Aquatic Healing for Trauma

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Comment by Carolyn Nash on September 8, 2009 at 1:28pm

I love what you put Christian about fixation verses being in the flow. I have been workign with the idea of release and flow with emotions. The idea of touching and going fromt he Buddhist practices with emotions is a wonderful way to begin to say hello to the emotions so that eventually they can be felt, moved, and expressed. And a water session is a great place to do that. I find that the ability to even be aware of trauma patterns and feel depends on the level of trauma and conversely the level of safety and trust in the environment/therapeutic relationship. I wonder what other aquatic therapists think about the beginning steps of helping people drop into the space of trauma and release. It seems to me the intention upon which the session is set and the water therapist and client holds for the session plays a major role as well as safety and trust. It also seems pacing can help with people who have trauma that is more like shock so that they can stay in their bodies to receive. Any comments? It would be great to integrate some of Peter Levine's work here....I bet....?

Comment by Sulis (Sara Firman) on August 13, 2009 at 6:41am

It's so valuable to be able to draw on experience of other modalities and being able to share that makes it doubly so. I'm seeing that this work with 'trauma' in the water draws many issues and approaches together. Right now, I am writing about psoas involvement and will post that soon. Meanwhile, the note you have added Diane about one possible cause of repetitive releasing being the energetic environs into which that release is made has provided yet another 'ahah' for me.

Comment by Diane Tegtmeier on August 12, 2009 at 9:37pm

That's a wonderful description, Christian, of how water and especially aquatic bodywork is so effective, I really appreciate that perspective of the polarities of fixation and flow. The bilateral movement of aquatic bodywork, especially Healing Dance waves take the person into the flow between polarities, fostering integration. I notice so often how just that movement helps someone integrate after an emotional release and come into a more centered state of consciousness. I've often wondered if this isn't a lot like the effect of EMDR, where a client's awareness is brought from right to left and back and forth until the emotional charge of the traumatic memory is diminished.

Trina, since you know Healing Dance, you can keep these waves in mind after a client "let's it out." The compassion you experience charges the water, bathing your client's space with a transformative energy to replace what she's released. Without that, often the released energy is replaced by something of the same frequency and the client just has to release over and over again without real healing happening.
Some of us who know how to work with the meridians and points that are associated with intense emotional states can also assist in the release and integration. The possibilities are infinite.

Comment by Trina LeBrasseur on August 12, 2009 at 3:51pm

When a person cries or sobs in my arms during a float, there is so much compassion and love I feel for them. I learned in Inika's healing dance class that scary can be a good thing, and not to be afraid to let the client let it out. Thank you everybody for your thoughtful responses, great topic Sulis! :)

Comment by Christian Muller on August 12, 2009 at 1:07pm

And speaking of being out of synch, here is a correction to the sentence below, "...and feeling out of synch with the life force"

Comment by Christian Muller on August 12, 2009 at 1:00pm

"Coming out of Fixation into Flow"
This is my description for unwinding the effects of trauma and PTSD in the water. For all of us, whether traumatized or not, there is a continuum of experience that cycles between fixation and flow, and our developmental and spiritual growth constantly fluctuate between these two aspects. We all know what it feels like to be resourced in the "flow" when things are going well in life, good energy coming in and going out, in synchronistic harmony with life. As well, we know the state of fixation, chronic and repetitive symptoms, fear, dissociation, emotional states, and feeling out being of synch with the life force. This kind of habitual fixation is a hallmark of PTSD and unresolved traumatic experience.

Water is the essence with "flow" and therefore is a primary resource for dissolving fixation. In my experience, simply immersing in warm water ( a bath, hot spring...) in a safe nurturing environment is a huge resource to begin the unwinding the patterns of fixation. And if that same immersion is done in a relational context (aquatic bodywork, Watsu, Waterdance...) then the healing potential is far greater. And further, if this relational aquatic bodywork is done with careful and skillful attention to the somatic patterns of fixation and trauma, then even better for the return to a dynamic flow state that is connected with the pulsation of life.

waterlove,
Christian

Comment by Lori Marquette on August 8, 2009 at 8:49pm

I learned about Watsu about 3-4 years ago from an ABMP magazine. I have been intrigued since. I aspire to get the training I need to do aquatic therapy and make that my primary focus. Is there any training near Fort Wayne, IN??

Comment by Laura F smith on August 8, 2009 at 4:37am

I have been interested in aquatics for some time. Just ecstatic about this group. Can not wait to learn and grow and in time pass it on.

Comment by Sulis (Sara Firman) on August 3, 2009 at 10:15am

Here is an interesting link to a Group concerned with Abuse and Trauma on a Ning for Massage and Bodywork Professionals. I have just posted a notice about us there too. Maybe there can be some good cross-fertilization.

Comment by Inika on August 2, 2009 at 10:29am

This is a wonderful discussion. Thank you Sunus for bringing it up and everyone for your thoughtful responses. I just want to tag onto Christian's comment about presencing. Our work is somatic, but it doesn't mean we can't talk to our clients. The most useful talk and what is entirely within our realm is bringing someone to the present. Usually in water sessions we don't need to do this because the water is such a good presencing medium by feeling the sensations on the skin. If you feel someone is lost in emotion or dissociated you can to bring their ears out and ask "Are you with me?" "What are you noticing in your body?" This brings them present and sensing their body without going into story.

There is so much to learn about trauma and PTSD. And by trusting yourself, the water and by creating a safe space all goes a long way to guiding someone to bring healing to themselves. Just by your nervous system being calm can bring coherence in your client's nervous system. This means holding a loving unconditional space. To do this we need to keep doing our own personal growth work to deepen our presence and practice.

In gratitude,
Inika

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