Thursday, January 11, 2024

Balancing Acts: Unveiling the Magic of Bowen Therapy


© 2024 Victoria Bowmann PhD

Bowen Therapy, also known as the Bowen Technique, is a holistic and non-invasive form of bodywork that aims to promote healing and balance within the body. Developed by the Australian Tom Bowen in the 1950s, this gentle therapy is based on the idea that the body has the inherent ability to heal itself when given the right stimulus. The technique involves a series of precise and gentle rolling movements, often called a "pluck", over specific areas: muscles, tendons, and connective tissues, and in specific patterns.
 
The key principle behind this treatment is the concept of the body's fascia network, a complex web of connective tissue that surrounds and interpenetrates every muscle, bone, nerve, and organ. The gentle moves target the fascia, sending signals through the nerves deep within the muscles (known as proprioceptors) to the brain to initiate a healing response. This process is believed to reset the autonomic nervous system, which controls the body's involuntary functions, helping to restore balance and promote overall well-being.
One distinctive aspect of Bowen Therapy is the strategic use of pauses between sets of movements. These short breaks allow the body to respond and integrate the information provided by the therapist, encouraging a deep sense of relaxation. I consider this to be the brain/body establishing an agenda for healing. 
 
This treatment is typically administered with the client fully dressed in comfortable, lightweight attire, ensuring it is suitable and cozy for people of all ages. I've provided this treatment to a diverse age range, from infants to those in their 90s, and to everyone in between, demonstrating that Bowen therapy offers benefits for all ages.
 
Many clients report improvements in various conditions, including musculoskeletal issues, stress, and chronic pain. While scientific research on Bowen Therapy is still evolving, many practitioners and clients appreciate its gentle yet powerful approach, emphasizing the body's innate capacity to heal and find balance. 
 
When a session is completed, the best is yet to come, as Bowen therapy continues this integration and relaxation for 4 – 5 days. Many find that the following morning, the benefits are more pronounced. Let’s hear from a recent client.
 
M.M. is a 71 year young female who sent this testimonial:
“Quite some time ago I had injured my back, and my right leg was swelling to 1-2 times its normal size with sciatic nerve pain. The pain and discomfort was so intense I couldn’t walk, sit or sleep without experiencing excruciating pain. I tried numerous treatments, but alas, nothing helped and I endured a painful journey for a year or more. Someone mentioned Victoria helping her carpal tunnel pain. I called and made my appointment. 
 
“The most amazing result I noted automatically was after just one session. The sciatic pain was alleviated to a degree and each session brought about more positive results. After the final session, the swelling in my leg was gone and so was the pain!!
 
“Vicki turned my nightmare into a realistic fairy tale!”
 
As a Bowen practitioner, I know that it isn’t magic, but rather that it stands on a principle of frequency and vibration with the ability to gently unravel stress and injury. It is definitely worth trying, especially when other modalities haven’t helped.  Be well.

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Gift Yourself with Health

©2023 Victoria Bowmann PhD 

December is such a time of giving, we think of others and what we can get and give to them. Perhaps we could also realize that the greatest gift we can give others is a healthy me.

When we live by example, there is a greater impact than our words. If we are tired, exhausted, cranky or depressed, we have little or nothing to give; what we do give out is a vibration of “it's too much for me.”

So what can we do to embrace a healthier me?

Perhaps the thought, “Your body will respond in kind when you are kind to your body!” is worth a moment of contemplation. Start by taking a few minutes, perhaps 15 or 20 at the start of your day, sit quietly and spend some quiet time. You might call it prayer, which is talking to the God of your understanding. You might call it meditation, which is listening to the God of your understanding. The important thing is to quiet your mind, continue to release the chatter until you obtain a sense of connection. After those few minutes, if you haven’t reached that goal, go about your day and know that tomorrow is another opportunity to make that connection.

Secondly, recall that your body is about 70% water, so provide the hydration needed to run this magnificent being well. This is especially important when partaking in alcohol, since it further dehydrates the cells. Start you day with high quality water and continue it throughout the day. When consuming alcohol, have at least 4 ounces of water between each drink, to off set the dehydration of the alcohol. Enjoy, but not to excess, let moderation be your guide.

