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requiring having taken one Upledger class, others up through advanced classes. Clients receive treatment at the dolphin facility, where a therapist often supports them at the feet while the client f loats on their back, though clients are supported in whatever way they request. In addition, the clients receive multi-hands CST on the treatment table and/or in the pool. The dolphins facilitate treatment through the sounds they make, the wave patterns they create, and touch. They can also transmit ultrasound waves, which humans can't track easily. During my time in the Bahamas at this bioaquatic exploration class, I learned how DACST could help improve my everyday work with clients. Here are seven ways the class can benefit your practice. 1. Working in Water Bioaquatic classes teach new techniques and how to apply CST in the water. Observing changes in shape and tension patterns in the body becomes easier since water magnifies these changes. Any slight change or movement of the body is ref lected in the water. If you look to the left when f loating on your back without moving any other part of your body, including your neck, your body will turn left. Also, water is liberating—you can shout, punch, or scream and process intense emotions in water without alarming or hurting anyone. The environment of the water allows you to move with ease through ideas, issues, and difficult memories. The body frees up to move and position itself in ways that are not possible on land. Many different speeds of movement are made possible in water—from big, fast movements to complete stillness and support. Spinning quickly may be helpful, and the therapists working with you can facilitate that movement. Alternatively, being compressed into different shapes and held still may be what is needed. It's common for someone to form a fetal position and crave compression in water; the therapists can provide that from 360 degrees. The saltwater of the ocean makes bodies more buoyant, allowing you to physically let go of tension patterns, along with the support of the therapists. The motion of the waves can be soothing and sometimes provide the agitation needed to bring forward something new to work through. Facilitating all these possibilities requires an understanding of how to use the properties of water, keen observation, and adapting your therapeutic touch. 2. Dolphins DACST sessions are a multisensory experience. Not only do you experience the cool touch of the water, but the dolphins' clicks, whistles, and squeaks envelop you. During one of my sessions, I was f loating on my back, supported by my colleague at my ankles, and I became aware of a wave pattern the dolphins created. My A B M P m e m b e r s ea r n F R E E C E h o u r s by rea d i n g t h i s i s s u e ! 63 KEY POINT • Working in a bioaquatic class brings a completely different somatic experience to clients and practitioners. And skills learned can translate to table work on land. body responded with a gentle undulation from my head down to my pelvis, but it didn't continue to my legs. Right when I thought I would like more presence in my legs to access the undulation, a dolphin swam underneath my right leg, causing it to feel very alive and vibrant. After the dolphin left, I thought, "I want that for my left leg. Can I do it myself? Will my left leg copy my right leg?" Then, a dolphin swam underneath my left leg, giving it the same response of being alive and vibrant. Suddenly, I could feel the undulation all the way through my body. I was in awe of the experience, and it was a clear demonstration of the power of my thoughts. That change in how my legs felt stayed with me six months later, making it easier to feel steady and more grounded. I found in these sessions that the dolphins became the primary therapist, and the therapist became the support. 3. Getting Your Own Treatment In all of Upledger's CST classes, the instructors remind students that receiving CST regularly is essential to improving their effectiveness. This basic tenet is true for all forms of bodywork. A healed healer is an ideal aspiration for us all. Additionally, we learn clinically from how the touch feels, a vital component to refining our skills. On each of the four days during my bioaquatic class, there was time to treat one another in the different environments: the ocean, the