Flotation = Relaxation. Mmmmmmm

It was my birthday on Saturday (I’m twenty seventeen), and I was treated to the delights of breakfast in bed, shared with wife and daughter. The card from my daughter was a fantastic home made effort, which’ll be featured here once I get around to scanning it.

The card from my wife included a gift token from Flotaria - Newcastle’s flotation centre. More to the point . . . it also included a booking form. So at 08:45, I found that I was booked in for a flotation at 10:30. Yikes!

My wife’s had two flotations in the last year, and I’ve been fascinated by the idea of floating for an hour in a super-saturated salt water at body temperature. . . . and in a sound-proof, ligh-proof pod. For an hour. A whole hour with nothing but me in my head for company.

The first time I’d seen something like this used was on Hawaii Five-0, when the sensory deprivation induced was used as a torture method. Scary stuff! Incidentally, according to the Hawaii Five O home page, Jack Lord’s memorabilia is going to be auctioned on Ebay . . . starting on March 14th.

I have to say though, the experience was anything but torture. After a shower, I got into the flotation pod. As I sat down in only 10 inches of water, I was caught unawares by the buoyancy of the water (not sure what I was expecting . . . ) - my legs bobbed up to the surface, and almost tipped me onto my back. Once I got myself laying down, I pressed the buttons to turn the lights of and close the pod. And relax.

Except I couldn’t relax. My neck felt odd, and I was scared of falling asleep. After 20 minutes, I looked at my watch. Was I getting BORED? But then the strangest thing happened - the remaining 40 minutes of my float were over in about five seconds. I didn’t go to sleep - I’m absolutely sure of that. But I did relax more than I ever have.

And the feeling of mmmmmm relaxation lasted for the rest of the day. To think that I’ve spend thirty seven years never once stopping from bouncing along. Reminds me a bit of the 80’s advert for Cadbury’s Caramel. Except without the smutty innuendo:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D94AegQPmek]

Filed under: Newcastle