Jump to: Reviews | The Facts of Floating
Everyone who has been to outer space talks about how amazing it feels to float in a void surrounded by stars, yet no one ever mentions the outrageous cab fares and crummy food. Today's Groupon gives you all the best parts of space travel without any of the drawbacks: for $35, you get a 60-minute floating session at Float Matrix (a $75 value).
A Float Matrix floating session places your body atop 10 inches of saltwater that has been super-saturated with 800 pounds of medical-grade Epsom salt and 100-million-year-old Himalayan salt. You will then be shut inside a sound- and light-proof pod designed to foster the deepest state of relaxation known to humankind or slothkind. This Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique, or R.E.S.T., will make you feel General Relaxation Entailing All Things. After an hour, you'll emerge from this amniotic state feeling like a newborn that spent its entire term relaxing on the beach of a tropical womb. Make sure you're as unprepared as possible for the experience by finding out how to prepare for a floating session.
Today's Groupon lets you literally float above looming taxes, office tension, and broken guitar strings. You can also buy extras for friends in case you're not comfortable being alone by yourself.
Book your appointment in advance on any day from Tuesday through Sunday between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Reviews
Non-claustrophobes are loving their time in the tank at Float Matrix. The Bella Sugar blog has featured it, while five Citysearchers give it a perfect five stars, and 15 Yelpers give 4.5 stars:
- The experience is like no other... I felt extremely relaxed and at ease with everything. If you are the type of person that looks for ways to relieve stress and find ways to relax. This is a great idea. I would suggest trying it out at least. – 2138nym, Citysearch
- The most amazing experience I have ever had!!!! This place has truly changed my life. – Monica M., Yelp
- I went for the first time last week. I had a great experience and felt super relaxed for days afterwards. I'm looking forward to going back and trying it again. – Jim D., Yelp
Float Matrix
"I stepped out of the pod feeling almost absurdly peaceful and relaxed, wanting to do nothing more than just sit in a park somewhere and be happy and grateful." So said Mark Lukach of 7x7 after two float sessions in the 30% Epsom-salts water at Float Matrix. Named the Best Place to Alter Your Consciousness in 2010 by SF Weekly, the center lets visitors unburden themselves of stress in a soundproof, lightproof pod designed to simulate weightlessness and send brainwave patterns into a soothing theta state. The process has been scientifically researched and is based on a phenomenon called Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique, or REST—a deeply relaxed state in which the body is believed to divert freed-up resources to address cognitive function, creativity, and conditions such as pain and broken telekinesis actuators.
Owner Kane Mantyla told Lukach, "Floating is a lot like experiencing ‘nothing,’ and there is no set narrative for ‘nothing’ in our culture.” Mantyla was inspired to found the center in 2006, after experiencing a profound healing from his own pain. He has since facilitated more than 10,000 floats, helping clients share in the blissful nothingness in a tranquil, clean environment. The saltwater—which is mostly sterile to begin with—is sanitized after each session with compound filtration, ozone, and a small amount of hydrogen peroxide. Not content to only provide one path to relaxation, the center also promotes wellness via infrared-sauna sessions.