I had a floatation tank experience at Calm Water Floatation today as a birthday present. My housemate and I had no idea what to expect and we’re excited to try it out. We’re both pretty hectic people so the idea of doing nothing in the dark for an hour is a bit of a change for us.

As we arrived there was soft music playing and the owner greeted us. He was slightly manic after flight delays causing him to be awake for 30+ hours but was friendly and too the time to explain how the session would go. He gave some background on the ideas and science behind floatation – tricking our brains into REM sleep type states to give the benefits of being in that state.

We had a room each with the shiny white i-sopod floatation pod, a shower and dim lighting inside. Step one was get naked and shower before putting in earplugs, popping the lid and climbing into the salty, body temperature water in the pod. Soft music played and we had the option to turn the light on and off with a button inside the pod. After turning the pod light off and getting used to the weird feeling of being completely supported by the water, the room lights went off and plunged me into darkness. I was expecting to feel a bit claustrophobic but quickly relaxed in the dark.

Having had a brutal workout the night before, my legs and neck were a bit stiff and it took a while to fully relax and let my posture settle. I couldn’t resist fidgeting about a bit, and feeling my body moving while still floating was extremely strange. It was similar to scuba diving in some ways, but without all the constricting gear strapped around you.

To end the session, the soft music came back on for a few minutes and then the pod light came back on. I raised the lid and showered again before heading to reception for a fruit tea and chat with my housemate. She was in a very different state to when she went in and that carried on into the evening for her! I went into town for Sushi with a friend and the busy restaurant was a bit overstimulating. I’ll get an Uber home and relax for the evening next time.

I had a great time at Calm Water and will be going back for another floatation tank session and massage soon!