floatation therapy – Nikki On The Daily®

The Float Place

Posted on November 14, 2019November 20, 2019 by NikkiOnTheDaily in Fitness & Wellness, Long Island

Floatation therapy, or sensory deprivation tanks, have taken off in popularity since I first wrote about my experience in 2018. The concept began in the 1950s when two Drs, Dr. Jay Shurley and Dr. John Lilly, were at the National Institute of Mental Health. They became curious how the human mind would react to the presence of nothing, and thus REST began (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy).

Given the myriad of benefits, it only makes sense that this form of therapy has grown into a cultural phenomenon; softened skin, lower blood pressure, reduce hyperactivity and heart problems, flushing toxins, forming proteins needed in joints and brain tissue. It aids in stress management, sleep, muscle soreness, and reduces pain and swelling.

Since my initial experience I have undergone treatment six times. What began as a hyperactive mind and cynical viewpoint has quickly transformed to a state of acceptance and sense of self. The Float Place, in the Village of Patchogue, contributed to my positive mindset.

inside the post-relaxation room

I immersed myself in the tank with a time crunch of only an hour, compared to the typical 90-minute sessions I’ve grown fond of. However, for the first time, this experience I went completely dark– no sound and no [night] light. It sounds starling because it is, but that’s the point. How many of us can so easily shut off, not the outside world but, our own minds? Before I knew it I awakened refreshed as the music played, cueing the end of my session.

Post-shower, I sat in the relaxation room before bolting out the door. A water station, hot Yogi tea, books, even color energy glasses. I put on a violet shades to incite creativity and inspiration as I sipped a detox tea. Two other female entrepreneurs were resting, one was a frequent visitor and the other endured her first trial.

“I don’t think I’ll get used to it,” one said to me. “I have an overactive mind.”

“Neither did I,” I replied. As I informed her of my initial struggle to accept REST, someone came in to inform me, rather comically, that I was so deep in my sleep that it took two rounds of music to wake me up. I turned to the other woman, “I guess I’ve gone from rookie to regular.”

The Float Place isn’t a high-end establishment that feels like a luxury spa, nor is it trying to transform you to an exotic location. With a personality all of its own, it feels like your quirky neighbors living room, inviting you to relax over tea and light conversation.

Before I left I contributed to the Affirmation Tree, a place where visitors write on paper ‘leaves’ their wishes and hopes for others. I’d tell you what I wrote but I encourage you to experience The Float Place for yourself– then try and find my little note.

fullsizeoutput_36f8 — sitting in front of the affirmation tree

The Float Place has two locations, in Patchogue and Deer Park. Visit them at http://www.thefloatplace.com.

Daily Fitness: Hamptons Float

Posted on November 7, 2018September 17, 2019 by NikkiOnTheDaily in Fitness & Wellness, Long Island, New York, The Hamptons

Floatation Therapy, also known as sensory deprivation tanks, are typically perceived one of two ways: a blissful escape or a claustrophobic nightmare. Immersing oneself into an 8 x 4 foot space of salt water, with the option of no light or sound? It can sound jarring at first. However, despite how you choose to mentally enter the experience, I guarantee you’ll leave it more relaxed than a five-star massage.

Float tanks are far and few between on Long Island, with the furthest location out east being Patchogue. A shocking realization considering the proven benefits. According to the Epsom Salt Council, benefits include softened skin, lower blood pressure, reduce hyperactivity and heart problems, in addition to flushing toxins and forming proteins needed in joints and brain tissue. Float therapy also aids in stress management and sleep, muscle soreness, reduce pain and swelling.

With a soft opening on Monday, November 12, Hamptons Float brings the much sought-after experience to the East End with a Water Mill location. Owners Steve and Victor (who humbly preferred to leave specifics about themselves out, focusing on their business instead) take a decades worth of friendship and turn their love for floating into a community experience for all to enjoy. There are four rooms with float tanks, each separated from a communal room by two doors, guaranteeing a complete soundproof space. Each of the four rooms contains a towel, full length robe, shampoo, conditioner and body wash, a bench, ear plugs and cut ointment. The tanks themselves contain 1,000 lbs of Medical Grade Epsom Salt, with naturally occurring magnesium and sulfate, in water kept at 93.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

I walked through the grey and white, modern space, with towering ceilings, to notice no distractions on the walls or around me- a full focus on the experience that awaited. The thick soundproof doors took me from the outer, naturally lit with couches area to an open room showing neon blue numbers one through four, and then into my personal sensory deprivation room.

When I was informed it was a 90-minute session the thought initially startled me. An hour and a half with nothing but my thoughts and floating like a buoy? Are they crazy? Will I go crazy? Although I had the option to extend or shorten my time, I decided to give the recommended amount a try. Luckily, I was a bit sleepy already and saw it as, if anything, an opportunity to take a nap.

