'There was a synergistic series of events that led to my studies of Water based therapies,' says spa owner and therapist Susun, 'Living in a town that boasts the largest Hot Springs Pool in the world and swimming in it daily I would float my husband and friends untrained. A massage therapist I worked with gave me Elaine Marie’s instructional video at the same time that another friend came back from a vacation and was gushing about a Watsu session she had received. Within two weeks I was at Harbin attending my first class, before even receiving a session.'
And just two years after that introduction and many training classes later, Susun opened her own venue, Splendor Mountain Spa in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. That was ten years ago (1998) - a testament to her strong desire to share her love of water with others. Susun notes that she's been drawn to water since birth. For her, 'Water is the ultimate medium for movement, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.' Having followed Susun's lead for a winter plunge into a cold Ozark stream and shared my own warm pool with her when she came as a guest to my previous spa-retreat, I know she lives this to the full.
I also know from my own experience in creating and running a spa, just what it takes to do what she has done and not be deterred by personal challenges. In fact, Susun has turned these challenges into solutions. Following her own divorce, she brought in her sister Ruth and daughter Rebekah to help run the home-base business. And despite physical injury that led to a recent need for knee surgery, Susun has turned her space into a personal rehabilitation opportunity, benefiting from the same benefits she provides others.
Susun's aquatic training comes on top of a background in massage and movement therapies. She has studied Watsu 100 with Elaine Marie, Healing Dance with Alexander Georgeakopoulos and Waterdance 1,2, and 3 with Shantam & Richard Bock. The most useful thing she learned in her training, says Susun was 'To trust and respect the water as an integral part of the "triad" and to work with the flow, letting the water do its marvelous share of the work.' She adds that at first, 'The flow of Watsu eluded me. It was so hard for me to get it!'
After training, the actual practice brings more lessons and the most valuable of these for Susun was, 'Compassion for all of us regardless of our size, shape, health condition, color, creed and even political stance.' I know what she means, for the water seems to facilitate comfort and connection and to bring us all back to our beginnings. It's quite childlike, an experience of innocence, that people seem to respond to spontaneously. This is why, as Susun notes, the most important factor is, 'The safe, sacred, and healing space along with warm, gorgeously clean moving water.'
Splendor Mountain Spa is an inspired conversion of what was once a garage into a studio for the healing arts. It’s a lovely and loving space that is home to a 12 foot diameter, 3000 gallon above-ground KD pool, along with space for massage, an infra-red sauna, and Ashiatsu. Susun says that: 'Massage Therapy supports me, Watsu supports my spirit!' Her favorite sessions to give are with her regular clients for WaterDance (a form of aquatic bodywork that involves complete immersion using nose clips). 'I love the dance, spontaneity, and sheer joy of creative expression unfolding through movement and breath.'
The addition of Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy makes clear her sense of adventure and play - just last year she took a class in this unusual form of massage. 'I balance myself with bars hanging from the ceiling and I perform massage with my feet. It has been a delightful and affective way to practice massage therapy, deep and luxurious.' Still, Susun admits that 'doing lots of bodywork can wreck havoc on our bodies and spirits.' To restore herself she takes long walks with her dog. 'While walking I practice conscious breathing, with my exhales I let go of anything I don’t need to carry, and with my in breath I breath in love, light, wit & wisdom.'
Susun considers herself very fortunate to have her own small business and the support of her sister and daughter. 'In these times of economic and social shaking up and melting down,' she says, 'we are solidly committed to practicing compassion in action.' And adds 'I attempt to allow my days to unfold as they may in a spirit of service and gratitude with a little fun and attitude thrown in.' Here's a final water quote from Susan to give us all courage as we pursue our passion for aquatic therapy in whatever setting and with whatever means we have available recession or not.
They say ask and you shall receive, my persona might not resemble these characteristics, but somewhere deep inside of me this well springs.
Follow these links for more on:
Watsu, Healing Dance and WaterDance training classes
