Gail Meggersee on the topic of Body Stress Release

BODY STRESS RELEASE (BSR) was developed in South Africa by Ewald Meggersee and Gail Meggersee in the early 1980s, emerging from Ewald’s own long-standing and debilitating physical challenges. Since its inception in 1981, it has been both researched and widely practised as a gentle, non-invasive approach to restoring the body’s natural healing capacity

Following a fall from a tree at the age of five, he experienced persistent lower back pain accompanied by radiating discomfort into his legs. His school years were significantly affected; he struggled to remain seated due to pain and was frequently reprimanded for restlessness. Prolonged standing would often result in severe knee pain, at times causing him to collapse.

At the age of fifteen, despite the severity of his symptoms, he was informed that his condition was psychosomatic, as no identifiable physical cause could be found. Ewald later qualified as an industrial chemist and married Gail, a teacher, yet his condition persisted and, at times, worsened. He experienced intense nocturnal muscle cramps, often waking in severe pain, and on occasion would lose all sensation from the waist down, requiring considerable effort to regain mobility. These episodes became increasingly frequent, leading to a growing fear of permanent paralysis and the potential loss of his career.

Although he obtained temporary relief through chiropractic care, the underlying issues remained unresolved. Seeking a more definitive solution, Ewald and Gail travelled to the United States to train as chiropractors, with the intention of gaining deeper insight into his condition. During their studies, they encountered Richard van Rumpt, whose work introduced a markedly different approach—one that emphasised listening to the body and using it as a biofeedback system rather than relying solely on structural manipulation.

Upon returning to South Africa, the Meggersees expanded upon this approach, refining methods of assessing the body’s responses. Through their work with clients, they identified consistent patterns in how the body responds to physical and emotional stress, noting that stress is stored as distinct lines of tension and that these areas are interconnected within the body. Their ongoing research and clinical observations ultimately led to the development of the technique they named Body Stress Release.

This personal journey not only led to the development of Body Stress Release but continues to underpin its philosophy:
that the body, when properly supported, has an inherent capacity to heal and restore balance.