was not lost, however, on the athletes Milton initially treated, and pro (and soon college) athletes began Bowen sessions, most in secret (during that time, athletes were barred from receiving any alternative healing).
· People were flying in from all over the country for treatments, and because Milton grasped Bowen therapy so completely, they either wanted to take the seminar, or recommended a colleague. In every situation, he communicated his thorough understanding, and clients from several American cities pleaded with him to teach a class in their area. So with Ossie’s willing approval, he also taught beginning classes throughout the country. Traveling to meet me in Queensland, Australia, in 1995, Milton assisted Ossie in classes and demonstrations on the Sunshine Coast, and taught one on his own in Eagle Heights, the town where my family lived.
· 1997 was eight years after he had first learned Bowen, and Milton thoroughly understood each of the 12 beginning lessons. In addition, he had developed a great many new moves, all based on Bowen.
· We named Milton’s proposal Bowen Therapy International. The goals were to develop and promote Milton’s interpretation of Tom Bowen’s theories, plus establish and enforce instruction and quality control of these theories. Another goal of BTI was to promote research, in particular, Dr. JoAnne Whitaker’s innovative studies (Dr. Whitaker had also been unceremoniously dropped).
· Naturally, Milton’s students and family (were shocked that he was being treated with such disrespect,) and they implored him to develop an advanced class quickly, so as to first introduce his more accomplished and comprehensive version. For this reason, Milton’s premier class was an advanced level (Level IV), containing 14 innovative lessons. He felt a good instructor was only effective when they continued doing Bowen on a daily basis, and Milton enlisted advanced students who could instruct his work in other parts of the country. In addition, we traveled to Australia, where we researched Tom Bowen (and visited students and family). Milton’s skillful mastery of Bowen therapy, as well as his quick wit, attracted people from many differing professions, and made his classes highly sought-after. We heard from pupils of all ages, that Bowen therapy classes with Milton Albrecht were truly mountaintop experiences... for both students and instructor.
· The first Level I-II (beginning) class for Bowen Therapy International was held in June, 1999. Because Milton’s practice was booked up about three weeks in advance (and because he was a perfectionist), writing the manual had been gradual. Using beautiful computer graphics, Milt enlisted a close friend, Doug Musso, (a dentist) to help him describe human anatomy. One page of the manual was devoted entirely to an explanation of Tom Bowen’s philosophy (something that had not been done before). Milton also sprinkled his own theories throughout the lessons, always careful to define which thoughts were his own. He did not change Bowen’s basic 12 beginning lessons, but developed easier, more accurate ways they could be learned and used. Neither Milton nor Tom Bowen had time to write down actual moves, and it was Milton’s belief that Bowen often used differing procedures for similar ailments, depending on the client. He also felt that Bowen passed on very little of what he actually used, to the six men he taught. Because they all had different professions, each had interpreted Bowen’s philosophies according to their own background.
· Now through BTI, Milton continued to introduce Bowen to numerous health organizations, and was interviewed on local radio several times. In October, 1997, Milton and Dr.Whitaker traveled to San Diego for a presentation to the Academy of Environmental Medicine, the first traditional medical journal to recognize and publish empirical research on Bowen therapy. Milton’s demonstration was such a hit, the next presenter was moved forward, and Milton was inundated by interested physicians. Several months later, my sister, Lois Larimore, had created and produced a TV show about alternative healing methods, and flew Milton to Toronto in November, 1999, for an interview. The show is called, “the Age of e”, and the East Meets West episode can still be viewed throughout the world.
· Certainly Milton enjoyed teaching and engaging in powerful discussion with an inquisitive public, but his first love was always the one on one experience with his clients. There were very few cases he couldn’t help, and most were healed within one session. He would always ask family members to watch while he worked, explaining how they could help themselves in the future. Milton had bridged the gap between traditional and alternative medicine, and hospitals asked him to consult, and local medical doctors referred to him. In between clients, he could be found on the phone, describing a simple procedure the caller could use, nearly always with positive results.
· Many times, Milton told me he believed he was “born to do Bowen”, and awoke each morning excited about what new ailments and maladies would come through the door. Milton understood the body is its own best physician, and although the therapist’s intent plays a role, it is important to not let the ego get in the way. Considering Milton’s bodywork virtuosity, his humility was astonishing, his confidence supreme, yet subtle. He often remarked that the therapist should remember to get out of the way, “so nerves and muscles could remember their job descriptions”.
