Watsu Therapy Is Making a Comeback at Spas Around the World

23.07.2024 - 20:00 / cntraveler.com

“Welcome back,” says the Watsu therapist as I open my eyes. We’re in a dimly lit room, under a domed ceiling freckled with LED lights that mimic constellations. As we emerge out of the circular pool, I feel like I’ve truly been transported out of the space. I'm at JOALI Being, a pampering wellness resort in the Maldives. It might seem an unlikely spot to experience a mind-body epiphany, and yet Watsu—a trademarked, massage-like treatment that takes place in water—has revealed to me much more than a massage (or even a therapy session, to be honest) ever has.

Lately, guests at top-tier resorts around the world have been given plenty of opportunities to experience such transformations—or, at the very least, to feel nurtured and relaxed while being gently swooshed and stretched. Watsu combines water and shiatsu massage techniques (the name is a portmanteau of those two words); warm water is an element with which therapists can further enhance their bodywork. The therapeutic treatment has been reemerging at newly opened hotels and resorts that put an emphasis on health—as well as a welcome addition to established and more-traditional wellness destinations across the globe.

Watsu dates back to 1980, and was originally popularized at the Harbin Springs in California by Shiatsu expert Harold Dull. In practice, the treatment involves floating (my therapist put flotation aids around my ankles), being partially submerged in water (I wore earplugs), and having your body moved around with gentle pressure. While Watsu is definitely a lesser-known treatment when compared to the insanely popular massage—or to pop-culture’s favorite ways to depict wellness, the sound bath or forest bathing—it is slowly floating back onto more people’s radars.

Six Senses Vana in India recently brought back its long-unused Watsu pools due to a rise in popularity of the treatment.

The exclusive Sha Wellness Clinic just opened its new Mexico location with a designated Watsu pool on the premises. The treatments are accompanied by candlelight and underwater music. After undergoing a lavish rebrand in 2022, India’s Six Senses Vana recently brought back its long-unused Watsu pool, and at Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort, Watsu is now one of the most popular offerings on the spa menu.

Last November, British superstar Elizabeth Hurley shared the joy of Watsu with her 2.9M Instagram followers from the Chiva-Som International Health Resort in Thailand, and called the treatment “one of the best stretches I’ve ever had.” For me, I found Watsu’s unique combination of peaceful water therapy, and somewhat active mindset—there’s a degree of participation necessary—to be more illuminating than straight-up relaxing.

“Our guests often tell us that