Recover by floating at Float On HK

Location	Mid-Levels
Price	$$$ (scroll down for price details)
Service	Recovery/relaxation by floatation – aka sensory deprivation
Open since	September 2015

So first of all… What is floating?

For 45, 60 or 90 min, you float in an individual big tank, filled with 34 degrees water (temperature of your skin’s surface), containing Epsom salt and magnesium. Welcome to sensory deprivation, a zero gravity environment and a whole new mental and physical relaxation.

Why is it good for recovery?

Muscles relax and mind calms down. Floating decreases stress hormones (cortisol levels), increases the production of pleasure hormones (endorphin). Epsom salts reduce lactic acid build up and total relaxation allows for better blood circulation and muscle growth.

One of the main benefits is magnesium absorption, helping to maintain normal nerve and muscle function, supporting a healthy immune system, keeping the heartbeat steady, and helping bones remain strong. It also helps regulate blood glucose levels and aid in the production of energy and protein.

Other benefits of floating: helping sleep, stress management and body awareness, reducing pregnancy pains and bringing to a deep meditative state.

Float On Hong Kong is Hong Kong’s first sensory deprivation center. Their goal is to make you enjoy a real and complete pause. So you’re very welcome to arrive early, leave your phone at the reception and relax before your session. Have a tea, leaf through one of their beautiful books, do some yoga, draw or color a book you can find there.

When in the tank, enjoy some relaxing music to start and finish your session. What happens in between is totally up to you: relaxing color light on or off, DreamPod (name of the tank) opened or closed, meditation or even sleep. Just make the experience yours and find your way to let go, only condition to make the best of it.

The founders of Float On Hong Kong are Dee Cheung and her husband Ciaran Hussey. I suspect Dee to have some ocean water running through her veins as this yoga teacher is also the co-founder of SUP Yoga Hong Kong, first stand up paddle board yoga class in Hong Kong.

My own experience there…

First, don’t trust the pictures, you’re not supposed to wear anything to float… unless you really want to keep your bikini of course, but it doesn’t really make sense to feel an elastic at your waist if you want to be totally sensory deprived.

I went for the full experience: tank closed and no light. The temperature of the water was perfect: not hot nor cold. It took me a few minutes to find my stillness in the water and after that, I reached such a relaxation state that I can’t even say if I really slept or just deeply relaxed and totally let go. I can just say I’ve been very surprised to hear the music again and didn’t realize that I had spent 60 min in there.