Having injured my ankle earlier in the year, I was keen to see if the sensory deprivation pods at Float On Hong Kong could help aid in my recovery, along with offering relaxation and wellness benefits
From the best bars in Hong Kong, to countless hotel brunches and all of the food that you can handle at dinner buffets, sometimes it can be difficult to balance your work life with your social life. Recently, I headed underground in Mid-Levels to see if Float On Hong Kong could help aid recovery from my broken ankle. Not only was it beneficial for sports injury recovery, it also was great for relaxation and meditation. Read more about the unique wellness experience below.
Getting my float on at Float On Hong Kong
I fractured my ankle in two places earlier in the year, and the road to recovery has been a long and painful one. Despite two surgeries, countless hours of physiotherapy and spending time in the gym, it hasn’t been healing as quickly as I would like. So I decided to try out floating, as I had heard that it could help.
When I made contact with one of the owners of Float On Hong Kong, Ciaran Hussey, to discuss my plan, the first thing he mentioned was that it couldn’t be a single-session fix. He believes that it takes people around three sessions to get used to the DreamPods, and to learn how to float properly. So, I went ahead and booked my first float.
First float session: Fear of the unknown
If you’ve never read about sensory deprivation pods or floating, basically, you are meant to float in a cocoon-like chamber that is filled with water containing 500kg of epsom salt and magnesium. If you’ve ever been in the Dead Sea, it’s a similar experience, but for optimum relaxation, you are meant to close the lid and be in pitch black – a little daunting for newbies.
The team at Float On Hong Kong were really welcoming on my arrival around 5pm after a day at work, and were happy to answer all of my questions (Will I experience some kind of trippy outer body experience like on The Simpsons was obviously one of my biggest concerns – the answer being: no) before asking if I would like to fill out an intention card about what I wanted to achieve from my float.
Pre-float, you need to shower to get rid of any oil and makeup, then you simply turn off the light and step into the pod that has a sequence of coloured lights switched on at the beginning. Like most people, I was totally unsure of closing the lid the full way on my first float, so I just lay there listening to the initial soothing music play before it faded to silence.
There’s a button you can push to turn off the coloured lights completely so I did this a few times to experience complete darkness, and I must say, it’s pretty relaxing. In fact, on my first float, I actually fell asleep after about ten minutes and was only woken by the music that comes back on at the end of the float to signal that it’s over.
Post-float, you shower again to get rid of the salt from your skin and then chill out in the lounge where the staff offer you drinks and discuss how it went. Excited, I booked in for float number two with the goal of closing the lid.
Float Two: Getting the hang of it
I was excited for my second float as I knew what I was doing, also, I had booked this one for a Saturday at 10am to see if the time of day changed the experience. As I got into the float tank and found my zen with the soothing music, I closed the lid completely and felt pretty chuffed with myself. I played at turning the lights on and off again, but I found it more difficult to relax this time around. I guess it was because I had not long woken up, but my brain was running around and no matter how much I tried to focus on my breathing, I just couldn’t find complete relaxation (I did, however, compile a comprehensive shopping list in my brain).
But, when I got out and tried to do some of my ankle exercises there was a marked improvement in my flexibility which made me very happy. So I booked in for a late night float a few days later.
Float Three: Just call me FLOTUS
This time, I was determined to spend the entire float in darkness with the lid down – the way the floating gods intended it. At 8:30pm, I rocked up to Float On Hong Kong and got in the pod. My third float was definitely my best experience. I managed to keep the lid shut and the lights off the whole time, plus, the late night/after work time slot made it easier for me to relax my mind.
Having floated only three times, I’m still a beginner, but I understand how the experience could deepen meditation for those who practice on a regular basis. For me, I was happy to spend an hour out of my day alone and in a completely relaxed environment, and it definitely helped the mobility of my ankle. Float On, Hong Kong!
Float On Hong Kong, Basement, 89 Caine Road, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong, p. 5570 6033, 香港堅道89號地下