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Gowith the flow
Imagine yourself floating weightless
as a leaf in a shallow pool of warm
water, with your eyes closed and your
cares melting away into the water as
you enter a deep state of relaxation.
With absolutely no effort on your part,
a Watsu therapist, also called a Wastu
giver, slowly stretches your limbs, gently
rocks you back and forth, and moves
you in the water in lulling motions. Every
now and then the therapist zeroes in on
different points on the body, parts where
the most strain from stress is often felt —
like the nape, the shoulders and along
the spine — and lets your own weight
dictate the pressure.
Watsu is a combination of
hydrotherapy and the Japanese Zen
shiatsu massage (thus its name). It
began in the 1980s, when Harold Dull
found a way to incorporate Eastern
holistic therapies with technologies
In Watsu, the therapist helps you de-stress with gentle
movements while you’re half-submerged in a heated pool.
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GETTY IMAGES (RIGHT)
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The soothing quality of warmwater helps
alleviate pain and anxiety, and gives your
body deeper flexibility without the strain
from the West. In a Watsu pool, the
temperature of the water is controlled
by a heater; Velcro-strapped floaters are
attached to your ankles and shoulders
so that you float better. Thus the benefits
of Watsu are two-fold: for starters, with
your body half-submerged in the water,
including your eyes, you’ll get a sense of
peace that instantly calms the mind. On
a physical level, it gives you increased
joint mobility and deep muscle
relaxation, and decreases muscle
tension and spasm. The soothing quality
of warm water helps alleviate pain and
anxiety, and gives your body deeper
flexibility without the strain. You thus get
a deeper, more thorough stretch, even of
long forgotten muscles.
On a spiritual and emotional level,
the results have been more varied.
Apart from the rejuvenating effects
of total relaxation, some people
experience a more intense emotional
episode. Karen Reyna has been
conducting Watsu therapy sessions
for many years, and she says, “The
water and rhythmic motions allow
people to tap deep into their psyche,
and sometimes long buried emotions
bubble up to the surface, triggering an
emotional episode that can be very
cathartic and, ultimately, healing.”
As the session comes to a close,
the therapist folds your body into a
fetal position and, with ample warning,
gently submerges you completely
underwater for several seconds. This
is perhaps one of the most powerful
moments of the session — as you float
underwater, you’ll begin to hear the
sound of your therapist’s heartbeat or
maybe your own. Your body will find
this to be a familiar environment: your
mother’s womb. “This is the body’s
recollection of a safe, peaceful place,”
says Karen.
START HERE
Mandala Spa and
Villas
(Boracay Island, Malay Aklan,
Philippines; tel: +63 36 288 5858)
offers Watsu therapies by appointment.
Cebu Pacific flies to Caticlan from Manila
and to Kalibo from across the network.
www.cebupacificair.com
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