WHAT'S NEW?...WATSU!!! I've been asked where have I been since December - so now I'm back with the answer. I've been a professional massage therapist for 13 years now and I was pretty happy with the way things had been moving along in my career - until I had a Watsu session. I had never heard about Watsu until I read an article about a couple of Swedish Institute colleagues of mine, Ben Watts and Tiina Dohrmann. I read the article about how they were massaging people in a warm pool - the water is heated to 96f and is mostly chrlorinated using salt. This special pool is about 15x15 in diameter and about 4.5 ft. deep. Ben and Tiina have been practicing Watsu for many years and through incredible ingenuity managed to create this healing oasis inside of a warehouse beside the BQE in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

After reading the article, I decided to give it a try. After my first watsu session with Tiina, I realized that this was something I had to learn. I couldn't believe that NYC didn't have a Watsu pool - or at least 1,000 Watsu pools! The benefits of Watsu are endless. Watsu takes massage to a higher level of healing! I had no idea of what would be in store for me once I made the decision to sign up to take the first 50 hour course - Well, I had an inkling that it might be more involved that I had originally anticipated since the couse was entitled Watsu 1. That does make one think that perhaps there would be more courses to take - but I was just so excited about how many people I could help and the possibilities of working with people in warm water - I didn't think that far ahead. I didn't have any idea what I was in for.

I must say that this was (calculus aside) - the most challenging thing I have ever attempted. This has also been incredibly time consuming and expensive. "WHY KEEP GOING??? " was the tag line that had been running through my brain on the 2nd day of class. My answer is the same - this modality has such endless healing potential for soooooo many people. I have to bring this into NYC.

So - for the past 8 months I have been immersed in Watsu. I have completed 250 hours (5 courses) and I am soon to be listed on the WABA.edu directory. For all you landlubbers - WABA is short for the Worldwide Aquatic Bodyworkers Association. This is an international association of aquatic massage practitioners that also includes physical therapists as well as other types of health professionals. It's been a long haul, but I am so grateful for making it!!!