Your WATSU® Journey
Begin Your WATSU® Journey
Warm water offers a setting where the body can re-organize with less effort and more ease.
Here, support, buoyancy, and rhythmic movement create conditions for softening, regulation, and deepened presence.
WATSU® invites both practitioner and receiver into a state where movement is guided by attunement, stability, and breath.
Whether you come from a clinical background or are simply drawn to working in water, this pathway
guides you from foundational skills into fluid, confident practice.
What is WATSU®?
WATSU® is a passive form of aquatic bodywork in which the receiver is floated, supported, mobilised, and gently stretched.
Warm water reduces muscular tension and load on the spine, supporting the nervous system’s shift toward rest, recovery, and coherence.
Practitioners learn to work with the qualities of water — buoyancy, resistance, turbulence, and stillness
while maintaining clear boundaries, comfort, and safety for the receiver.
Across all levels, you will develop:
Grounded, ergonomic body mechanics
Stable and adaptable support for the head, spine, and limbs
Breath-aligned pacing and rhythmic orientation
Sensitivity to micro-shifts in tone, balance, and ease
Presence and non-verbal communication that support safety
The ability to follow emergent movement without forcing direction
Who Can Join?
Courses are open to anyone 18+.
W1 combines Basic WATSU® and Transition Flow.
Healthcare professionals (PT, OT, biokinetics, etc.) consistently report improved handling skills in and out of water.
Non-licensed practitioners may require additional training per WABA guidelines.
Basic WATSU® — 16 Hours
Entering the Water with Steadiness
Basic WATSU® forms your foundation. You learn the essential architecture of warm-water support —
how to hold, float, and move someone with reliability and ease while maintaining your own alignment.
You will learn:
Comfortable, secure support techniques
Foundational movements and simple sequences
Breath-paced rhythm as a stabilising element
Working with buoyancy and natural resistance
Building trust through clear, grounded contact
Outcome:
A confident, steady introduction to aquatic bodywork.
Prepares you for Transition Flow.
→ Begin Now — Join the Next Basic WATSU® Course
Transition Flow — 34 Hours
Where Movement Becomes Continuous
Transition Flow builds on BW and begins to shape a fluid movement language.
Movements link into seamless pathways, guided by your own centred stability and real-time listening to the receiver.
You will learn:
Smooth transitions between key positions
Centred posture that supports nervous-system regulation
Refined mechanics that increase ease and reduce effort
How to maintain continuous presence while moving
Outcome:
Fluid, integrated sequencing in water.
→ Flow Deeper — Join the Transition Flow Module
WATSU® 2 — 50 Hours
Expanding Depth
WATSU® 2 expands on your skills acquired in the previous levels. You learn more adaptable positions, stretches,
and mobilisations, allowing you to shape sessions uniquely to the person in your hands.
Each student will apply these techniques ONLY within their scope of practice.
You will learn:
Intermediate movements with adaptable variations
Gentle joint movements and fascial elongations
Individualised session planning and real-time adaptation
Clear session structure that remains flexible and responsive
Outcome:
The ability to offer grounded, attuned sessions with greater depth and attunement.
→ Grow Your Skills — Enrol in WATSU® 2
Your Instructor
All WATSU® 1 and WATSU® 2 courses in Cape Town, KZN, and Johannesburg in 2026 are
taught by Adéle Pudney, a WABA-registered W1 & W2 Instructor and Physiotherapist.
Her teaching integrates precise clinical understanding with the attentive, fluid listening that warm-water work encourages.