And Jack loves the feeling of calm it gives him in a hectic day.

"It is very therapeutic and you just get hooked," he enthuses.

These 15 and 16-year-old boarders at Slindon College are undergoing weekly sessions of the Bowen Technique at school and are all big fans.

Each Tuesday afternoon they visit Bowen therapists Aurèle Hedley and Tina Hutchings at a clinic at the school in Slindon and enjoy the benefits of the 45 minutes of treatment.

Aurele and Tina now treat around 16 pupils, aged ten to 16, with the hands-on holistic therapy which, through a series of light, non-evasive moves over muscle and connective tissue, is said to allow the body to reset and heal itself.

It can help with anything from sports injuries and stress to eating disorders and hyperactivity, they say.

The clinic has been going for a year now and the pupils and headmaster Ian Graham are impressed with the results.

Mr Graham says the boys have said they feel more relaxed, their appetite has improved, they find it easier to concentrate, control their temper and relate to others, and they are sleeping better.

Full report in the December 15 issue of the Observer