FLOATING MASSAGE CREATES TRANQUILITY
by Owen Mcaleer


A long long time ago, somewhere way back on the evolutionary chain, We all came from the water. And the first 9 months of our physical existence in the womb are spent in a fluid environment. So it shouldn’t be a big surprise that Watsu, a water therapy, sometimes produces profound effects.

In its simplest form, watsu is a floating massage in warm water. imagine the relaxing quality of a warm bath together with the sensation of a foot massage and you're just beginning to get the idea.

Tom Thacker was the first person to bring watsu to Austin back in the 1990's. "I was very impressed the first time I saw it because of the expressions on the people's faces were so tranquil, so peaceful that it captivated my attention." He says that watsu creates such deep relaxation, it enables people to solve many of their problems within themselves. "It’s a pretty intense experience. I had this one woman that I held while she cried for 45 minutes after our session."

Judy Kegg, a more recently certified Watsu practitioner says, "Watsu can put you into a meditative state because you are floating in body temperature water." She points out that water is a gentle environment for the body, and that the sheer range of motion one experiences, the process of stretching one's muscles, is easier in the water. Both Thacker and Kegg studied and were certified through a school in California where Watsu was born. Harold Dull was the director of the School of Shiatsu and Massage at Harbin Hot Springs when he got the idea to combine the Japanese tradition of shiatsu, which frees the body's energy pathways through manipulating pressure points, with traditional massage therapy, and move it into a hot springs instead of using a table. The result, Watsu, was a big hit with all the guests who tried it.

After experiencing Watsu a few years ago, Kegg decided to become a certified practitioner. She went through extensive Watsu training at different places around the country, became a licensed massage therapist in the state of Texas, and now owns her own Austin-based business called Floating Lotus. "It was hard giving up the regular paycheck and the 401K, but I feel blessed that I get to do what I do. I have no doubt that this is what I am supposed to do," Kegg says.

Part of her training consisted of practicing holding people and being held. She says it is very intense to be held for twenty minutes, but it's important to learn what that feels like and how to do it effectively. "They teach you how to just be present, how to be with people and not be thinking of your grocery list."

Once she is in the pool to give a Watsu session, Kegg begins face to face, holding hands and timing her breathing to match her clients. When a synchronistic state occurs, she moves in and cradles the head in one arm while lifting the legs with the other. Now the recipient is floating effortlessly with eyes closed while Kegg begins a series of moves designed to bring about total body relaxation.

A typical Watsu session lasts about an hour, Kegg says. She explains that it is physically demanding even though the water does most of the work of holding up the client's body. The practitioner must know the moves and stretches that release tension and restore the flow of energy. "When I hear the reaction that I get from people after I work on them, it makes it all worth it," Kegg says.

Andra Millian, one of Kegg's clients, says, "When I met Judy, We just hit it off. I really like her energy. She has a very Earth Mother kind of energy - very nurturing and maternal." Millian says that prior to her last Watsu session, she had had a very stressful 24 hours. But "It completely changed my mental state. It completely rebalanced my energy. I felt very physically rested."

Millian, who is a local Chinese medicine practitioner, says Watsu is unique in that it automatically produces a meditative state. "For people who don’t meditate or who haven't experienced the meditative state, Watsu gives you that without having to learn anything. It does the same thing as meditation and just as well."

Both Thacker and Kegg maintain Watsu pools at their homes in South Austin. A new holistic learning center, The Crossings, scheduled to open in Austin in 2003, will also have a Watsu pool.