Hello Friends! I wrote this last winter after my impossible-to-describe first float. Now feels like the right time to share. Thanks for reading.
After intense snow and rain blanketed our community on Feb. 11, I gingerly headed out to Clearmind Float Spa in Knutsford.
The roads would have been more manageable on snowshoes or skates. Feeling a bit anxious about the pending experience, I gave myself more time to arrive than required to find some calm before immersing myself into the wonderful gift friends had purchased for me.
As the sun was tiptoeing across the crisp snow, leaving diamonds in her wake, the breathtaking scenery at One Love Ranch/Clearmind Float Spa eased my over-active imagination significantly.
The owners, Lisa and Lowel, were warm and welcoming, addressing the commonly voiced concerns of claustrophobia and ‘Can I drown?’ — questions they’ve heard so many times before.
The space itself is stunning, the floor was mesmerizing. Delicately decorated with just enough delightful accents to feel welcome, yet remain impeccably clean and sterile.
Lisa showed me where to shower and explained all the what-ifs to me, allowing me ample time to get acquainted with the idea of sensory deprivation.
By now most will have heard of float spas. My mind traveled back to the movie Altered States and I wasn’t so sure this was my thing. But I’m jumping out of my comfort zone, right?
I was quite delicate with the water I was about float on, almost waiting for an invitation. Oddly enough, it felt like its own entity, as if I was a stranger invading this unconquered land. I purposefully lowered myself in.
The water is not very deep at all, and the ceiling of the capsule was a good seven feet. The underwater lights and perfect temperature made the transition surprisingly comfortable.
The air and water are kept at body temperature, so you honestly can’t tell where the water begins and the air is touching your body.
To be completely real here: I was arrogant. I meditate regularly and, although I’m no guru, I was thinking I’d pop in and drift off to an amazing new landscape of undiscovered inner knowledge just aching to get out.
But that was not the case for me. Some of my experience is too personal to share in this format, but most of it so beautiful and must be!
Time is lost. As a busy woman I felt pangs of guilt for taking so much of it for myself to just float around in a weird bathtub full of salt, but that thought drifted off fast as new sensations surfaced.
At one point I felt like I was standing up, suspended in air without any pressure points or discomfort, then a sense of being cradled in a huge hand. It’s really quite amazing, to lie without any pain at all. You are buoyant, free.
Perhaps this is what no gravity feels like? My muscle didn’t sag in the water, they were taut and firm. As I put my hands behind my head just to try it all, I felt like I was rolling forward ever so slowly, no dizziness or tightness in my chest, easy breathing for a someone like me who can get a bit anxious on a plane as the doors close.
I tripped back and forth between wondering how long I had been there, to swirling about in this fun new place!
My internal child came out to play at one point. Remember when you were a kid, spinning around in the tub pushing yourself back and forth? I was doing that, but floating, nothing hindering me. I didn’t even care if someone heard me; I was giggling and loving it!
The freedom to float without sinking is amazing! No aches or pains, no sounds, just your heartbeat, your breath, your humanness. In the end it felt like maybe 30 minutes had passed, music and soft lights beaconed me back to reality.
The water felt heavy as I was leaving, like it didn’t want me to go. That’s weird, I know, but I am trying to describe the indescribable. I showered and dressed.
I would take some toiletries next time, like the stuff I use after a yoga class. That’s a personal choice, but essentials are provided, like soap and towels. Lisa offered me tea and little sit down after as she prepared the space for a new guest.
Depriving our senses is a remarkable experience. Make time for self care, have fun and go get unplugged! Life is waiting, live it now!
Editor's Note: Clearmind Float Spa has since closed.
At 49 years old, Dina McLeod has found full body wellness/awareness the key to embracing life. Born on Vancouver Island, her love of the fresh outdoors and genuine desire to stay grounded only grew when she relocated to Kamloops in 1998. She is proof that living a healthy, balanced life can be achieved at any age or fitness level. Her motto: Life is waiting, live it now!
