"The portal of healing and creativity always takes us into the realm of the spirit."
Angeles Arrien, author of The Nine Muses: A Mythological Path to Creativity
This statement has become true for me in my practice of aquatic bodywork, where creativity, healing, and spirituality merge as inseparably as three rivers meeting at a confluence. The three linked weblogs I created during the latter part of 2008 are no different.
For this reason, it is not always easy to decide where a particular post fits best and there are many cross-links between the websites. So, although the posts summarized below are about aquatic bodywork, I have placed them on Diving Deeper where more of my creative writings appear.
I have worked with artists and writers in the water, and many of them have found that the sessions provided both breathing space and renewed inspiration when the creative process felt blocked or just not as free-flowing as they'd have liked.
This is an area that especially interests me and I'd be glad to hear from artists who have been inspired by Watsu-style aquatic bodywork sessions, or feel drawn to the descriptions here, or to water in general. Meanwhile, please enjoy the full articles by clicking on the links below.
A creative journey in water
An account of the creative potential of aquatic bodywork for inspiring the artist in each of us.
As a practitioner of aquatic bodywork, I seek out the creative in myself and the responsive in others so as to participate in natural or spontaneous form. Describing my work as art rather than therapy reminds me that we are involved in a dance of life and can neither control nor anticipate outcome.
Often the experiences a person has during water sessions are preverbal and must be elaborated in much the same manner as dreams. The best way to reflect such images and fantasies is through artistic expression and my hope is that this work will be recognized as a valuable tool for creativity.
Experiencing aquatic bodywork
In the early days of my training in aquatic bodywork (Watsu and more), much of my learning came from receiving. Since I find writing a valuable way of uncovering and expressing experiences, I often recorded those sessions. Later, I encouraged clients to do this, whether in writing or artwork (whatever right-brain method was best for them).
Here are two accounts illustrating contrasting experiences for the same receiver, in this case myself. I hope they will provide insight into the power of this work and into the creative potential there is in recording the process and following up in whatever ways seem appropriate and helpful.
