Relax your body, soothe your mind with WATSU

CEBU, Philippines - Admit it. The many different treatments being offered by in spas can sometimes be confusing. What treatment soothes tired muscles best? What treatment can relax you? Or what treatment is best for someone who is recuperating from an injury?

If you’re someone who has tried almost every spa treatment in town but still crave for something that provides a deep and profound relaxation, try WATSU at Maribago Bluewater’s Amuma Spa.

At Amuma Spa, one of the few spas in the country that offers Watsu, the therapy is performed by Dr. Iris Jakosalem, a medical doctor and a certified Watsu therapist. The Amuma Spa has a dedicated pool for Watsu sessions, which is located in a quiet and private area of the spa.

Therapist Harold Dull started Watsu in the 1980s. He was then the director of the Harbin School of Shiatsu and Massage in northern California when he started floating people in warm water while applying stretches and the principles of Zen Shiatsu.

The book Benefits of Watsu For People With Orthopedic, Neurologic and Rheumatologic Special Needs by Physical Therapist Peggy Schoedinger defines Watsu as a passive form of aquatic bodywork/therapy that supports and gently moves a person through warm water in graceful, fluid movements. Stretching is known to strengthen the muscles and increase flexibility while warm water is the ideal medium for this form of therapy since warm water is associated with the body’s deepest states of waking relaxation.

According to Dr. Iris, the Watsu therapist is called a giver, while the one being given the therapy is called a receiver. Watsu, she said is good for injury therapy, can relieve mental and physical stress, releases muscle tension, reduces pain, stress and fatigue, revitalizes, improves posture, breathing and circulation and may even help create spiritual balance and induce the release of emotional issues and deep-seated trauma.

“I once gave Watsu to a 250-pound man, and after the session, he told me that it reminded him of the days when his mom rocked him to sleep,” she shared. A Watsu session, which lasts for 50 minutes, is very intimate, said Dr. Iris, because the giver cradles and hugs the receiver. “It’s like a dance,” she said.

A Watsu session at Amuma Spa usually starts with Dr. Iris giving a private consultation to her clients before having the water therapy. Here, she explains what the therapy is all about and what to expect. During the water therapy, Dr. Iris breathes with the receiver, stretches his or her muscles and performs gentle massages while the receiver is floating on water. She said the treatment ends when the therapist’s body is no longer touching the receiver.

Although Watsu is not yet very popular in the Philippines, it is already incorporated in therapy treatment programs in hospitals, clinics and rehabilitation centers in other countries. People who have experienced traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, strokes, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, cerebral palsy, fibromyalgia, post mastectomy and post thoracic surgery have turned to Watsu as their therapy treatment.

So if you want a more profound relaxation, or you’re recovering from an injury and would require therapy, try getting a Watsu at the Amuma Spa and experience the ultimate body and mind relaxation.

Amuma Spa is located at the Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort. A 24-hour reservation is required for Watsu treatments.