Matthew, his first experience of releasing fear of water

"I was on my long awaited holiday in Cornwall. I was determined to treat myself to a new complimentary therapy that I hadn't’t tried before as I’ve enjoyed Reiki so much for the past 2 years. After finding her website and leaving the details at home on my Cornish trip the year before, when I forgot the details again this time I spent some time at the campsite trawling the basic internet connection on my boyfriends mobile to find the Reiki Master at Cape Cornwall.
Delphiris explained she had a slot in the warm pool if I wanted to book a session. She explained the therapy is useful to help improve confidence in the water. Timid visions of my humiliating school swimming lessons came to mind and my sense of feeling like a laughing stock in the pool. As she is also a Reiki therapist she explained that this would contribute to the experience as well.
I didn’t quite know what to expect but perhaps if only I could not make prior judgements on events more often life could be better.

When I booked the session I asked Delphiris on the phone if there was anything I could do to prepare. She recommended that I connect with my breath. With a sense of dedication to get the most out of my Cornish holiday and also the session with Delphiris, I spent time on the beach staring into the sea aware of my breath and myself relaxing feeling positive and looking forward to session ahead of me.

I was in a very chirpy friendly mood when I met Delphiris. I felt she had a great steadiness about her. She had big friendly eyes and made me feel very welcome and made sure that we didn’t waste any time getting in the pool as soon as possible. The pool was lovely and warm. She faced me at the side of the pool, I felt like I was in safe hands and that I would hopefully do as much as I could to get as much benefit from the session as possible. Delphiris asked me how comfortable I was in the water. So I told her about my fear of deep water and that I learnt to swim quite late on.

Delphiris asked me to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth and calmly and steadily I followed her guidance and bobbed down a bit to breathe out into the water. I enjoyed a childlike sense of fun blowing the bubbles, peeling another layer of the stress from work and a recent biopsy away.

Delphiris noticed that as I came up for air I should try not to gasp and keep my breath more even. I felt like I had already learnt something useful about my response to water. Keeping my breath even, I inhaled air through my nose and let it bubble out of the water through my mouth gently, playfully and calmly.

I felt like I was able to trust Delphiris’s ability in the pool because she observed my breath so intently. She handed me the nose clip and then fitted some floats onto my legs. I did feel a tiny bit nervous but reassured when Delphiris told me just to grab her arm if I felt uncomfortable. Slowly Delphiris guided me further into the pool away from the edge.

Delphiris held my hands and we connected with breath, blowing bubbles into the water calmly and steadily. My eyes closed I was very relaxed.

I was aware that Delphiris had lifted me gently so my feet were swishing around with the rest of me, gracefully swaying as Delphiris guided my movements now.

All I had to do was just relax and maintain the link with my breath. Laying in the water, one way, and then the other, like a sleepy rock pool dance of seaweed swishing and swaying as the tide comes in. I felt the water on my face as Delphiris guided me deeper into the water in time to the rhythm of my breath.

Relaxed but not completely, I felt like I was doing better than I thought I would though. Calmly and bravely I let go and let my face swish under the water. I felt happy with myself. I blew some bubbles out. Delphiris bringing me back up for air at just the right time, I gently took in my air with almost a grace. It felt like part of the dance. I felt like I was even more relaxed now.

Most of the time the muscles in my limbs would go soft and floppy as my body was gently swished and swayed around, stretched and pushed together like a concertina, arms and legs worked around in circles. Various muscles did seem to tighten up and resist the movement and then go floppy again. I felt a nice little click in my spine too (which since this I have had no trouble with my lower back which was becoming a concern). I also experienced my jaw tighten with my teeth clenched together briefly. This sensation automatically reminded me of dreams when I feel real pressure in my jaw and unable to open my mouth. This to passed without being a discomfort.

As Delphiris guided me deeper under water in forward and backward tumbles part of me for a brief moment felt like “what’s going on?” but the rest of me was so relaxed I just went with it. When I surfaced I opened my eyes to orient myself and was ready for the next underwater twirl. There became a certain rhythm between my breath and the movements. I didn’t really know which way I was swaying and tumbling. My body guided, head over heels I allowed myself to smile when I surfaced. In fact I couldn't hold it back. A big broad grin. I would have chuckled if I wasn’t so relaxed. I felt surprised by the sense of fun.

