Instructor Resources

Chapter 10: Unique Uses of Water for Hydrotherapy

Purpose of Chapter 10

For the Student to understand: 

• To explore the greater potential for use of water for hydrotherapy, as found in current special "unique" uses of water.
  
• To gain a deeper understanding of the behavior of water, that is currently not understood or explained by the modern scientific knowledge of the behavior of water.

Lesson: Unique Uses of Water for Hydrotherapy

Have the students read the chapter and then discuss the chapter during a classroom session. Refer to the textbook for detailed information for the discussion and teaching exercises discussed below.

• Discuss: Some of the special uses of water for health & wellness found by using water just as it is found in natural settings. These include:
  
  Healing Bath: example is Lourdes in France
  
  Scared Bath: example is scared bath/immersion in the Ganges
  
  Use of natural hot springs 
  
  Natural water settings, such as waterfalls, lakes, rivers as locations for meditation, contemplation, artistic inspiration
  
  Natural water settings for recreation, such as the ocean, rivers, lakes, snow and ice. People often find experience such as swimming, surfing, kayaking, skiing and diving to produce profound wellness experiences.
  
  Communal use of water in natural settings producing a greater sense of  relaxed "connection" between people. An example of this is the communal use of natural hot springs. Figure 10–2 Glenwood Springs, Colorado (compliments of Glenwood Hot Springs Pool, Glenwood Springs, Colorado).

  
  Water, as it is naturally found in some remote regions of the world, that is thought to be a key reason for the exceptional health and longevity of the people living in that region.
  
  

• Discuss: Some of the special uses of normal water that have been modified by human intention or technology to produce special health & wellness benefits. These include:
  
  
  The use of crystals and other gem stones to transform the energy of the water being used during a hydrotherapy treatment. See Photos: Crystal Energy Treatment page 237 Photo of the crystal being used in the Crystal Energy Treatment
  
  The use of color light therapy to transform the healing energy of the water being used during a hydrotherapy treatment.
  
  Combining sound with the water used during a hydrotherapy treatment. This could include music, primordial sounds or natural sounds such as dolphins, whales, waterfalls.
  
  Communal steam treatments, which usually include special herbs, chanting or sacred music, for the purpose of psychic cleansing, awakening and greater connection with the "intelligence" of nature.
  
  Blessing water by people with special "energy" or by those is certain religious positions with the intention of transforming that water in special ways that will benefit the people who then use that water in various ways.
  
  Research that shows that water is "transformed" in positive and negative ways by the thoughts and feelings of people and the environment. This section refers to the work of Dr. Masaru Emoto.
  
  The ancient traditions of Feng Shui and Sthapatya Veda provide detailed guidelines for the location and flow of water in landscaping and inside building to produce a positive "chi" and "prana" that in turn enhances the health & wellness of those that live and work in these buildings.
  
  Special technologies are being developed and implemented to "transform" normal water to increase its potential, usually at the molecular level, for general health.
  
  Hydrotherapy for Major Medical Conditions: This section discussed that some natural mineral water are known to have specific therapeutic properties. It also discussed that this textbook does not include hydrotherapy treatments for specific major medical conditions. It did point out that the basic training provided in the textbook in the performance of hydrotub, steam, shower and other hydrotherapy treatment modalities, are same skills used in medical hydrotherapy treatments. The uses of hydrotherapy, in the treatment of major medical conditions, requires the guidance and supervision of qualified medical personnel.
  
  
• Exercise: Have the students create some hypothetical hydrotherapy treatments using examples of the special uses of water mentioned in the chapter.
  
  
• Exercise: Have the students discuss their some of their own experiences of the special health & wellness benefits of water from the special uses of water mentioned in the chapter.
  

Suggested Reading & Viewing

The Hidden Messages in Water: Emoto, M. (2004). The Hidden Messages in Water. Hillsboro, Oregon: Beyond Words Publishing
This is the popular book by Masaru Emoto that contains his research and photos of frozen water crystals.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Describe some of your own experiences of water in natural settings that provided some special, notable experience, healing, or awakening. Answer: These will include experiences, such as swimming in the ocean, time at a hot springs, time near a waterfall.

2. What are two of the basic principles of the behavior of water found at hot springs that people experience when in the water? What are two of the basic principles of the behavior of water found in oceans that people in oceans experience? Answer: Heat Exchange, Buoyancy

3. Describe how it is possible to transform water for a hydrotherapy treatment using natural products such as herbs or mineral salts. Describe how it might be possible to transform water using crystals, color light, music, or intention? Answer: Water used in hydrotherapy treatments can be transformed in many ways, and then this water is brought into contact with the client's body, thereby transforming the client. Products, such as herbs and minerals salts, can be dissolved in the water. The water can also be transformed by the addition of color light, sound, music and by subtler influences, such as crystals and even the intention of the therapist.

4. Describe any experiences you have had using crystals, color light, sound, intention, or any other subtle effects to transform water used for a hydrotherapy treatment. Answer: These experiences help in understanding how many different ways that water can be transformed for its use in hydrotherapy.