Tis’ the season of food, rich, gooey, delicious foods. Family tradition. Ethnic delicacies. More than enough. A little tip to enjoy without overdoing it is to survey the buffet table and make choices that you will absolutely enjoy and bypass the rest. Take a smaller plate if possible, and when asked by the hostess,  “Is that’s all you want?” Grin, and answer with “I hope I can have seconds and thirds!” She’ll smile and nod, knowing her effort is appreciated. Be kind to your body!

The greatest gift is joy! It has been said that laughter is the best medicine. Finding a way to look upon your world with the wonder of a child, appreciate the sunrise and sunset. Marvel at the spectacle of beauty around you: snowflakes and flowers, raindrops and rainbows. All of these bring a priceless gift into our lives when we take the time to notice and appreciate them. Perhaps you will spend a winter day looking out at the big beautiful planet from your home, and en”joy” that moment. It is a gift from creation to you.

As your day comes to a close, snuggle into bed with a warmth and recognition of the kindness you have given to yourself, your body and your being. Welcome the rest, relaxation, regeneration and sleep that you deserve. Acknowledge that you consciously took time to gift your body with greater habits of health.

Aristotle wrote, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

Your efforts today are building blocks for a better you each day of your future. Set into your intention to sleep well, arise rested, and continue with gifting yourself with health. May the ending of 2023 bless you in ways you know not of.

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Health Is Another Form of Wealth!


© 2023 Victoria Bowmann PhD

Imagine neglecting your car and then wondering why you are broken down on the side of the road. Is it the engine burning up? Or the transmission? Or perhaps the radiator over heated? Or did a tire blow? Neglect leads to all sorts of problems where a little maintenance might reduce the risk.

Health is the state of being free from illness or injury; and a person’s mental or physical condition. Wealth is the abundance of valuable possessions or money.

So let’s look at the abundance of valuable possessions regarding our health. Perhaps the first one might be mental acuity, the sharpness or keenness of thought, vision or hearing. When one has well functioning senses, we make better decisions, we can navigate through our world of information to our own betterment.

Next we might want to decide the best doctors to use: I recommend Dr Sunshine (Outdoors), Dr Exercise, Dr Nutrition/Fasting, Dr Rest/Sleep, Dr Pray/Meditate, and Dr Laughter. I’m sure we could expand this list, however let’s just start here.

Sunshine is the life force of our planet, without it our beautiful earth wouldn’t thrive, so think of your body in the same way. Especially enjoy the early morning or late afternoon rays since they are more gentle on our system. Spend time in the outdoors, basking, walking or vigorous activity, but enjoy the outdoors for this nurtures more than just our body.

Dr Exercise might share an office with Dr Sunshine, maybe, maybe not. However find some form of exercise to enjoy for your entire lifetime, incorporate into your daily routine at least 3 or 4 days each week. It might be as vigorous as mountain biking or basketball, or more calming such as yoga or the 5 Tibetan Rites. Be sure to stretch and challenge your system, which increases energy, stamina and physical capability.

Our next doctor is Dr Nutrition/Fasting. It is important to include life enhancing foods and eliminate those that do not promote well being. Mostly eliminate foods that are over processed, modified or engineered beyond what nature provides. I think that there are many beneficial ways to eat, so explore the varieties of programs and select those that increase your well being.

We might call Dr Rest/Sleep our Dr Rejuvenation, for sleeping is a time that many cellular activities are busy replacing cells, building cells and cleaning up the chaos of our daily living. Prepare your sleeping space to nurture restful sleep, remove the electronics, make the room dark and snuggle into a bed that comforts and supports this important “activity”. Also, whenever possible, take a nap of any length. This is a mini reboot opportunity to refresh as well.

