WATSU

HEALING IN WARM WATER: REST, HEAL, RESTORE, AND RECONNECT

Our WATSU Warm Water Therapy Project offers a profound form of care for people living with trauma, chronic illness, disability, and other life challenges. In a heated pool, participants are held and guided through gentle movement, a practice that soothes the nervous system, relieves pain, and restores a sense of safety in the body.

What is WATSU?

WATSU (short for Water Shiatsu) is a therapeutic practice performed in a warm pool (around 93–94 degrees). Supported by a practitioner and buoyed by floats, participants are gently moved through stretches, rotations, and stillness.

The water’s weightlessness relieves pressure from joints and muscles while the experience invites deep nervous system repair. For many, it feels like being “re-birthed” into safety, ease, and connection.

What WATSU is Good For

WATSU has powerful benefits for both physical and emotional healing:

  • Anxiety & Depression — easing overwhelm and restoring balance.

  • PTSD & Trauma Recovery — the cradling and holding help re-establish trust and safety.

  • Spine & Neurological Conditions — including MS, Parkinson’s, and other spine-related disorders.

  • Migraines & Sciatica — reducing pain through decompression and gentle release.

  • Perinatal Support — easing stress and supporting the body before and after birth
    watsu.

Accessing WATSU Through TendWell

At TendWell, we believe care should be available to everyone, not just those who can afford it. Right now, certified practitioner Aubrey Kelly offers WATSU in Portland a few days each month. Sessions cost $125 for the practitioner’s time plus $50 for the pool rental.

To make WATSU more accessible, we are building a scholarship fund:

  • A $50 donation covers the pool rental, reducing the cost for clients.

  • Larger gifts allow us to subsidize or fully cover entire sessions, bringing WATSU into reach for those living with disability, trauma, or financial hardship
    Watsu

  • We also offer trade commerce opportunities for WATSU. Contact Us to inquire.

Your Gift Creates Access

  • $50 covers the pool rental fee for one session.

  • $125 funds the practitioner’s session fee.

  • $300 provides a month of weekly sessions for someone in need.

  • $1,800 sponsors a full two-month healing series for someone living with chronic illness or disability.


    Every contribution makes WATSU accessible to those who need it most.

Long-Term Goal

We’ve already raised $3,020. With $50,000, we can create a dedicated WATSU pool at Enthea Tea House — making warm water therapy sustainably affordable and available to the community

Stretching Your Impact

We also welcome trade and in-kind contributions (such as equipment, pool rental sponsorships, or professional services). With partnerships, your donation can stretch twice as far — serving two people for the cost of one.

UPDATE ZEFFY

Two women in a Watsu session, floating in an infinity pool on a hilltop, with a backdrop of trees and mountains.

Support WATSU

WATSU offers a unique path to healing for people living with trauma, disability, and chronic illness. In a warm pool, participants are gently held and supported, easing pain, calming the nervous system, and restoring a sense of safety in the body. With accessibility and equity at the center, we provide scholarships to reduce session costs and are working toward building Portland’s first community-based WATSU pool.

Your donation helps expand access to this life-changing therapy, ensuring more people can experience the healing power of water. Support the WATSU Project today!