Student/Therapist Resources

Chapter 10: Unique Uses of Water for Hydrotherapy

Key Concepts 

• To explore the greater potential uses of water for hydrotherapy, as found in various special "unique" uses of water  that are not currently understood or explained by the modern scientific knowledge of the behavior of water. Greater insights into the greater potential of water as a modality to enhance health & wellness, can be of value in developing the full potential of hydrotherapy.
  
• Special uses of water for health & wellness found by using water, just as it is found, in natural settings. These include:
  
  
  Healing Baths: An example is Lourdes in France
  
  Scared Bath: An example is scared bath/immersion in the Ganges river.
  
  Use of natural hot springs, many of which have a long tradition of producing natural healing benefits. An example are the hot springs, in Hot Springs, Ak.
  
  Natural water settings, such as waterfalls, lakes, rivers used as locations for meditation, contemplation and artistic inspiration
  
  Natural water settings for recreation, such as the ocean, rivers, lakes, snow and ice. People often find experiences such as swimming, surfing, kayaking, skiing and diving produce profound feelings of wellness.  Body surfing (compliments of Greg Rice, Sandy Beach, Oahu, Hawaii).
  
  Communal use of water in natural settings that produce a greater sense of  relaxed "connection" between people. An example of this is the communal use of natural hot springs. (see photo: Glenwood Hot Springs, Glenwood, Colorado Photo compliments of Glenwood Hot Springs)
  Water 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. An example is the Hunaz people who live in the Himalayan region in Pakistan. 
  
  Natural occurring mineral water from special locations that is used for different health & wellness, for example, mineral water from Vichy, France.
  
• 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 Photo: Crystal Energy Treatment page 237 (The photo of crystal is the one being used in the treatment)
  
  
  The use of color light therapy to transform the healing energy of the water being used during a hydrotherapy treatment. See Table 7-2, Chapter 7
  
  
  Combining sound with the water used during a hydrotherapy treatment. This could include music, primordial sounds, natural sounds such as dolphins, whales, waterfalls.
  
  
  Communal steam treatments, which usually include special herbs, chanting or sacred music, for the purpose of psychic cleaning, awakening and greater connection with the "intelligence" of nature. An example of this are the Native American Indian "sweat lodges"
  
  
  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, develop the 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.
  
  

Additional suggested Study, Research and Teaching Exercises

• Special "Unique" uses of Water for Health & Wellness
  Teaching Exercises:

  Create a Special Hydrotherapy Treatment: 
  Think of some different types of  hydrotherapy treatments that could be developed using some of the special uses of water mentioned in the chapter.
  
  Discuss Personal Experiences:  
  Discuss with others any experiences of the special use of water, as mentioned in this chapter. Do these experiences provide any insights about the use of water for different types of hydrotherapy treatments?  
  
  

• Use of Naturally occurring Mineral Water for Health & Wellness 
  Scientific Research:
  
   Mineral Water Link      
  
  
• 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.