Dr Pray/Meditate is the physician that understands the importance of quieting our mind, reflecting within and allowing your connection to your higher power. My personal definition of prayer is talking to my higher power, whether it be God, or Holy Spirit, whatever name you find comfort and guidance. Meditation is the time I spend listening to that Higher Power, such as “Speak Lord, thy servant heareth!” It is a time of quiet opening to Omniscience. A daily 15 minutes practice has become a way of life that brings peace, understanding and clarity into my life and the lives of many others.

The last doctor on our list is Dr Laughter for joy is the sweetness of life. No matter what we face, or the challenges we encounter, one can seek out joy. This need not be deep overzealous belly laughter, and it can be. It can be the observation of two children playing, or a cartoon that evokes a smile. Select an activity that brings you joy, such as gardening, or playing cards with friends. Find joy in the little things, and the big things too. Find joy.

I’m sure you will find other doctors to put on your list. The six on mine are wonderful starting points for maintenance of our body, mind, and spirit. Employ it daily whenever possible. When this type of approach is used, the body’s reserves of nutrition, energy, and immune function are engaged. While something can go wrong, illness could happen, the reserves have a greater capability of carrying us through to well being.

Saturday, August 12, 2023

The Engine of Our Body

© 2023 Victoria Bowmann PhD

While some might argue that the digestive system is the engine of our body since it absorbs nutrients, I feel we need to look at a little smaller part of our body to determine the real engine within us. It’s called the mitochondria.

Each and every cell has a cell membrane and a variety of organized and specialized structures within each cell. One of these is the mitochondria, which produces the energy required for everything: cellular metabolism, transport, production of hormones and antibodies, as well as communication with other cells and cellular reproduction.

When something goes wrong and there is cellular damage then mitochondrial dysfunction occurs and medicine labels it as a particular disease condition. It could be cancer, some immune disorder, diabetes, or other diagnosis. This decrease in its inability to work properly contributes to aging, fatigue, increased pain and flares in existing health problems.

As this loss of energy increases, frailty and pain increases. Certainly good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are effective and natural methods to boost our energy and metabolism and thus reduce mitochondrial dysfunction.

The most effective and efficient method I have discovered (so far) is Nano Soma, a gentle safe product that is sprayed in the mouth once or more per day. While it is relatively tasteless, if you really need it, the taste might be slightly bitter or soapy.

 

This spray contains policosanols that have a profound effect on our body. They have been shown to enable the body to heal itself because of its effects on the mitochondria. Essentially, it prompts the body to take care of itself in ways never imagined possible. As with other natural things, there are no claims that it treats any illness or disease. It is a component of our food that has gone missing through over processing and refinement. Dr Raghavan’s ability to develop this is a gift to our health and well being.

It has been demonstrated in laboratory testing and hospital trials that it clears pathological bacteria and fungi, and has been shown to trigger the body to heal many of its organs with no other intervention.

One might say, “It’s too good to be true!” But it’s not.

The results are amazing, the testimonials are solid! Try it yourself. Since Spring of 2022, I have seen conditions clear where medicines have failed, organs increase in their ability to function, and pain has been reduced with the use of the gel. I’m excited that something so simple can be so profound. Since one dose is maintenance, there are numerous ways to dose. I’m on two doses daily as well as using topical gel and the natural skin cream (it’s luscious!). Reach out with questions you might have, read the testimonials, listen to the videos and treat yourself to a life changing program.

Sunday, July 24, 2022

Is Keto Good for Your Gut?

© 2022 Victoria Bowmann PhD

The discussions of the best dietary program that is right for you will go on, and on… forever, and for good reasons. Each individual has differing needs, whether they be blood type, allergies, food intolerance, preferences or availability. Many clients cringe when I start talking about diet because they fear restrictions, “it’s die with a ‘t’ ” and “what things do I enjoy that I can no longer have.”

Because I specialize in natural gut health, diet is a significant component that needs to be considered and addressed. Diet is actually defined as “selection of food.” What we select to eat will affect our nutritional availability, energy, cognitive skills, as well as digestive health. So, let’s choose wisely.

