When Wellness Meets the Vast Blue Ocean
From the ancient Egyptians and Greeks to the Romans and Asian traditions, water has been embraced as a source of healing, purification, and relaxation. Over the years, cultures from around the world have been using water in revered rituals, cleansing practices, medicinal treatments. People travel great distances to drink or bathe in water from mountains, wells and springs that are said to give special energy. Many believed water has the ability to absorb prayers, cleanse unwanted energy and has medicinal qualities. Even today, in our own little ways, we draw inspiration from these ancient practices and incorporate the therapeutic benefits into our daily lives. Who doesn’t enjoy a warm water soak – with Epsom salts, after a long day?
One form of water therapy (also called hydrotherapy), is Watsu, and it involves stretches, massages, and acupressure in warm water. The term Watsu® comes from the words “water” and “shiatsu” - a type of traditional Japanese massage using acupressure. Watsu was created by Harold Dull, who taught Zen Shiatsu, in 1980, after observing that it was easier for his clients’ muscles and tissues to relax in water.
Taking elements of Watsu, Dubai-based Water Therapy Practitioner & Women’s Health Coach Liberty Gelderloos and internationally renowned therapist Pranshu, designed their own unique water-therapy sequence, nuanced with the experience of under-water-journeying. Liberty’s gentle, nurturing presence not only holds space for women, but even men, through her unique style of water therapy, that she calls ‘BEcome WATER’, while with Pranshu, the water therapy sessions are more dynamic, focusing more on deep tissue work, spinal adjustment, joint release, stretching and letting go – and it is called ‘WaterFlow’. Both have their own space and time on a person’s healing journey, and both offer an equally spectacular experience.
‘BEcome WATER’ is a three-dimensional underwater journey, that takes you spiraling out of your mental chatter, and deep-dives you into the vast abundance and immense-ness of the ocean or water body; giving you a chance to experience something of a time-space distortion. A real-time lesson in using your natural abilities to flow and change as needed, to trust, and to surrender.
As you surrender and ‘allow’ the process to unfold, the body relaxes. And so, the mind relaxes, and the emotions calm down. The warm waters mimic the feeling of being in the womb, offering a sense of complete security, and making way for you to feel the greatest of all feelings – of surrender, trust and flow.
With synchronized breaths, you float and then sink in, breathe in and then breathe out, repeating over and over again, creating a breath and heart resonance, which is carried into all the stretches and movements, like a dance of flow and stillness throughout the session.
Thanks to the absence of gravitational pressure, water therapy provides a unique opportunity for deep relaxation and a sense of letting go. It enables you to feel and accept yourself as one with nature, and ultimately, facilitating a profound connection between the body and mind.
What to expect in a water therapy session with Liberty:
All sessions are done in nature’s vast wide seas (weather and ambience permitting), or in a warm spa pool.
A 60-minute Water Therapy session involves holding and gentle stretching, both on the surface and underwater while wearing a nose clip. You don't need to know how to swim, as floats will be used on the lower limbs to support you. Liberty takes you through the breathing cues and patterns prior to the session and it is easy to follow. At all times, you are held and guided by Liberty and throughout the session you are just a couple of feet off ground level.
Benefits include:
à Reduced anxiety and stress
à Breath harmonization
à Release of Muscular tension
à Decrease pain
à Improvement of joint range
à Improvement of circulatory and lymphatic circulation
à Learning to be in the present moment
à Overcoming fears .. or the water maybe, or of losing control..
Take the opportunity to closely experience this beautiful element of nature. For a few moments, allow yourself to delve into this realm and explore water’s immense beauty, nurturing and healing powers. After all, we are 70% water, which is vital for every cell in our body to exist, just like the Earth’s surface is 70% water, vital for all known forms of life. No wonder it’s so comforting to be in water.
So, the next time you immerse yourself into a warm bath or relax by a tranquil pool, remember the profound connection humans have had with water throughout history. Let the therapeutic powers of water wash away your worries and restore balance to your mind, body, and soul.
To know more or to book a session with Liberty or Pranshu:
https://www.instagram.com/sheisliberty/
