New to FLOATING?
Discover a simple method to Achieve Relaxation, Meditation & Well-being
Floating is a powerful stress-relief and wellness tool.
Floatation therapy is a powerful tool for stress-relief, helping you experience that deep sense of peace and calm often accessed solely through meditation. Floating is beneficial for everyone, and it’s the ultimate way to detach from the stress and strain of life. In terms of health and wellness, floating is a wonderful tool to add to your arsenal.
As you float in our shallow, sensory-free pool of water you will feel the cares of the day melting away. The water in our pods is heated to the ideal temperature for the best float of your life. The water is also saturated with over 1000 pounds of pharmaceutical-grade Epsom salt which enables the body to float effortlessly.
Peer-Reviewed Studies on Floating
Study 1
BMC Cmoplementary Medicine and Therapies
Study 2
PAIN RESEARCH MANAGEMENT
Study 3
BMC Cmoplementary Medicine and Therapies
Study 4
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
Research-Backed Relaxation
Studies show that stress, depression, and anxiety were significantly reduced after 12 floating sessions
Karlstad University, Sweden
How often should I float?
What to expect?
Trying something new can feel a little daunting. But this is probably the nicest “trying something new” experience you’re ever going to have! When you arrive, we’ll make sure you have everything you need ready in your private room. We’ll give you a recap on how it works, and you can choose whether you’d like to experience your float in silence, with music, with lights, and/or with aromatherapy.
The key is to come ready to trust the process. Flotation therapy provides an incredibly effective way to relieve stress and anxiety, heal your body (both physical and emotional) and prepare for or recover quickly from physical training.
Here are some tips which may help you prepare for your first flotation therapy session:
Relax & Let Go
The best rule of thumb is to release any expectations prior to a float. Simply enjoy the experience. There are several techniques you can use to help you relax from repeating a word to focusing on the rhythm of your breathing. Repeating a word in your mind such as “peace” or “let go” spoken in time with your breathing, can be very relaxing. Your breath can be an amazing tool for calming the mind and relaxing the body. The overall goal is to help you let go and be present in the moment.
Be Still
As you float, time stands still. If you have trouble staying still during your float, simply focus on your breathing or repeat a mantra as stated above. Using breath awareness can really help you let go and fully enjoy the experience leading to a state of holistic stillness. In turn, this can generate the perception of timelessness, since your state of being will be extremely relaxed. This encourages a state of healing.
Float Position
While the position you choose is unique for you, we recommend one of two positions for your optimal comfort. You may try these and see which one you prefer and which one feels right for your body.
The first position is with your arms at your side and palms down. The second position involves placing your arms over-head with your palms up. Also, it’s best to try to position your body in the middle of the tank to avoid “ping-ponging” from side to side.
Heightened Senses
Floating tends to heighten the senses since all external stimuli are at a minimum. As a result, your nervous system will turn up the volume to try and sense anything.
This is a great opportunity to feel whatever is going on in the body. Because of the sensory deprivation, there will be “nothing” coming in therefore it is a great opportunity to simply sense whatever is left to be felt within your internal body. As you float, you can tune into the body and feel your arms, legs, torso, and even your head, as intensely as possible. As you float, you will begin to cultivate more sensitivity to these parts.
A good rule of thumb is to focus on observing your thoughts, emotions, and sensations. As you tune into the body, it’s best to observe without judgment, focusing on the energetic uniformed consistency of these parts.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s natural to have questions about something that’s unique – here are our “greatest hits” from Soulex so that you don’t wonder if you’re the only one thinking “but what about …?”:
No, just yourself! Towels, robes, earplugs, shampoo/bath soap, etc. will all be provided. Also, you can bring a container to place your contact lenses if necessary.
People with extreme claustrophobia report no problems with floating. You are in total control over your environment and floating is more like being in outer space than closed in a tight box. Our float pods can be used with a completely open door as well as in different degrees of closure. It is up to you and how you would like to use them. We also offer a “float room” which is like a large bath tub with no closure at all.
Nope! The buoyancy from the salt water keeps you afloat. If anything, some people fall asleep and may be woken by a little salt water in the eyes
Yes! Floating is amazing for pregnancy and can reduce much of the aches and pain related to pregnancy. However, if you are in your third trimester or have concerns please feel free to contact your doctor.
