By Rick Owens

To Float or not to Float? If that were the question, the answer would be a resounding FLOAT!

Float OKC in Edmond has a new owner, and it is none other than our own Red Dirt Queen of Hearts,

Tonya Little, of Little Okieland and Backstage Queens fame. She had been a Float customer for so long,

that when the opportunity arose, she went all in and bought the franchise. When I heard that, I knew

that I was going to have to take the journey myself, and I’m so happy I did!

I approached the sensory deprivation Float with a completely open mind, and an excitement like that of

a child on his or her birthday. My experience surpassed my expectations, and I can say, without a doubt,

that I recommend this kind of float therapy as often as you can do it. My inaugural float was not without

minor hiccups, which I’ll detail here in my overall review, but I can’t wait to get back in!

Chapter One: The Check In

I’ll admit, I had the slightest bit of anxiousness heading to my first float. I didn’t know what to expect.

What if I fell asleep? Will my head go under? What happens if I get claustrophobic? And I even had

questions about whether all of this would happen, would it be explained to me or not? Fortunately, I was

greeted with comforting enthusiasm, and I was showed to my room. This is where all of the matter of fact

details were explained to me. I learned details about the pod, about the shower, about the soaps and

shampoos, the ear plugs, and how to treat any minor cuts you might have. After it was all explained and

I had the opportunity to ask any questions, I was left in the room to shower and enter the pod.

Chapter Two: The Pod

After a brief mild shower, I entered the pod. I tried out the head support halo that was provided, but

decided against it because I wanted to notice any tension that I had in my neck without the support.

The halo is a foam ring that can be placed behind your head while you float. It was explained to me that

a lot of first time floaters have a tendency to want to hold their heads up while floating, thus diminishing

some of the relaxation you’re supposed to be feeling. It is this stage in the float that I noticed my first

hiccup. I forgot to put in the earplugs. I was still comfortable and relaxed, but once again, wanted the

full sensory deprivation experience, so I got out briefly and returned fully ready for the float.

Chapter Three: The Float

The first thing I noticed, being in a pitch black pod, floating effortlessly and beginning to relax, is that you

are very in tune with your body functions immediately. I noticed the sound of my breathing first, and

decided I wanted to try rhythmic breathing similar to what one would do during exercise. Slow,

measured, and purposeful breathing. The next thing I noticed was my heartbeat. I thought it was

slightly accelerated, partially due to my nerves, but mostly due to having to get back out, and settle back

in after retrieving the ear plugs. Once I was completely relaxed, I noticed that there was no reason to

have my eyes closed, the pod was void of light. I wanted to embrace the nothingness. To float as if I

were in space, or in a different dimension all together. And it worked. I was able to fully relax. I tilted

my head as far back as was comfortable, knowing that it was impossible for my head to go under. It was

recommended before the float to keep your arm out to your sides, or above your head. I did both, and

noticed that it was a very different feel for either position. Both were unique feeling because the water

displacement was different depending on your position. So now I wanted to experiment with other

variants of the floating position. I stretched my legs straight out, arched my back a bit, and even wiggled

my toes, all of which have unique sensations. It was like fantasy land. Just floating in time and space,

not a care in the world. Which is, of course, the point. Very relaxing. All of the tension was washed

away. Almost like the solution I was floating in was specifically designed to extract all of the soreness,

tightness, and all of the negative “energy” out of my body. A weightlessness of body, mind, and spirit.

Chapter Four: The Check Out

At the end of your float, the blue light will come on behind your head, and the water pump will kick on,

indicating it’s time to emerge from your relaxation pod. The light switch in the room is motion sensitive

and will illuminate upon your emergence. Then, a warm shower with the scented body wash, shampoo

and conditioner is in order. I walked away from the experience fully relaxed and already looking forward

to my next opportunity to do it again! As I walked away from the float, I noticed a “light” feeling in my

movements. The relaxation was not just in the pod, it had permeated throughout my body and I was

left feeling gravity a bit differently. A type of relaxation I’ve rarely, if ever, found before. Even recalling

my experience to capture it here, I can feel the calm of the float.

Overall it was a wonderful experience that I would recommend to anyone, and will continue to do

myself. And although I don’t know if Float OKC would recommend the natural cross promotion that I

noticed while I was there, but, there is a Medical Marijuana dispensary around the corner. I believe that

anyone with a Medical Marijuana license could probably heighten the relaxation and potential euphoria

by combining the two.

No matter which way you slice it, Float OKC is something you need in your life. So treat yourself, and go

visit today!