ORIGIN OF BOWEN THERAPY
One of the great things I learned from Graham Pennington’s class in Ohio last June was the origin of the Bowen Move, the evolution of Tom Bowen’s Therapy, and the historical events that have lead us all, to where we are all here today.
Between WW1 & WW2, around the 1920’s an Australian named Ernie Saunders who was well known as a “Physical Manipulator” took a steam ship to the USA where he learned a method of Japanese Acupressure.
After his return to Australia and using this new information, he became even more famous.
Tom Bowen studied with Ernie during the late 1940’s or 1950. Ernie passed away in 1951. They both spent time on the weekends at the athletic clubs, treating the athletes for their injuries and pains. Also at the clubs were, “Physios” who also treated the athletes. Some were known as “Crackers”. Others were called, “Strokers”. The other group was called ‘”Flickers”. Crackers did manipulation. Strokers did massage. Flickers did some massage mixed with little flicks with their fingers. This is from a report by Gene Dobkin.
Tom apparently mixed the “flicks” with the acupressure and some Shiatsu techniques that he studied. Hence, the “Moves” probably evolved from a combination of these. Tom practiced part-time during the 1950’s until 1961. Then, he quit his job as a laborer at a cement factory and opened his office full time. He had no formal education and quit school to be a carpenter at around age15 according to his daughters Pam and Heather in a biography paper on Tom. This is contrary to the reports that he was a medical student. And, that he was a chemist at the cement factory.
Over the years he let a number of practitioners come to his clinic one at a time for ½ days once a week. He acknowledged six of them to be proficient in the understanding and practice of his technique. These became who are known as “Tom’s Boys”. They are; Oswald Rentsch (massage therapist), Keith Davis (chiropractor), Nigel Love (chiropractor), Kevin Neave (chiropractor), Romney Smeeton (chiropractor), and Kevin Ryan (osteopath). They each spent anywhere from 2 to 7 years observing Tom work and making notes. He didn’t teach them. He only let them watch.
Before Tom passed in 1982, he asked Kevin Ryan to teach others about his method. Ossie says that he was anointed too. Kevin taught from 1984 until 1986. Ossie began teaching his “Interpretation of the Original and Pure Bowen Technique” in 1986. There were some events that led to this coincidence of the date 1986. Kevin did resume teaching at an osteopathic school around 1990, and he taught there for a few years.
In or about 1987, Deni Larimore Albrecht went to visit her family in Australia. She was in need of some prescription refills, but her mother took her to Ossie’s clinic instead of the doctor’s office. Ossie’s Bowen session relieved her pain. Deni visited Ossie on a few more occasions during her stay. When it was time to come home Deni inquired about any Bowen Therapists in Northern California? Ossie told her that he hadn’t taught anyone in the US yet. Deni then asked if she could somehow show her husband how to do the procedures so she wouldn’t have to go back on the medications? Ossie gave her some drawings with arrows showing which way the moves were to be made (sounds like his 14 pages of, “The Notes”).
Milton became very adept at performing the moves and procedures on Deni and his friends. He spoke with Ossie on the telephone on a few occasions with questions about some of the procedures. He met Ossie at a convention in California which led to their first class in the US, maybe 1989.
Milton obtained a massage certificate, sold his machine shop where he built race car engines and hot rods, and began his full-time practice in Auburn, California around 1990.
In 1998, Graham Pennington began his study of the Bowen Technique under Ossie. Graham is also a Naturopath and Acupuncturist. He then took care of Ossie’s clinic while Ossie traveled Australia and New Zealand teaching his 4 day workshops on his interpretation of Tom’s technique.
Around 1990 Graham accepted an offer to teach Bowen at a Naturopathic school. Upon hearing this Ossie terminated his relationship with Graham.
Eventually, Graham began his studies with Romney Smeeton and learned his interpretation of Tom’s work. Romney showed Graham how Tom would assess the body, locate the problem area, correct it and reassess to be sure the issue was resolved. Tom had a keen eye and palpation skills to do the assessments. He was usually able to do the correction within five to seven minutes. That’s how he could see 60 to 70 clients a day. He also found that the majority of people’s problems were coming from the cervical area. Most of the others were from the low back.
