Everyone is always in search of the ultimate way to relax and refresh. With our go-go-go lives moving a mile a minute 24/7, finding a few minutes of rest for our brains is actually becoming scarce. Most of the time if we’re not at work, we’re taking a fitness class (because we’re all StudioHoppers reading this, right?), scrolling social media or watching TV. While some of those activities seem ‘relaxing’ or a good way to just zone out for a while, they’re not actually allowing our brains to be “liberated from processing signals from the nervous system and organs,” according to Sloane Wendell, owner of iSofloat, a Float Therapy Spa in San Antonio, Texas.
Float Therapy is a new concept to most and here at StudioHop HQ we’ve been super curious about this relaxation method. Thankfully, the wonderful staff at iSofloat was kind enough to invite Team StudioHop in to float and experience the magic of zero gravity.
iSofloat takes your therapy session seriously and makes a point to help you in every way possible to “close down all the open tabs in your mind,” as Wendell put it. “[Their] tanks are the size of queen sized beds, 6′ x 8′ x 7′ feet tall. Every hour you’re in the tank, is equivalent to 4 hours in your bed.” With 11,000 LBS of epsom salt dissolved in each tank, floating will not only help you relax your mind but also your muscles.
Upon entering the Float Therapy room, you will shower and remove any dirt, oils, lotions, etc. from your skin and hair. Once you’re done rinsing off, you’ll step into the tank containing about 12″ of salt water heated to the ambient temperature of your skin – 93.5 degrees. If you’re wondering, the floating session is done sans clothing. After you shut the door to the tank room, it’s time to relax! They offer a mini noodle to support your neck during the float and ear plugs to prevent too much water from getting into your ears, and your body will shoot to the top due to the salt content. Floating is easy peazy. The lights are off (but there’s a button for a light if you’re afraid of the dark) and it’s very quiet. After you’re in the tank for a little while, you will notice your natural body heat start to steam up the room and make it oh-so-cozy while you float.
Once you’re done with the 60-minute or 90-minute float session, a serene light will come on, followed by some light music to help bring you back to reality. You’ll then carefully come out of the tank and shower all the salt water off. The last step is to really ‘soak in’ all the great relaxing vibes you just worked for in the tank and go enjoy a few minutes with some hot tea in the spa room.
It was a really great experience and while we concentrated hard on relaxing, we couldn’t help but have a few stray thoughts pop in our head during the 60-minute session. So here are Team StudioHop’s thoughts while floating:
12 Thoughts We Had While Floating
- How many minutes has it been? -E
- Ok, how do I relax in here? Do I count sheep? -A
- I think I fell asleep for a few minutes. But.. how many minutes was I asleep? – E
- How many minutes has it been since the last time I wondered how many minutes it’s been? -E
- It can’t hurt THAT bad to get a little drop of this water in my eye? (2 minutes later w/ salt water in eye) Yup, that hurts. – A
- OMG my skin already feels so soft. I can’t stop feeling my skin. – A
- How many minutes until my FLExit? – E
- ISO-float. It makes so much sense now. This isolation thing is a mental TEST. -N
- Did I seriously just turn off the lights? Wow, ballsy. Ballsy move. -N
- Ok, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale…I’m going to make it out alive. Right? RIGHT? -N
- OMG, is that my heartbeat? I can hear my heartbeat it’s so quiet in here. -N
We were so relaxed and after leaving, it felt as if a ‘weight’ was lifted off our shoulders. It will definitely take a few sessions for us to practice fully relaxing our minds in order to reap the full benefits of Float Therapy. We can’t wait to go back soon and invite all of you to give it a try. Currently, we have a Member Perk with our friends at iSofloat for all our San Antonio StudioHoppers or StudioHoppers visiting San Antonio. Be sure to check next Monday’s newsletter for details on how to take advantage.