Imagine having just one job for 60 minutes and that one job was to RELAX. Sign me up, right!? Okay, well imagine getting to relax for 60 minutes whilst floating, yes, FLOATING! Hitting pause, unplugging from your phone or computer, escaping the hustle and bustle of the world (or the kids) around you and becoming instantly weightless while just chillin’! Match made in heaven if you ask me. And heaven is exactly what it was! I was lucky enough to be sent on a little excursion to Float Fremantle and boy, was it much needed! Like most people, I’ve got a lot going on, with balancing full-time study for my Masters, two jobs, house chores and bills to keep on top of, whilst also trying to squeeze in keeping fit and healthy and a social life, things can become very overwhelming at times and to be honest, I’m the worst when it comes to recognising when I’m stressed and need to just stop for a second. So, when my boss came into the office raving about his amazing ‘float’ and wanting to send me on my way to experience it for myself to share with you guys, I snatched up the opportunity!

I’d heard quite a bit about floats over the past year. My sister had done one and a lot of my friends had also. They recommended I do it a while back to help with anxiety, but to be honest, I was a little skeptical! I also get super bored super easily, so the thought of lying down in an enclosed tank alone twiddling my thumbs for an hour just did not appeal to me at first. But when Chris (DT founder - a VERY busy man!) comes into work saying how great it was, I knew it was something I just had to experience. And let me just say before I really get into this blog, if you are at all skeptical, like I was, just go and give it a go! Go in there, open-minded and make the most out of the experience. You’ll be hooked in no time!

WHERE TO FLOAT

Before I ramble on about how much of an advocate I am and how cool my experience was, let me fill you in a little about the amazing company that help take the weight off your shoulders (literally!) - Float Fremantle! These guys are a small family owned business founded in 2016 by Carolyn, Gary and Savannah Pont. Being keen floaters themselves, they decided it was time to open a business that not only aligned with their passion but also offered benefit to the Fremantle community. Float Fremantle has been offering their soothing floats and massages for almost 3 years now, and has become a staple for many ‘Fremantarians’ who value self care and understand the benefits of a bit of downtime. Their main goal is to spread awareness and educate individuals about flotation therapy, with the hopes of pushing it into the subsidized health care system. I must say, this place had a gentle, relaxing feel from the second I stepped foot in there. You instantly go into relaxation mode, with their warming and kind customer service team greeting you with a cup of herbal tea whilst you wait for your turn to float, you can’t help but begin to unwind and forget about your daily stressors, and you haven’t even gotten into the tank yet!

THE FLOAT

Now, onto the floating itself. The tanks look like one big clam shell smiling at you, with soft, calming colours of the rainbow paired with some soothing tunes to get you in the mood. The tank contains 1000L of water, with over 500kg of Epsom salt and is heated to the same temperature as the human body. As you ease your body into the water, the salt will allow your body to float completely effortlessly and you will eventually find it almost impossible to distinguish where your body ends and the water begins. Not only is this guy great for switching off and finding that elusive zent state, it’s also beneficial for pain relief, magnesium absorption, mediaite, brain synchronisation and athletic recovery. Before floating, you are asked to have a quick warm shower, rinsing off the day, before slipping into the tank. Once you’re in the tank, you have the option of leaving the lid open or closed with lights on or off. It’s totally up to you! At first, I was hesitant, but I wanted to embrace all that it had to offer, so I closed the lid, with the gentle lights still on inside, laid back and closed my eyes (they also give you a 'floating halo' that helps support your head and neck, like a little floating pillow). There is some chill-out tunes played through the tank for the first and last 10 minutes of your float to help you slowly go in and out of total relaxation. Once the first 10 minutes of music was up, I switched the lights off and laid myself back in the pitch black. Fast forward about 2.5 minutes and I was out cold. I mean, snoozing my little head off as if I was tucked up in my very own bed after a busy day. I think I counted 3 times where I twitched in my sleep so hard it woke me up and I found myself wobbling all over the place forgetting where I was, haha! I thought an hour would feel like a lifetime when floating in a dark tank with nothing to do but think, but before I knew it, the music was back on and it was time to hop out (I guess it does help I slept for basically the entire time)! I rolled on out of the tank, took a shower and walk out like a zombie, looking like I had just been asleep for 100 years. It was a beautiful look.

Basically, the moral of this story is... go floating! Whether it be for relaxation reasons, recovery, or to help ease body pain, there is no reason you shouldn’t give it a go. Yes, it may not be for everyone, but you’ll never know if you don’t try, right? And if you find it’s not for you, that’s cool, that just means there will be more appointments available for me to go (but seriously, I hope you love it as much as I did!).

To learn more about Float Fremantle or to book yourself an appointment (because I sold it to you so well), check out their website https://floatfremantle.com.au