The Salty Turtle: A Vibration of Healing This morning I woke up, shuffled downstairs, and brewed myself a nice hot cup of coffee to start my day. Imagine my surprise when I came back to realize I'd never slid a mug under the Keurig to catch the pour. To its credit, the trough holds the new record in the house for being able to hold all 10oz, 'strong setting' coffee! So.... how is your day going?? =^.^= Our latest Spa Spotlight takes us to The Salty Turtle Float Center. Nestled in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this beautiful location is an oasis where healing flows out to the community like a warm ..read more

Floating and Arthritis You may be surprised to learn that arthritis affects more than 60 million people yearly, making it one of the most common disabilities in the country. There are many different types of arthritis, and people are impacted in different ways by it, but two of the most common forms are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Osteoarthritis wears down the joint cartilage and can alter bone shape, while Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints. Both of these can cause intense joint pain, body fatigue, stiffness and mobility issues, having a lasti ..read more

Inner Perception and Floating Touch, sight, smell, hearing, and taste are what most people immediately think of when asked about the human senses. While these five major senses get the most attention, there are numerous, often-overlooked senses of the body that can add a great depth of information about what is going on inside of us: for example thermoception (sense of temperature), nociception (sense of pain), and equilibrioception (sense of balance). One of these lesser known senses is interoception, or the sense of the sensations inside your own body, like your heartbeat and your breathing ..read more

As you probably know if you have tried it, the experience of floating in a sensory deprivation tank can be deeply relaxing.  So, why does floating relax you? What’s the science behind this? The relaxation effect that occurs after floating is far from rare. In fact, relaxation is one of the core reasons why people seek out floating as a top defense against burnout, stress, anxiety, and depression. Science is revealing the reason why floating induces relaxation. What is Flotation Therapy?  Floatation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy) is a mind-body intervention used t ..read more

How Float Therapy Is Helping to Restore Peace for Veterans Many of the nation's veterans struggle with the psychological toll of serving their country. In fact, up to 20 percent of veterans who serve in active conflict are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a rate that is much higher than in the general population. They may experience disruptions of sleep, nightmares, and more as a result of PTSD symptoms. It is beneficial to take a holistic approach when dealing with such complex psychological trauma. While talk therapy and properly prescribed medications can be helpfu ..read more

Disconnect to Reconnect The longest study on human happiness tells us the greatest determinant of happiness is the quality and warmth of our relationships. Beginning in 1938, the Harvard Study of Adult Development has explored many aspects of human existence as they relate to health and happiness, monitoring the lives of 724 initial participants plus 1300 of their descendants. The finding that meaningful relationships hold the greatest influence over health and happiness begs us to examine barriers to true connection in our lives, and in caring for oneself, pursue ways to overcome these barri ..read more

Floating and Arthritis You may be surprised to learn that arthritis affects more than 60 million people yearly, making it one of the most common disabilities in the country. There are many different types of arthritis, and people are impacted in different ways by it, but two of the most common forms are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Osteoarthritis wears down the joint cartilage and can alter bone shape, while Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints. Both of these can cause intense joint pain, body fatigue, stiffness and mobility issues, having a lasti ..read more

New Research Examines How Floating Improves Cardiovascular Wellness Flotation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy) may help to improve cardiovascular wellness. While we often think of floating as a passive activity, research shows that Flotation-REST could offer big benefits for heart health that could rival anything offered by intense workouts. In a 2022 paper exploring the acute cardiovascular effects of Flotation-REST, researchers noted the way that the central nervous system (CNS) exerts a strong regulatory influence over the cardiovascular system in response to environment ..read more

Athletes Floating and Recovery Here’s a sports trivia question for all our athletically-inclined readers:  What do the Dallas Cowboys, the Golden State Warriors, the Chicago Cubs, The Manchester United Football Club, and Michael Phelps all have in common? You might see this line up and think “well, the ‘92 Dallas Cowboys won the Superbowl that year, the Golden State Warriors won the NBA Finals in ‘14, the Cubs made history when they won the 2016 World Series, Manchester United is one of the most honoured Football Clubs in the world, and Michael Phelps has won more gold medals than any ..read more

50 Years of Commercial Floating In 1954, a young medical doctor and neuroscientist, John C. Lilly, donned a breathing mask and took the first descending steps into a large, fresh-water tank designed to cut out as much light, noise, and general sensation as possible. From that first iteration, it would be 19 years before floatation therapy was offered generally to the public, thanks to the work of Dr. Lilly, along with Glenn and Lee Perry. Glenn Perry, an engineer by trade, had his first float in 1972 at a workshop hosted by Lilly. An ordinarily extremely shy Glenn emerged from the tank in a ..read more