· Unfortunately, Milton’s body sometimes had a difficult time remembering it’s own job description, and by 2000, was beginning to grow weary. Poor diet, stress and nicotine had gradually taken their toll, and even though he had quit drinking in the early 1990s, the combination was taking its toll on a cardiac system that was weak to begin with. (Although it's been written otherwise, Milton never drank while working on clients or teaching classes.) One of Milton’s cardiac moves had improved heart rhythms, and because he experimented on himself whenever possible, had discovered its remarkable effects on his own intermittent heart murmur. But the worn down system had difficulty eliminating fluid, and he developed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by 2002. On January 14, 2003, Milton made his passage to the next life, and although the cause of death was technically COPD, Milton’s heart, and time, just gave out.
· However, his heart goes on through every person who gives and receives Bowen Therapy in North America. Because of Milton’s energetic, passionate promotion, Bowen Therapy continues on this continent today.
· Sharing those years with Milt was a whirlwind experience, and I’m still here, long past my original prognosis, because I have continued to receive Bowen Therapy from 1989 to the present. Tom Bowen and Milton Albrecht were both extraordinary men, and for me, it has been an honor to have played just a small role in helping to introduce such a miraculous healing modality as Bowen Therapy.
My introduction to Milton
“When the patient is ready to heal – the healer will appear”
One Friday afternoon about September 1994 a patient told me about her foot pain and it sounded like an atypical sciatic nerve problem that was just showing up in her foot. I mentioned this and asked if she’d had any lower back problems? She said, "Oh no, it’s not my sciatic nerve. I’ve had that before. This is different. I got that fixed two years ago." I inquired as to how she, "Got it fixed?" She told me that she'd had Bowen Therapy. I said, "I've never heard of that therapy. What's it about?" She replied, "It's kind of new here and most people don't know about it. The man who does it learned from the Australian people about two years ago, so that's why most people haven't heard of it." She told me about a practitioner in Auburn, California who'd been trained to do the treatments by the "Australian People." I asked if he was a chiropractor. She informed me that he was a Massage Therapist, but that he didn't do massage, only this Bowen technique.
I volunteered to her that I was suffering from lower back pain and sciatic nerve problems. She said, "Oh, you must go and see my friend. Not only has he helped me, but I’ve referred my boss, and my sister, and two of my neighbors, and he’s helped us all with our back pains." I asked how to spell the gentleman’s name so I could get his number from the phone-book to make an appointment. She said, “Oh no, you won’t find him in the phone-book. He's got an unlisted number. I've got his card out in my car in the glove compartment, I’ll go get it for you.” After I finished my business with her foot she went out to her car and got the card. My receptionist copied it and gave me the copy and gave the patient back her card. Then she said, "Oh yeah. By the way, you must call him Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM. That's the only time of the day he answers the phone to make and change appointments, and if you call any other time and leave a message on his answering machine, he doesn't return calls." I thought, "That's a little odd?"
So on Monday morning, I saw the note on my desk and glanced at the clock. It was 8:10 and I thought, “Good. I'm within the window of opportunity", so I dialed the number. It was busy, so, a few minutes later I tried again. Still busy, so I handed the task over to my receptionist with instructions to get me an appointment as soon as possible. About 5 minutes past 9:00 my receptionist informed me that he had a cancellation that afternoon at 5:00 which I could have; otherwise the next available time was three weeks out. Not wanting to wait that long, I took the cancellation. That was the 3rd clue something was up; unlisted phone number, doesn't return calls, booked up three weeks out.
When I arrived in his driveway that afternoon, there was an elderly lady sitting in one of those plastic $9.99 lawn chairs, missing a front tooth, and smoking a Camel cigarette. She said with a slight lisp, "If you’re here to see Milton, you ring the bell he answers it himself." I thought to myself, "She’s quite a receptionist, but I guess he doesn't let her do the phones?" The front door was open, while the screen door was shut. About a minute after ringing the chime, a man shuffled to the door to greet me. He was bare footed, wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, which was unbuttoned to the breastbone. He had a pack of cigarettes in his shirt pocket. He'd not shaved yet that day, and his hair was all mussed up. He said, "Are you Dr. Mosher?" I replied, "Yes, I am." He said, "How do you do? I’m Milton Albrecht. Come on in." As he led me through his house to a back bedroom I spotted a couple of biker-looking guys on the patio outside the kitchen working their way through a 12 pack of beer. The room was adorned with a map of Australia, a couple of boomerangs on the wall, an ammo belt on the chair, and a rifle standing in the corner. Now I’m thinking, "What did I just get myself into?" He asked me where I was hurting. I told him that my lower back on the right side around the lumbar-sacral area was the problem. He said, "Cool. I’ll fix ya. Just lay on the table with your feet on the pillow, your butt in the air, and your face down in the cradle." I apprehensively complied.
