Forget New York, Dubai is the city, or rather emirate, that doesn’t sleep and with constant parties, events and loud construction some residents barely get a chance to catch much zzz’s either… #EWGetsFit
As a former insomniac, I personally still struggle with restless nights in Dubai, which combined with my job that sees me at party after party and trying out the latest fitness fads, leads to me feeling exhausted. So, when told about Point Zero Floatation’s Floatation Therapy that claims to offer you the equivalent of four hours of sleep in just one hour, I knew it had to be tried and tested.
What Is It?
Floatation Therapy is an unique concept with a number of proven health benefits, which can help anyone from stressed out city dwellers, to parents or sports enthusiasts. Essentially you lie in pool of warm water filled with a high concentration of Epsom salts. It’s designed to make you feel the most relaxed you have ever been in your life.
How It Works?
First choose where you want to float: a small pool (ideal for the claustrophobic) or a mini pod that resembles the life-giving rocks in the 1980s movie Cocoon. Then, if you wish to make the experience as tailored as possible, choose what mood lightning (based on auras) and music (based on mood) you would wish to have while floating. Ideally it’s best not to have the music in order to give you the ultimate relaxing experience. For the most effective floatation or (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy aka REST) it’s best to reduce external stimulators such as light, sound, smell, touch and taste as much as possible.
The water has so much salt, it’s your own mini Dead Sea, which is slightly warmed. The salt content allows the body to float effortlessly on the surface of the water without having to use any special breathing techniques or contracting of the muscles, giving you the sense of ‘weightlessness’, which in turn allows your body to slip into a deep state of relaxation.
The treatments are usually 30 minutes onwards, not including the shower before and after the pod session.
So effective is the process that cancer patients can try it. According to the therapist many cancer patients in remission can’t have massages, which makes the floatation therapy a fabulous alternative, offering the relaxing benefits of a massage without the side effects.
Other benefits include increasing energy, eliminating jet lag, speeding the body’s healing process (this is great for sports fanatics), reducing blood pressure, reducing cortisol hormone (responsible for stress) aiding weight loss and boosting detoxification.
Verdict?
Initially, I was a little nervous when the door closed me in the pod, but with in minutes everything felt serene. I didn’t sleep, which is common for first timers, but I did feel peaceful. After my session, not only did I feel incredibly relaxed but my skin was glowing for three days after. I didn’t have a facial but the results were far more impressive than any beauty treatment I’ve ever had, plus, thanks to the salt content, my fine hair had body.
Details
Point Zero Floatation, Sky Gardens Tower, DIFC, Dubai. Prices start from Dhs200 for a two-minute session.
