Floatation Therapy

I’m sure by now most of you have heard about Floatation Therapy. If you haven’t heard about it from a friend, you might have seen an ad for it on your commute to work. It’s funny how those ads work right? You’re making your way to the train, each step on the pavement is harder than the last, you’re listening to music to get yourself ready for the grind at work, and then you’re hit in the face by multiple ads on the train on how to escape it all. Genius.

Since floatation therapy works to calm the mind and body, it is an ideal practice for those that are sleep deprived, work long hours, and need to re-charge. Floating naturally lowers stress hormones and releases endorphins, which can last for days. It also has amazing beauty benefits such as detoxification, muscle tension relief, and gives the skin a nice afterglow.

Using Classpass, I registered for a 60 minute Flotation Therapy session (39 credits) at om.life in Jersey City. I didn’t know what to expect at all, or how to prep for it, so I read the FAQ’s listed on their website the night before. This is really important to do because you can compromise the quality of your experience if you aren’t aware of some basic things. For example, you shouldn’t shave before your session because the Epsom salt will sting. Ouch! This might be an obvious thing to avoid, but it’s so easy to forget about it.

When I got to om.life, I was greeted by Kelly with a bright smile at 9AM. She had me fill out a basic form on an iPad and then gave me a pair of sandals to switch into. We then walked over to a private room where she gave me a run through of the session which goes a little something like this:

1. You must shower before getting into the floatation pod. There’s an open shower right outside of the pod, in your private room. There is shampoo, body wash, and conditioner available. The conditioner is only to be used post-floatation. You go into the pod completely naked. No bathing suit.

2. There are ear plugs, q-tips, and vaseline available. These ear plugs in particular are great because they are waxy and you can mold them to your ear without fear of them falling out. Kelly encouraged me to put them on before I showered so that I got the feeling of them in my ears. The earplugs help prevent the Epsom salt from crystalizing in your ears. The vaseline was there to put on any minor cuts to prevent any stinging.

3. If it’s your first time floating, you might experience some soreness or a heaviness around the shoulders. To prevent this, there’s this halo-like piece that you can rest your head on while floating. I decided to use it and I’m so glad I did because I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.

4. There’s a little spray bottle of water that you can bring inside the pod and lean against the wall in case you get salt water in your eyes. I brought it with me, but thankfully, didn’t have to use it.

5. Once you are in the pod, you can adjust the lights and the music, on or off. After 60 minutes, there will be a gentle woman’s voice that will let you know the session is over and the lights will turn back on.

6. Once you’re session is over, you take another shower to rinse all of the salt off and condition your hair. I recommend bringing some body lotion, moisturizer for your face, a brush/comb, and a leave-in conditioner for your hair.

7. Change into your clothes and go on up to the spa room to enjoy some more relaxation. I poured myself a cup of tea and relaxed some more before I made my way out.

Once Kelly left the room, I showered and made my way into the pod. The pod is really large, so I didn’t feel claustrophobic, and it holds about 10-12 inches of water. The water was warm, but not as warm as I anticipated. After a couple of minutes, the water felt perfect. Turns out, it’s the same temperature as your body. Not too hot, not too cold. I started the session with the starry ceiling and the meditation music playing. I closed my eyes and rested my head on the halo and tried to relax. I made a conscious effort to try and relax all of my muscles. I did that, but I still felt trapped in my mind and body.

I decided to turn off the music and the lights and completely surrender myself. I was now in utter darkness and silence. It was almost instantly that I felt like I was on a different level. Like I was transported into a different realm. I felt weightless. Weightless in every sense of the word. Weightless from my own body weight, from my thoughts, from any stress and anxiety I’ve been carrying, from the daily hustle…weightless from anything and everything that wasn’t serving me goodness.

I needed that.

Have you tried Flotation Therapy? Let me know in the comments!

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