It takes a lot of courage and faith to do what Kim Chamberlain, the first aquatic healer presented here, has done. The fact that she was the first person to respond to my request for this section of my blog on other Aquatic Healers says a lot about her too.
Kim Chamberlain is an Holistic Health Practitioner (AMTA, NCTMB) and Aquatic Bodyworker based in Fortuna, California. Website: Akasha Bodysmith.
Kim tells me that the most important thing she learned in her training to do aquatic bodywork was 'Presence of being in the moment. Allowing not doing. Yin as in not Yang.' What I see, is that she has found a good balance of these two energies - the Yang of action and the Yin of receptivity.
She started doing bodywork about 11 years ago and established an injury rehabilitation and pain reduction practice with an emphasis on deep tissue, working for herself and by herself. That's a very proactive (Yang) thing to do. With 1000 h training in massage and national certification, Kim is serious about her practice.
Six years ago, someone she exchanged massage with introduced her to Watsu at Harbin Hot Springs. Kim says: 'The moment I saw Watsu I knew I had to do this. I could see the benefits it would have for the people I worked with. I also was interested in transitioning my work to something easier on my body.'
All three statements are typical of established bodyworkers who take to the water. They recognize the Yin aspects that can be missing from more traditional therapeutic training programs, and want to learn more. Kim notes that it took about a year and a half before she really understood this difference.
Up until that point, she says that her massage practice was very Yang (strong, forceful and goal-orientated). It was challenging to learn how to be simply present with another, to accept 'education taught in a right-brain curriculum'. It is possible to adopt a Yang-style in the water but that is to miss the true value of this medium.
The most valuable thing Kim learned in Watsu training was 'Our connectedness, oneness through sympathetic resonance.' Also, the value of 'listening' which she believes is the most important factor in the effectiveness of her water sessions. Kim isn't talking about aural listening here.
She's talking about the way in which the water seems to enable a connection between you and the person you are floating. If you can allow yourself to be receptive and responsive to that (a Yin skill), then it tells you what that person needs - which might be stillness or movement - and probably a dance of both.
Kim added another 1000 h aquatic training to her skills, and just two years after discovering Watsu she purchased a commercial property where she could live and build a pool as part of her combined land-water practice. Four years later, she says this is 'One of the greatest things I've ever done'.
I'm impressed by Kim's willingness to respond (Yin) to something hard to define and not well-known (aquatic healing) and then take the risk of making that possible in practice by incorporating it into her work in a very professional way. She now has the autonomy and privacy to offer clients healing modalities she believes in.
When I asked Kim to describe her aquatic practice in one sentence she replied: 'All are welcome within this sacred, private space inviting freedom through movement, empowerment through trust, healing and nurturing of body, mind and spirit.' Kim is clearly inspired.
Her indoor 13 ft salt water pool has ADA access ( ramp, lift and shower) - ideal for one-on-one sessions. She says it's also great to have this at home and to use it for her own therapy. She makes regular visits to Harbin - 'it reminds me why I am doing this' - receives bodywork herself, and avoids taking on too much.
She'd love to increase her water sessions from a current 10% to 50% of her practice. Working with a lot of first-time (uninitiated) Watsu people, she strives to create a positive therapeutic experience one session at a time. And she also considers that she is forever learning about the work and how to improve.
Because Kim can offer both land and water work, she has the opportunity, I suggest, to build trust with her clients in traditional massage work and can then encourage them to include water sessions as part of their healing program. Some will take to the water like ducks, others not at all, some will prefer the combination.
One of her biggest challenges has been marketing; something I'll be addressing in this blog and also providing guidelines for in a forthcoming E-book. Because this form of aquatic bodywork is relatively unfamiliar and a step up (intimacy-wise) for many, inspirational education is an important part of marketing.
Kim notes she's always interested in working for public awareness of aquatic therapy and willing to work with others toward this goal. She already has a promotional video (which she plans to rework) for use at presentations and health fairs, where she gets useful feedback about her work and how people perceive it.
Being willing to step out (Yang) and find out what people think and want (Yin) is a good balance in promotion. You listen, learn and then act. Kim lives in a relatively isolated area and is always looking for ways to stay connected with other water family - her pool is available for rent and for trading sessions.
You can see more about her practice on her own website, and also visit her profile on the online social network for Aquatic Therapists where Kim is an active contributor. Kim italicized this sentence about her work: Live in faith that I am doing what I am supposed to be. I think she is.
If you have questions for Kim only, please contact her directly through her website. If you have thoughts about the above or wish to extend the discussion with your own experience, please do comment below or email me here.
For submissions, please refer to the initial blog posting here for Aquatic Healers.
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