During the treatment, many thoughts were racing through my mind. What was I doing here? How was a simple plucking of my muscles here and there going to relieve my back pain? Why'd he pluck a couple of muscles and leave the room for 3 to 5 minutes? Oh well, Ann my patient had relief, as well as all of the others she'd referred to this mystical man. After 10 to 15 minutes very deep relaxation set in and I almost fell asleep. One time he put his hand close to my low back and I could feel lots of heat radiating from me. He commented, “Ah Ha. You’re cookin now!” After he turned me over onto my back, he moved the Adductor Magus muscle in my inner thigh and I thought I was going to hit the ceiling it hurt so much. I asked him if this was Rolfing, and he assured me that it wasn't. After he left the room for me to rest following the procedure, my palms started to sweat. It wasn't the usual watery kind of sweat, but a sticky - syrupy kind of discharge.
When he came back in the room and saw that I was patting my palms together, he touched my hand with his fingers and commented, "Ah Ha. That’s toxins working their way out." I said, "Oh yeah. What kind of toxins?" a little facetiously. He sniffed his fingers and said, "Probably lactic acid cause it don't smell." I left it at that. Then he had me open my jaw and close it and said, "Your TMJ'S out." I recalled that I'd been nipping the inner side of my right cheek when chewing food the past few weeks. He had me make a knuckle with my index finger and place it between my teeth. He then tweaked a number of muscles around the jaw and temple area. Upon opening my jaw afterward, I could sense that my jaw was completely realigned. He instructed me to sit up. Upon arising from the table, I was a little light - headed.
Standing up after my head cleared, I couldn’t believe how good I felt. I sensed more energy; the muscles all over my body were loose. My back didn't ache. Wow! the patient was right about this therapy. She'd referred her boss, sister and three friends to the therapist and he'd helped all of them, and now, me too. I commented that while he did nothing major to my back, but the pain was gone. He said, "There’s nothing wrong with your back. Your Adductor Magnus was all locked up." I said, "What’s that got to do with my back?" He said, "Everything. When that Adductor tightens the Iliotibial band, Tensor Fascia Lata, and Gluteus Medius muscles all tighten on the outer side of the hip in order to compensate. When you lift something and twist those tissues get strained, and then your back muscles go into spasm." I said, "That’s exactly what's been happening. Whatever made that Adductor muscle lock up?" He said, "Dunnow. You must have built up lactic acid in them some time ago." I was so amazed at how good I felt and was so relieved to be rid of the pain, I didn't figure out the lactic acid issue till a few days later.
I asked how much I owed him for the treatment. He said, "Oh, just give me twenty bucks." As I handed him a $20 dollar bill, I asked, "How much do you usually charge? I'll be sending you some clients, as I grabbed a hand full of his business cards." He told me that his usual charge was $35.00, but he gave seniors a discount and kids were free. I asked if he was always booked three weeks out, and he said, "Yeah, except in the flu season and during the bad weather when the older folks don't like to drive, it slows down a little." Then I sprung the main question that was on my mind, "How many people do you treat every day?" He replied, "25 or 30!" I thought, "That’s pretty good considering that he had very little overhead expenses."
While walking out to my car on my way to go home, I noticed that I was walking differently than before the treatment and the orthotics in my shoes were pressing up into my arch. So, I removed them and walked better without any arch support.
The night of the treatment I had such a good night’s sleep I didn't move my head on the pillow at all. In the morning when I got out of bed my back wasn't stiff, the feet, legs and groin didn't ache, and I felt like a new person. I recalled that I didn't have jumpy-restless legs awaken me shortly after falling to sleep, and I didn't wake up with cramps in my calf muscles at 2:00 to 3:00 AM as I usually did.