Yes! Just take the same steps you would before entering a swimming pool.
Absolutely! Floatation therapy has been shown to have a positive effect on individuals with disabilities especially autism, ADHD, and physical disabilities.
We use active oxygen, no chlorine used. We have a maximum hygiene, top water treatment/cleaning technology better than swimming pools. The water is cleaned before and after every floating session in 4 different ways. Even if there is no floating, the system cleans the water automatically.
Yes, you can share the float experience simultaneously with a partner in our open pool which is our room #4. You will experience the same sensory deprivation as our enclosed pods, in an open air environment.
Wearing a bathing suit is optional, however, we recommend floating in the nude to maximize the sensory deprivation experience.
Suggested frequency: is if you’re starting out for truly optimal results, floating 2-3 times a month is a great way to dive into a practice. For those really keen, floating once a week is incredible. However, even 1-2 floats / month is a great start too.
Many people can easily sink into the depths of a float session on their very first try. However, we are all formed by our life experiences a little differently and for others it make take 2-3 floats before a deeper connection is made, this is normal.
- Avoid shaving at least 6 hours before you float. Any cuts on your body will sting from contact with the Epsom salt.
- You want to be as comfortable as possible while floating. Having a light, easily digestible meal 1.5 to 2 hours pre-float will ensure that you are not too full or dehydrated before the float.
- Try not to drink too much before you arrive and use the bathroom before the float to save you from unwanted distractions in the tank.
- Avoid smoking or having caffeine before your float. These may cause too much stimulation while you float, which is not the relaxing experience you want. Even if you are craving a coffee or cigarette, you may find that the experience will suppress your craving.
- Performing physical activity before you float can enhance the floating experience. Your body has let out energy, your muscles are loose and your mind is more clear. Floating in this state can potentially create a deeper state of meditation. If you have just come from a workout, make sure that you are hydrated and eat a small snack before you float.
- If you have recently dyed your hair, or received other hair treatments, please wait at least 2 weeks before floating. Any hair treatment may be affected by the epsom salt. Please consult with your hair stylist before arriving.
- Don’t come into the tank with any expectations. If you have trouble relaxing at first, repetition of a focus word such as “peace”, “relax”, or “let go” spoken in your mind in unison with your breathing can help. Your breath can be an amazing tool for calming the mind and relaxing the body. The overall goal is to help you let go and be present.
- Being physically still by finding a comfortable position and remaining there combined with stilling your mind either through breath awareness or a focus word (mantra) can lead you into a state of holistic stillness. This can generate the perception of timelessness, your state of being will be extremely relaxed and this is when the body is in a state of healing.
- It is important to be as comfortable as possible while you float. Try one of two positions in the tank to see which feels better for your body. The first is with your arms at your side and palms down. The second has your arms over-head with your palms up. Also, try to position your body in the middle of the tank to avoid “ping-ponging” from side to side.
- With external stimuli at a minimum, your nervous system will turn up the volume to try and sense anything. Since there is still “nothing” coming in there is a great opportunity to simply sense whatever is left to be felt within your internal body. Feel your arms, legs, torso, head, as intensely as possible. Cultivate as much sensitivity to these parts as possible. Feel the energetic uniformed consistency of these parts and observe them without judgment, without limits. Observe your thoughts, emotions and sensations.
In addition to the constant pain, physical injuries keep many people from working. Float tanks can help get people back to work and even save companies money. Floating can effectively expedite healing in broken bones or sprained joints, provide relief from back and neck pain, generate both spinal and structural alignment and provide physical rehabilitation.
Floating can help ease various medical conditions including arthritis, scoliosis and fibromyalgia. What’s uniquely exciting about relief from Fibromyalgia is that it currently has very few known remedies. A recent pilot study with Fibromyalgia patients found a significant decrease in pain both from the beginning to the end of a float, and from float session to float session.
- It’s simple: you sink into 10 inches of clean, comfortable, body-temperature water — therapeutically infused with 1,000 pounds of healing Epsom salts. Just partially submerged, you buoyantly float, freeing yourself from all sensory overload.
- Regular floaters sparkle with increased energy and productivity. You’ll feel stronger and more invigorated, too, brim with more stamina, and luxuriate in even calmer mental balance and overall well-being.