Presently Graham has authored a marvelous book, A TEXTBOOK OF BOWEN TECHNIQUE. He also teaches classes which are excellently done, highly informative, and quite instructive.
My Bowen journey began in 1994 when a patient told me about Milton. I had suffered with low back pain for 12 years. I thought that I had used up all the non-medical options available up till then. She told me that Milt had fixed her back, her bosses’, two of her neighbors’, and her sisters’. That was pretty encouraging to me, so I made an appointment. Within 45 minutes my back was fixed. The SMS (sustaining muscle spasm) was in the Adductor Magnus. Over the next week or so, four different foot and leg issues cleared up, including the straightening of the hammertoes on my left foot. These motivated me to ask Milton to teach me. At this point in time Milton treated 25 to 30 clients per day. He had an unlisted phone number, only answered his phone one hour per day and didn’t return calls from messages left on his answering machine. In spite of all this, he was booked out three weeks in advance most of the time!
I signed up for one of Milton’s classes in January, 1995. As we were reviewing page 2, one of my classmates asked Milton why, “The Notes” were so screwed up and we had make changes on our notes on almost every procedure? Milt replied that Ossie had intentionally messed them up so that if someone got a hold of a set they couldn’t learn how to do the technique without taking the class.
Wonderful results occurred among my patients as I incorporated the Bowen Technique into my podiatric medical-surgical practice. In the study groups I attended after my class I kept hearing about the world renowned Ossie Rentsch. He was coming to California to do a “Refresher Class” in July, 1995. Wow. I was much looking forward to attending the two days with him along with Milt. Before the class, Ossie was sitting off in a corner talking to someone while Ossie’s wife Elaine, was lighting up the room. I realized about 15 minutes into the class that Elaine was pretty successful in dominating the floor. It also came forth that much of what Milt had taught us six months prior was changed by Ossie & Elaine.
Milton developed a number of Special Procedures over the next few years. Some of them he showed to Ossie and some were DTO’S (don’t tell Ossie’s). Some that he shared have turned up in other classes and manuals with slightly different terminology and move placements.
Sometime between 1995 and 1997 Ossie and Elaine trained other instructors in the US. Whether to expand or to replace Milton I’m not sure of their motives, but I will ask Deni and Gene Dobkin. During this time I took Classes called Level 2 and Level 3. It seemed like the information about lots of items and procedures changed from year to year?
Milton and Bow Tech split up in 1997 and I dropped out in 1998.
Milton continued to develop additional procedures, many of which he shared with me at our fireside chats over a six pack of beer. He encouraged me to share them as I wished when someone was interested. I’ve been doing that on Facebook and the Bowen technique at yahoo groups.com.
Milton passed in January, 2003 at the age of 54. His memorial service was attended by hundreds of his relatives, patients, students, and friends. Over the years he did somewhere around 80,000 treatments. He also taught hundreds of practitioners worldwide. These practitioners such as myself, have also been helping thousands of patients around the world. That’s pretty impressive.
Thanks to Ossie and Elaine, (and in no order of importance) over 26,000 Bowen Practitioners have been trained around the world so far by the likes of; the late Milton Albrecht, Julian Baker, John Wilkes, Gene Dobkin, Gene Hummell, Albert LaShell, (Milt’s cousin), Michael Levy-Nixon, Kevin Ryan, and many Schools and Colleges in Canada, U.K., Australia, New Zealand. So sorry if I left you out - Please let me know and I’ll add you to my list. Also, kudos to all the equine and small animal teachers and practitioners around the world.
During my Bowen practice 1965 – present, I have noted a number of things as follows:
Between WW1 & WW2, around the 1920’s an Australian named Ernie Saunders who was well known as a “Physical Manipulator” took a steam ship to the USA where he learned a method of Japanese Acupressure.
After his return to Australia and using this new information, he became even more famous.
Tom Bowen studied with Ernie during the late 1940’s or 1950. Ernie passed away in 1951. They both spent time on the weekends at the athletic clubs, treating the athletes for their injuries and pains. Also at the clubs were, “Physios” who also treated the athletes. Some were known as “Crackers”. Others were called, “Strokers”. The other group was called ‘”Flickers”. Crackers did manipulation. Strokers did massage. Flickers did some massage mixed with little flicks with their fingers. This is from a report by Gene Dobkin.
