When I heard about Watsu at a course for the first time, I was eager to hear more about the technique that was so beloved by those who mentioned it. When I read upon the subject and tried it myself, I decided to learn it to help others. It proved to be a great method as a completion to my massage expertise, so let’s see what it is exactly and how it can help you.
The water-based Watsu technique is linked to a certain Harold Dull who taught Zen Shiatsu in Northern California. In a very hot spring in the 1980s, he started to float his students in the water and he paired this with techniques and stretching exercises borrowed from Shiatsu. Consequently, the currently known form of Watsu (from WATer shiatSU) was born.
The water is a perfect medium to experience freedom. During Watsu, you float on the surface of the water, and your body gently rises and sinks as you breath. In the process, tension leaves your body. The warmth of the water takes you to an ever-deepening sense of relaxation. Your consciousness transforms and you get to experience tranquillity as well as a sense of completeness so strong that your everyday fears and issues diminish. Your body also lets go of any unnecessary burdens. Care-freeness fills your body and, as a result, your movements start to mimic waves increasingly, which lead you to experience a new quality of inner silence. In this setup, you can experience the unlimited sense of water as well as a sense of togetherness, and should you immerse yourself in it, you can dissolve in the sensation. In the depth of water, you can heal your wounds. Watsu affects your emotional, mental, spiritual and physical qualities as well. This kind of closeness and acceptance can open your heart and it also invites your brain to play a random game, so to say.
Yavelow, who was also experienced in water therapies, described Watsu as follows: ‘When you body is liberated and your mind is at rest, there is nothing to prevent your soul from shining.’
In order to explore Watsu’s clinical practicality and to support it academically, the study of Kieren Faull comes in handy. In his research, he compared two water-based techniques to see extent to which they are able to help treat fibromyalgia.
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Fibromyalgia is a medical condition characterized by chronic pain in the muscles and the soft tissues surrounding them. Its source is usually unknown. Sometimes, it may be a symptom of another disease, e.g. arthritis. Rigidity in tissues which tire out easily may also refer to it, and it can often led to sleep disorders.
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17 women took part in his research who were from 26 to 65 years of age. They received treatments 2 times a week for two weeks, with at least 2 days in between given treatments. Following a 3-week-long break, the two-week-long treatment was repeated. He considered many aspects of measurements and he monitored any change related to them during the course of the study, including physical functions (resiliency, muscle stiffness, cramps, pain), vitality and perception of health. He discovered that compared to the other technique, Watsu proved to be a lot more effective in reducing pain and muscle cramps, while it also increased the patients’ will to live and made them socially more open to their environment.
I recommend this technique to all of those who struggle with intimacy or even anxiety and find it hard to stop and take a deep breath. Anyone who wants to trust, but are afraid to do so. Anyone who would like to experience how it feels like when somebody is really present in the moment with them in a state of unconditional acceptance. Anyone who feels that they over-control their lives and unable to let go. Anyone who wishes to better at self-awareness and presence in order to feel a sense of peace.
If you wish to try Watsu, I’m looking forward to treating you!
Source: Kieren Faull - A pilot study of the comparative effectiveness of two water-based treatments for fibromyalgia syndrome: Watsu and Aix massage