- Floating sharpens mental focus and creative problem-solving. Marvel as your relaxed, undistracted mind floats into remarkable “super learning” — a state of startlingly deep neural connections.
- Drifting into a half-awake, half-dreaming Theta state, you tap into your highest creativity, keenest ideas, and most stunning realizations.
- Stress cortisol drops and soothing pheromones rise. Feel refreshed and inspired? We knew you would.
- As gravity ebbs away, healing takes over. Floating coaxes your tired muscles, exhausted connective tissues, and stiff joints into restful, peaceful recovery. Your tight lower back soothingly decompresses into a relaxed, proper alignment.
- When you emerge, you feel both calmer and more re-energized. You’ll be stepping back out into the world with a strong walk, a healed body, and a refreshed lighter spirit: your inner and outer glow emanates for days.
- The purification system on our float tanks/suite is the most advanced available. After each float, the water is recirculated at 48gpm, which achieves three complete turnovers of the water within the pod/suite. The filtration system is able to filter particles from the water to 1 micron in size and are FDA compliant for drinking water (Class 1 Filtration). By comparison, standard pool and spa filter cartridges filter to 20-30 microns.
- Another mode of disinfection is inherent in our float pods/suite in that the concentration of the salt water solution is approximately 35% salt. Salt is an extremely hostile environment for any living organism. It has been shown in scientific literature that pathogenic microorganisms cannot survive in concentrations higher than 10% salt. The types of organisms responsible for water‐borne illnesses in humans cannot survive in the high‐salt concentration solutions present in our float pods/basin
- During the early 1950s there was a big question in the world of neurophysiology as the source of our brain’s consciousness. Is the brain simply an organ reacting to external stimuli, or is there some internal force that it responds to as well? There were many theories as to how the brain would react to a completely sensory-free environment.
- One man named John C. Lilly decided to find out. By 1954, Lilly had built the first ever floatation tank in the National Institute of Mental Health Lab in the Virgin Islands. Lilly’s tank used water to allow people to float comfortably and to effectively reduce all sensation of touch.
- The results were incredible. Lilly found more and more people coming out feeling amazing, reporting of personal discovery and self-actualization. This encouraged Lilly to continue his exploration of the float tank, building one or two more tanks in different laboratories in the United States.
- For the next 20 years, floating remained exclusively in the laboratory setting, until 1972 when Lilly partnered up with Glenn and Lee Perry. He asked them to design a commercially available float tank that people could have in their homes. The first float center was opened, a five-tank center in Beverly Hills in 1979.
- This center was met with immediate success and was emulated across the US. Float centers started popping up in every major city, new manufacturers started to enter the market, and the industry as a whole began to make a name for itself. After 60 years of progress, the world of floating is becoming mainstream. Tranquil lighting, therapeutic music, two-way communication and lobby controls, aesthetically pleasing design, and a welcoming environment have led to a new beginning in the industry.
- The only other thing in the water is hydrogen peroxide. This is used as a cleaning/disinfectant agent for when the water cycles through the filter system. Soulex staff checks the peroxide levels daily to ensure the correct amount is always added, and the water is always clean!
- This is totally okay! You do not need to have any swimming experience in order to partake in sensory deprivation! The amount of epsom salt in the water keeps you floating at the surface, so your body does not need to do any extra work to help keep you afloat. Also, the pods are no deeper than 12 inches, so if you get uncomfortable you can always sit or stand up.
- Not at all! The pods are manual so if you feel you are ready to be done before your session has ended, you are free to do so. Additionally, you have your private room reserved for the entire duration of your float session. If you need to get some air and sit outside of the pod before continuing your session, you absolutely can do this without disturbance. As always, if you need any assistance during your float, please do not hesitate to ask a staff member!
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s natural to have questions about something that’s unique – here are our “greatest hits” from Soulex so that you don’t wonder if you’re the only one thinking “but what about …?”:
General Information
No, just yourself! Towels, robes, earplugs, shampoo/bath soap, etc. will all be provided. Also, you can bring a container to place your contact lenses if necessary.
Yes, you can share the float experience simultaneously with a partner in our open pool which is our room #4. You will experience the same sensory deprivation as our enclosed pods, in an open air environment.
