Last Christmas, I gave my husband and daughter a unique experience gift.
E, like most guys, can be a little hard to buy for – but I know he always loves going places and doing fun things with Z.
So when a friend raved about her relaxing experience at True REST Float Spa, I had an “aha” moment. I thought it could be something cool, fun and different for E and Z to try together.
According to the website, flotation therapy uses a special solution of salinated water utilizing 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt. The buoyancy makes floating on water feel like floating on air. I thought the sensory deprivation floating experience would be especially cool for my two highly sensitive family members.
Highly sensitive people are constantly bombarded with sensory experiences and sensory overload can be a real problem for them – so how cool would it be to experience an hour of floating in zero gravity with none of that constant stimulus?
I really wanted to try the experience myself too, but I feared that if I bought a third gift certificate for myself, then it would seem less like a gift for them and more like something I just wanted to get myself (which I admit I’ve been guilty of in the past).
On Father’s Day, we went to True REST location in Powell; there’s also one at Easton. True REST has a beautiful space located in the building right next to Handel’s ice cream. The lobby is welcoming and the staff are very friendly.
E and Z were taken to a viewing room to watch a safety and procedures video about floating. I was taken to the Oasis lounge to enjoy comfortable chairs, ice water or hot herbal tea to drink, and relaxing music.
Also in the lounge, they had an Oxygen Bar set up where you could breathe purified oxygen scented for aromatherapy; it’s free for members and new clients, so Z and I got to try it. I opted for the energizing ginger scent while Z chose relaxing eucalyptus. We traded halfway through so we could each try both scents. Honestly, we didn’t feel much effect, but it was still fun to check it out.
E and Z went into their separate rooms to get their float on, while I settled down in the luxurious and comfortable lounge. I enjoyed having some time to myself just to rest and read my book (I love having the Kindle app on my phone)!
After about a half hour, Z came out. She was entitled to an hour-long float, but she said that several cuts and scrapes on her body were stinging so badly in the Epsom salt water that she couldn’t truly enjoy it. She said it was a cool experience otherwise.
In their pre-float instructions, True REST recommends covering small cuts and grazes with Vaseline to keep them from stinging, and I regret not going over these tips more closely with my fam.
After the full hour, E came out. He said it was a cool and relaxing experience, but he too felt intense stinging anywhere he had a small cut or open skin – and alas, car guys almost always have busted knuckles. He also said it was hard to float without getting the water in his ears, which bothered him. Remember that highly sensitive people feel everything intensely – both emotionally and physically.
I think that ultimately, they both enjoyed trying this cool new experience but they both are so sensitive that I should have done a better job preparing them and helping to ensure they had a comfortable time. Still, I’m glad we gave it a shot as flotation therapy is said to help boost mental health and overall physical health, too.
I’m always looking for cool, new experiences that will be fun to try and potentially help my family. Have you ever tried float therapy, and if so, what did you think of it? I’d love to hear in the comments below. I still want to give it a try myself one of these days!
