As we go about our frenetic lives, chasing whatever priorities we set for ourselves, we all need to find some way to release tension and stress. Some indulge in drugs and alcohol, others meditate and fine relaxation in solitude, while most of us navigate our way through a variety of solutions, finding respite where we can.
And so it was that I found myself at Float Chiang Mai, talking to a charming member of staff who explained to me what I was to experience. “Once you enter your sound-proof room, you can have a shower, take off your clothes and simply slip into the pod. There will be music for the first ten minutes and again for the last five minutes and colourful ambient lights you can control or turn off to taste. Simply lie back, close your eyes and relax.”
Soon, like reentering my mother’s womb, I found myself stepping naked into the warm and welcoming pod, closing the lid above me and settling into the silky water. The dense salt-water mixture, comprised of great volumes of detoxifying and therapeutic magnesium sulfate meant that buoyancy was absolute. Soon I felt as though I was lying on, in and surrounded by a liquid cocoon of comfort. There were no pressure points nor stress on the body as there was no longer any pull of gravity, I simply was.
I wasn’t sure where I was, one probably could say I was disoriented, but frankly I didn’t care because I felt so good I never wanted it to stop.
What felt like a rapid blink later, but was in fact a deeply meditative hour, had gentle music signalling my remaining five minutes and I came to full awareness, watching the lights slowly shift and change around me — blue, red, green. I reached out to grab a cooling spray and towelled off my face, eventually emerging from the pod feeling like Venus as she rose from her shell (though this rather lovely imagery was dispelled the moment I caught myself in the mirror!).
An invigorating shower, some body lotion and a good comb, thanks to Chiang Mai Float’s amenities, and I was ready to face the world again.
I will definitely head back for another session at Chiang Mai Float. It was soothing and deeply relaxing while also being wonderful restorative and rejuvenating. Go to their web site to read about the many health benefits of floating, which include being great for jetlag recovery, good for arthritis as well as helping pregnant ladies with pain and discomfort, strengthens the immune system as well as reduces stress and anxiety. Or just go for the experience.
Float Chiang Mai
Open daily 10am – 10pm
188/6 Moo 2 Huay Kaew Road
As you drive past the Phucome Junction heading into the city on Huay Kaew Road, slow down after a hundred metres or so and turn left into the Trio Building and park. Float Chiang Mai is on the ground floor just past Nice Nails.
Tel. 053 218 224
www.floatchiangmai.com
Facebook: floatchiangmai