At Harbin Hot Springs today, I saw listed on the events' calendar a drop-in Watsu {water shiatsu} class in the heart shaped pool on Sunday morning at 8:15. I hadn't seen this before, so, having arrived yesterday afternoon (in the heat of the summer Lake County day), I went this morning and was delighted.
Inika Sati Spence taught the class. About 14 people showed up, and some others sat around and watched. Everyone was naked.
Watsu instruction like this isn't so readily accessible at Harbin, so this was a good idea. Only 6 couples, though, can do Watsu in the small-ish heart shape pool at the same time.
We started just moving in the warm water, and feeling this. We then found a partner, and, each with a wide leg stance, one person held the other person's wrists, as we explored coming into sync with each others' breathing, floating up softly and more buoyantly with our inhales, and descending in the water a little with our exhales. We did this with about 3 different people. It's like the relaxation response in water, and together. And it brought us richly in tune with one another. MMmmmm.
Inika next gave a demonstration of giving Watsu to a partner, where she put floats around the legs of one volunteer, just below this demonstratee's knees. She then showed us how she holds the partner's head at the occiput - the bone at the back of the skull - in the crook of her elbow, and then receives them into a floating position in her arm. With her other hand under her volunteer's sacrum, Inika floated her model back and forth. Her volunteers ears rested naturally just under the water (use ear plugs if desired). When Inika was ready to support her leg, she drew her volunteer's head and body away through the water to find her leg in front of Inika, which she then supported, and began to explore movement more fully in the water. Inika received her partner's other leg similarly when she was ready, and explored shaping figure eights on the pool floor with her tailbone, which rippled through into the Watsu.
To end giving a Watsu, Inika then showed how she brings a person to the wall of the pool, and, cradling the person, first puts her sacrum to the wall, then rests the back of the head at the pools edge, then supports the person there with a hand to their heart.
We then gave and received a Watsu with a partner.
The process is so lovely, and Inika provided us with a structure, or approach, for doing Watus, from which a lot of Watsu explorations and movements can then flower.
Thank you, Inika.
{It's possible for couples visiting Harbin to get Watsu instruction from someone on Harbin's staff, or simply to receive a Watsu for yourself. MMmmmm:}.
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Robin Williams' "Live at the Met" (1986) was a virtuosic, hilarious and (almost trippy) video I saw at Harbin over the weekend. As a very skillful actor, Robin successfully represents so many aspects of different individuals, as well cartoon characters, in a stellar tour de force, via subtle and quick portrayals, with a lot of sexual insight. The way Williams moves in and out of characters in wild and spellbinding to behold.
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Visiting Harbin changes things.
Ah, the pools at Harbin ... MMmmmm .... :)
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