Prior to entering the tank nude (recommended form), I washed my hair and body to rid any outside elements, pat dried my face to reduce any dripping (which can lead to face touching- not something salty hands should do), and stepped into the tank. For those who like customizing the experience, choose one of several colors to light the tank (red, green, purple, disco of many, or none at all). I placed a head float under my neck, observed the pure water spray and towel on the side (in the event I wanted to touch my eyes), and sank into my own blue lagoon. Light music, similar to that at a spa, played for eight minutes as I began my descent into an altered state of mind.

Whether it be my initial tiredness or the actual need to disconnect from the every day world, I drifted into a peaceful state in relatively no time at all. Of course, since there are no clocks on the walls, I can’t say for certain how long it took to reach a complete absence of stress, but I awoke to spa music in the final eight minutes of my float as though no time had passed. I stepped out of the tank, washed my hair and body, dried off and walked into the ‘powder room’ to blow dry my hair. There’s also a sauna room with additional shower, to extend the experience.

Ninety minutes of floating put me into a state of mind that would otherwise take hours of practice. I felt relieved of my perceived worries, upper shoulder tension had vanished, and I was even talking in a softer, calmer manner. Days later I still find myself in that same state of mind, a rare occurrence as a woman on the go! It was as though I floated my way into serenity.

Introductory floats are $45. There is a 30 minute turnover time between sessions, allowing a full cleaning of the tanks. Pool strainer pumps cycle the water, going through filters three times each and are treated with ozone UV light and hydro peroxide.

Hamptons Float is located at 760 Montauk Highway, Building 2B, Water Mill. Visit http://www.hamptonsfloat.com or call 631-500-9296,

This article first appeared in The Independent Newspaper. Read more about #EverythingEastEnd here

28 Days of Awesome: Find Your Local Adventure

Posted on March 30, 2017October 30, 2019 by NikkiOnTheDaily in Inspiring, Long Island, New York, Travel

Inspired by my Golden Birthday (turning 28th on March 28th), 28 Days of Awesome was created as a way to live local life to the fullest.

Initially, when a friend brought up that 2017 was my lucky turning of age, I envisioned a weekend away. Boston, upstate New York, maybe the Carolina’s. However, without a current substantial, steady pay check the idea of spending hundreds of dollars on a small vacation conceptually created more stress than anticipation. On the positive side, no routine commitment allows me the flexibility to seek the unknown any time of day, spreading my dollar to daily, local activities. Thus, creating a ‘golden’ opportunity for an extended adventure (and blog series).

Eventually, as expected, planning something ‘awesome’ every day for four weeks became exhausting. By day 17 I started referring to it as the 28 Day Challenge but, in conclusion of it all, 28 Days of Eating would have been a more accurate description.

Amid my struggle to pull through to the end, a friend’s text message read:

“Isn’t that life? We start off doing something because we have a passion for it and it becomes a challenge to continue as each day passes. But that’s one thing you’ve proven me wrong on several occasions. You decide to do something because you’re passionate about it and you see it through no matter what obstacles get in your way.” – Anonymous Motivator

Without realizing it, my idea was spreading light to those around me. As though someone dropped a match in gasoline, the fire within me was reignited and I successfully accomplished something new every day for 28 days.

Finding Things That Are Free: In thinking up things to do I also needed to adhere to some sort of budget. Manhattan has dozens of talk shows that are free to attend. Be a part of a studio audience at no additional expense, just the transportation it takes to get there. On March 1st I sat front row at The Wendy Williams Show as a way to kick off my month long celebration. In a wonderful turn of events, they asked me to be on call for future projects. Still on a high from the previous day, I attended a press and industry event for the new Broadway musical Anastasia, courtesy of The Garden City Hotel, where I met several of the producers and cast member Derek Klena.

28 Days 8 — Left: Derek Klena from Anastasia the Musical / Right: Wendy William

On a Budget, Coffee Coffee Coffee: There’s something to be said about a well crafted cup of coffee situated in an uniquely decorated shop. Independently owned coffee houses draw in personalities similar to the engaging atmosphere they provide. In addition, you know that money goes directly back into the local community. When it comes to ‘cawfee,’ I say- Go small business or go home. One day, I stumbled into Toby’s Estate Espresso Bar located in the Flatiron, perfectly situated in connection to a sub-location of Strand Bookstore. Isn’t that the ideal combination, coffee and books? Another, I sought out Bellmore Bean Cafe, a place I’d passed countless times but for some reason or another never took the time to go inside. As it were, it was comedy night but turned out the joke was on us (at that point I realized why they had alcohol on the shelves next to the beans brewing). I also made a point to attend the Coffee & Tea Festival in Brooklyn. It was something I never experienced but found myself tweaking out from too much caffeine in the end (basically Kramer from Seinfeld).

Take Time to Disconnect: Tending to my physical health and disconnecting became important on my list. After hearing the benefits of floatation therapy, I did a 60-minute float at iChill. I’d been to the Dead Sea years ago and had an idea what floating felt like. What I didn’t foresee was the hurdle of mental disconnection. At Hand & Stone I requested my first male masseuse.

