I’m Floating My Stress Away!

Admittedly, I am a high-energy, focused, and ambitious career woman who works very hard. While my career brings me great satisfaction and achieving a new goal gives me an adrenaline rush, I find it hard to sit still, let alone relax. I exercise hard to honor my body and it’s rare that I am not on the go.

I prefer a walking meditation to the lotus position and I can only quiet my brain from the monkey chatter for short intervals that usually last a few minutes. So what’s a driven, passionate woman who gets stressed about relieving her stress to do?

This week I experienced floating and it truly changed my life. For 90 minutes (yes, 90!) I floated effortlessly in a tranquil, warm, 10-inch bath of Epsom salt and for the first time I felt the profound peace of quiet, solitude, and utter relaxation.

A Place to Float is a newly opened premier Float Spa and Flotation Therapy Center in Indianapolis and I am sure to become a frequent floater. The feeling of being suspended in an open pool of body temperature warm water was peaceful and meditative. The darkened, private room made me feel like I was floating in outer space and it provided me with a peaceful mental clarity that allowed me to just “be” and not think about anything. My inner monkey chatter was silenced and for the first time ever – I achieved a blissful meditative state of peace and quiet.

After 90 minutes, you shower in your private float and spa room to rinse off the healing Epsom salts, which detoxify your body – an added benefit. Salon quality shampoo, conditioner and lotions await you with plush towels to complete the luxurious experience. Then it’s on to the quiet lounge to hydrate with fruit infused water before you go back into the bustling world.

What surprised me most was the days-after effect of floating. While the 90 minutes was blissful beyond explanation, I experienced a renewed mental clarity and heightened creativity that was exhilarating. I’m told floating is a practice (like yoga) and I will continue to hone my unique physical and cognitive benefits after floating more frequently.

I can see this as an essential practice for those with chronic pain or for athletes who take their bodies to the extreme on a regular basis. But it also works for those like me who really need a practical way to relieve stress and truly unplug. The after-float glow leaves you feeling like you are walking on air and my evening sleep is deep and peaceful – just the way I like it.

This New Year, I am focusing on how to honor my body, mind and spirit. Not easy for a Type A, tightly wrapped and ultra focused achiever. Floating will help me surrender to stress relief without any effort at all. I urge you to try this one-of-a-kind experience to allow yourself to relax, renew, and rediscover your best self!