Watsu is a gentle form of body therapy performed in warm water (around 96°).  It combines elements of massage, joint mobilization, shiatsu, muscle stretching, dance, and yoga. The receiver is continuously supported while being floated, cradled, rocked and stretched. The deeply relaxing effects of warm water and nurturing support combine with Watsu's movements, stretches, massage and point work, to create bodywork with a range of therapeutic benefits and potential healing on many levels.

The client experiences a feeling of weightlessness in the water with total relaxation while the practitioner guides them through the warm water with an almost poetic motion.  With Water Breath Dance as the foundation, the client begins to feel their body float up and down in the water with their breath.  The practitioner matches breathing with their client and, as a rhythm begins to form, they both begin to enter an almost moving meditation.

Moments of stillness alternate with rhythmical flowing movements, which free the body in ways impossible on land. The warm water relaxes the muscles and supports the spine. With this support and without the weight of the body, the spine, joints and muscles can be manipulated and freed in a way unique to water work. The effects include a very gentle, yet deep stretching and a release of muscular and joint restrictions, along with a state of deep relaxation, which encourages the release of stress and tensions.

A Watsu session is an exchange of energy between the practitioner and the client. It is often as gratifying to give Watsu as it is to receive. The slow rhythmic, fluid movement induces calm in both client and practitioner and a feeling of freedom from unwanted tension. Breathing becomes slower and deeper. With the body buoyant and with ears underwater listening to soothing liquid sounds, it is only a matter of time before mind and body start to unwind and the client enters a world where nothing is asked or expected of him or her.

Watsu is effective in treating a wide variety of conditions including fibromyalgia (chronic pain in muscles and soft tissues surrounding joints), multiple sclerosis, sports injuries and other joint and muscle conditions. For many sufferers of chronic pain, a Watsu session can often give them their first good night’s sleep. Watsu allows the client to experience complete relaxation with a total release of muscle tension and stress. With a new understanding of what it feels like to be relaxed, the client can work toward controlling stress and regaining that feeling outside of the session.

Pregnant women also derive special pleasure from Watsu, since the warm water relaxes lower back tension and soothes away pain and stiffness. One woman, who was eight months pregnant and frequently had Watsu sessions, described her experience as a special time when her body felt light, free from discomfort and at peace. She said the feeling was like floating on a cloud.

A Watsu session is a slice of time when one can experience a unique disconnection with the outside world. It is a period when time has no relevance, and the focus becomes inward as external stimuli are removed. Watsu is beneficial for all ages, for the young and the not-so-young, and for those of all physical abilities. The profound Watsu experience is like no other.