WATSU^®

Aquatic Bodywork with Barney Stein

Freeing the Body in Water

WATSU stands for “water shiatsu.” It grew out of the principles of Zen Shiatsu, which emphasizes stretching to open up and heal the body, a method accepted in the Orient even before acupuncture was formalized. Realizing that warm water is the ideal medium in which to stretch people, Harold Dull developed WATSU at Harbin Hot Springs in Northern California in the 1980s. He found that warm water not only relaxes the body, it takes weight off the vertebrae, and frees the spine in ways impossible on land.

As soon as you step into the pool of warm water, relaxation begins. Then, as Barney supports your weight, you float into a unique world of breath and fluid movement. Moved through the water, stretched, cradled and massaged, you become aware of your whole body. Tensions dissolve and you feel life expanding into long-forgotten places. Your back, your neck, your shoulders, arms, hips and legs—every part of you is invited to release and move freely.

WATSU helps you discover how you habitually hold yourself and how open and connected to the world you can be. For some, it evokes the serenity of the womb, for some, the delight of playing in the water as a child. Many people find the timeless, sacred container of a WATSU session ideal for personal reflection and integrating new insights. A graceful dance, a meditation, a luxurious sensory journey—whatever your experience, you end up feeling relaxed, cared for, and revitalized.

In an often difficult, isolating world, WATSU offers us the rare opportunity to feel deeply connected. The nurturing, nonsexual intimacy and the experience of embodied freedom it provides nourish the soul.

WATSU is offered at a beautiful, private pool in Newton, Massachusetts.

Call Barney at
617.504.0014