When the body experiences stress, trauma or shock, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) gets triggered into a “fight or flight” response. The ANS is the part of the nervous system that controls involuntary bodily functions and is very susceptible to external stressors. Once  “fight or flight” mode is no longer needed, the body often remains stuck in this stress response, inhibiting the body from being able to completely rest and relax. In such an imbalanced state, the neuromuscular functions are compromised leading to symptoms such as pain, illness and disease. It is believed that through the various sequences of Bowen moves, the ANS is encouraged to become rebalanced or reset at a cellular level, allowing the body to let go of held patterns of tension and pain. Healing can occur after the ANS shifts from “fight or flight” mode to “rest, relax and repair’ mode”. Bowen seems to catalyze or encourage that shift, allowing the body to then gradually recognize and restore its self-regulating functions using its own resources to heal itself. This in turn stabilizes its metabolism and neuromuscular functions.