What Is Watsu Massage Therapy?

During a massage, it can sometimes feel like you are floating on a cloud. But imagine the sensation of having a massage in water. The weightlessness that the buoyancy of the water gives you can be accompanied by a trained practitioner who guides you into deep stretches in a shallow pool of warm water. It sounds nice, doesn't it? It's called Watsu massage therapy, a type of underwater massage that lets you dive right in.

This type of massage therapy was developed by Harold Dull in 1980 and since that time its popularity has grown. Dull, who had studied Zen Shiatsu in Japan, brought the principles of his Asian education back to North America where he was a massage therapist. Dull coined the idea of using the buoyancy of water to stretch his patients' bodies, improving the flow of their vital energy throughout their bodies and inducing a profound state of relaxation. To date, Dull has trained thousands of Watsu practitioners at his school, The Watsu Institute located in Northern California.

Practitioners, known as watsuers, guide a client's body through a series of stretches. Watsuers cradle their clients, rocking them, twisting them, pulling and pushing their limbs through the weightlessness environment provided by the water. He or she may also apply pressure to specific touch points along the body; however, the stretching part is emphasized as the main part of this massage therapy. A watsuer uses his or her own body to enhance the series of stretches that are being performed on the client by bracing certain positions or wrapping the client's body around his or her own.

Watsu is a great form of physical therapy for children, adults and seniors alike. It is also an excellent form of physical therapy for people with physical disabilities, such as arthritis, lower back pain, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida or paralysis. While for many people it takes as few as one Watsu session to become a believer, it may not be the right kind of massage therapy for everyone. That's because it requires an enormous amount of trust because, after all, you are putting yourself literally in the hands of another person for a full hour and you are both in the water. And, your eyes are closed.

Study after study documents the healing powers associated with water, which is backing the desire and demand for aquatic-based therapies such as Watsu. Moreover, the fact that many of these therapies are performed in warm water serves to assist the muscles into entering into a state of relaxation, increased flexibility and soothing warmth that can alleviate some forms of pain or discomfort.

The interesting thing about Watsu massage therapy is that it also has a very profound spiritual aspect to it. Clients that have entrusted themselves completely to their watsuer during a session can allow themselves to enter into a profound state of meditation. The tranquil environment that exudes silence and trust makes it an ideal place for people to reflect on their inner selves.