Relating & Mirroring
Relating & Mirroring is a dance of presence where empathy flows through water, connection becomes movement, and each gesture reflects the soul being seen.
Immerse yourself in the healing embrace of water and experience movement in an entirely new way. Developed by Alexander George in 1993, Healing Dance is more than just a technique—it is an invitation to let go, trust, and be carried by the natural flow of water. Through gentle waves, spirals, and stretches, the body finds a profound sense of lightness and release, while the mind drifts into a state of deep relaxation and presence.
Relating & Mirroring explores the art of attunement and deep connection in aquatic bodywork. It combines principles of, authentic movement, and intuitive presence on land and in water.
Practitioners learn to follow and support the receiver’s natural impulses in motion and stillness. The course cultivates fluid responsiveness, creating space for transformation and healing.
Relating & Mirroring
Relating & Mirroring is a 25-hour course that explores one of the most subtle and essential dimensions of aquatic bodywork: the ability to deeply attune to the receiver and respond with presence, sensitivity, and grace. This training invites practitioners to move beyond technique and into the realm of authentic connection, where movement becomes a shared language and healing arises through relationship.
Drawing on the science of mirror neurons—which explains how we instinctively feel and respond to others—this course offers a unique blend of theory, experiential learning, and creative exploration. It begins on land with practices such as authentic movement, mirroring through dance, and exercises in presence and deep listening. These activities cultivate embodied awareness and strengthen the practitioner’s ability to stay grounded while attuning to another person’s rhythms and impulses.
In the water, the focus shifts to learning how to follow, support, and reflect the receiver’s spontaneous movements, both in motion and stillness. Practitioners explore key principles such as joining, extending, and holding space, using the water’s natural properties to co-create sessions that feel intuitive, fluid, and deeply nurturing.
Verbal skills are also introduced, helping practitioners craft invitations and frameworks that support emotional safety and freedom of expression. This encourages the receiver’s own process of unwinding, self-discovery, and release.
More than just a skill-building course, Relating & Mirroring offers a space for personal growth. As you learn to accompany others with empathy and presence, you may also experience your own journey of unfolding—of being seen, mirrored, and held in return.
20- 24 OCTOBER
Intensive full-day training
POLYNESIA WATSU CENTER
Moorea – French Polynesia
125.000 XPF
5-Day Course- 25-Hour International WABA Certification –
Includes Lodging, recreational Activities in Moorea
Healthy Lunch – Snacks – Lagoon Tour
Inika Spence-Whaley
Senior instructor, teaching all the classes of Healing Dance®
I am a senior instructor, teaching all the classes of Healing Dance®. I also teach WATSU® I and II and Aquatic Contact Dance. I have been an aquatic body worker since 1996, working at Harbin Hot Springs as a WATSU, WaterDance and Healing Dance Practitioner. I have over 2800 hours of training and over 4500 hours teaching aquatic bodywork. I have been teaching WATSU and Healing Dance since 1999. I studied Somatic Experiencing, a body-based trauma therapy, in 2007. It has informed my aquatic bodywork, creating a safe environment for traumas to be revealed and possibly let go. With colleague, Diane Tegtmeier, we teach AquaPresence for Trauma, an introduction to trauma-informed aquatic bodywork. Healing Dance is a major part of that class. During my 20 years at Harbin Hot Springs, I became the Director of the Harbin School of Healing Arts, a massage school that featured aquatic bodywork. When Harbin burned in 2015 I moved, with my husband, to the Big Island of Hawaii where I teach and give sessions.
Water has been my element since as a small child building sandcastles and playing in the waves in Florida where I lived. I have a degree in Marine Biology and learned to scuba dive way back in 1971. I worked as a dolphin communication researcher, teaching and being taught by 2 bottle-nosed dolphins. When a friend told me to go to Harbin Hot Springs and get “swished around” in the water I got hooked! I spent 20 years there playing, learning and experimenting with aquatic bodywork in the “Mother” warm pool where aquatic bodywork was birthed.
I live on the Big Island of Hawaii near a 20×27 foot pool where I give sessions and teach. I also teach in the Western United States (including Harbin and other pools), I have taught in New Zealand, Australia, and Europe.