A week later as I was dressing one morning, I saw that the hammertoes on my left foot had vanished. Sometime between the morning of discovery and the day of the treatment! I had to do a second take in order to believe my eyes. I did surgical procedures to straighten hammertoes and sometimes they didn't stay straight following surgery. Traditional stretching and physical therapy rarely helped them so I realized that this might be the missing piece to the puzzle. I couldn't wait to get to the telephone and call Milton in order to tell him about these miracles, plus to find out how I might learn how to perform some of the techniques.
After I told him all about what had happened since his treatment, he laughed and said, "That happens all the time". I jokingly told him, "I won’t turn you in for practicing podiatry without a license if you'll show me how to do this for my patients." He asked me for my fax number so he could send me a brochure on a Bowen workshop he was teaching in January 1995, so I could sign up for it.
My first class with Milton
“When a student is ready to learn – the teacher will appear”
I attended a four day workshop in Auburn California to learn the Bowen Technique in January 1995. At the beginning of the class Milt said, “I’m not no teacher, but I’m going to show you all how to do this Bowen stuff. I know that it might change some of your lives.” I got a little pang in the pit of my solar plexus as he said that! The class covered Ossie’s, 14 pages called “The Notes”, which consisted of 23 different Bowen procedures including many foot and leg issues which were right up my alley. The notes were on colored construction paper and quite confusing to follow. Milt said this was so someone couldn’t take a copy of them and learn how to do Bowen. They also covered many other procedures that were not within my scope of podiatry practice. I figured that I would sort it all out and find a way to use it all.
Eventually, I obtained a massage license so that I could legally touch a patient outside of my podiatry boundaries.
Working Bowen Therapy into my practice
Arriving at my office on Monday morning after the Bowen Class, the very first patient needed a Bowen treatment. She’d had a sciatic nerve problem in the past and she was certain that it had reoccurred because she had been performing floor exercises for long periods of time and now her left foot had a tingling sensation like the previous bout with sciatica.
After informing her about the new therapy I'd just learned, it took less than a nanosecond for her to ask if she could have a treatment that morning. She was escorted her into the operating room which I had transformed into a temporary therapy room and placed her on the surgical gurney which would serve as a massage table until one could be purchased. After checking my class notes I began the treatment. I only performed the treatment in the waist, legs, and feet to stay within the boundaries of my Podiatry license. When the session ended, she got up and stood on her feet she said, "It sure feels better. Not all the way, but at least by 50%."
The next morning she called me to report, "That by noon Monday all of the symptoms had disappeared. The next time she got the sciatica back she would call me for treatment." I said, "To be sure she had a foot problem. And, thank you."
I eagerly began incorporating it into the podiatry practice. The first week I treated 12 patients with it. Six of them returned the following week for a second session. One of them said, "Dr. Mosher, I don't know what you did? But, you've changed my life!" Then, he explained how. Another said, "Dr. Mosher, you won't believe what happened after that treatment you did last week!" Then, she told me what happened. One other said, "I had a runner's high all day after the treatment. And, now I feel a sense of wellbeing and balance." Another one said, ''If only the medical doctors would take this holistic and natural approach to our health care issues."
As the months passed by, many would say, the same things or, "I sure wish that I had met you sooner so that my life could've been better. I've been through years of hell."
Thousands of patients experienced similar results from the treatments that I did and all were from what Milt taught me!
Chats with Milton during and after my Bowen sessions
Arrhythmia:
One of my favorite stories, which pretty much sums up Milton, was the one about an elderly lady client of his who was having problems with a cardiac arrhythmia. After a couple of sessions she discontinued her heart medication, and seemed to do just fine. When she went to her cardiologist at the University Medical Center for her follow-up appointment, she informed him of what she had done. He immediately performed an EKG, which was quite normal, and could not believe his eyes. He compared the present strip with the last one, and asked her more about what she had done. She told the cardiologist about her Bowen sessions and gave him Milton’s name and phone number. Also she gave him specific instructions to call Milton on Monday through Friday between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. He called Milton the next morning to learn more about Bowen, and asked if Milton could possibly come to the Medical Center and show and tell about the process. Milton replied, ‘Hell no”, and, hung up on him!
Optional Procedure:
Milton first taught me this procedure during one of our fireside chats circa 2000. Initially he taught it in his Basic Bowen course. However, he discovered that the students only practiced the one procedure because it worked so well, and they neglected the rest of the Basic lessons. So, he moved it to the “Advanced” section of his training.
