Watsu® is the first form of aquatic bodywork.
Harold Dull began developing it in 1980 in the warm pool at
Harbin Hot Springs, California, floating his Zen Shiatsu
students while applying stretches and moves. In the years
since (with the help of countless others in classes, clinics
and spas around the world), Watsu has evolved into what many
consider the most profound development in bodywork of our
time. While other modalities are based on touch, the holding
that working in water necessitates brings the receiver to a
new level of connection and trust. This, combined with the
therapeutic benefits of warm water and the greater freedom of
movement it encourages, creates a modality that can affect
every level of our being.
WaterDance ("WasserTanzen", the original German name) is an
advanced form of aquatic bodywork developed in Switzerland by
Arjana Brunshwiler and Peter Schroter in 1987. Like Watsu, it
begins with the client being cradled, stretched and relaxed
with his head above the water surface. In WaterDance, the
client is then given nose clips and gradually and gently
taken entirely under the water. This requires a mindfulness
of the receiver's breathing rhythm. Once freed from the
bounds of head support and gravity, the client's body can be
moved, stretched and worked in literally unlimited ways.
WaterDance incorporates elements of massage, Aikido, dolphin
and snake movements, rolls, somersaults, inversions, dance
and much more. It looks like a beautiful, underwater ballet
and takes the receiver on a profound healing journey of body,
mind and spirit.
Watsu® is
represented by WABA, Worldwide Aquatic Bodywork Association.
For more information on Watsu, aquatic courses or
practitioners, visit: www.waba.edu