Aquatic Massage
Used for everything from stress reduction to recovery from injury or surgery, this versatile healing method is different from traditional massage in that:
- The whole treatment takes place in water, which removes gravity and creates a nearly weightless sensation.
- The water provides full, three-dimensional access to the body.
- The water, kept at the same temperature as the skin’s surface, lowers the heart rate, relaxes muscles, positively alters the physiology, and in many subtle ways enhances the healing process.
Removing gravity
The natural gravitational pull of the Earth weighs us down and compresses the spine. Having a temporary reprieve from this force while experiencing Aquatic Massage creates space between the vertebrae which allows for more movement of the spine. The spine will sometimes adjust itself in the water. We are able to move the body in ways that we cannot otherwise move it, unless we are in outer space.
Some common things people say about receiving Aquatic Massage is that it reminds them of being in the womb, or they feel like they’re “floating through clouds,” or “in outer space.” People sometimes see colors, or experience deep somatic emotional release. The experiences people have with Aquatic Massage are varied and deeply personal but rarely just neutral.
Three-dimensional access to your body
Working in warm water provides the Aquatic Massage therapist with the ability to reach and affect related energetic points in different areas of the body and allows for deep, multi-faceted stretches that would not be possible on land. The ability to access the front and back of the body at the same time while the client remains in a restful, comfortable position, is a valuable tool made much easier and more fluid in water than on a table or futon.
Water the temperature of skin
The water in Aquatic Massage is kept at surface skin temperature, usually around 96 degrees Fahrenheit. This reduces the client’s awareness of the difference between the air and the water which helps people relax more fully and feel held in a uniform space throughout the treatment.
Some dramatic ways the water temperature affects the client’s physiology are, lowering the heart-rate, activating the lymphatic system, which gets the body cleansing, and altering the client’s brain patterns to resemble a sleeping state, without a loss of consciousness.
To read what recipients of this magnificent bodywork have said about their personal experience in the water.