I love to free dive in the crystal waters of the Big Island. My favorite is to explore caves and nooks and crannies of the coral reefs; searching for octopus and identifying marine life. When I need to dry out, I hike and bird watch. I have also found an alternate passion: abstract art. Sunsets at the beach, with my husband and friends, are always a treat.
Healing Dance has been my preferred modality in my sessions. After taking one class of Healing Dance from Alexander in 1996, I learned so much about the water, fluidity and flowing transitions. After that class of Healing Dance, I knew Healing Dance would be “my” modality. I influenced the work through the years, bringing more therapy and presence. Relating and Mirroring is the core of the work and allows me to listen, follow and be with my client in a way that brings healing through movement and stillness. My classes are informed by my extensive work as a therapist and therefore bring a grounded and practical aspect to my teaching. I bring grace to the water and convey that grace to my students through my knowledge of movement and experience in yoga, tai chi, dance and meditation. I am excited about the future of Healing Dance and the team we are building!
POLYNESIA WATSU CENTER
Moorea Island (French Polynesia)
Located on the mystical island of Moorea, the Polynesian Watsu Center is nestled by the serene natural lake of Temae, within a nationally protected area rich in unique flora and fauna.
In 2022, we completed the construction of a 10-meter by 3.5-meter infinity pool, seamlessly integrated into the natural environment. This saltwater therapeutic pool serves as a dedicated space for various aquatic therapy practices, including educational programs and private sessions. The water temperature is maintained at approximately 33°C, creating the perfect setting for water-based therapies.
Our center is situated in the Temae area of Moorea, just five minutes from the iconic Temae Beach, near the golf club and the airport.
We also offer a spacious terrace of over 100 square meters, designed for land-based therapeutic activities and courses. Surrounding our center, you will find more than 100 different plant species, which we nurture with love and passion, ensuring harmony with the natural environment.
Introduction to Healing Dance®:
Program course
Relating & Mirroring – 25-Hour Certification Course
The Relating & Mirroring course provides 25 hours of credit toward the international WABA practitioner path and is a core component of the Healing Dance® certification program.
5-Day Immersive Training in Relating & Mirroring
Join us for a transformative 3-day journey into the heart of Relating & Mirroring, where empathy, presence, and intuitive movement come together to deepen your connection with receivers in the water. This immersive course blends land-based and aquatic practices to develop the art of attunement and the capacity to meet others through movement, breath, and stillness.
Program Highlights
Each day invites you to refine your sensitivity, presence, and relational awareness—the keys to offering sessions that are deeply connected and healing. Techniques are introduced within a supportive and creative learning environment that honors both structure and spontaneous exploration.
The course builds upon foundational aquatic bodywork training, offering:
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Practices in attunement, mirroring, and authentic movement
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Exploration of mirror neurons and the neurobiology of empathy
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Land-based exercises to cultivate presence, listening, and relational awareness
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Water-based techniques to follow and support the receiver in motion and stillness
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Key principles such as joining, extending, holding space, and creative responsiveness
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Introduction to verbal invitations for spontaneous movement and emotional expression
You will also experience your own unfolding process as a practitioner, supported by a learning space that values both giving and receiving, reflection, and self-awareness. The course encourages you to expand your intuitive skills while developing confidence in relational dynamics that emerge naturally in aquatic sessions.
Whether you’re looking to deepen your existing practice or integrate more intuitive, responsive elements into your aquatic work, Relating & Mirroring offers a powerful opportunity for transformation—both professionally and personally.
Come explore how Healing Dance® can teach you not only to move, but to truly meet.
Course Objectives
During this training, participants will learn to:
Cultivate deep presence to attune with the receiver on physical, emotional, and energetic levels.
Develop mirroring skills on land and in water to reflect the receiver’s natural movements with empathy and precision.
Understand the role of mirror neurons and their application in creating meaningful connection in aquatic bodywork.
Practice authentic movement and dance mirroring to enhance listening, responsiveness, and relational sensitivity.
Learn to support spontaneous movement and emotional expression with safety, respect, and non-judgment.
Refine aquatic technique to follow and extend the receiver’s impulses in both motion and stillness.
Apply verbal skills to create clear, supportive invitations for exploration and trust-building.