- Not at all! The pods are manual so if you feel you are ready to be done before your session has ended, you are free to do so. Additionally, you have your private room reserved for the entire duration of your float session. If you need to get some air and sit outside of the pod before continuing your session, you absolutely can do this without disturbance. As always, if you need any assistance during your float, please do not hesitate to ask a staff member!
Wearing a bathing suit is optional, however, we recommend floating in the nude to maximize the sensory deprivation experience.
Health & Safety
Nope! The buoyancy from the salt water keeps you afloat. If anything, some people fall asleep and may be woken by a little salt water in the eyes
Yes! Floating is amazing for pregnancy and can reduce much of the aches and pain related to pregnancy. However, if you are in your third trimester or have concerns please feel free to contact your doctor.
We use active oxygen, no chlorine used. We have a maximum hygiene, top water treatment/cleaning technology better than swimming pools. The water is cleaned before and after every floating session in 4 different ways. Even if there is no floating, the system cleans the water automatically.
- The only other thing in the water is hydrogen peroxide. This is used as a cleaning/disinfectant agent for when the water cycles through the filter system. Soulex staff checks the peroxide levels daily to ensure the correct amount is always added, and the water is always clean!
Floating Preparation
Yes! Just take the same steps you would before entering a swimming pool.
- Avoid shaving at least 6 hours before you float. Any cuts on your body will sting from contact with the Epsom salt.
- You want to be as comfortable as possible while floating. Having a light, easily digestible meal 1.5 to 2 hours pre-float will ensure that you are not too full or dehydrated before the float.
- Try not to drink too much before you arrive and use the bathroom before the float to save you from unwanted distractions in the tank.
- Avoid smoking or having caffeine before your float. These may cause too much stimulation while you float, which is not the relaxing experience you want. Even if you are craving a coffee or cigarette, you may find that the experience will suppress your craving.
- Performing physical activity before you float can enhance the floating experience. Your body has let out energy, your muscles are loose and your mind is more clear. Floating in this state can potentially create a deeper state of meditation. If you have just come from a workout, make sure that you are hydrated and eat a small snack before you float.
- If you have recently dyed your hair, or received other hair treatments, please wait at least 2 weeks before floating. Any hair treatment may be affected by the epsom salt. Please consult with your hair stylist before arriving.
- Don’t come into the tank with any expectations. If you have trouble relaxing at first, repetition of a focus word such as “peace”, “relax”, or “let go” spoken in your mind in unison with your breathing can help. Your breath can be an amazing tool for calming the mind and relaxing the body. The overall goal is to help you let go and be present.
- Being physically still by finding a comfortable position and remaining there combined with stilling your mind either through breath awareness or a focus word (mantra) can lead you into a state of holistic stillness. This can generate the perception of timelessness, your state of being will be extremely relaxed and this is when the body is in a state of healing.
- It is important to be as comfortable as possible while you float. Try one of two positions in the tank to see which feels better for your body. The first is with your arms at your side and palms down. The second has your arms over-head with your palms up. Also, try to position your body in the middle of the tank to avoid “ping-ponging” from side to side.
- With external stimuli at a minimum, your nervous system will turn up the volume to try and sense anything. Since there is still “nothing” coming in there is a great opportunity to simply sense whatever is left to be felt within your internal body. Feel your arms, legs, torso, head, as intensely as possible. Cultivate as much sensitivity to these parts as possible. Feel the energetic uniformed consistency of these parts and observe them without judgment, without limits. Observe your thoughts, emotions and sensations.
Suggested frequency: is if you’re starting out for truly optimal results, floating 2-3 times a month is a great way to dive into a practice. For those really keen, floating once a week is incredible. However, even 1-2 floats / month is a great start too.
- During the early 1950s there was a big question in the world of neurophysiology as the source of our brain’s consciousness. Is the brain simply an organ reacting to external stimuli, or is there some internal force that it responds to as well? There were many theories as to how the brain would react to a completely sensory-free environment.
- One man named John C. Lilly decided to find out. By 1954, Lilly had built the first ever floatation tank in the National Institute of Mental Health Lab in the Virgin Islands. Lilly’s tank used water to allow people to float comfortably and to effectively reduce all sensation of touch.
