Many friends and family at this point already know that Destiny and I have taken on a new (ad)venture and are opening Float8 Wellness Lounge & Float Center in Deerfield Beach, FL. Although there aren’t really any float centers in South Florida yet, they are popular in other regions, and there is an abundant amount of information available. We’ll be sharing more and more in the coming months about floating – aka Float Therapy, Sensory Deprivation, Isolation, Restricted Environmental Stimulus Treatment (R.E.S.T.) – and the business, but I wanted to share a little bit about how I got into it.
I’m not exactly sure where I first heard of the concept, but it was Joe Rogan who really intrigued me with rants about the benefits of and how much he loves floating on his Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
While running a high stress personal business and being slapped around by life, I found my mind overwhelmed with thoughts, doubts, lists, questions, concerns…you name it. My mind was so busy, it constantly felt like I was spinning my wheels. So much to do, but I was unable to focus and actually get things done. And healthy sleep just wasn’t happening. I’d lay in bed and stare at my phone for inspiration or an answer. That’s if I wasn’t drinking to slow things down.
The first time I floated was on the eve of Hulaween 2014, about an hour after I finally got approval to launch the first Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park sponsored Spirit Care program. I effectively had about 48 hours to lock down an experienced staff to work 24 hours per day for three days on a limited budget. My mind was a race, and there was nothing any dark hole could do about it. I had trouble breathing and was literally bouncing off the walls. My body crawled and when I scratched my face, I got the salt solution in my eyes. I recommend doing your best to avoid that experience. Basically, it was slow torture. The hour couldn’t end quick enough. It felt like an endurance race where I just had to dig in and get through it. But even with my physical body being so outwardly challenged, I think something deep down recognized the potential.
So I tried it again a few months later. This time, I had practiced the most basic meditative breathing through an app called Headspace. I recommend taking their FREE 10-Day-Challenge, even if you leave it there. I was able to become more relaxed while trying to focus on nothing but my breath, but it was still challenging to let go physically. My neck ached from holding my head up. (Try using a support until you learn to let go and your body to properly align). My body still itched although I was sure to keep my hands away from my face…and a towel close by. Still not achieving my desired results, I knew I was getting closer and booked my next float for the following week. It was this third attempt where I finally “let go.”
We’re very excited to evolve what we’ve created together this far in a new, cutting edge and healthy direction. I found floating when I needed it and when I started digging into the community and culture surrounding the intriguing practice, I was inspired by the potential to help progress society with a refreshed focus on community building.