He told me to, “Use this when your client is in so much pain that they can’t get up on the table. It will relax them so they can move a little better, and then they can get up on the table.” I filed this into my data bank and went about my business. On occasion, I found this procedure helpful for patients who were in acute spasms and could not climb up onto the table. It enabled them to be slightly more mobile, and it only took a minute or so to do.
K.C, who was one of my long-time, regular podiatry patients said, “Oh my gosh. I met your guru, Uncle Milty. I went to his house with a friend and he cleared up my gallbladder problem. Just to think that I was going to have surgery for my gallbladder. Now I won’t need it!” I was happy for her and we talked a bit about Milton and Bowen during the rest of her podiatry visit that morning.
After Milton passed in January of 2003, K.C. was in for her podiatry appointment. She lamented, “Oh, I sure wish our Uncle Milty was still here. My gallbladder problem has resurfaced and my doctor wants me to have surgery. I’m getting a second opinion tomorrow. I remember how he fixed my problem and that was over 4 years ago.” I said, “I can give you a Bowen session.” She said, “Oh! That’s right. I forgot you do Bowen too. I’ll schedule an appointment after I get my second opinion.”
I overheard my nurse bringing K.C. into one of my Bowen rooms. She said, “This is your first Bowen with Dr. Mosher isn’t it? You need to take your shoes off and lay face down on the table with your feet on the pillow and your face in the face cradle.” K.C. replied, “Oh no. I don’t have to lie down for this. We can just do it standing up.” I was on to what she was referring to so, I quickly stepped in to save an argument. I said, “K.C. you mean to tell me that all Milton did for you that time you saw him was the standing-up procedure?” She replied, “That’s right. He did it right there in his living room and I was fine all those years.” So, I did the standing Optional Procedure for her. I talk to my former office staff now and then, and they keep me posted on patients I was fond of, and she has been fine ever since.
At massage school I performed this procedure on a number of classmates who had gallbladder problems with equally good results.
Waits and number of procedures during a session:
As the years went by Milton started doing more of the procedure parts during a segment of the session and extending the waits rather than how I originally learned from his assistants and he - as is shown in the Full Sequence in the Files section on the Facebook group – Bowen Therapy Worldwide. He figured that the body could respond to the larger clusters of moves as long as the rest period was long enough to do so. How he knew how long was long enough, I do not know. Milt seemed to develop more medical intuitive skills during the latter part of his life.
Other Milton stories of interest
Shoulder Procedure:
One Sunday afternoon, I stopped by one of Milton’s Bowen classes to say hi, and see what was doing. He was in the middle of demonstrating the “Frozen Shoulder Procedure”. After the demonstration he told a story about a friend of his who one Sunday morning called to see if he could do a session to relieve his friend’s frozen shoulder.
Milt said, “Leave me alone. This is my day off. Call me in the morning”, and hung up. About an hour later the doorbell rang and here was his buddy standing there, holding his arm up to un-weight the shoulder. He said, “Come on Milt. Please give me a treatment. I can’t move my shoulder”. Milt said, “Come on in, but damn it and I told you I am not working today. Which shoulder hurts?” His friend indicated which one, and Milt had him turn to the opposite side. Milt hit him as hard as he could with his fist on the non-painful shoulder. The friend cried, “What did you do?” Milt said, “I just fixed your shoulder-shut up.” His friend said, “No. You made my good shoulder hurt.” Milt said, “Try out the bad one.” When he did, the pain and stiffness was all gone. Is this an “Advanced Procedure?” I promptly went home and tried it on my wife who had been experiencing off and on shoulder pain for the past 6 months. We had done all the Bowen procedures. She had been to physical therapy. NSAIDS were about her only relief. After the ringing of the bell (striking her good shoulder), she experienced an intense healing crises in the affected shoulder, after which, she has never had another pain.
Carpal Tunnel:
Since Milt knew everyone in town and was a very popular figure, he attended lots of parties, weddings, and festivities. When someone had a carpal tunnel problem in the right wrist, Milt would do the arm procedure on the left arm. Low and behold the carpal tunnel would disappear. Sometimes this resulted in cancelled surgeries and MRI appointments. Milt knew that the body-mind - nervous system doesn’t know the right from the left. This is the same as when his buddy had relief of shoulder pain on one side when the pain was evoked on the opposite shoulder.
