Water Rebozo, a restorative practice.

We believe that in this time and age, where everything is so fast and open, we can easily feel overwhelmed by our environments. It becomes hard to integrate, digest information and rest our system.

From our experience, as water therapists and doulas, we have observed that water relaxation and aquatic bodywork are very direct and efficient ways to release tensions. We believe that in water we can create safety, allowing bodies and stories to unfold. Bringing the fabrics in the water allowed us to define the comfort zone, reducing the space around, unifying the body as well as concentrating the energetical field. 

We work for a long time in warm pools, lacs and seas, exploring the fields of inutereo life, birth and rebirth, wellness and deep listening of the body.  The feeling of being supported and witnessed with care and affection are essential to us, this is how this practice came about. Being held, connected to the mother's energy,  just like a newborn allows us to receive and surrender. The gentle, cloth-supported movements in warm water naturally becomes a restorative practice. The mind disconnects from time and space, entering into a meditative cognisance with the fabric. It is as if one was in a huge membrane or large womb.

In total reverence to traditional midwifery and birth keepers, we have maintained the name rebozo in their honour. Rebozo in spanish means « xaile » (shawl), it is used widely in Mexican culture to aid mother’s physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. Over hundreds of years, the art of wrapping has been developed on land, containing the body and utilising gravity. In the air, we find larger fabrics in aerial yoga and circus practices. In the water, we use lycra in different colours and sizes to be able to embrace the entire body and sometimes several people together. 

We can give input to move and stretch the bodies or open the fabric widely to invite the person’s inner movements and freedom. The combination of movements, the touch of the fabric and the responses of the water, will bring fluidity, stimulating and increasing the viscosity of the myofascial body, which is the layer that lies between the skin and the muscles. This expands the life force.

To give contrast and rhythm, we need to add pauses. The fabric is a great tool for resting and integration. We create a cocoon where silence can be found, especially when the person is immersed fully. We wrap the Water Rebozo (or Aqua Rebozo) around the body, supporting the weight of the head and the pelvis for more comfort. The fabric and the water become allies, supporting our experiences and serving the healing process.  

As Michel Odent explains in his article in 1983, “Birth under water”;  Inside the water, the reduction of the sensory stimulation, the reduction of the effect of gravity, the alteration of the nervous conduction and peripheral vascular action even help women in the first stage of labour. The mere sight of water and the sounds of it filling the pool are sometimes sufficient stimuli to release inhibitions and reach a certain state of consciousness where birth can occur. 

Water Rebozos can be used in the birth pools and bath tubes, as in labour we often need points of support and security, the fabrics' interface may help to cope with contractions, and welcome the body for relaxation in between the waves of the birth journey. Water is not just and always a peaceful agent, it also brings agitation, storms, a lot of emotional mobilisation, which is why it’s powerful to connect with it at a deep level, and find the balance within this dance. 

Although we designed these techniques first for pregnancy general wellness (for better mobility, lumbar and pelvic care, adding also more pleasure to the water sessions, and to explore the body's natural changes), we see how valuable it becomes in childbirth preparation as a subjective and symbolic experience. We also hope that women will carry positive sensations into her postpartum.

Even though, as Water Doulas, we are mainly involved in the maternity field, we recognise that this work offers access to a larger spectrum of care. It can go from being a playful experience to an intentional therapeutic approach. It is connected to the water element at large, in utero memories, deep inner listening and embodiment. 

We have been developing this research since 2017 and we finally managed (with 2 new daughters born in 2019 & 2020) to launch our Water Rebozo courses and an online module. We continue to explore the potential of bringing fabrics in the warm water and how it meets in different territories. In our own small way, we hope to contribute to the global movement for the awakening of the respected birth and the integral care of women.

contact: waterdoulas@gmail.com

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