Coorparoo | Watch Your Worries Float Away (Literally)

By Chelsea Keim // Place Coorparoo

This isn’t your normal epsom salt bath...

Flotation tanks have been a thing for a while, but recently, they’ve started popping up in Brisbane more and more.

What is it? You might ask.

Well - 500kgs of super saturated epsom salt is put in a giant pod, which makes you float causing you to feel weightless and relaxed when you get out.

We sat down with Molly Webb, manager at Beyond Rest Coorparoo, to tell us some of the many benefits of floating.

Can you tell us about the floating experience?

You simply put your ear plugs in, have a rinse off and hop straight in the tank for an hour of complete stillness without any sound or light to heighten the experience.

You are introduced with calming music to start and finish your session with complete silence in between.

To complete your relaxation state we have a dim lighted chill out room, where we have a hot pot of T2, cold water and a range of mediational books to have a read through.

What are some of the benefits of floating?

1. Disconnection

Firstly, I would say the biggest positive to floating is the “disconnection” you feel.

In today's society we’re all so connected to our phones and find it hard to put them down - even 10 minutes.

When entering Beyond Rest, you get a feeling of disconnection from the outside world.

Disconnection may feel like a bad thing as we’re so used to technology but when you’re forced to go without you realise how refreshing it really is.

2. Muscle Relaxation

Another benefit to floating is muscle relaxation, the healing of injuries and the pain relief for arthritis.

With the large amount of magnesium epsom salts in the pods, your body and skin will absorb it and release any tension that you may have in your joints.

With athletes this is a great outlet for pre/post game tension to release the muscles.

Even younger kids who suffer from ADHD, hyperactivity and autism find this beneficial as well.

3. Health

Thirdly, floating in the Epsom Salts can help reduce blood pressure, pulse, heart rate and oxygen consumption, which is great for people who are looking to balance out their levels if they have high blood pressure.

4. Awareness

Another benefit to floating is that it can heighten your visualisation, deepen your meditational state and expand your awareness.

This is done by blocking out all of your senses whilst in the pod for your hour session.

Some customers float for the simple fact that when they are in there, it can take them back to very detailed memories or times in their life that they couldn't remember before, which is always very warming to hear about.

Obviously, I could go on forever with how many benefits there actually are.

Just to name a few more:

- Shifting brainwaves from beta to lower frequency levels, alpha, theta, and even delta waves

- Enhancing the potential for lucid dreams

- Boosting immune function

- Increasing the production of endorphins

- Eliminating fatigue and jet lag