biography

"The water is a gatekeeper to my emotions. It is the mirror to my soul."  Sophie Lewis

Sophie Lewis specialises in Waterbody, a form of therapeutic bodywork in water, through which she teaches people how to connect with the water and use their experiences within it in a meditative way. She is one of a growing number of experts in this new and burgeoning field. She has been featured on Radio 4’s Women’s Hour, The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Express, The Evening Standard, Time Out, Zest Magazine and written and published articles on different aspects of the subject.

Sophie began her aquatic training in 2000 after spending years exploring her body in the water; through swimming, breath-work, yoga-stretches, playful acrobatics, free-diving and simply just ‘being’ immersed. Since qualifying; as a registered Shaw Method teacher and Ai Chi instructor in 2000 and in Watsu Basic and Level One in 2003, she has worked extensively with thousands of people in both the UK and abroad; from people who are nervous in water to Iron Man tri-athletes and Channel swimmers, from dancers and students training to teach, to those with back injuries, health complaints and others recovering from strokes or surgery.

It was during her experiences over the last seven years that Sophie began to recognise there was a visible moment, whilst working with people, when she could see a clear transformation within how someone was connecting with the water. At this moment she felt, as she termed, they had become a ‘Waterbody’; a moment when the person had let go of trying too hard to ‘conquer’ it and begun instead to let the water hold and support them as they moved through it. As she made this discovery she started to incorporate different approaches and techniques within her work to help deepen people’s ‘Waterbody’ understanding and consequently began to form Waterbody™ as unique approach with which to connect to the water.

Within sessions Sophie listens and responds, moment by moment, as to what each individual's needs are and, drawing upon her broad base of skills gathered from both her teaching experience and own personal learning, she is able to deliver an insightful holistic learning opportunity. Sophie is fascinated and inspired by the processes people require to learn, especially in relation to developing body awareness, and is passionate about discovering the most effective and enjoyable ways to convey the content of Waterbody sessions. She is committed to providing the highest professional standards within this environment.

Sophie formally trained as a fine art textile artist at Goldsmiths’ College, London, and worked  with both photography and textiles before building her water-based career. She exhibited photographic work in the 90’s around the UK and has since combined both passions, working on photographic projects, short films and dance performance in water, with artists such as Morag Wightman, David Boulounge, Dominique Golden and presently Emma Critchley. 

Sophie’s long-term intention is to broaden people’s awareness about Water Consciousness © through both her teaching and art-based research projects.