What is Watsu? Definition and Origins
. Watsu is a form of aquatic bodywork performed in warm water that blends Zen Shiatsu with floating. Developed in the 1980s by Harold Dull, it combines acupressure, gentle stretches, and flowing movements to promote relaxation, energetic balance, and overall well-being. Today, Watsu is practiced worldwide and is considered the most well-known form of aquatic bodywork.
But Watsu is more than just a technique: it is a story of encounters and transformations. It begins in Japan with Shizuto Masunaga and his Zen Shiatsu, continues in California with Harold Dull, and evolves in Europe with Giovanni Baccarani and the birth of Aquasoma®, arguably the most refined contemporary expression of somatic work in water.
1. Shizuto Masunaga: The Spark of Zen Shiatsu and the Breath of Ki
Japan in the 1960s: The Birth of Modern Shiatsu
In the 1960s, Tokyo was a vibrant crossroads of tradition and experimentation. In 1964, Shiatsu was officially recognized as a therapy, restoring therapeutic and social value to traditional manual techniques.
Masunaga’s Energetic View of the Body
Shizuto Masunaga, a student of Tokujiro Namikoshi, developed Zen Shiatsu by bringing back into focus the system of Energy Meridians and the concept of Ki (vital energy). His vision transformed Shiatsu into an art of holistic balance, where body, emotions, and mind were seen as inseparable.
Zen Shiatsu as the Art of Relationship
From East to West: A Meeting of Cultures
2. Harold Dull and the Birth of Watsu: Zen Shiatsu Meets Water
California in the 1970s: The Cradle of Holistic Therapies
From Experiment to Method: Water Shiatsu
At first, Dull experimented with practicing Shiatsu on a table immersed in water, but soon realized that the water itself could support the body. This led to the creation of Watsu (short for Water + Shiatsu): a method combining passive stretches, acupressure, and flowing movements, all sustained by buoyancy.
The Spread of Watsu in the United States and Europe
Word of mouth quickly spread this new method. From Harbin, Watsu expanded across the United States and then into Europe, first in Germany and later in Italy. Among the practitioners trained by Harold Dull in California was Giovanni Baccarani.
3. Carrying Forward the Legacy of Watsu: Giovanni Baccarani’s Path to Aquasoma®
Beyond Watsu: A Journey of Research
More than forty years after its creation, Watsu has become a term that refers to multiple warm-water bodywork practices, all sharing touch, support, and movement.
Giovanni Baccarani, founder of the International School of Watsu, chose to honor his teachers’ legacy while going beyond what he had received. He developed a more advanced model that blends tradition with innovation, opening a new path in aquatic bodywork.
The Master Key System: A New Paradigm
From his experience emerged the Master Key System (MKS), an original model that integrates the most effective elements of practice with the latest knowledge in functional anatomy, fascia theory, and neuroscience. The session abandons fixed protocols and instead follows a tonic-emotional dialogue, helping the receiver rediscover balance and wellbeing.
The Birth of Aquasoma®: The Evolution of Watsu
In 2021, to mark this turning point, Giovanni Baccarani and the team at the International School of Watsu created Aquasoma®. It is not a mere variation, but the natural evolution of Watsu into a new somatic language in water. The name itself conveys its essence: aqua and soma—the lived experience of the body, in water.
This new approach introduces a goal-oriented teaching method and an innovative curriculum for becoming a Specialist, unique to the International School of Watsu.
With Aquasoma®, aquatic bodywork gains a new voice that carries it into the future.
The receiver’s perspective
For those who receive it, Aquasoma® is an experience that goes beyond technique: a journey of care and transformation, where warm water becomes a safe space and touch becomes a language. Each session is unique, shaped by breath and by the needs of the moment. In this flow, the body relaxes, the nervous system resets, and the mind finds calm.
Want to discover all the benefits of Aquasoma®? 
Visit our dedicated Aquasoma® page.
Conclusion: from Watsu to Aquasoma®, a continuous thread of evolution
From the insights of Shizuto Masunaga, to the poetic creativity of Harold Dull, to the contemporary vision of Giovanni Baccarani, Watsu has always been a path of ongoing evolution. With Aquasoma®, aquatic bodywork enters a new era, where movement becomes listening, and listening is therapeutic (*).
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(*) DISCLAIMER
On this website, the terms "therapy" and "therapeutic" may be used with different meanings. When we refer to "therapy" or "therapeutic treatment" in a strict sense, we mean treatments provided exclusively by licensed professionals, such as physical therapists or other healthcare specialists, in full compliance with the laws of each country.
In other contexts, we use the terms "therapeutic" and "therapy" in a broader sense, referring to practices and experiences that, while not medical treatments, contribute to mental, emotional, and inner well-being. Simple moments—like a heartfelt conversation with friends that lifts your spirits or a comforting hug that soothes the heart—may not be "therapy" in a legal or medical sense, but they can still have a profoundly positive impact on our well-being. These experiences remind us that quality of life is built through human connections and the feeling of being seen and supported. Sometimes, what is "therapeutic" is simply what makes us feel alive, understood, and at peace with ourselves—without intending to replace medical treatments or encroach upon the field of medicine.
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