Origins
From one man’s search for relief to a worldwide practice of healing.
The Beginning
Body Stress Release (BSR) was founded in South Africa in the early 1980s by Ewald and Gail Meggersee.What began as one man’s struggle with chronic pain evolved into a gentle, global method of helping the body restore its natural balance and vitality.
A Discovery born from Pain.
The story of Body Stress Release begins with South Africans Ewald and Gail Meggersee. At the age of five, Ewald fell from a tree and lay unconscious for a week. From that moment, he suffered from severe lower back and leg pain that persisted throughout his youth and adult life. Despite countless consultations and medical tests, no one could identify the cause of his suffering. By his thirties, he experienced episodes of temporary paralysis from the waist down — a terrifying experience that left him desperate for answers.
A Search for Understanding
Determined to uncover the root of his problem, Ewald and his wife Gail — both with scientific and teaching backgrounds — began exploring alternative health approaches. They travelled to the United States, where they studied methods of body alignment and neuromuscular function.
It was there that they were introduced to Dr. Richard van Rumpt, a retired chiropractor whose gentle, bio-feedback-based techniques inspired them to look deeper into how the body communicates stress.
The Key Insight
Through years of observation and experimentation, Ewald and Gail made a remarkable discovery:
When the body is subjected to overload — physical, chemical, or emotional stress — it can "lock in" tension within the muscles.
This locked-in tension disturbs the normal communication between the body and brain, leading to discomfort, reduced mobility, and fatigue. They realised that instead of forcing the body to change, one could use its own feedback mechanisms to identify and gently release these stored stresses.
A Gentle Yet Powerful Technique
This insight formed the foundation of what is now known as Body Stress Release (BSR).
Rather than relying on manipulation or force, the method involves a series of gentle, precise tests and movements that activate the body’s natural ability to restore balance.
The practitioner identifies the exact areas where stress has become locked and applies light impulses to encourage the body to “let go” and return to ease.
The process is respectful, non-invasive, and deeply restorative.
The Birth of a South African Method
In the early 1980s, after returning to South Africa, Ewald and Gail refined their system and began helping others who suffered from similar conditions. The results were so encouraging that in 1981, they officially began practising what would become Body Stress Release.
The first training course for practitioners was offered in Cape Town, and in 1987, the Body Stress Release Association (BSRA) was founded to uphold the integrity and standards of the technique.
From Local Roots to Global Reach
What started as one man’s search for healing has grown into a global network of trained practitioners across several continents.
Despite its international reach, BSR remains rooted in South Africa, where the first breakthroughs took place.
Every practitioner, wherever they are in the world, continues the Meggersees’ legacy of helping the body reconnect to its natural state of balance and vitality.