In the spirit of self-care, I am willing to try most anything once. I found a buy one get one offer for a float spa over the holidays and decided to try it out. The float therapy company I tried was True Rest Float Spa. Since I had two sessions, I decided to take my daughter with me. As a college student dealing with anxiety, she doesn’t sleep that well at night and it is said it helps with sleep. Of course, I wanted to try it for my Fibromyalgia pain relief.
What is Float Therapy?
In case you aren’t familiar with the float therapy concept, it is a sensory deprivation experience to assist your brain in resting. You are in a pod and float for 60 minutes. Think of an Epsom Salt bath on steroids. Here are some benefits:
- Relaxation
- Pain Relief
- Better Sleep
- Increased Blood Flow
- Increased Creativity
Watch this video from True REST Float Spa explaining float therapy:
Now that you know what this is, let me tell you about my first Float Therapy Experience.
When you first arrive as a “new floater” you watch a short video with the dos and don’ts and what the experience will be like. There were a couple of items in the video that really stood out to my daughter and me. It states you should lie down and get into a comfortable position and then don’t move for the remaining 60 minutes. Ummmm…. I am a fidgeter and can’t ever stay still. I already see this being a problem. The second comment that really jumped out at us was that you can hallucinate during the float and see colors and shapes. It explained the reasoning behind this but truthfully, I don’t remember since I was in shock that was even a possibility. (Neither one of has this happen.)
After the video, you get a tour of the facility. It was very nice and clean. There are two restrooms and a “prep” room. The prep room is essentially a room where you can primp after the float, they have hair dryers, mirrors and counter space. This would be beneficial if you had to go somewhere afterwards. The pod rooms have showers with body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. There are towels and ear plugs, so your ears aren’t full of saltwater. They explain that you need to shower prior to getting into the pod and then obviously when you get out.
Time to Float
After showering I got into the pod and it was surprisingly comfortable. I am not sure why I was expecting it to be cold water. I asked about this afterwards and was told that the water should be same temperature as your body to assist with the sensory deprivation. There is music that plays for the first ten minutes to help you transition and then it comes back on the last five minutes to warn you that it is time to get out. You can request music to play the entire 60 minutes if you prefer. There is a control knob so you can turn the pod light on or off and even change the color. Remember this is supposed to be sensory deprivation which means you should be in the dark and without the music.
The video in the beginning warned that if you have chronic pain you will notice it more when you first start the float but to “hang in there” because the brain would stop focusing on the pain the longer you floated. Of course, I thought the video was crazy since we live with chronic pain there is no way this would make it worse. Well, it was right! I couldn’t get comfortable.
The two days leading up to the float, I wasn’t in a flare, but my muscles were hurting and aching more than normal, so I was really looking forward to this experience. As I was floating, I couldn’t get my left arm in a position that it didn’t hurt. The video statement that I couldn’t move kept replaying in my head, and I am a perfectionist, so I was terrified to keep repositioning my arm. This is hilarious now but, in the pod, I kept thinking “You Can’t Move!”.
Toddler Time
I probably was an ideal floater for 5 minutes out of the 60 minutes. I moved all around the pod by pushing off the walls, I turned the light on and made animal shadows on the wall of the pod, I made to-do lists in my head, I wrote this blog post in my mind, and I was essentially a toddler that couldn’t stay still.
When you sit up to get out you are heavy with all of the salt. I showered but definitely did not get all the salt off of me prior to getting dressed. There were literally chunks of salt on me when I got home. I do not recommend doing this and then planning on going into public afterwards. However, this depends on you and your abilities. I came straight home and took a long shower to get all of the salt out of my hair. Non-Fibro sufferers probably will be just fine, but we tend to get really exhausted from a shower and it typically takes us longer to shower and wash our hair.
Will I go back?
The day after the float both my daughter and I were really tired. We discussed this and the only reason we could come up with is the float. We both slept better than usual on the second night after the float. I haven’t noticed a difference in my pain but as I said I don’t think I was a successful floater. All of this being said, I am going back. I believe in giving everything more than one attempt and have a second float in a couple of weeks.
I recommend True REST Float Spa. They were really nice and patient with all my questions. The facility was very clean and welcoming. They have a room to relax in afterwards that has an oxygen bar, water, tea, coloring books, and reading materials.
Find a float spa in your area and have a float therapy experience for yourself!
