Maybe you’ve heard of ‘floating’ before – sometimes called sensory deprivation, REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulus Therapy), or isolation chambers – but if you’re like me, you might have a lot of unanswered questions about what it actually is.

As a novice floater, I did a good deal of research before heading to FLOAT PLUS in West Palm Beach for my first session.

Pain relief, improved sleep and better skin all sounded pretty good to me – yet still I had some apprehensions, mostly around claustrophobia and COVID safety.

Before heading in for my 60 minute float (and officially becoming a convert), I spent 60 minutes talking with founder and owner, Philip Nuttle. Cutting edge COVID precautions and sustainability initiatives are just two of many aspects that make this mental health focused business so unique.

Here, Philip discusses his passion project, and everything you need to know before booking your first appointment.

By TSG Contributing editor, Kate Rowan.

 

TSG: What are the key benefits of floating?

PN: Most people are severely deficient in magnesium, which you’re absorbing a massive amount of during the float. It helps to regulate so many important body functions; it can help with appetite, reducing stress, anxiety, improved sleep quality, better skin health, recovery from a hard workout, orthopedic aches and pains…

 

TSG: To name a few. However, many would argue that the mental benefits almost outweigh the numerous physical.

PN: I don’t think I had ever truly relaxed until I got into a float tank. It’s allowed me to get out of my own head.

Your tactile sensations are basically gone, you can’t see or hear anything – so when your mind doesn’t have stimuli coming at it, eventually it gets to that place of induced meditation.

This is a great alternative to a lot of the ways people deal with stress and depression – a substitute to taking pharmaceuticals with none of the side effects.

 

TSG: How frequently do you recommend coming in if I want to truly reap the benefits?

PN: Similar to if you want to lose weight, you can’t go to the gym once; if you want to get your mental pond more still, you have to come in and float frequently.

Once a month should suffice; but if you’re going through a really stressful time, I’d try once a week.

The idea is that you want to translate the skill you’re developing while in the tank into the outside the world.

 

TSG: What’s the biggest misconception you hear about floating?

PN: The biggest misgivings are people worried about feeling claustrophobic – the fear of being trapped in an enclosed space. Clients are never trapped in the pod – they can get out any time they want.

If you’re nervous about it, we do offer the open float room. But in the time we’ve been open, people who have been hesitant to use the pods and tried the open suite once or twice…they then try the pod and are pod for life.

 

TSG: Do you offer any other services?

PN: We offer sound therapy for people who are a little bit more busy/on the go, which is done on a Betar sound therapy table – a top of the line experience.

A lot of the mental relaxation that you can experience in the tank you can get on the table, but you don’t have to get wet.

We also offer traditional sauna- if you do it before floating, it opens your pores for increased magnesium absorption and exhausts the body.

By tuckering out the body you’re also tuckering out the mind.

 

TSG: Given the current state of COVID, a lot of people are apprehensive about being indoors/in enclosed spaces. What are some measures you’re taking in terms of cleanliness?

PN: The salinization levels in the tank are the same as the Dead Sea – about 33% – which means no bacteria can grow in it.

Part of the way the tanks get cleaned is through ozone technology and UV light filtration systems, which is used in hospitals to combat viral load in the air. We also use this “COVID killer” in the HVAC systems.

It’s one of the cleanest environments you can be in – the chances of getting COVID in the tank are statistically, zero.

 

TSG: Do you offer any specials?

PN: We offer an introductory package of three floats for $120, which is close to half off each float.

All first responders float free for the first time. We also have monthly memberships which give you a discount on the normal rate.

I don’t want economics to be a barrier to getting people in here…profit is not my main concern. My main concern is helping the community.

 

There’s so much emphasis on the physical world…but there are very few places that stress mental health as equally important.

I want this to be the mental equivalent of what the gym is for people who take taking care of their body seriously.

 

 

Now that we’ve piqued your interest, here are some tips on prepping for your first float:

-Avoid shaving the day of your session

-Plan your blowouts accordingly (your hair WILL get wet)

-Consider a tough workout beforehand – physical exertion helps to calm the mind

-Hydrate (using your reusable, sustainable FLOAT + cup)

-Consult with your doctor beforehand if you have any medical conditions/concerns

 

FLOAT PLUS is located at 5612 S Dixie Hwy suite 102, with appointments available between 10am and 8pm most days.

Visit them online at www.floatplus.net, or on Instagram at float.plus.