I’ve always been curious about floating / sensory deprivation chambers and when a friend suggested I check out this new float studio on Washington I saw my chance.

So the idea behind floating chambers is that your body and mind, when not distracted by the millions of sensations it processes every day, is able to enter a deep state of relaxation and regeneration that they call a theta state. I’ve heard that one hour of “sleep” within a chamber is equivalent to 4 hours of normal bed sleep. Sounds awesome, right? It is.

The experience itself: you enter a modern, zen studio with lounge chairs. Trish was there helping me through the experience and she was warm and cheerful, encouraging me to ask questions and get the most out of the experience. You enter your “pod room” where there’s a nice shower and the pod itself. After showering off you climb into your enclosed pod which is filled with almost a foot of clean warm water blended with over 1000 lbs of epsom salts. I was worried at first that it would be difficult to stay afloat but in fact it’s more difficult not to stay afloat. There is a control panel on the interior side so you can toggle lights on or off, sound on or off. I chose the meditation track both times I went, so I’m lead through about 10 minutes of meditation exercises and then I float in silence for the rest of the hour. At first, your mind wants to race. Thoughts bubble up, you feel antsy a little but but then after roughly 20-30 minutes, both times I tried floating, I must have conked out only to awake after my hour finished to a soothing voice instructing me to slowly rise.

Afterward you shower and enjoy a nice cup of tea in a candle filled room. The first time I floated in the morning and felt energized, the second time at night I was ready to go straight to bed.

Definitely worth a try if you need a little “me” time and life’s anxieties and stresses seem overwhelming. They offer a special discounted rate for 1st timers… check it out!

— Jane K, Pause Float Studio on Yelp