Teeth and meridians:
The extraction of a bad tooth as recommended by Milt often cleared up his client’s symptoms. Multiple extractions led to dementia in some of his clients.
Ganglions:
At one of our fireside chats, he told me that ganglionic cysts were caused by an overload of caffeine. He told me that when he "popped" the cysts for his clients, many times they had sleepless nights following. I Thought, "Oh yeah. Sure". There was a large one behind my ankle when he told me this. At the time, I drank eight to ten cups of coffee a day. I cut down to two cups and about three months later, the cyst was 80% reduced in size. After three more months, it was gone! He was right-on once again.
The Ugly Sister Procedure:
Occasionally Milt would awaken in the morning and call his sister Debbie and tell her about a procedure that he had dreamed about the night before. He would try it out on her that morning and then he called it the Ugly Sister Procedure X.
At Milton’s Memorial Service 2003:
A young lady who was a college student stood up and told about her Milton experience. Her mother was a client of Milton’s. The daughter had a science class assignment in high school to write a paper about some type of health care therapy. She asked Milton if she could observe him work and ask some questions in order to write her paper. Of course Milt said yes. She spent a number of afternoons after school with Milt. She presented Milt with a copy of the paper when it was done. He was so taken by what she had written he enrolled her in one of his classes with her tuition waived. She was forever grateful to him for all of what his services were about and for teaching her how to do Bowen Therapy.
Milt’s connection to Tom:
Milt often told me that he was aware of Tom’s presence while he was working on clients and while he was working things out.
Stories from other students, friends, relatives, and clients:
Cousin Albert:
HELLO MITCH
HERE'S SOME INPUT I HOPE YOU WILL FIND USEFUL FOR THE LONG OVERDUE TRIBUTE TO MILTON;
MILTON ALBRECHT AND I ARE COUSINS -- WE GREW UP TOGETHER AND HAD LOTS OF ADVENTURES TOGETHER ALL THROUGH LIFE - AS YOU KNOW, BEFORE BOWEN, MILTON OWNED A MACHINE SHOP AND I OWNED A GARAGE -- HE REBUILT ENGINES AND I REBUILT TRANSMISSIONS - ABOUT THE TIME THAT HE CLOSED HIS SHOP DENI HIS WIFE WENT TO AUSTRALIA AND MET THE RENTCHES - GOT A FEW BOWEN TREATMENTS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD TO COME TO AMERICA AND IF MILTON COULD SET UP A SEMINAR TO COVER EXPENSES, THEY WOULD COME TO AUBURN AND TEACH IT-- HE WAS VERY ENTHUSIASTIC AND I HELPED HIM SET UP THE FIRST BOWEN SEMINAR AT AUBURN IN 1989...
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING MILTON FELL IN LOVE WITH BOWEN THERAPY -- HE GAVE HIMSELF TO IT WITH NO RESERVATIONS -- HE WAS DEDICATED AND EXCITED ABOUT IT FROM THE FIRST -- ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFUL THINGS WAS HIS HEART FELT DESIRE TO HELP PEOPLE NO MATTER WHAT -- HE PRACTICED ON PEOPLE ON THE FLOOR - ON TABLES - BEDS - WE USED TO RAISE THE HOIST IN MY GARAGE, PUT PLYWOOD ON IT AND HE WOULD WORK ON PEOPLE THERE - HE WAS COMPLETELY GIVEN TO BOWEN THERAPY BECAUSE IT FIXED PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS
NOT LONG AFTER THIS I SOLD THE GARAGE AND MILTON LITERALLY FORCED ME TO LEARN BOWEN - IT CHANGED BOTH OF OUR LIVES --I BELIEVE THE TWO BIGGEST REASONS FOR MILTON'S SUCCESS WAS THAT FIRST, HE APPLIED A MECHANICS APPROACH TO THE THERAPY - A MECHANIC USES THE SYMPTOMS TO GET DOWN TO THE BASIC PROBLEM SO RATHER THAN SIMPLY TREATING THE SYMPTOMS - MILTON WENT BEYOND THAT AND FIXED THE CAUSE -- THE OTHER THING WAS THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, HE REALIZED THAT TO MAKE IT WORK, YOU HAD TO MAKE MAJOR MODIFICATIONS TO THE WAY IT WAS BEING TAUGHT -- AND THAT'S WHAT HE DID
THE EARLY SEMINARS WERE TAUGHT WITH STAPLED BOOKS WITH STICK FIGURE DRAWINGS (THE RENTCHES ONLY HAD A FEW PAGE OF NOTES) THESE WERE SOON REPLACED WITH STAPLED BOOKS WITH SKETCHES - MILTON AND DENI WORKED HARD TO REFINE THESE INTO RESPECTABLE TEXTBOOKS WITH DECENT ILLUSTRATIONS -- LOTS OF WORK BUT THEY TURNED OUT SUPER -- THAT'S THE THING - MILTON WAS ALWAYS WORKING TO MAKE BOWEN MORE ACCEPTABLE -- HIS PRACTICE GREW AND GREW BECAUSE HE FIXED PEOPLE WITH NO VOODOO - NO PRETENSE -- STRAIGHT FORWARD CARE AND HEARTFELT CONCERN..HE HELPED EVERYONE WHETHER IT WAS IN A BOWEN TREATMENT - OR TEACHING PEOPLE BOWEN - IT WAS THE LOVE AND MOTIVATION OF HIS LIFE ...........