Food fads come and go, and in the last decade the keto diet has come into that realm. However, unlike most fads, this one actually has a long medical track record of positive health benefits for numerous conditions. It was introduced by modern physicians as a treatment for epilepsy in the 1920s, and was the protocol of choice for these conditions for over two decades. Then, with advent of modern anti-epileptic drug treatments, its use declined dramatically. However, we know that pharmaceutical medications come with side-effects, some of them tragic. 

In recent years, many physicians and health practitioners have championed the *keto diet for bringing positive effects for weight loss, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart-disease, among many other health concerns. My approach has always been to utilize natural remedies as well as good food choices that can reduce the need for medications, and hopefully be able to eliminate them completely. Medications can be life saving, for sure, however they might also be crutches for poor food and lifestyle choices.

Historically, prior to the discovery of insulin, diabetics could consume a very strict diet with minimum carbohydrate intake and survive at least an extra few years with the disease. It was later discovered that the use of insulin can be greatly reduced with the selection of foods that produce a lower insulin demand in the digestive process. Enter the keto diet.

When we think about our organs and how they function as well as their needs, we must remember that our brains are 70% fat! Yup, we’re “fat heads!” For this reason, I choose a dietary approach that includes lots of fats, but not just any fats.

Fats in the presence of low carbohydrate intake is the basic approach of keto. Consuming unprocessed carbohydrates reduces the stress on the pancreas, while the higher level of good fats increase brain function and clarity. Science has been talking in recent years about our “second brain”; our precious gut, and the focus of my work for over four decades.

While the percentages might fluctuate slightly, depending on the study and healthcare provider, the generally accepted percentages for the keto diet consists of 5–10% of unprocessed carbs, 15–20% protein, and 70–80% fats! However, be aware that the kind of fat is critically important as it should not be from processed oils like canola, corn, soy, safflower, or other processed polyunsaturated oils.

The best fats come from saturated oils such as olive oil, avocado oil, butter, and the fats in meat and fish. In many respects, the keto diet is about avoiding processed sugar or starchy foods, giving the body a needed rest from inflammatory foods that are well-known to be allergens and digestively problematic. Meanwhile, the increase of good fats and proteins, which are slower to digest, bring greater satiation and far fewer cravings between meals. It has also been noted that IBS and other gut challenges, such as Crohns and Ulcerative Colitis (UC), respond really positively to keto. 

With keto in general, inflammation in the body is greatly reduced, yet when considering our total gut health, we should consider a multi-faceted approach. In particular, one that is helpful to restore the microbiome of the large intestine, while also transitioning to a beneficial diet like keto. I call this reflorastation of the colon, and it is applied directly to the source with a rectal suppository. While this may sound slightly uncomfortable, it’s actually quite painless, quick, and easy to retain, with 100% of the healthy bacterium being introduced where it's needed. The re-population of the large intestine is fully colonized within an hour and completely stabilizes within 3 days. This treatment has been shown to produce stable and balanced bowel regularity, with general improvements in overall gut health, resolving many negative digestive issues that have been present for years.

Case #1: A 67 year old male with a history of UC had a heart attack with appropriate medical intervention. However, 3 years ago he investigated keto, to reduce the bad fats that aggravate UC, and within 5 months he completely transitioned to the keto diet with adding moderate exercise. Since then he reports that he has lost 46 lbs, has zero UC symptoms, and his gut feels as goods as when he was a young man. His A1C has been reduced from prediabetic to perfect levels, his cholesterol is in balance, and his blood-pressure and overall heart health are great.

Case #2:  A 69 year old female who couldn’t reduce her menopausal weight, 20 extra pounds. She’s active, eats moderately, and knows how to employ a healthy lifestyle, yet to no avail. The weight persisted. She looked at the keto approach and thought what did she have to lose? 20 pounds!  And 30 days later, she did, almost. Her weight loss was 18 pounds in those 30 days, she slept well, felt satiated, and had energy to live an active life. Keto diet and taking care of her gut with reflorastation.