Tom apparently mixed the “flicks” with the acupressure and some Shiatsu techniques that he studied. Hence, the “Moves” probably evolved from a combination of these. Tom practiced part-time during the 1950’s until 1961. Then, he quit his job as a laborer at a cement factory and opened his office full time. He had no formal education and quit school to be a carpenter at around age15 according to his daughters Pam and Heather in a biography paper on Tom. This is contrary to the reports that he was a medical student. And, that he was a chemist at the cement factory.
Over the years he let a number of practitioners come to his clinic one at a time for ½ days once a week. He acknowledged six of them to be proficient in the understanding and practice of his technique. These became who are known as “Tom’s Boys”. They are; Oswald Rentsch (massage therapist), Keith Davis (chiropractor), Nigel Love (chiropractor), Kevin Neave (chiropractor), Romney Smeeton (chiropractor), and Kevin Ryan (osteopath). They each spent anywhere from 2 to 7 years observing Tom work and making notes. He didn’t teach them. He only let them watch.
Before Tom passed in 1982, he asked Kevin Ryan to teach others about his method. Ossie says that he was anointed too. Kevin taught from 1984 until 1986. Ossie began teaching his “Interpretation of the Original and Pure Bowen Technique” in 1986. There were some events that led to this coincidence of the date 1986. Kevin did resume teaching at an osteopathic school around 1990, and he taught there for a few years.
In or about 1987, Deni Larimore Albrecht went to visit her family in Australia. She was in need of some prescription refills, but her mother took her to Ossie’s clinic instead of the doctor’s office. Ossie’s Bowen session relieved her pain. Deni visited Ossie on a few more occasions during her stay. When it was time to come home Deni inquired about any Bowen Therapists in Northern California? Ossie told her that he hadn’t taught anyone in the US yet. Deni then asked if she could somehow show her husband how to do the procedures so she wouldn’t have to go back on the medications? Ossie gave her some drawings with arrows showing which way the moves were to be made (sounds like his 14 pages of, “The Notes”).
Milton became very adept at performing the moves and procedures on Deni and his friends. He spoke with Ossie on the telephone on a few occasions with questions about some of the procedures. He met Ossie at a convention in California which led to their first class in the US, maybe 1989.
Milton obtained a massage certificate, sold his machine shop where he built race car engines and hot rods, and began his full-time practice in Auburn, California around 1990.
In 1998, Graham Pennington began his study of the Bowen Technique under Ossie. Graham is also a Naturopath and Acupuncturist. He then took care of Ossie’s clinic while Ossie traveled Australia and New Zealand teaching his 4 day workshops on his interpretation of Tom’s technique.
Around 1990 Graham accepted an offer to teach Bowen at a Naturopathic school. Upon hearing this Ossie terminated his relationship with Graham.
Eventually, Graham began his studies with Romney Smeeton and learned his interpretation of Tom’s work. Romney showed Graham how Tom would assess the body, locate the problem area, correct it and reassess to be sure the issue was resolved. Tom had a keen eye and palpation skills to do the assessments. He was usually able to do the correction within five to seven minutes. That’s how he could see 60 to 70 clients a day. He also found that the majority of people’s problems were coming from the cervical area. Most of the others were from the low back.
Presently Graham has authored a marvelous book, A TEXTBOOK OF BOWEN TECHNIQUE. He also teaches classes which are excellently done, highly informative, and quite instructive.
My Bowen journey began in 1994 when a patient told me about Milton. I had suffered with low back pain for 12 years. I thought that I had used up all the non-medical options available up till then. She told me that Milt had fixed her back, her bosses’, two of her neighbors’, and her sisters’. That was pretty encouraging to me, so I made an appointment. Within 45 minutes my back was fixed. The SMS (sustaining muscle spasm) was in the Adductor Magnus. Over the next week or so, four different foot and leg issues cleared up, including the straightening of the hammertoes on my left foot. These motivated me to ask Milton to teach me. At this point in time Milton treated 25 to 30 clients per day. He had an unlisted phone number, only answered his phone one hour per day and didn’t return calls from messages left on his answering machine. In spite of all this, he was booked out three weeks in advance most of the time!
