Liquid Listening
Musical Hydrotherapy
Musical Hydrotherapy is an innovative therapy combining listening to sound inside the water alongside aquatic body therapy techniques to:
- relax body and mind
- inspire movement, stretching, vocalisation and stillness
- enhance wellbeing
- develop an appreciation to sound and music.
In November 2025 we had Liquid Listening installed into the pool at school, this was funded by Friends of Orchard Brae. Some staff also underwent the training to use the system.
After installation there was a week of training. The week started with staff practicing on each other and learning the key principles of liquid listening. The final two days gave opportunities to run sessions with pupils- we had 36 pupils in the water across two days.
It was incredible to see the learners relax into sessions and move their bodies in the water. Almost all of the pupils left the pool relaxed, it was a challenge to get some of them out of the pool! The training supported staff regulation and gave a wonderful example of what co-regulation can look like for our learners.
The training build on work which has been done through Special Yoga training, with staff making links throughout the Liquid Listening sessions. It also ties in with CLPL which staff have undertaken in Intensive Interaction for supporting our learners.
The enthusiasm for the learning spilled out throughout the school, with staff sharing their excitement with their colleagues. ‘Fantastic’, ‘Calming’, ‘Tranquil’, and ‘Relaxing’ were words used by the group of staff.
Quotes from staff:
‘I enjoyed being able to engage with so many of our pupils. It was great to see how they all reacted differently when entering the pool. Very relaxing experience over all, and I am happy I was part of the liquid listening training.’
‘I so loved the opportunity to train with Liquid Listening, the whole experience was so beautiful. The way the sessions are set up lead the child towards a safe, gentle, sensory, deeply connective experience in water. Seeing and feeling the children release tension and truly immerse in the sound and water was a joy to watch. It’s a beautiful moment between staff and child, the water makes you move as one, the child’s body guides you and the experience is therapeutic for all in the water.’
As we now have the system installed and staff trained this can now be offered to pupils in school going forward.
