Watsu, a portmanteau of water and shiatsu, is a form of therapeutic bodywork performed in warm water pools (around 35 °C or 95 °F). The receiver of a Watsu treatment is supported by the practitioner, creating a sensation of floating. In this gravity-free environment, the practitioner is able to move, stretch and manipulate the body in ways that are not possible on land.
[edit] History
Watsu was created by Shiatsu instructor Harold Dull in the early 1980s, then director of the Harbin School of Shiatsu and Massage in northern California.[citation needed] Dull incorporated aspects of Zen Shiatsu into his new form of aquatic therapy. Watsu pools have now been introduced as a therapeutic passive massage tool as in the 2008 Turkish hamams Lake Conroe resort project.
[edit] Other forms of aquatic bodywork
There are three other forms of aquatic bodywork related to Watsu: Waterdance or Wasser Tanzen, Healing Dance, and the Jahara Technique. Waterdance was created in 1987 by Arjana Brunschwiler and Aman Schroter and involved the client being lowered completely beneath the surface. Healing Dance was created by Alexander Georgeakopoulos and is a mix between Waterdance and traditional Watsu techniques. The Jahara Technique is known as the "gentlest" of the forms because of its constant support and gentle bodywork.
[edit] Organization
Watsu and all the above therapies are represented by WABA: The Worldwide Aquatic Bodywork Association, a non-profit organization for the promotion of aquatic bodywork.
[edit] External links
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