I signed up for one of Milton’s classes in January, 1995. As we were reviewing page 2, one of my classmates asked Milton why, “The Notes” were so screwed up and we had make changes on our notes on almost every procedure? Milt replied that Ossie had intentionally messed them up so that if someone got a hold of a set they couldn’t learn how to do the technique without taking the class.
Wonderful results occurred among my patients as I incorporated the Bowen Technique into my podiatric medical-surgical practice. In the study groups I attended after my class I kept hearing about the world renowned Ossie Rentsch. He was coming to California to do a “Refresher Class” in July, 1995. Wow. I was much looking forward to attending the two days with him along with Milt. Before the class, Ossie was sitting off in a corner talking to someone while Ossie’s wife Elaine, was lighting up the room. I realized about 15 minutes into the class that Elaine was pretty successful in dominating the floor. It also came forth that much of what Milt had taught us six months prior was changed by Ossie & Elaine.
Milton developed a number of Special Procedures over the next few years. Some of them he showed to Ossie and some were DTO’S (don’t tell Ossie’s). Some that he shared have turned up in other classes and manuals with slightly different terminology and move placements.
Sometime between 1995 and 1997 Ossie and Elaine trained other instructors in the US. Whether to expand or to replace Milton I’m not sure of their motives, but I will ask Deni and Gene Dobkin. During this time I took Classes called Level 2 and Level 3. It seemed like the information about lots of items and procedures changed from year to year?
Milton and Bow Tech split up in 1997 and I dropped out in 1998.
Milton continued to develop additional procedures, many of which he shared with me at our fireside chats over a six pack of beer. He encouraged me to share them as I wished when someone was interested. I’ve been doing that on Facebook and the Bowen technique at yahoo groups.com.
Milton passed in January, 2003 at the age of 54. His memorial service was attended by hundreds of his relatives, patients, students, and friends. Over the years he did somewhere around 80,000 treatments. He also taught hundreds of practitioners worldwide. These practitioners such as myself, have also been helping thousands of patients around the world. That’s pretty impressive.
Thanks to Ossie and Elaine, (and in no order of importance) over 26,000 Bowen Practitioners have been trained around the world so far by the likes of; the late Milton Albrecht, Julian Baker, John Wilkes, Gene Dobkin, Gene Hummell, Albert LaShell, (Milt’s cousin), Michael Levy-Nixon, Kevin Ryan, and many Schools and Colleges in Canada, U.K., Australia, New Zealand. So sorry if I left you out - Please let me know and I’ll add you to my list. Also, kudos to all the equine and small animal teachers and practitioners around the world.
During my Bowen practice 1965 – present, I have noted a number of things as follows:
- Every podiatry patient needs Bowen.
- Every Orthopedic patient needs Bowen.
- Many dental patients need Bowen.
- Many G.I. patients need Bowen.
- All Chemotherapy recipients need Bowen.
- People with food sensitivities need Bowen.
- People with cravings and addictions need Bowen.
- People with emotional issues need Bowen.
- Flares and re-tracing often occurs after Bowen. Old issues often resurface.
- Emotional releases often occur after Bowen.
- Moods elevate after Bowen.
- Test scores improve after Bowen.
- Narcotic releases occur after the first Bowen session. Not after subsequent sessions. Best to forewarn them about this.
- Skeptics are the best referral sources.
- Spouses who were made to come for an appointment by their significant other, should just go on home and forget having a treatment. Not 100%.
- If I try to fix the problem, it probably will persist.
- If I do what my instincts tell me, it will probably get better.
- I have no control over the outcome.
- Now that I have Graham’s information – I do have more control.
- The more education I do for my patients, the better they do. So do countless other practitioners who have told me so.
- The better I understand the Bowen Technique / Mystique, the better practitioner I became.
- The more in tune I am with my patient, the better my results.
- I respect the fact that my patients allow me into their spaces. They trust me, and allow me into their various rooms. This permits me to help with their issues when the time is right for them to deal with all of these. Physical, Mental, and Emotional.
- There’s lots more for me to learn. And, as I do so, I’ll share with my Bowen friends.