So whether you need to consider the keto diet, or want to for general health purposes, it is time tested and can be a very enjoyable way to eat. Please contact me for more information on how I can help you at MyRealHealth.com

*Always consult your physician or healthcare provider before starting any significant dietary changes.

Monday, March 21, 2022

Gut Moods and Probiotics

© 2022 Victoria Bowmann, PhD

A client of mine recently asked, Ever since I got the reflorastation with you, I realized I’m happier, not emotionally depressed, dark, negative, nor psychologically negative, and I can handle difficult life circumstances with a much sunnier disposition rather than constantly feeling hopeless. Could this be possible and true?"

A few moments later she added, “My energy has increased a lot too!”

As a health practitioner, it’s always so rewarding to know that the health treatments provided are offering individuals such profound relief and resolution. Since the human body is an integrated unit, assisting one area can often have far reaching effects on seemingly unrelated areas as well!

Did you know that your guts can affect your moods? It’s true. In an article published in Front Psychiatry 2018 and posted on the National Institute of Health web site, “Stress factors or mood disorders can make changes in the constitution of intestinal microbiota.” It further cited, “reduced attention to negative emotion, indicating an anti-depressant and anti-anxiety function.” It was also published in Townsend Letter Jan 2019 in an article titled: “Mood and the Microbiome”.

In the last few years, the intestines have been called the second brain because of the similarities in their genes as related to the neuronal synapse. This means that some gene mutations can lead to abnormalities in both the brain and the gut. Wow! that’s interesting. This affect also seems to be a two-way street as the microbiome has a reciprocal impact on stress in both the brain and the gut environments.

Knowing that stress factors or mood disorders can cause changes in the constitution of the microbiome, even from birth, offered me the opportunity to strive for a health solution in a natural way. A baby develops its intestinal environment from the mother (and other family members), as well as from breast or bottle feeding, a hospital birth, a home birth, or C-section. The microbiome can even develop differently depending on whether a baby lives in the tropics or near one of the earth’s poles, and all can be healthy. There are simply differences and diversities.

A healthy environment can preserve the integrity of the intestinal barrier where inflammation is reduced, anxiety and depression are relieved, and sleep is improved. Actually, the knowledge and understanding of the effects of a healthy microbiome is expanding day by day. 

As a natural practitioner, my work with probiotic research began in 1991. This ability to adjust the gut microbiome has been extensive and extremely exciting for me. Such is the case of the example given above. Quality of life has enormous value as it affects, not only the person, but those with whom they live, work, and love. 

Check out my At Home Colon Kit for the most effective and efficient method for adjusting your microbiome over night.

Saturday, February 19, 2022

5G & E Smog:
Safe or Scary?

By Victoria Bowmann PhD © 2022


Nowadays we can be reached at any time and in any place. Huge transmission towers ensure an optimal mobile network (3G – 5G) while WiFi, Bluetooth and modern smart homes, right down to microwaves, have become our daily companions, making our lives easier and more comfortable.
 
Because of this, we spend more time in closed spaces, as we can take care of a great deal from home or directly from our place of work. But often that which is more pleasant has its price in the end.  5G and E Smog disrupts your body’s natural magnetic field.
 
All of this leads to oxidative stress, creating a vicious cycle where our cells continually lose their healthy charge.
 
The withdrawal of the Earth’s natural magnetic field and the additional exposure to radiation—1 trillion times as much as 10 years ago—which bombards us 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Leads to numerous health problems, such as:

    •    Sleeplessness
    •    Fatigue
    •    Forgetfulness
    •    Stress
    •    Attention Deficits and Brain Fog
    •    Low Performance
    •    Emotional imbalance
    •    More rapid aging
    •    Lowered immunity
 
One patient, with a high level of electro-magnetic frequency sensitivity wore one of the personal devices as directed, for one week. At the end of this time period, she refused to return it, saying, “I’m buying it because I’m feeling so much better.  I really noticed the difference. I’m sleeping better and my energy is improved.”

Visit DrVicki.net for articles and studies of interest to help you understand the science behind this technology as well as the numerous benefits.

Also visit me at MyRealHealth.com for health and beauty services and products.