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No one is immune to stress, and the negative impacts of it upon our health are more than well documented.  There are many ways to relieve stress and here’s one that you may not have heard about: Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST), a.k.a. “floatation therapy,” which Brick-based True REST Float Spa offers via their float pods.

The Spa is owned by Scott DeLorenzo and is the first and only such franchise in New Jersey. Essentially, REST is part of a field of psychology/physiology called “sensory deprivation.” As its name implies, the process removes stimuli from one or more senses, which can provide an environment for great stress relief and the many physical and mental benefits that come with it.

Don’t let that “lab coat” terminology fool you. Floatation therapy at True REST is easy to understand and rewarding to use.

You arrive for your appointment and are provided a private room with its own private shower and changing area as well as sandals, towels, shampoo and anything else you may need.  After taking a brief shower and inserting ear plugs, you enter into your generous-sized pod. By the way, you are encouraged to enter in “nature’s birthday suit,” but are more than welcome to wear a bathing suit.

Your pod contains a mixture of 1,000 lbs. of Epsom salts and 10 inches of water, which produces complete buoyancy.  You’ll feel like you’re floating on air removing the effects of gravity when you lie in it.  The water temperature matches that of your skin allowing you to truly “feel as one.”  You then close the lid and you’re now in a near gravity free, pitch-black and completely silent environment as your 60-minute relaxation session begins.

Essentially, three elements combine to make floating beneficial to you. First, Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) are a natural exfoliate and are great for your skin, hair and nails, and also aid in reducing joint pain.  Magnesium, which is often missing from our diets, is absorbed through your skin while sulfate eliminates toxins and naturally detoxes the body.

Second, the weightless environment itself creates a unique and deeply relaxing state as all weight and tension are dropped.  As there are no pressure points on the body, the spine naturally elongates and strengthens, and your body starts to regenerate as it does when you are asleep.

Third, in the absence of stimuli, your brain will enter into an elusive “theta brainwave state,” which allows you to experience a deeper and higher level of problem solving due in this distraction-free environment.

Floating has numerous physical benefits as well, including increased blood circulation, increased healing abilities, and pain management. The mental benefits of floating include stress reduction, increased creativity, increased time and sensory acuity, sleep schedule maintenance, and feelings of euphoria.

There are many spa packages available and ways to give floatation therapy a try. To learn more you can visit their website.  Congratulations to Scott and the entire True REST team in Brick for their early success.

True REST Float Spa is just one of many thousands of organizations that comprise NJBIA’s membership, which is diverse with representation from an amazingly large and wide spectrum of fields, industries and professions.  Look for more unique stories about NJBIA members in future issues of “Beyond 10 West Lafayette,” NJBIA’s membership blog.