I went on vacation last week with my spa business partner, Albie. We went to the Oaks at Ojai, in Southern California. As always when I go to new spas, I like to try out services I've never experienced before (how ELSE can I steal other people's ideas? Haha).
I've always wanted to try "Watsu," or water shiatsu. During this service, you and a Watsu therapist are alone in a heated pool, maintained at 96-98 degrees. The Watsu therapist uses the force of the water and your own buoyancy to stretch you and provide gentle mobilization of soft tissue and joints. You basically get dragged through the water quite a bit by your occipital ridge, and it feels AMAZING.
It's great for people who've just had surgery, who have MS, who are in a wheelchair, who are undergoing physical therapy, etc. It definitely increases your range of motion, and more than that, it's so therapeutically relaxing. I felt like I was floating in my mother's womb again (not that I remember it the first time), but I was completely at ease and the stretches felt absolutely wonderful. I could touch my fingers to the floor afterwards, just like I can after a Yoga class.
My therapist was Cyrena Hausman, an ex-Hollywood casting director turned physical therapist and Watsu practitioner, and she was just ... wow! I don't have the words for it...she knew what she was doing and she was extremely skilled. I wish I could have Watsu every day...I wish everyone in the world could have a Watsu at least once in their lives...and I wish we had a heated pool at the spa so that we could offer Watsu to our clients!
Well, I did locate a Bay Area Watsu practitioner, but have not yet been to her, so I will update this when I do. In the meantime, the picture above is a shot of Cyrena performing Watsu...I'm glad no one took my picture during my session! I would have looked like a grinning idiot.
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