“Ground control to Major Tom …” So begins David Bowie’s strange and sedative hit “Space Oddity,” about an astronaut disconnecting from life as he floats weightless through space. Bowie may have been on to something in 1972, that weightlessness is indeed a very relaxing and soothing experience. Now, in 2014, anti-gravity spa treatments are all the rage for their stress-melting benefits. More and more spas are offering treatments in floatation chambers, special pools and even anti-gravity massage beds.
What’s fueling this space-age spa trend? Gravity is an inescapable force to be reckoned with, one that drags your whole body down over time. It can affect your appearance with wrinkles and saggy body parts as we age, and it can affect our health, causing compressed discs, varicose veins decreased height and other maladies. Being weightless, even for a short time, is a way to combat this natural force and disconnect from the stresses of modern-day life.
Benefits of Floatation
Studies on the effects of floatation on the body show positive results. Many health and wellness benefits have been noted, including reductions in stress levels, headaches, depression and chronic pain. Floating is a great way to sooth aches and pains moth major and minor. Even an improvement in skin tone was noted.
Not only are health and beauty benefits seen after anti-gravity spa treatments. Another draw of these treatments is the truly relaxing experience afforded by completely wiping our plugged-in brains clean. It’s not often that we get a chance to completely relax and disconnect from 24/7 media bombardment. Being suspended is a great way to hit our own reset buttons!
Flotation Chambers Old and New
As space-age as it seems, floatation is not a new concept. Flotation has been a popular relaxation method through the centuries, with salt pools a popular therapy throughout the years. Floatation tanks were invented in the 1950s and have been in use since then, coming in and out of popularity. However, the concept of floatation therapy is currently gaining ground and becoming a popular offering among spas throughout the U.S. Spas that are on the cutting edge are offering top-of-the-line floatation rooms and pools to cater to growing demand.
What can you expect in a floatation treatment? Temperature, whether air or water, is generally kept to 93.5 degrees. Water/salt ratio is 75/25 to create optimal buoyancy and erase the line between skin and water. Generally, people in a floatation chamber can either sit or stand either in total blackness or low lighting. Floating sessions can last anywhere from 1 to 1 ½ hours and can either be passive and relaxation-focused or guide the floater through meditation.
Where to Float
Floatation chambers are popular on the West Coast, with many offerings in California and Oregon. Float On bills itself as the largest float tank center in the United States. It offers Ocean Rooms, in which the user can walk in and then lie down to float, or the more enclosed Oasis Rooms, which resemble space pods. These chambers are calming and relaxing, and you’re never truly alone. Each one is connected to the main desk if you need help with anything.
Amangiri’s Aman Spa in Utah offers a unique floating experience. It features a huge floatation chamber inside a canyon cave, which is accessed via a stone pathway. This floatation chamber also uses color therapy to assist in the relaxation and meditation process. After you’re done, step out to the open-air terrace with a hot plunge pool for a post-treatment dip. Talk about getting back to nature and being nurtured!
Floatation has also come out of the chamber. Weightless pools, such as that at Aruna Day Spa, are becoming a popular offering among clientele. These pools use Dead Sea salts to help people float effortlessly and promote total relaxation. Dead Sea minerals also help to improve skin’s tone and texture. Pools offer you the chance to completely relax and float with no fear of sinking.
Anti-Gravity Spa Treatments
The weightless trend has even extended beyond floatation chambers and pools as more spas are offering special zero-gravity amenities. It can be as simple as hanging baskets and hammocks suspended in the treetops or as high-tech as anti-gravity massage beds and chairs. In Texas, the Zero Gravity Institute offers massages in conjunction with its floatation pool treatments for the ultimate out-of-this-world experience.
Yelo Spa in New York City offers an anti-gravity chair that keeps the legs elevated above the heart, producing a feeling of weightlessness while the user relaxes. At the end of the session, a simulated sunrise helps the user quietly “wake up” from the experience.
Kohler’s Water Spa in Wisconsin offers an innovative experience called the WaveMotion Body Treatment. You relax on a table that allows you to be moved weightlessly, making you feel like you’re suspended in water. It’s truly a unique experience.
Anti-Gravity Takes Off
The anti-gravity experience is poised to really take off this year, as more and more people embrace the psychological and physical benefits of floating and getting unplugged. Whether it’s a floatation tank, chamber or pool, or a more innovative massage treatment, you’re likely to see a floatation treatment at a spa near you.
Why not make like Major Tom and float weightless through space? Unplug, relax and recharge your batteries. You’ll return to earth feeling like a whole new person. Read more about the top spa trends in this excellent resource by Spafinder Wellness 365 Trends Report.
Photos by Gravity Spa and Yelo Spa’s Facebook.