First time floating?
Here’s what you need to know.
To relax your way into floating please arrive 15 minutes before your first session, there is free parking at 27 Rust Ave, Whangarei look for the big carpark. We are located at 27 Rust Avenue on the ground floor to the far left corner of Kowhai court (behind Triton Hearing).
You’ll have your own private room equipped with towels, ECOStore toiletries, and earplugs. There is no need to bring togs, as you’ll float naked to avoid any excess stimulation. If you’re a woman or man with hair, we do recommend bringing your hairbrush and comb before jumping in the shower to avoid hairballs for the next float member.
At float we value Manaakitanga (to take care and look after) FLOAT and our community. We require all floating members and intro packs to leave the space, and your rooms clean for the next person to unwind and enjoy. One of our staff will take you through this process, how to use our float tanks and answer any questions.
Before your first session.
Avoid coffee or stimulants at least 4 hours before the float, as this can fire off your mind inside the tank.
Don’t eat a big meal before your float, as this can cause your tummy to make some noise throughout the session
Bring your contact lens case, a hairbrush and any of your favourite post float facial products. If you wear contacts please remove them before your float to protect your eyes and contacts. To prevent any hairballs for the next member, please brush your hair on the provided towel in your float room, before and after your float.
Avoid shaving your legs, arms or body parts on the day of the float. The pods are super salty and any cut, or abrasion (caused by shaving) can irritate your skin. For small cuts, we provide vaseline to apply before your float to act as a barrier from the salt.
Use the restroom before entering your private float room to avoid disrupting your session.
Relax and take a moment before your float. Stressed and busy minds go straight into the tank with you. We offer kava to calm the mind and have a calming guided meditation you can watch before your float here.
Bring a journal and write down your experiences in the tank to see how this changes over time.
Keep it clean. Set up your body towel and floor towel before jumping in the shower, using shampoo, body and face wash (no conditioner). After your float, wipe any salt on the tank down with the blue cloth, put earplugs in bin and pick up your towels and place them in the laundry baskets outside.
What to expect during your first float.
Floating for the first time and expecting deep relaxation after a lifetime of stress would be just like going to the gym, after years of eating takeaways and not exercising with the expectation to gain a 6 pack after one session.
For your first session, we recommend going in with no expectations or judgements on what your float should be like.
Common first float experiences can range from:
Mind talking and chatter jumping from ideas the whole time. This is the mind trying to make sense of being in a world with no gravity, noise or distraction.
Boredom, wondering what to do next.
Noticing tension, pain or emotions in your body.
Head feels heavy. If this happens relax the head back and feel supported by the salt, or try our halo pillow (inside tank).
Feeling disorientated - because we are so used to having gravity, noise, light and sound when we take this away it can take some time for your mind to recalibrate. If this becomes uncomfortable, you can turn the light on at any time to recalibrate.
Feeling tension and pain melt away as your body feels supported by the salt.
Relaxation as if you’re in between being awake and asleep.
Go into your float with curiosity allowing thoughts, feelings, and body sensations to arise freely. If you notice any themes, when your session is complete, you’ve showered and cleaned the room take some time to journal and write them down with a cup of tea in the waiting area.
As you progress through your membership or Float Intro Pack (3x 45-minute floats) you’ll notice the mind starts to become more familiar with and comfortable floating without distraction. And what you may notice is the more times you float, the easier it becomes to start offloading all that stress and experience profound relaxation.
If you’d like extra support your relaxation, we offer a mindbody technique and kava to slow the mind down, You can read more about this in our FAQs here
Post float experiences.
After your first float, it can feel like a reset button for your nervous system and common experiences include:
Increased awareness of surroundings, noises may seem louder, lights appear brighter and people seem louder.
Feeling tired. By allowing your mind and body space to talk and offload the pressure it can be common to post-float feel what you’ve been consciously overriding (stress, tiredness, overwhelm). We recommend allowing some time after your first float to just be, rest and take a nap if needed.
Feeling overwhelmed. The world actually has a lot going on and over time we have adapted to this. By pushing the reset button with reduced sensory input, coming back into the busyness can feel like a lot. We recommend giving yourself an hour post-first float to adjust back in - grab a meal, cup of tea, and sit in the sunshine.
Feeling relaxed as if you’ve had the best night's sleep or been to a day spa. This is your mind and body moving away from stress and towards relaxation. As you float more often, this post-float experience becomes more common.
Feeling supercharged. Once you’ve cleared out the cobwebs of stress after the first couple of floats, getting in the tank can become your time to recharge and explore different brain states that aren’t in stress mode (also known as high-beta brainwaves). These states include theta brain state which is commonly accessed by monks who’ve meditated for years and helps boost creativity and a deep sense of relaxation.
Post float recommendations.
Drink lots of water. staying hydrated can help the body post float
Create some space for you. It’s not often busy people take the time to pause, continue this practice throughout the day, take a breath, go for a walk or turn the phone on silent for 15 minutes.
Eat something. If you’re feeling floaty, grab a bite to eat afterwards to settle back into your day.
We are here to help.
If you have any questions or curiosities before your float get in touch