There is no shortage of research on the positive effects of relaxation. Now one business lets customers find their happy place via floating.
Enlighten Others specializes in holistic healing. Located a half mile southeast of the University, on Bryn Mawr Drive, the local business features hot yoga, massage therapy — and float tanks.
Business owner Kenneth Pintor said he liked the idea of offering float tanks for relaxation because they create a distraction-free environment that facilitates a state of restfulness.
The sensory deprivation tanks known as “float tanks” are sound and light-proof capsules that contain a skin-temperature water and Epsom salt solution. A person floats on top of the solution, separated from the exterior world.
“With nothing drawing your attention, it’s easier to relax,” Pintor said. “It creates a blank slate for your mind. It’s good for students because it helps them to focus, to concentrate and allows ease of clarity.”
Josh St. John, an employee of Enlighten Others, said the float tank provided the deepest relaxation he had ever felt.
“The experience is different for every person, so it’s hard to put into words,” he said. “When I first started, it gave me insight into my life. It gave me a sense of purpose. Being alone, you really go inside yourself and see things you couldn’t see with the distractions of the world.”
Customer Shannon Grady said she has floated 10 times, and that the experience is incredible.
“It opens the door to different dimensions of peace,” she said. “It’s been a tool that has changed my life. If I have a rough day, I’ll float and everything falls into place.”
Grady said she thinks everyone could benefit from it, but not everyone would enjoy it.
“My mother is a very busy woman and thinks sitting in a tank for an hour is a waste of an hour. She doesn’t understand that an hour in the tank is priceless,” she said. “It helps (one) to slow down and realize what’s really important. People could be more efficient if they float.”
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Kevin Haaf is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.
