Modalities in Watsu India
WatsuⓇ, OBA - Oceanic BodyworkⓇ, Liquid Flow, Water Dance, Healing DanceⓇ, AmnionⓇ, TantsuⓇ, WogaⓇ, Ai-Chi
WatsuⓇ
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WatsuⓇ (Water Shiatsu) began in the 1980s in a warm pool at Harbin Hot Springs, when Harold Dull started floating people while applying the stretches and principles of the Zen Shiatsu he had studied in Japan.
Over the years, with the help of countless others in courses, clinics, and spas around the world, Watsu has evolved into what many consider the most profound development in bodywork in our time.
While the client stays all the time on the surface, it combines stretching and relaxation with light pressure on acupressure points to provide a sense of well being and re-establish a balance between body and mind. Harold Dull called it "an art of mental healing."
While therapies on land are based on touch, the holding that working in water necessities 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.
For more information: https://www.watsu.com
OBA - Oceanic BodyworkⓇ
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Oceanic BodyworkⓇ (OBA) was developed by Kaya Femerling and Nirvano Martina Schulz.
It combines elements of soft stretching movements, aquatic deep tissue massage, and joint release, as well as energy and breath work in a unique way above and below the water surface.
Especially designed movements allow your whole spine to swing and energy to flow again. The radius of your joint movements becomes wider and your whole body can be moved in a new way because of its weightlessness in water. This form of aquatic therapy invites you to get to know the healing energies of the water in a new way. Chronic physical pain as well as emotional tensions can be released. Special positions can remind you of how it felt in your mother`s womb or to be held as a child.
For more information: https://www.oceanicbodywork.com
Liquid Flow
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Liquid Flow is an aquatic bodywork modality given in a warm water pool (ideally 35°C).
Developed at the Quiet Healing Center, Auroville, Liquid Flow is inspired and based on the forms and qualities of Watsu, Oceanic Bodywork Aqua (OBA), Healing Dance, and WaterDance.
With a complete sense of presence and attention, the therapist moves, folds, stretches, and massages the client's floating body on the surface, inducing a profound state of both physical and mental relaxation. Depending on the choice of the client, a session can also include an underwater part (with nose clip), which offers a unique experience of being moved under water.
The flowing interaction with water, its fluid support and warm embrace, and the practitioner's presence provide a space for the client to experience the multilayered benefits of this powerful and softening bodywork.
Liquid Flow offers an opportunity for profound relaxation and letting go, for building trust, for being nurtured and held, for expanding inner and outer boundaries, for releasing emotions and traumas – ultimately, for freeing body and mind in a flow unique to each client and to each session.
For more information: https://www.liquidflow.in/
Water Dance
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WaterDance (also known as WATA and WasserTanzen) is a dynamic movement therapy above and below water. It was developed in 1987 by Peter Schröter and Arjana C. Brunschwiler.
The practitioner follows the breath of the receiver, signaling manually before each submerging. The client wears a noseclip and is guided into the weightless three-dimensionality of the underwater world. Extensions, stretches, flexions, dolphin-like movements and snake-like rhythms release not only on the physical level, but allow the deepest states of relaxation and meditation to be experienced, sometimes even inviting to return to memories of the womb.
As the dive reflex gets activated, breath and heart rate slow down. It is a profound therapy, in which time and space lose their meaning. Regression often occurs in which wounds from the past can be processed effortlessly.
For more information: https://www.waterdance.world
Healing DanceⓇ
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Healing DanceⓇ is a powerful and beautiful aquatic technique developed by Alexander George in 1993. It consists of ten trainings. In seven, techniques are taught in which the receiver remains on the surface of the water. The three remaining trainings are subaquatic, featuring a variety of submergings.
The guiding philosophy of the work is that movement is "medicine" and in the experience of "received dance" the healing process in the body is activated.
For more information: https://www.healingdance.org
AmnionⓇ
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Amnion® a warm water modality, is a blend of prenatal somatic therapy, attachment theory and cranial sacral unwinding. The water, acting like an amnion, allows for a direct channel to implicit memory. “Implicit memories are those we don’t consciously recall; they exist just below the level of conscious awareness and are difficult to identify…” (Siegel, 2015) They often are running our daily existence with out our full consent.
Once the client can tap into implicit memory, there is a possibility of unloading a plethora of imprints.These imprints - of our emotional reactions to previous life events - have been intricately stored in the body’s tissues, muscles, and organs. As the body is allowed to just be, the imprints show up as gestures telling the story from our preverbal awareness.
For more information: http://www.amnionaquatics.com/
TantsuⓇ
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Tantsu® has been developed by Harold Dull the same years he created Watsu, the first aquatic bodywork ever in the world. He created a complete sequence for all Tantsu practitioners, in order to bring on land the lively support of Watsu and its connection between movement and breath.
Such a sensation of containment, makes Tantsu® a practice that allows people to let go of everything, deeply.
When our breath connects to our partner’s one, movements resonate as they were one. While moving an arm or a leg, you may hear another part of the body calling to be involved in the dance. No part of the body gets left aside.
All these movements, sometimes manifesting spontaneously, others in a explorative, playful and creative way, lead us to a space of quiet and deep joy. Tantsu® is a simple practice, and everyone can share such a joy.
Free from limitations and interpretations related to other somatic and spiritual paths, Tantsu® is a new way to be with others, a new Humanism to get in touch with our creative joy.
For more information: https://tantsu.com/
WogaⓇ
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Woga® (union between water and yoga) is where our body comes together with the liquid element and our physical structure softens by being in contact with water. Yoga lets us explore our body and feel pleasant sensations, improves our health. Water, where we moved our yoga practice, is fluid and makes no resistance at all, even when molding into the same shape of the recipient containing it. Similarly, whoever practices yoga should let go of it without ego and get rid of the hectic activity that the mind usually takes on. The two things match one another and result complementary at the same time.
Woga® practice collects yoga virtues but stances, meditation, connection to the inner self and breathing are carried out in warm water. Woga® benefits focus on the achievement of a psychophysical balance and of a higher level of concentration.
This technique can be suggested to anyone.
For more information: https://www.woga.pro/
Ai-Chi
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Ai-Chi (The Chi of Love) was created by Jun Konno. Ai-Chi (Japanese for Heart Energy) which combines principles of Tai Chi, Shiatsu (stretching of meridians) and Watsu is a warm water-based sequence of movements performed with soft background music. It starts with simple breathing, builds up to bigger movements and finally involves the whole body coordination.
The big range of benefits Ai-Chi provides include mind & body relaxation, increased balance, pain management, improved range of motion & general mobility, strengthening of core muscles, increased metabolism and blood circulation, mental alertness etc. It also contributes to reduction of stress, insomnia, depression, fatigue, anxiety and encourages the body into a state of relaxed awareness. Ai-Chi is open and beneficial to complete beginners as well as practitioners and therapists of other forms of bodywork on land or in water.