- The results were incredible. Lilly found more and more people coming out feeling amazing, reporting of personal discovery and self-actualization. This encouraged Lilly to continue his exploration of the float tank, building one or two more tanks in different laboratories in the United States.
- For the next 20 years, floating remained exclusively in the laboratory setting, until 1972 when Lilly partnered up with Glenn and Lee Perry. He asked them to design a commercially available float tank that people could have in their homes. The first float center was opened, a five-tank center in Beverly Hills in 1979.
- This center was met with immediate success and was emulated across the US. Float centers started popping up in every major city, new manufacturers started to enter the market, and the industry as a whole began to make a name for itself. After 60 years of progress, the world of floating is becoming mainstream. Tranquil lighting, therapeutic music, two-way communication and lobby controls, aesthetically pleasing design, and a welcoming environment have led to a new beginning in the industry.
Floating can help ease various medical conditions including arthritis, scoliosis and fibromyalgia. What’s uniquely exciting about relief from Fibromyalgia is that it currently has very few known remedies. A recent pilot study with Fibromyalgia patients found a significant decrease in pain both from the beginning to the end of a float, and from float session to float session.
Many people can easily sink into the depths of a float session on their very first try. However, we are all formed by our life experiences a little differently and for others it make take 2-3 floats before a deeper connection is made, this is normal.
- It’s simple: you sink into 10 inches of clean, comfortable, body-temperature water — therapeutically infused with 1,000 pounds of healing Epsom salts. Just partially submerged, you buoyantly float, freeing yourself from all sensory overload.
- Regular floaters sparkle with increased energy and productivity. You’ll feel stronger and more invigorated, too, brim with more stamina, and luxuriate in even calmer mental balance and overall well-being.
- Floating sharpens mental focus and creative problem-solving. Marvel as your relaxed, undistracted mind floats into remarkable “super learning” — a state of startlingly deep neural connections.
- Drifting into a half-awake, half-dreaming Theta state, you tap into your highest creativity, keenest ideas, and most stunning realizations.
- Stress cortisol drops and soothing pheromones rise. Feel refreshed and inspired? We knew you would.
- As gravity ebbs away, healing takes over. Floating coaxes your tired muscles, exhausted connective tissues, and stiff joints into restful, peaceful recovery. Your tight lower back soothingly decompresses into a relaxed, proper alignment.
- When you emerge, you feel both calmer and more re-energized. You’ll be stepping back out into the world with a strong walk, a healed body, and a refreshed lighter spirit: your inner and outer glow emanates for days.
- The purification system on our float tanks/suite is the most advanced available. After each float, the water is recirculated at 48gpm, which achieves three complete turnovers of the water within the pod/suite. The filtration system is able to filter particles from the water to 1 micron in size and are FDA compliant for drinking water (Class 1 Filtration). By comparison, standard pool and spa filter cartridges filter to 20-30 microns.
- Another mode of disinfection is inherent in our float pods/suite in that the concentration of the salt water solution is approximately 35% salt. Salt is an extremely hostile environment for any living organism. It has been shown in scientific literature that pathogenic microorganisms cannot survive in concentrations higher than 10% salt. The types of organisms responsible for water‐borne illnesses in humans cannot survive in the high‐salt concentration solutions present in our float pods/basin
In addition to the constant pain, physical injuries keep many people from working. Float tanks can help get people back to work and even save companies money. Floating can effectively expedite healing in broken bones or sprained joints, provide relief from back and neck pain, generate both spinal and structural alignment and provide physical rehabilitation.
Special Consideration
Absolutely! Floatation therapy has been shown to have a positive effect on individuals with disabilities especially autism, ADHD, and physical disabilities.
People with extreme claustrophobia report no problems with floating. You are in total control over your environment and floating is more like being in outer space than closed in a tight box. Our float pods can be used with a completely open door as well as in different degrees of closure. It is up to you and how you would like to use them. We also offer a “float room” which is like a large bath tub with no closure at all.
- This is totally okay! You do not need to have any swimming experience in order to partake in sensory deprivation! The amount of epsom salt in the water keeps you floating at the surface, so your body does not need to do any extra work to help keep you afloat. Also, the pods are no deeper than 12 inches, so if you get uncomfortable you can always sit or stand up.