Float Hub
It has taken me a few years to try float therapy. The deciding factor was a discount code offered by Float Hub. Coming out of the global lockdown, I was prepared to do anything outside of my home other than my daily walks.
After making the booking, more than a few questions started to go round and round in my head. Will it be like I`m alive in a coffin? Is anyone else in the room? Is there a camera in the pod in case anything goes wrong? Is there a panic button? Will it feel like I’m floating in space, in my mum’s womb, or both? I already had potentially unrealistic expectations but had heard and read good things about floating, so I was keen to see if it was something I would enjoy.
Old Street was a ghost town. My booking was first thing in the morning, but the vibe wasn’t there. I had more time to anxiously think about all the questions I was going to ask (and annoy) the staff at Float Hub with.
It turns out that I didn’t need to. Everyone asks the same thing a member of their team told me. The whole setup was lovely. I can't remember his name, but the staff member on the desk when I arrived was great. We chatted briefly, and I mentioned that it's “dead” around here. Old Street is not the atmosphere of Float Hub. He gently defended the area and pointed out that things have picked up so much more since the latest restrictions have been lifted and that things do pick up much more during the afternoon. He then took me on a venue tour, and I was pleasantly surprised. Anything spa-like is my favourite thing to do, and Float Hub was like a back street but a front street mini spa experience.
If you were wondering, everyone has their own float room and tank. The pods were nice and compact and looked like the sleeping pods in a space movie. This was not somewhere I would like to be trapped inside, even if the music was playing. So after my health and safety instructions and having all my anxiety-induced questions answered, I was on my own and ready to get started.
After showering, I wore my swimming costume and started preparing myself to get into the tank. The water only fills up to a certain level, so I know that unless I pass out, I won’t drown. Besides, the salt would keep me afloat. An essential little water bottle was placed on a little bench in front of the pod in case I got salt in my eye, which I did.
After getting inside and almost fully closing the roof of the pod so that I was fully enclosed, I decided it wasn’t for me. Not the floating but being in the tank with it fully closed. As it doesn’t have to be closed whilst floating, I kept it slightly open. Maybe if I enjoy the float and want to return, I would try it fully closed. Maybe.
Being 5’9, it did feel that the tank should have been a bit longer. Tall girl problems. Although their website says it accommodates people with a height of up to 7ft 6 inches, I think someone over 6ft may struggle a bit to get comfortable unless they have very flexible legs. If you are this height and have tried one of these pods before, let me know how you got on or if you are still trying to get out, I wish you well.
The meditation music that starts is relaxing. I don’t know how to describe the experience. It was like being in a bath (not hot nor cold) and suspended on the top in darkness, but in my case, with a bit of light poking through. As I said earlier, my expectations were high, which means they would not be met. At a minimum, I wanted to feel something. I can’t remember who recommended this to me and over-exaggerated the experience, but when I do, we will have words. Although I didn’t fully close the tank, I may have limited the possibility of what it may have felt like.
The time went by quickly, so maybe it was like I had transcended time and space, which means that I must have enjoyed myself. I did feel relaxed, but I think my expectations ruined it for me. The meditation music lasts only 5 minutes at the start and comes back 5 minutes before the float time is up. I would have preferred to have the music on the whole time, but that probably would have eliminated the reduction of anything sensory in the experience.
Once my float time was over, I wasn’t quite ready to finish up. The time felt like it had gone by too quickly, so I went to the relaxation room, showered and dressed to make the most out of the day. I only expected to be in there for 10 minutes max, but I was probably in there longer than I was floating.
After helping myself to a cup of mint tea and some magazines, I felt like my spa day had just begun. I spent maybe 2 hours reading the spiritual and wellness magazines and was literally in heaven. I wasn’t even disturbed once, although I did think that one of the staff would come along any moment and say, “err, times up.” I could have stayed there all day.
I enjoyed my time at Float Hub and would have to come back and try it again to see if this were something I would want to add to my wellness activities. Not having the pod fully closed limited my experience, so it’s only fair to give it a second chance. There are many mental health benefits too, so I`m keen to try it to see if it works for me, as I love being in the water. They also recommend having 3 floats within 60 days to receive some benefits. Some of which could be better sleep, helping with insomnia, helping ease stress and anxiety, helping you feel calm and relaxed, and relieving physical pain.
https://floathub.co.uk/what-are-the-benefits-of-floating/
I left feeling slightly more upbeat than I had been feeling for a while. I will try this again soon; they have 15% off for your first float. So go on, potential floaters; give it a try and let me know what you think.
Float Hub
Shoreditch, London
LG Floor, 346 Old Street
London EC1V 9NQ
https://floathub.co.uk