Aquatic Therapy Fluid Presence

Shantam Fuid Presence

With wisdom enriched over 20 years, Shantam has become one of the people who best understands the therapeutic effects of water. It was she who developed Fluid Presence, the most holistic of therapies, which understands the body and movements as a whole, in and out of the water.

Aquatic Therapy Liquid Flow Essence

It is one of the therapies most based on the principles and methods of Watsu. It was developed by two therapists from the Quiet Healing Center in Auroville, India, between the forest and the sea, in an environment that brings together various complementary and alternative treatments, in a kind of community work-in-progress from different areas. In other words, a small paradise of well-being.

 

Origin

Amongst the activities at this centre, there is a section dedicated to aquatic therapies, with a pool heated to 35 degrees where different therapists carry out their practices. Dariya and Daniel are the duo of residents who created this concept called Liquid Flow, a series of movements and touches that resulted in a very unique style, in line with the foundations of Watsu. At the center and also in other parts of the world, there are several people dedicated to aquatic therapies who have had specific training in this style, and many are linked to Liquid Zome.

 

The experience

It is different because it mixes the qualities of Watsu, OBA (Oceanic Bodywork Aqua), Healing Dance and Water Dance. The therapy starts at the surface, while the body relaxes, with smooth but continuous movements, so that the muscles and joints receive the effects of the warm water.

During the session, you can combine the placement of a nose clip, so to enjoy the second part of this massage: submersion. It is at this point that the experience becomes deeper and more relaxing. The sensation is similar to the passage of a river through us, in a fluidity of water that comforts us and stretches the body.

 

The Benefits

They are immediate, but they also extend over time. Water massages are a unique way to release tension and rest your body. They are a vehicle for treating injuries or muscle pain. They welcome a sense of effortless surrender that leads us to overcome mental or physical barriers, letting the body and mind flow freely. The session ends with a gentle return to the outside world, so that the impact is not sudden. There is a a moment of grounding that awakens emotions and bring a sense of inner peace. This sensation of floating remains even when we put our feet on the ground and it accompanies us for a long period of time after this wonderful experience.

WATSU Aquatic Bodywork – therapy and rehabilitation in water

When applied in water, the Japanese shiatsu massage technique gained a new term: Watsu. Its creator was Harold Dull, an American poet and professor of literature who, in the 1980s, became interested in Zen Shiatsu and later applied it to water, in the environment of the natural hot springs of Harbin, California. In one of the books he wrote on the subject he says that they are “poems written in water”. And thus WATSU was born. An aquatic therapy indicated for relaxation and rehabilitation.

The feeling of having your body floating in hot water is already very calming. If we combine this with a series of muscle stretches, effortless bends and twists, the benefits are even greater. When developing this method, both Harold Dull (who in the meantime founded the Worldwide Aquatic Bodywork Association – WABA) and the therapists who followed him realized that watsu brought relief not only for physical pain but also for the mental state of fatigue or stress. This holistic view taken to the aquatic universe has countless possibilities. His school in Harbin was responsible for training several therapists for the physical, neurological and psychological rehabilitation of hundreds of people.

The watsu method started by Harold Dull was developed and multiplied by different practices that exist today. There are so many that at a certain point it becomes complex to differentiate them if we do not investigate the variations of movements in each one. However, the fundamental thing to remember is that they are all based on the same principle: a body made to float effortlessly in hot water (ideally at 35º, although some prefer “wilder” waters), reaches a state of incomparable freedom and relaxation. , bringing countless benefits to those who live the experience. The purpose is always to create well-being through the fluidity, silence and non-gravity that exists when we float.