Today I’ve been floating. My past couple of weeks have been really full on with sight seeing, travelling and trying to cram as much in as possible. My Cairns trip is coming to an end and I wanted to do something therapeutic/relaxing before I start work again so I searched around looking at spas in the Cairns area and came across The Float Studio. I’ve heard of floating before but never really had the chance to try it until today.

Floatation therapy is where you enter a specialised device which has water and a super saturated solution of magnesium sulphate (also known as Epsom salt) which allows you to just float effortlessly. There are a number of benefits such as stress relief, relaxation, meditation, addiction and pain relief.

This is the floatation pod. You have control of the lights. You can either have a deep blue light, lights that change colour or no light at all. I started off with the nice deep blue light and then switched the lights off altogether. For the first 10 minutes of the session they play relaxing music to sorta set the mood and help you just relax. After that it’s complete silence. You have ear plugs in so you can’t even hear any outside noise.

The first few minutes of getting into the pod were the funniest. Being in water where you just float and bob around is pretty amusing so I just needed to have those minutes of fun with that. Once I was over it, it was time to relax. You have the option of using a floatation ring which your head can rest on which I decided to use. I found it hard to fully relax without it as I kept getting worried about my head going under water.
Then the music started to play and I felt all my tension just float away.

The music was perfect way to start and once it stopped playing I switched off the lights. At first my head was going crazy with thoughts. I can’t remember the last time I was in total silence. I could hear and feel my heart beating and I could hear every breath I took. I let my thoughts go wild for a bit. I wasn’t going to fight against it as that wouldn’t result in complete relaxation. My thoughts consisted of what I have been up to lately, where I have been, reliving the things I have done/seen whilst on my travels and what not. Then I began to focus on my heart beat. This gave my brain something to focus on.

I’d say about 30-40 minutes into the floating I felt completely relaxed. In my head I was lay on a soft cloud in the sky. Below me were deep blue waters and lush green land and up above me was the moon and stars. I was so chilled out. During the last 5 minutes of the therapy the music comes back on. During this time I began to slowly move my arms and legs. This, this was the highlight of the experience. I honestly felt like I was flying. I had completely forgotten I was in water and I was able to move my body around (still with my eyes closed) without feeling anything touching me. It was so magical.

I opened my eyes, switched on the blue lights and got out of my pod. I was so relaxed. Usually after I meditate I feel sleepy but this experience had me feeling refreshed, awake and energised. I showered off all the salt water and went in their lounge for a cup of herbal tea. They had colouring books, books about meditation, Buddhism, peace and mindfulness. It helped carry on the relaxation.

The whole experience has been positive. Something I would like to try again to see how I feel after a second session. I’d recommend it anyone. You can either have the pod completely open, half way open or closed and there is a emergency button on the inside in case you need it but I can’t see why you would. I think it would be very helpful for those who are stressed. It provides a different form of relaxation than anything I have felt from meditation or at spa.

Sending my love,

Emma xo