Watsu® was developed almost thirty years ago by Harold Dull. At first Watsu was the result of his desire to combine two great passions: Water  and Shiatsu. After traveling to the Orient and learning Zen Shiatsu from Master Masunaga, Harold Dull returned to Harbin, a Californian spa town that was sacred to the Native Americans, and began experimenting with Shiatsu practice in hot waters. Shortly thereafter, Watsu developed to become a unique and unmistakable Health Art combining Shiatsu’s typical acupressure points with gentle stretching and a floating rocking of the body.

Governing body

Watsu certified practitioners are members of the Worldwide Aquatic Bodywork Association (WABA), an educational non-profit corporation that oversees the Watsu training programmes and establishes guidelines for certification. It authorises Aquatic Bodywork courses, programmes, providers, practitioners and instructors and maintains their authorizations and transcripts. There are core requirements specified by the WABA, with additional requirements based on state and local laws.