Integrate intuitive awareness into your practice, balancing technique with creativity and relational flow.
SCHEDULE
- Day 1: 14:00 – 18:00
- Days 2 to 4: 09:00 – 18:00 (including a 1.5-hour break
- Day 5: 07:30 – 12:00 (external activity)
- Recreational Activities: Whales Lagoon Tour
Benefits and How a Session Works
A Healing Dance session offers deep relaxation, emotional release, and a profound connection with the body. The warm water supports fluid movement, relieving physical tension while calming the mind. Through gentle spirals, stretches, and still moments, the practitioner guides the body into a state of weightlessness and ease. The experience fosters a deep sense of release, allowing both physical and emotional renewal as movement and water blend harmoniously.
Before the session, the participant consults with the practitioner and takes a cleansing shower. In the pool, leg floats are fitted for support, and a short meditation helps transition into relaxation. As the session begins, the practitioner lifts the participant into the water, cradling their head and sacrum while guiding rhythmic movements in sync with their breath. The water acts as a partner, creating a sense of expansion and freedom. If an underwater session is chosen, a nose clip is provided, and careful breath signaling ensures a smooth and safe experience.
The session concludes with a gradual return to an upright position, allowing time to integrate the experience. The participant may share reflections or simply absorb the stillness. Each session is a unique and deeply personal journey, offering healing, release, and a moment of profound peace.
Psychological, Emotional, and Mental Effects
- Induces profound relaxation
- Cultivates joy, restoring your inner source of health, energy, and vitality
- Promotes deep states of gratitude and an ecstatic connection with life
- Strengthens relationships with yourself, your partner, family, and community
- Helps resolve past traumas related to water, birth, and near-drowning experiences
- Enhances mental clarity and focus, improving overall efficiency and inner calm
Physical Effects on the whole body
- Instills deep relaxation and stress relief
- Supports post-traumatic rehabilitation, aiding recovery from fractures and injuries
- Releases physical tension, promoting overall well-being
- Enhances body awareness, fostering a deeper connection with oneself
- Improves flexibility and range of motion
- Stimulates circulation and boosts the lymphatic system
- Relieves chronic pain and muscular stiffnes
Testimonials
What people say about our courses
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Who is this course for?
This course is designed for aquatic bodyworkers, massage therapists, somatic practitioners, and anyone who wishes to deepen their capacity for presence, empathy, and intuitive connection in water. It is ideal for those who have completed Healing Dance® I or Watsu® I and are ready to explore the relational and energetic dimensions of aquatic work. Whether you’re looking to expand your professional skills or enrich your personal practice, Relating & Mirroring offers a profound opportunity for growth and transformation.
Do I need any previous experience to participate?
Yes. To participate in this course, you must have completed Healing Dance® I, Watsu® I, or have equivalent experience in aquatic bodywork.
How are the activities structured during the course?
Attending a Healing Dance class may be unlike anything you have ever experienced. It combines experiential learning in the water with cognitive learning on land. In the water you will learn by giving and receiving movements that form a sequence. On land you will review the material you practiced in the water, going over the details and asking any questions you have. Time is also devoted to sharing and exchanging grounding bodywork to balance the hours spent in the water. So, water time alternates with land time throughout the course.
What can I take home after the seminar?
After completing Relating & Mirroring, you will take home a deeper ability to connect with receivers through presence, empathy, and intuitive movement. You gain refined skills in mirroring, following, and supporting spontaneous expression in water.
You also develop practical tools for creating emotionally safe and responsive sessions, along with verbal techniques to guide and invite movement. Most importantly, you leave with greater confidence, relational awareness, and trust in your ability to meet others authentically in both water and life.
Can I work professionally after this course?
Relating & Mirroring is an advanced elective within the Healing Dance® certification pathway, but it does not, by itself, qualify you to work professionally as a certified practitioner. It is designed to deepen your skills in attunement, presence, and relational awareness and serves as a valuable complement to your core training.
To work professionally as a Healing Dance® Practitioner, you must complete the full certification path, including Healing Dance® I & II and other required courses recognized by WABA (Worldwide Aquatic Bodywork Association). This course is an important step in that journey.
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