Watsu thermal spa therapies blend the basic techniques used in both massage and hydrotherapy to strengthen and correct the body's alignment. Watsu was created in the 1980s by Harold Dull, the President of the Worldwide Aquatic Bodyworks Association. In Watsu, the benefits of massage and hydrotherapy are synergistic and include heightened relaxation, increased self-awareness, increased flexibility, and improved mobility.
Principles of Watsu
As in other forms of aquatic bodywork, the body in Watsu therapies is gently cushioned and cradled by water, which diminishes the usual impact associated with movement. When the body is supported by water, it is buoyant, and its muscles and joints are relaxed.
In Watsu, the body can be outfitted with light arm and leg weights without causing discomfort. This provides an ideal holistic setting for the practitioner to stretch, massage, strengthen and align the client’s integral bodily support systems. As the techniques of Watsu evolved, Shiatsu massage came to be the predominant form of massage used. Shiatsu enables the practitioner to simultaneously diagnose and treat energy blockages.
Over the years, three main types of Watsu have come into use. These include Waterdance or Wasser Tanzen, Healing Dance, and the Jahara Technique.
The Jahara Technique
The basic Jahara technique involves a therapist performing Shiatsu massage on a client suspended in warm water. In Jahara the ears remain below the water, and the head is always leading. This technique evokes micro adjustments to the structural alignments of the body. Bathing suits are worn, and instruments and devices intended to facilitate the massage may be used. Jahara increases the client’s range of motion; reduces pain, spasticity, and contractures; relaxes muscles and joints; increases mobility of the chest and rib cage; decompresses the neuro-musculoskeletal system; and elongates the spine.
Worldwide, the technique of Jahara continues to evolve and its uses expand. Therapists use Jahara in prenatal and perinatal classes; as treatments for arthritis and joint pain; as a therapy for women with fibromyalgia; as a treatment for stress and traumatic injury, in combination with Feldenkrais in classes for babies and their parents; and in combination with the Alexander Technique as a therapy to facilitate breathing.
In his article, "Levitating Against the Current," which was published in the Tenth Annual Jahara Journal Newsletter, Mario Jahara explains his reasons for founding Jahara, which he describes as the closest man can come to flying. He writes, “Then, like now, I had a clear vision about it. I wanted a method that would reflect a good-for-all spirit in which mutual support would prevail over competitiveness. Loyalty and friendship would be valued over personal ambition.” Jahara goes on to describe the importance of the therapist leaving his ego in the background, inviting values that are more important to the body and soul.
Although he now lives in Australia, this native Brazilian travels worldwide teaching his technique and healing patients. In particular, he has been successfully treating a young Israeli man with cerebral palsy for more than six years. The patient’s activities of daily living have shown considerable improvement since beginning Jahara.
Jahara clinics can be found in many countries including the United States, Brazil, Germany, Australia and Israel. The majority of Jahara centers are found in Israel, where the benefits of aquatherapy are widely heralded.
Sources
- Jahara, Mario, Jahara Journal, 10th Anniversary Edition, 2007-2008.
- Aqua for Balance Therapy and Bodywork. 2010.
Elaine Moore - I'm a retired medical technologist and medical writer with more than 30 years experience working in hospital laboratories. Currently, I ...
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