WATER THERAPY

For millennia, people and their ancestors have been drawn to water for healing.

Water bodies are potent in the Dreaming for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, the oldest continuing living cultures in the world. The transformative power of water is a sacred aspect of First Nations knowledges across the globe.

As civilisations have ebbed and flowed throughout the ages, so too water therapy has grown through many iterations to become deeply embedded in all cultures around the world.

From Cleopatra famously bathing in milk and water for skin care and rejuvenation, to the ice baths and luxury spas of today, the potency of water has always offered change for the better — or what is otherwise known as healing.

Hippocrates prescribed bathing in spring water to treat illness; and the Romans are famous for advancing water therapy with public bath houses; During the Renaissance spa towns like Bath (England) and Baden-Baden (Germany) emerged.

Modern hydrotherapy was born in 19th century Europe with the important work of Vincent Priessnitz, Sebastian Kneipp and John Harvey Kellogg. This evolved into Hydrotherapy becoming an important part of physiotherapy and rehabilitation practice. It is now used in spas, sports medicine, and wellness centres worldwide.

However the benefits provided by modern water therapies extend far beyond muscle recovery, enhanced mobility and rehabilitation to include:

• Pain relief from chronic conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia and endometriosis
• Emotional and psychological well-being relieving stress, anxiety, depression and trauma
• Treating skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis
• Preventive health and detox.

Modern forms of water therapy are many and diverse. The following list reveals the scope of therapeutic uses across movement, meditation, massage and body-cleansing techniques:

• Hydrotherapy
• WATSU and other forms of aquatic bodywork including WaterDance, Fluid Presence and Aquatic Integration
• Hot/ Cold Contrast baths
• Saunas and steam rooms
• Whirlpools and jacuzzis
• Balneotherapy
• Colon cleansing protocols
• Water-based mindfulness like sensory deprivation tanks or aqua yoga
• Ai Chi
• AquaStretch
• Bad Ragaz Ring Method
• Halliwick Concept
• Aquatic Myofascial Release

WATSU was developed in the 1980s by Harold Dull at Harbin Hot Springs in California. Its name derives from "Water Shiatsu." It combines elements of massage, joint mobilization, shiatsu, muscle stretching and cradling in warm water (around 34.5°C/95°F). During a WATSU session, the practitioner supports and moves the client through the water in gentle, rhythmic patterns. The buoyancy of water reduces physical stress on the body and promotes deep relaxation. The warm water environment facilitates trust and emotional release.

Water Wisdom Therapy is an eco-somatic practice in which the therapist works with the unique conditions of the client to bring them into a relational space of healing in warm water. It’s a softening experience that leans into the power of movement and touch. It integrates WATSU and other forms of water therapy such as WaterDance, Fluid Presence and Aquatic Integration with somatic practices such as Body Mind Centering and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy. In a Water Wisdom session healing change emerges from developing trust, letting go, feeling connection, clarity and flow. Sessions can happen in water or on land.