My time spent underwater seemed to lengthen each time, tumbling and twisting, arms and legs circling. As I am brought back up for air there is a long pause. I let out the breathe that stayed inside me as we danced, like a sigh. I paused again and slowly drew in fresh air. Every time I came up I couldn’t wait to swirl underwater again. Although deeply relaxed now, I felt playful. I felt like an otter or a seal. Pictures of how they move came to mind.

I saw in my mind’s eye a beautiful pale blue and sometimes shafts of golden sunlight coming into the pool and brightened everything up. The blue glow felt like a tunnel of light to me it was darker around the edges and brighter towards the centre.

As Delphiris guided my movement in different directions and somersault motions I always felt as if I was exploring a tunnel towards a light with otters and seals around me. This was my personal playful experience freely enjoyed whilst I let my right brain run riot free from worry. This all came so easily and I loved it!

I then became aware of myself feeling different. I grabbed my hands together for some reason. I was aware that my face was partly out of the water whilst Delphiris cradled me upright. I felt a strong sense of compassion and care from her. I was aware that I was holding my right fist with my left hand squashed into my face as my head hung low blowing bubbles on the surface of the water. My baby face frowning. Part of me was distantly observing. Surprised and amazed. I understood that I was now a baby or even a foetus state of mind.

I felt a sense of completeness I was also experiencing a mixture of emotions that I couldn’t put into words. The only tangible feeling was of vulnerability and the need to be nurtured. Delphiris held my hands over my heart. The distant observer in me had a voice. I thought “this is really important”. I felt as though I was concentrating on healing for myself and hoped that some of my own Reiki was working with my hands crossed on my heart.

I was vaguely aware of Delphiris gently massaging my face, temples and neck and gently easing out and stretching my arms, whilst gently supporting my back with the wall of the pool and softly speaking me back into the conscious world. Guiding me to breathe in more air breath right down to my feet and let out the air with a smooth aaah haaah haaaah! I laughed out loud with a release.

A great weight lifted from my shoulders. It was a strange gaspy laugh followed by strange gaspy crying perhaps how I would If I’d been sky diving or something like that. My face screwed up with a wave of emotion I hugged smiling Delphiris with such gratitude. I felt deeply moved as if I had been on the best roller coaster, seen the best film ever, and seen the best magic trick ever all rolled into one!

I can recall Delphiris saying something about 45 Minutes not being long enough for me. I felt confused because I felt like I had been in the pool for 15 minutes. When Delphiris was sure I was back on my feet and more grounded, she guided me out of the pool and handed me a big warm blanket and asked me how I was. I wanted to say I needed lots of chocolate and then thought about how I really felt.

I explained how I felt like I’d really been through something and that I felt so surprised by the effects of the session. I shared my feeling of release with Delphiris. I said I’m not sure what I did release though. Delphiris explained this was an unconscious release. At this point I knew I didn’t have to analyze this and accept the experience for what it was. I feel so grateful for this experience and look back with a profound happiness that this was a turning point, a milestone on my way to a better, happier, and healthier me.

Now I’m back home and I’ve had time to contemplate, I just keep thinking what an amazing experience this was, to feel so safe in the water and be lulled into such a deep deep state of relaxation and awareness. I’m filled with delight by extraordinary memories of being in an almost foetus like state that I really didn’t want to leave. I enjoy with glee the mental pictures of swirling through an illuminated sea tunnel with seals and otters as though they were long lost kin in a playground and savour the memories and sensations of gracefully somersaulting underwater as Delphiris guided my body as if I were a kite.

I’m still amazed how it went so quickly.
I’ve had a greatly varied and interesting life, I’ve over come 5 years of chronic pain with Reiki which has profoundly changed my life and even so, I’ve never been so deeply moved. I imagine it must be a similar feeling to when you first see your own child come into the world. I know with this experience I have certainly found deep healing for my soul.

This leaves me a different view of the human body. How the human body can respond to the stimulus of the therapy as if it’s designed to be able to respond, as naturally as our teeth are designed to chew food, as naturally as our eyes are designed to perceive, as naturally and easily as the body responds to getting nourishment from food!

Please find attached a picture of my beaming grin that my other half took right after the session. So it’s plain to see the effect the aqua healing touch had on me":