“I left like a new woman”, by Angharad
Does this look like the face of a stressed out woman? A woman on the edge of some sort of episode? One that’s installed two hot tubs in the rain, driven across country at breakneck speed, was 40 minutes late for a meeting, whose stupid van alarm was going off during the whole meeting and narrowly avoided smashing her mobile phone into a pile of dust? Oh and there were school runs and phone calls and emails and all the normal crap thrown in too for good measure.
Well that’s exactly how my day went. I arrived at Float in the Forest pretty much fit for sectioning and left like a new woman….I really should have taken a before photo as the pair would have been unrecognisable!
Several people have asked how it went so here’s my take on floating…in the Forest…
As a float virgin and a stressed one at that I was a bit nervous but soon realised that I had no need for such feelings…Shari greeted me and immediately made me feel comfortable, showed me around, let me cuddle Ivor* which I felt was a special privilege and talked me gently through the process of having a float.
Basically after instruction I was left to my own devices to shower using really rather lovely products and the best, most powerful shower I’ve used in a long time and then to get my naked butt into the salty water. I could leave the lid open, close it, have the lights on or off, change the colour of the lights, have the lights going through the rainbow or basically whatever made me feel comfortable…
I opted for the full darkness with closed lid option and surprised myself at how spacious it felt, I didn’t feel trapped and if I did then i could open it up at anytime by gently pushing the lid – no buttons or clicks. I actually laughed out loud when I first got in as I couldn’t believe how easy it was to float – I mean like it was impossible not to, the second I stretched out, all my limbs popped up and floated whether I wanted them to or not!!! It was serene, warm and blissfully peaceful and my skin felt amazing in the epsom loaded water.
I guess I spent the first five minutes wondering what on earth I was doing and then I just relaxed into it, I dozed off at one point (Shari assured me that I couldn’t drown – I asked more than once), unaware of time or outside pressures. In all honesty the world could have ended outside that door and I wouldn’t have had a bloody clue or probably cared. Floating made me aware of aches and pains that I wouldn’t normally stop long enough to feel but it was so strange because I could correct my position in the water and they would go away…I could also hear my heart beating which was a first for me.
When the gentle music came on letting me know that my time had come to an end, I was genuinely disappointed that I had to get out. I felt relaxed and calm and I guess almost a little dazed like i’d just fallen asleep during a massage (yes I do that). I showered again, marvelling at how lush my skin felt and then plopped my now not naked butt on a big comfy sofa and drank tea.
It was a good hour before I actually left and entered the real world again, which for someone as busy as me it was the most self indulgent thing I’ve done in like forever…Forget buying a bottle of wine after a long day or treating yourself to new shoes, the feeling of floating far outweighed any other form of self indulgence. It was truly ‘me’ time and I really needed it – so much so that I’m going to become a member so I can have a monthly time out session just for me, I think it might help my sanity and my body.
Thank you Shari
*Ivor is a border collie that loves to be cuddled, if you love dogs then ask for him, he’s probably there somewhere snuggled up in his big bed, if you don’t like dogs you’ll never know he’s even in the building!
Thank you to Angharad of Party Tents Rock and Hot Tubs Rock for this review.