I HELPED AT EVERY SEMINAR TAUGHT BY THE RENTCHES AND BY MILTON - MILTON WAS THE CO-ORDINATOR FOR THE U.S.A.AND WORKED HARD AT IT- HE DEVELOPED QUITE A FEW PAGES OF "ADVANCED" MATERIALIN 1997 MILTON AND I FLEW ALL OVER THE U.S. TEACHING BOWEN
MILTON AND DENI WROTE THEIR OWN BOOKS AND FORMED B.T.I. - BUT IT WAS HARD ON MILTON A HARD LOAD TO CARRY -- BUT IT NEVER INTERFERED WITH HIS INNATE LOVE OF HELPING PEOPLE -- THE PROBLEM WAS HE WAS BORN WITH A WEAK HEART AND LIKE SO MANY "HEALERS" NEVER TOOK CARE OF HIMSELF -- I USED TO YELL AT HIM REGULARLY -- ONE OF THE MOST REVEALING THINGS ABOUT THE MAN MILTON WAS IS THAT ON THE NIGHT HE DIED - HE WAS HAVING A HEART ATTACK - HE CALLED THE POLICE TO TAKE CARE OF DENI (HIS QUADRAPLEGIC WIFE) AND WAITED UNTIL THEY GOT THERE BEFORE CALLING THE AMBULANCE -- HE NEVER MADE IT TO THE HOSPITAL..................................
FOR YOUR INFORMATION MITCH -- I WAS THERE DIURING THE FIGHT THAT SCREWED UP MILTON'S ANKLE -- IT HAPPENED AT A FROSTY - A GUY HIT MILT'S CAR AND WAS AN ASS ABOUT- MILTON SAID SOMETHING TO HIM AND HE SHOVED MILTON DOWN -- I WAS SURPRISED MILTON DIDN'T GET UP AND THE GUY WAS TRYING TO HURT HIM ON THE GROUND -- I TRIED TO KILL THE GUY BUT DIDN'T SUCCEED (HIS FRIENDS HAD TO CARRY HIM OFF THOUGH) -- I TOOK MILTON TO THE HOSPITAL -- THE FUNNY THING IS THAT IF HE WORE SHOES, HE WALKED PERFECTLY - HE JUST NEVER WORE SHOES ------------------
MY BEST TO YOU MITCH -------------- ALBERT
Jerome and Jacquie met up with Milton around 1998.
Fortunately, Jerome’s naturopath M.D. told him to go see Milton for some Bowen treatments which he did not get. After a few weeks Jerome’s symptoms traveled from the lower back to the sciatic nerve. The only position he could tolerate was lying on his back with his legs in the air. Then he developed acute kidney pain on one side. It was after that he called Milt for an appointment.
It took Jerome 2 hours of labored effort and help from his wife to get him into the car to make the trip to Milt’s house. When they arrived Milt came out the door and stopped at the front porch, held the banister, turned his head to the sky, and rolled his eyes back. When Milt approached the car he once more turned his head back and rolled his eyes. After that he reached around behind Jerome’s back and made some little moves on the side opposite the kidney pain.
Jerome was advised to go home, move around, drink lots of water, and come back tomorrow for a session. It turns out the kidney was swollen and that had affected the Sciatic nerve. After a full session Jerome was fixed.
