Floating in Amsterdam
I have found my new addiction. And no, it’s not what you think.
On Monday we had a beautiful, sunny and warm day in Amsterdam, and now that we’re in endless daylight season, it made for a great opportunity for an evening stroll around the neighbourhood. My friend Jenna and I went for a walk and were catching up on things when the question came up: If you had to leave Amsterdam tomorrow, have you done everything you wanted to do?
As we started to discuss bucket list items, mostly specific to Amsterdam, the Netherlands and then Europe as a whole, we were approaching a place called Koan Float. Something on Jenna’s bucket list (but not specific to Amsterdam).
Floating is, as I learned 6 days ago, and as Koan describes it: “Floating is weightlessly floating on a layer of very salty water.”
Interesting.
“Let’s go in and learn more,” Jenna said.
“Ok!”
We entered what I quickly summed up to be my type of heaven. Koan is a wellness centre that provides floats and massages. And a float, more specifically, is a bath-like experience where you go into this dark capsule that is prepared with special Epson salts and the water is heated so you float effortlessly as if you are at the Dead Sea.
We inquired about openings for the upcoming Sunday (today!) and booked ourselves appointments for the late afternoon. Seems like a perfect way to end the weekend before jumping into another busy week.
All week I anxiously awaited my float. I took the time to read up on floating. What is it really? How have I never heard of this? What to expect? My mind was racing.
I mentioned it to nearly everyone I spoke to. Apparently I have been living under a rock. Nearly everyone knew what floating was.
I learned a lot – and then had very high hopes. The Koan website says there are several positive effects of floating, which include:
- pure relaxation for mind and body
- alleviates mental and physical stress
- alleviates (chronic) pain
- boosts the immune system
- helps cure stress-related illnesses
- improves sleep patterns
- enhances athletic performance
- helps prevent (sports) injuries and aids speedy recovery
- heightens the ability to concentrate
- has a positive influence on memory, thinking, learning achievements, concentration and creativity, among other things.
Anyway, this float seemed promising to help all the work that I’m currently doing with a chiropractor, physical therapist and trainer.
So, Sunday afternoon rolls around. Actually the perfect Sunday. It’s sunny in Amsterdam, I started the day with a hard but amazing workout, met friends for a delicious brunch and then, it was time to float!
Upon arrival the attendant shows us how it works: shower first, gentle lower yourself into the capsule, close the capsule (we’ll come back to this), put in the ear plugs, turn off the lights, lay back and float. There are three sets of buttons on one side: a black button that serves as an intercom (for emergencies only), a white button that was a light control and a white button to control the air. There’s one white set of buttons on the other side: a volume control for the music.
And just like that, Jenna is off to her room, I am in mine, the attendant leaves and it’s time to float.
I take a quick shower, hop into the capsule, lower the lid – no, that’s not going to happen. I am fully committed to this float thing but there’s NO way I was going to lock myself in a capsule in a pool of water with one button that could rescue me if I somehow got the tub without the salt and drowned. Oh and you’re in the pitch dark so how the heck am I supposed to quickly find the one BLACK button in the dark?
So, for those out there who think like me, I can assure you, when the lights go out in the room AND in the capsule, there is no need to close the lid. It is dark enough.
I lowered myself into the water and gently started to float. This is kind of cool, I thought.
But the truth is, floating is like sleeping. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how exhausted you are. If your mind is full of a million things, you lay there thinking about them. There’s no magic that happens in floating that makes you forget everything on your mind.
However, there is one key difference: you pay for floating.
It took me about 15 minutes to ease into the float. This meant, for me, actively trying to switch off, listen to the soothing music and rid my mind of the million and one things circling around. Once I was able to do that, I started to really pay attention to my body. Where was I feeling pain, where was I relaxed?
There’s a line from Koan website that perfectly describes it:
“After a few minutes you lose sense of which parts of your body are enveloped by water, and which aren’t. The tranquillity, the steady warmth and the absence of gravity make you feel like you are floating in space.”
I couldn’t describe it better myself. It was a sense of peace and tranquillity that I haven’t felt in a long time. The warm salt water did wonders for my back and neck. My mind was freed. I really can’t relate this experience to anything else I've ever done, and I've floated in the Dead Sea! Definitely the closest I’ve ever been to an out-of-body experience.
So here I am. Sunday evening and a few hours after my float. I am still so relaxed and pain free. I don’t know how long this will last, but for now I am focused on enjoying it, and I felt inspired to share the experience with you!
If you’re experiencing any type of body pain, overburden with stress, or really anything from the list above, I highly recommend that you try floating. It may be short-lived, but I can tell you from experience, even the short amount of time I had thus far is worth it.
Enjoy!
Pro tips: if you’re claustrophobic, or generally don't trust your swimming skills (like me), don’t close the lid! If you don’t easily fall into a tranquil state, consider starting with 60 minutes vs. 45. It takes a good 15-20 to get to a zen state, which doesn’t leave you with much time to really enjoy the full benefits of floating.