28 Days 9 — Left: iChill Salt Float / Right: Hand & Stone Massage

Philanthropy Feels Good: How ‘awesome’ could my days really be if all 28 were about myself? I participated in my first Zumbathon with my Long Island Crunch Crew benefiting Make-A-wish Suffolk County and learned how to line dance for the first time (Cotton Eye Joe doesn’t count) at Denim & Diamonds, benefiting The Ellen Hermanson Foundation. I then donated blood for the first time with the New York Blood Center.

28 Days 6 — Left: Zumbathon for Make-A-Wish / Middle: New York Blood Center / Right: Denim & Diamonds

Carpe Diem: When I was running out of ideas I stopped thinking and let the day progress naturally. I stumbled across a new Zumba instructor I hadn’t taken before, went to see a movie for the first time alone, received my debut article for Luxury Living Magazine and saw my friends acoustic session at Craft Kitchen (a place I see every time I ride the LIRR but hadn’t yet tried).

28 Days 3 — Up Right: New Zumba Instructor / Up Left: Beauty & The Beast / Down Right: Luxury Living Magazine article / Down Left: Craft Kitchen

Give & Take: Not everything panned out as planned, like a two hour wait for indoor go-karting (which I’d never done on Long Island). While we took a great picture the real experiences were exploring local bars, rather forgetful in documenting the ‘awesomeness.’ Luckily, some things are easy to rely on, like a complimentary pilates class for new students. Though I am a self-proclaimed fitness foodie, this was my first pilates experience.

28 Days — Top: Pilates / Bottom: Indoor Go Karting

When in Doubt, Eat…: Never one to turn down food, the easiest thing to do was discover new places to eat or drink. Grindstone in Sag Harbor had long been on my must-see list since its opening in summer 2016 as was The VNYL in NYC (complimentary Irish Coffee on St. Patricks day). Piecraft was a unique option for a late night dinner with a craft-your-own-pizza attitude and Kinha proved to be a good sushi option for a friendly catch up. Yet, when ‘snowstorm Stella’ came to town I had to prepare for things to do at home, and a new bottle of Natura Malbec wine tipsyed the scale in my favor.

28 Days 7 — Up Left: Grindstone / Up Right: Kinha Sushi / Middle: Natura Malbec / Down Left: PieCraft / Down Right: The VNYL

…And Eat Some More: As mentioned, not everything went as expected. As a backup, I revisited Bellmore Bean Cafe and tried their dessert with some Irish coffee (it was acoustic night, which was a nice change). But nothing, aside from my actual birthday, beat my final day of being 27 on the 27th. I waited three years to experience Ralph Lauren’s Polo Bar as part of birthday celebrations and that dream finally came true. My admiration for the brand and love for polo made it an experience I hoped for and one that finally became a reality. Dream, dress, and dine like a Lauren!

17742284_1279342575490748_311429936_n — Left: Bellmore Bean / Right: Ralph Lauren Polo Bar

Every Day is a Day to Celebrate: Having never been to a brewery before, and admiring local craft brews, I did a tasting flight at Port Jeff Brewery (their Cold North Wind Barleywine was especially delicious). Finally, after a prior failed attempt, I made it to Crown Steakhouse where I sampled several of their nearly 200 different types of whiskey with the owner, Gerry (‘un-lushing’ my inner Irish).

28 Days 4 — Top: Crown Steakhouse / Bottom: Port Jefferson Brewery

Spontaneity Works: Alright, so having brunch at Jam or attending a Paint Nite was planned in advance. But spontaneously trying on Victoria’s Secret Angel wings directly off the mannequin was a spur of the moment decision. On my 28th birthday the store lent me them so I ‘could fly.’ Sadly, they were too heavy, so I requested a photo op instead.

28 Days 2 — Left: Victoria’s Secret Angel wings / Middle: Paint Nite / Right: Jam on Park

3 Things I Learned:

You Don’t Need to Travel Far to Get Away

Local adventures have the ability to shape our day-to-day lives. Over the course of 28 days my appreciation grew for my hometown and the surrounding areas. By committing to step outside my usual routine each day, even if for a moment, I discovered an unknown and felt a new sense of happiness.

Expect Less, Receive More

Money and people, two things where the more I rely on it the more disappointed I become. The value of an adventure isn’t measured by its price tag but by its impact. Free to low cost activities had a greater affect on me because I had low expectations, and if it wasn’t ‘awesome’ than I didn’t break the bank testing it out. The same went with friends. Over the course of 28 days I tried to involve as many people in my life as possible, to share in the experiences. Unfortunately, quite a few times I was let down and made to do things on my own. From disinterest in what I was doing, life getting in the way and even just flat out ditching me. It was when I committed to an idea, be damned who came with me, that others eagerly joined in. The less I asked the more I received.

Doing Things Alone is Awesome

I think I have an awesome array of interests, an awesome outlook on life, and an awesome ability to meet people anywhere I go. So why should I worry about doing things alone? Since I love who I am and what I am, doing things solo eventually became easy. As I mentioned in my blog about solo travel, doing things alone allowed me to be selfish and ignore other peoples noise.