The preferred setting for my aquatic bodywork practice has been a non-clinical and nature-based 'spa' environment. I've generally avoided the words 'therapy' or 'healing', preferring to see my practice as the art and craft of aquatic bodywork. In my early enthusiasm for this extraordinary aquatic experience, I also suggested that the practice could be undertaken as a form of shamanic journeying.
(Firman, Sara. Dancing in Healing Water. Shamans Drum, No. 62, 2002.).
This perspective was reflected in the way I described the aquatic bodywork practice I developed with my ex-husband/ partner, WaterJourneys. I have continued to reference that in my description of Aquapoetics: 'an aquatic art form designed to encourage creative inspiration and individual transformation ... [that] focuses on encouraging each person’s unique process to unfold like a journey.'
Prospective receivers usually need a more practical description before they can grasp what is being offered. The 'who, how, where, when' details are important. How you present your aquatic bodywork conveys a great deal about who you are, your approach, and whether it is a match for whatever someone is seeking. If they are attracted, they will then compare this to actual experience - their own or that of a friend.
In this section of my blog 'An aquatic practice', I'll share approaches to the issue of representation that I've explored in my own practice. I'll also include feedback gathered over the years from those who've experienced my work. Feedback solicited verbally (and recorded) or via questionnaires provides a valuable resource for developing your practice. It can also suggest therapeutic aspects that could be included in research studies.
Notwithstanding my love of the art of aquatic bodywork, I am convinced of the enormous therapeutic value of this practice. It is a value that integrates mind, body and spirit in ways related to the aquatic medium that deserve to be acknowledged and shared. And that is really what has inspired me to write this blog and to encourage fellow alternative aquatic bodywork practitioners to keep and share records of their work.
Here is just one of my 'how' descriptions:
Briefly, during a water session of 1 1/2 hours, the person receiving is held in the float position (and at more advanced levels completely submerged using nose-clips) while their body is gently massaged and mobilized. With eyes closed, ears immersed, skin lapped in warmth and body buoyed up supportively, physical tensions and psychological concerns slowly surface and begin to dissolve.
However, it is the experience that unfolds below the 'surface' that has fascinated me most. In answer to my questionnaires over the years, some have reported that, in addition to physical and emotional benefits, their very first journey was trance/ dream-like and a spiritual experience. Many also felt that the ongoing work had a positive influence on their health, relationships, creativity and spirituality.
After devoting countless hours to training in various aquatic modalities and to practicing and receiving sessions, I have come to see the potential of this work for expanding human awareness. For me, it would be limiting to describe aquatic bodywork solely as a form of hydrotherapy with physical/ physiological benefits. However, as in yoga, since the body is the vehicle by which we travel, I start by addressing its needs.
Once the body has been relaxed and reassured, the meditative experience can begin. My work has been informed and inspired by Eastern healing modalities, shamanic ritual, dream psychology, developmental movement studies, and personal peak experiences in the water. Seeing myself as a facilitator rather than therapist or healer keeps my practice open and vibrant with new discovery; it has become a spiritual path.
There is a tendency in the teaching and practice of aquatic bodywork to follow routine or recommended sequences and to get caught up in technical details that detract from the wonder of spontaneous insight and action. The tools and techniques must be learned and practiced, of course, but then experience with people of all kinds and a willingness to suspend preconceptions and follow intuition will be your true training.
Whereas an understanding and explanation of problems, is important, equally important is a a more mysterious and imaginative view, allowing for chaos, for unpredictability and the inexplicable. Permitting the body its expression and intelligence regarding symptoms and reactions, makes space for solutions to arise of their own accord. This approach assumes our innate tendency towards self-healing.
To express the different experiences that are possible, I have sometimes added to my descriptions:
Depending on what you most need, an aquatic bodywork session may be:
✿ a deeply relaxing, supportive and nurturing experience
✿ a gentle means of releasing physical and emotional tension
✿ a meditative or dreamlike state for peace and insight.
Share you favorite description of alternative aquatic bodywork in the comment box below?
See the next post for some examples of responses from receivers of my aquatic bodywork to the questions:
How would you describe this aquatic bodywork to someone who has not experienced it?
and
How would you describe your first experience of aquatic bodywork?
You'll see that all the above three aspects are included in their varied descriptions.
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