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Milton called on a dental office and told the receptionist that he had a good therapy for TMJ issues. She told the dentist and after a brief conversation a patient was called in from the waiting room and who was having TMJ problems.
Milt probably did the Neck, upper Respiratory, and TMJ procedures on her. At the completion she opened her jaw and said, “Okay, we can go ahead and cancel my surgery.” At that, the dentist escorted Milt out the back door.
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Milton began discovering suspicious students in some of his classes. BTW Milt was very intuitive, perceptive, and maybe even psychic. He refunded their tuition and tossed them out of his classes.
He approached the medical staff at the local hospital and offered his services to their patients. Of course, they turned him away. Now and then Milt would go to the emergency room and check in with some supposed problem or another. Sometimes he would get a wheelchair and wheel around the waiting room. After striking up a conversation with a patient waiting to be called in he would do some subtle moves where he knew that would help the reason for their ER visit. Often they would get up and leave. Apparently the staff and doctors figured out his game. That’s what prompted the sham students who were planted in his class so they could catch him at practicing medicine without a license. Of course, they never did catch him.
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As Milt’s wife Deni developed various problems with her organ systems over the years, Milt figured out many of his Advanced Procedures in order to help her with them. Again he used his mechanic’s sense to go from the symptom trace it back to the cause, and then how to erase the cause.
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Jerome and Jacquie have a very deep personal and spiritual relationship with Milton.
Story from one of Milton’s clients
He told my patient Joanne about her husband’s prostate cancer after he worked on him! Milt had no advanced knowledge that this 57 year old man had been diagnosed with prostate cancer a month before!
Milt’s Advanced Procedures:
I own a copy of Milt’s Training manual Levels 1 - 4. When he gave it to me he instructed me to take good care of it and to use it to promote the enhancement of the Bowen Technique on his behalf. I have the approval of Milt’s sister and a close friend of his to pass his Advanced Procedures on to those who want copies of these procedures. I am awaiting approval from his daughter.
I am not sure yet as to how to pass them on. But, the procedures will only be available by request and sent via e-mail as a PDF attachment. I will not put these on the social media format or word documents due to privacy issues. All of Milton’s Advanced Procedures were copyrighted in 1997. His complete Manual was copyrighted in 1998.
I am forever indebted to Milt for accepting me into his fold. Because, he had a profound distrust of doctors, and for some reason that he never revealed, he trusted me.
The Complete version includes Milt’s interpretation of the Basic Bowen Procedures, his Advanced Procedures, and all of the information I have gathered so far about Milt. It This will only be available to those who make a donation to the Tom Bowen Legacy Fund in the name of Milton Albrecht – amount TBA.
BASIC BOWEN PROCEDURES
Lower Back
Shoulders
Neck
Hamstrings
Knee
Ankle
Frozen Shoulder
Tennis Elbow / Carpal Tunnel
Kidneys
Asthma
Pelvis
Coccyx
Sacrum
Breasts
Hayfever
TMJ
MILT’S “ADVANCED” PROCEDURES
Abdominal Disorders
Breast & Lymphatic Drainage
Deep Sciatic & Posterior Tibial
Groin Pull / Spasm
Headaches 1
Headaches 2
Optional
Pain under scapula
Pelvis posterior
Relax arm
Sacrum
Sacrum Optional
Shin
Shoulder Neck
TMJ
Torso
Vegus (Vagus) & Pudic nerves
MILT’S OTHER STUFF
Buttock Pain
Chest Pain
Colic
Exercises
Milt’s Neck Traction Procedure
SOME STUFF FROM ME – not a tribute to Milt but may benefit your practice
A sequence that really works – Actually very close to Milt’s usual sequence until he changed gears later in his career
Allergies
Chairside Re-boot – Spin-off from the Optional Procedure
Cranial stretch / my neck traction procedure
Cravings
Emotional Clearing
Infertility
Plantar Fasciitis
Taping procedure for foot and whatever else ails you
Note: Anyone who has purchased my Home study materials in the past will get a discount on the donation amount for the complete Tribute and manual. Anyone who donates the full amount for the Tribute to Milton will receive a discount on my Home Study Materials if purchased in the future.
This is what I have gotten so far- still working on more information about Milt. Also, the logistics on how to make this tribute happen and that it is fair to all concerned including Milton and his Family.