Floating Therapy
Floating weightlessly in darkness and silence is a gateway to mindfulness, easing tension muscles while soothing anxiety
The main benefit of float therapy is cutting off all contact between the outside world and your senses, particularly sight, touch, and hearing. Floating weightlessly in darkness and silence is a unique gateway to mindfulness, easing tension muscles while soothing anxiety. When the body reaches a deep level of relaxation, positive physical changes occur. As muscles relax, blood pressure drops, stress hormones are washed away, and feel-good endorphin output rises.
A relatively modern therapy tool, the first float tank was designed in 1954 by US neuroscientist Dr. John C. Lilly. His intention was to study human consciousness by cutting off external stimuli. By the 1970s, commercial float tanks were appearing on the market, as their health benefits became better known, supported by scientific studies.
The evidence suggests that floatation tank sessions may lead to an entire set of benefits, starting with muscle relaxation, with less pain and stress, leading to deeper sleep and better moods. Today, spas and wellness centers all over the world offer float therapy as a regular item on their treatment menus, under a variety of names: floatation tank, sensory deprivation session, isolation chamber, and REST – Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy.
In a sensory deprivation tank, about 200 gallons of water is warmed to outer skin temperature (around 93°F) and mixed with about 850 pounds of magnesium sulfate. Better known as Epsom salts, this common household item has been used for hundreds of years to treat ailments ranging from clogged pores to fibromyalgia.
Saturated with Epsom salts, the water is extremely buoyant, so you float like a cork, regardless of body weight. As your body is released from the burden of gravity, your mind floats free as well, untethered by movement or noise.
For some people, casting off the bonds of gravity and the limits imposed by our senses may have impressive results on their minds, including enhanced creativity, with a keener, almost hallucinatory, awareness of imagined shapes and colors; tighter focus, with improved concentration and better intellectual performances; and faster learning processes and less brain fog.
The effects of flotation treatment on athletic performances have been well documented. Shown to decrease painful blood lactate levels after bouts of intensive exercise; better cardiovascular health, with lower blood pressure resulting from less stress and better sleep; less pain caused by tight muscles, tension headaches, and even whiplash-related discomfort.
An effective tool for fast psychological recovery after grueling athletic competitions, many floatation session clients report feelings of happiness, well-being, and even euphoria, while others mention spiritual insights, inner peace, and even a feeling of being born anew.
Solo Experience: You’ll be alone in quiet darkness, so there’s no need for modesty. Although you may wear a swimsuit, expert therapists note that the experience is more complete when this warm salty solution is in direct contact with every inch of your body.
Couples Experience: Magnolia Wellness Center offers floating suite which is perfect for two people to enjoy. Couples pricing applies.
Members
$49
Retail
$79
Ranked by the World Health Organization as one of the top ten medical illnesses, migraines affect over 37 million people in the USA. Three times more common among women than men, these crippling attacks will affect more than 30% of women during their lifetimes.
Although they’re so debilitating, science still hasn’t discovered the exact cause of these incapacitating super-headaches. Some researchers believe that abnormal brain activities temporarily affect signals in the brain, with alterations to chemicals and blood vessels.
There’s also some evidence that there may be a genetic factor in migraines, perhaps reflected in inherited sensitivities to specific triggers.
Studies have indicated that triggers may be internal, like emotional, physical, and hormonal factors, while others may be external, like diet, medications, and the environment. Highly individual, these triggers vary from person to person, and may change over time.
For instance, some women find that migraines caused by hormonal changes improve after menopause. This is also why certain medications – including combined contraceptive pills and hormone replacement therapy – must be handled carefully for migraine sufferers.
Other frequent triggers include stress, low blood sugar, and dehydration. Fatigue and poor sleep quality may also be to blame, particularly when sporadic, due to jetlag or shift work.
Frequent dietary culprits are caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, and citrus fruit, as well as foods containing tyramine, which include cured meats, smoked fish, and certain cheeses.
Many of the environmental triggers would give anyone a headache: sun glare, flickering lights, smoky or poorly ventilated rooms, loud noises, and strong smells.
When any of these stimuli (and often several at the same time) slam into over-sensitized receptors, the brain overreacts with outsized responses. As its electrical systems misfire in all directions, blood flows alter and nerves are constricted, causing intense pain.
Severe pulsing and throbbing may grip the entire head, or just one side, often accompanied by dizziness, vomiting and nausea, and extreme sensitivity to sound and light. These symptoms can be so severe that migraine victims are unable to work or care for their families.
Intravenous infusions may provide migraine relief in several ways, by delivering electrolytes and vitamins directly into the bloodstream, in a hydrating feline solution. Providing faster and more effective relief than tablets, IV therapy sews overactive nerve endings, while addressing individual symptoms (like pain, inflammation, and nausea) all at the same time.
Affecting one out of every seven people across the globe, migraine is the world’s third most common disease. Although not a definitive cure, IV drip therapy at Magnolia Poconos Wellness offers fast relief from pain, with extra benefits that include mood boosts, with added energy and deeper relaxation.
If you take prescription medications, please check with your physician before signing up for a Migraine Relief IV session.
Members
$139
Retail
$189
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