What to Expect for your First Float
One of the most common questions we get is, well..."what exactly is floating?"
If you’ve been curious about flotation therapy, you are not alone! Those who have done Float Therapy know it's quite a profoundly relaxing experience, probably like nothing else you've experienced. It helps you achieve a deep relaxation and calmness that feels profoundly meditative and peaceful. Or simply put - you will likely feel more relaxed than you have felt in a long time!
Like the other services we offer at The Rise, we love both the mental and physical calmness it brings to our busy lives and the tension we tend to carry with us.
With that, for those curious and/or first tiers, we've put together an overview of the Float Therapy experience to help you understand more about what it is, how it works at The Rise and what you can expect.
What is Float Therapy, Really?
Floating is a therapy known scientifically as Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST). But in short, you lie in a bathtub-like suite bigger than a king-sized bed and float effortlessly in salt water.
Our float suites are filled with 11 inches of water heated precisely to skin temperature. The key ingredient is over a 1,500 pounds of high-quality Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate), which is dissolved into the water. This incredibly high salt concentration is the reason you float effortlessly, completely free from the strain of gravity. The water in the tank allows your body to truly rest, enabling the mind and body to slow down and shift into a state of deep repair.
The Wellness Benefits, Grounded in Science
Flotation-REST is a gentle yet powerful tool for enhancing your overall well-being. By calming the body's fight-or-flight response (the sympathetic nervous system), floating significantly reduces state anxiety and burnout, while lowering the stress-inducing hormone cortisol. Experts like Dr. Peter Attia often discuss modalities that help quiet the brain's fear center, the amygdala, which is exactly what floating has been shown to do. It's also a powerful tool for athletic recovery, as the effortless floating and magnesium sulfate can reduce blood lactate and perceived muscle pain after exercise. This down-regulation of the nervous system improves sleep quality and has even been shown to significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
While detailed scientific research on Float Therapy is still in its early stages, many early studies are showing its ability to reduce pain & anxiety, decrease pain, and ease muscle tension and pain
A few years ago, Time Magazine went in depth with a research lab studying float, where neuropsychologist Justin Feinstein and his team are seeing that floating tamps down anxiety in the brain in a way that rivals some prescription drugs and meditation.
It can also aid in physical recovery by reducing muscle pain and blood lactate, while the magnesium helps with inflammation.
What to Expect on Your First Float
For many, the idea of stepping into a flotation room brings up a question about feeling contained. We understand. Please know that our float suites are much larger than the traditional clamshell tanks you may have seen, and you are always in complete control. Each suite is big enough to fit 2 people comfortably - larger in surface area than a King-sized bed and stretching floor to ceiling. You can keep the lights on, leave the soft ambient music playing, or turn both off for the full sensory experience.
The true magic happens when you let yourself fully relax. Without the usual input of gravity, light, and sound, your brain shifts. It’s common for your mind to drift—that's okay! It’s the feeling of going beyond simple relaxation, past the busy chatter of your daily life, and entering a place of pure rest and bliss. You might even experience what researchers call "body dissolution," where you lose track of the boundaries of your body, feeling as if you are simply drifting in space.
If you'd like to read, watch or listen to a few helpful stories about floating, check out...
- NPR: Floating Away Your Anxiety and Stress
- Women's Health: A First-Time Floater's Experience
- CBS Morning News Feature - Float Therapy
We're Here to Help
If you're considering a float session, stop by and we'll show you the space. We've strive to create a relaxing, peaceful space where we're confident you'll feel comfortable and relaxed. You can control the lights, sound and adjust as you see fit.
We're always inspired when we talk with people who have just experienced their first float. Even they have a hard time explaining the experience and just how relaxed and calm they feel.
We look forward to hosting you for your first float and many more to come...
