With all this running I've been doing for this half marathon, I thought it would be fun to try out a new way of recovering from exercise, float therapy. You lay in a pod in complete darkness that has about 10 inches of water and 1,000 pounds of epsom salts. Before you say this is NOT for me, let me mention just a few of the health benefits:
- reduces lactic acid levels in muscles and improves recovery time in athletes
- reduces stress in the body and promotes a meditative environment
- your body absorbs magnesium in the salts and promotes restful sleep
- a way to truly disconnect in a connected world
- promotes creativity
When I arrived at The Float Studio, I was greeted by the owner who was very nice and explained exactly what was going to happen. I was instructed to remove my contact lenses and shower with unscented castile soap. I was to use it all over and wash my hair with it. From there I could enter the pod. Here's a few pictures I took before I got in.
I got into the pod and pressed a button to indicate I was in then pulled the lid closed. A few minutes after the light went out and a few minutes after that the music went off. That's it. Complete darkness and quiet for 90 minutes. At first, I found it hard to relax. My thoughts were all over the place but slowly, I was able to rest my head back and clear my mind. I did find I had to move every once in a while. I would move my arms above my head, or move arms and legs out like a star fish. Once the session was almost done, the music started to come back on and then the light. That was my cue to get out and rinse off in the shower. Afterwards, I felt relaxed and less sore from exercise. That night I slept so soundly.
Would I do it again? Sure, I'd give it another try now that I know what to expect. I think it did help my recovery from exercise and that was my main reason for going.
