Transcript

My name is Kathy.  Right now I am semi-retired.  I was working at an insurance company for 33 years and then once the reorganization came about I was offered voluntary retirement so I decided to take it.  So right now it’s basically free time for me.

Q.  What brought you in to float?

A.  The reason I wanted to try floating was, first of all I love the water, and floating just is natural to begin with.  And a friend of mine had done this and she had said that it had worked for her.  And when I heard about it I thought, this is something I should try.  She came here right at the beginning and I kept telling myself do it, do it.  Two years later I finally got here.  And I need it basically for stress and chronic neck and shoulder pain so I thought I would give this a try.

Q.  How has floating impacted your life?

A.  It has relaxed me quite a bit.  I’ve had a lot of stress over the last few years, so its caused chronic neck and shoulder pain.  I’ve gone for massage and other treatments and it just hasn’t worked as much.  My first float here I noticed a difference right away with the pain that I’m having here.  It reduced it so much and its made life so much nicer because I don’t have that chronic pain all the time.  And I just, I can’t get over how amazing it is.  It just, it works so well.  And it’s just nice and relaxing.

Q.  How did you feel going in for your first float?

A.  I was nervous because I didn’t know what to expect.  Um, it wasn’t really scared, it’s just, with a lot of things, the first time I do something, there’s that, well what is it going to be, the unknown.  But when I got here, everything was explained to me beforehand.  It was all good.

Q.  How has your float practice changed over time?

A.  The way it has changed I would say is the first time I came I didn’t really know what to expect.  And with my first float, I knew that at the end of the float music would come on and that’s how I would know it was over.  I kept thinking okay well what if I miss hearing it.  Maybe I’m not going to hear it and I’m going to be in here too long and…  After that well, when the music came it kind of startled me at first because it was that, the voice, and it sort of shocked me.  And then the next time I knew what to expect so I was more relaxed, and time going by didn’t really affect me as much because I knew that when the time was over I would be told.  And each time I’m in there it seems like it’s getting shorter and shorter.  I think because now I’m actually sort of dozing off a bit while I’m in there.  It’s just, if I could do this every day, or even at least once a week, I would do it.  But yeah, it’s just, it’s wonderful.

Q.  Have you had any challenging floats?

A.  A couple of times I have had, well I wouldn’t call it difficulties.  Um, I wasn’t able to relax as quickly as I thought I should and I kept telling myself “okay just relax, you can do this”.  Then I told myself “cut it out, just let it go, it will come when it’s ready”.  And at the beginning I wasn’t too sure when I was in there how to put my arms where the best position, and then when I finally realized that with the shoulder, if I had my arms over my head, that was the best.  If I do sort of side bends it makes a big difference.  And then also stretching with my arms as far as they’ll go and stretching out my legs, it makes a big difference as well.  You can just feel the relaxation and all the tension, whatever there is, just going out.  My mind might be racing at the beginning, which is generally the way it is, there’ll be things just going through the mind, but then after a little while, everything is just gone and it’s just peace, and quiet.  It’s just, yeah, I love it.  I want more.

Q.  Have you tried combining other services with floating to help your chronic pain?

A.  I have, before coming here, I did try different things like yoga, which was nice.  Um, it helped in some aspects but I wasn’t able to relax the same way that I do with floating.  Um, I still go for massage and chiro.  It helped, but not to the point where I didn’t need anything else.  And I’m finding now, with the floating combined with the chiro and the massage, it makes a big difference.  Definitely recommend doing as many different things as possible and well with floating, because you’re on the water and there’s no stress against your body, it just works.  There’s no, what’s the word, no pressure.  Some people walk to relieve stress.  You get some impact on your body doing that where with floating you don’t get that.  And then with the Epsom Salts, your skin feels so good afterwards, nice and soft and yeah, it’s just all really good.  And I’ve found that lately, I’ll have my chiro appointment and then I’ll make sure that I book a float right after that, and the two of them combined in the same day, just double the benefit.  And a couple of days later I try to book another float because I found that makes a difference too if I have a float just a couple days after I have a chiro appointment.  So it’s just everything all together.

Q.  How would you describe your overall experience here?

A.  It’s like coming home.  Everybody is so friendly, so helpful.  You don’t feel any stress or pressure when you’re here.  If you have any concerns, they’ll help you with it.  If you want to talk a bit about your float afterwards, they’ll talk to you.  It’s nothing but good.  I’m trying to find something negative and I can’t find a negative about this whole thing, which just doesn’t seem right.  I’m always usually able to find something not good, but I can’t.  I just can’t, which I guess is a good thing.  It’s about time.

Q.  How else has floating helped you?

A.  It’s also helped me be calm.  I’m just, I don’t know if you would say I’m a worrier.  I take other people’s problems to heart.  I’m finding this is helping me not carry it as much as I used to.  I can just be calm and realize that yes, you can help them, but there’s some things that you can’t help them with, and that’s okay.  So I think that’s how this is helping me.  Up until quitting my job and everything, I would take everything to heart and I would hold it in for everybody else and I wouldn’t look at helping myself, because that’s not who I am.  I help others, I don’t help me.  Whereas now, I’ve given myself permission, I can help me.  I’m number one.  Or, maybe number two but, yeah.

Q.  How would you describe floating to people who haven’t tried it?

A.  How would I describe it?  Other than awesome!  Um, I have been telling my friends about this and one thing that I tell them that, okay, you can’t swim, but you don’t need to know how to swim.  The water is very shallow.  You can’t not float.  I tried it.  It doesn’t work, you just basically pop up like a cork.  Um, if you don’t like the dark, you can get the little glow ball, but think about it when you’re sleeping and your eyes are closed, its dark.  With some people being claustrophobic, you can keep the door open a little bit and then sort of ease your mind that way.  You’re never locked in.  You can always get out.  It’s safe.  Just allow yourself to do it.  Just take it slow, and don’t just come once.  With some people, for myself, once I knew would be enough and I’d be hooked.  With other people, it might take two or three because the first one is basically going to be you’re just sort of getting to know what it’s all about.  And then your next one, you can relax a little bit more and appreciate it.  And the more times you come the better it gets.

Q.  Do you have any final words?

A.  Really just, I think everybody should try this.  That it does work.  I’m not someone who believes in all these new fad things out there but this definitely works.  Just give it a try.  Keep an open mind and forget about the clock watching.  There’s no clock in there.  Think of it, you’re in Vegas, there’s no clocks in Vegas and it’s great.  The same with floating.  There’s no clocks in there it’s just your time.  Relax.  And like I said I would do this every day or at least once a week if I could.