Articles

Posted on

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) – The Ultimate Therapy for Healing & Wellness

manual-lymphatic-drainage-massage

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) is a specialized massage technique designed to promote the natural movement of lymph fluid through the body. This gentle and rhythmic therapy is highly effective for post-surgical recovery, detoxification, immune system support, and overall well-being.

What is Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)?

MLD is a light, skin-stretching massage that stimulates the lymphatic system, helping to remove toxins, excess fluid, and waste from the body. Unlike deep tissue or sports massage, MLD uses precise, gentle movements to encourage lymph flow without increasing blood circulation excessively.

The Benefits of MLD

💙 Post-Surgical Recovery – Faster Healing, Less Swelling

MLD is widely recommended for individuals recovering from surgeries such as:

✔ Liposuction & Tummy Tucks – Helps reduce swelling, bruising, and fibrosis (scar tissue).
✔ Breast Surgery (Augmentation, Reduction, or Reconstruction) – Minimizes post-op swelling and discomfort.
✔ Arm & Thigh Lifts – Reduces swelling and fluid retention, promoting smoother healing.
✔ Facial Surgeries (Rhinoplasty, Facelifts, etc.) – Encourages faster reduction of puffiness and post-op inflammation.

By enhancing the removal of excess fluids and reducing congestion in the tissues, MLD supports a quicker, more comfortable healing process after cosmetic or medical procedures.

🛡️ Boosts the Immune System

The lymphatic system plays a crucial role in removing toxins, bacteria, and other harmful substances from the body. MLD helps to:

✔ Increase the production of white blood cells that fight infections.
✔ Remove toxins and waste, reducing the body’s overall inflammatory response.
✔ Support recovery from illnesses, infections, and even chronic conditions like autoimmune disorders or chronic fatigue syndrome.

By stimulating the lymph nodes, MLD encourages the body to fight off viruses and bacteria more effectively, keeping you healthier year-round.

💧 Detoxification & Fluid Retention Relief

If you often feel bloated, sluggish, or puffy, MLD can help! This massage technique:

✔ Drains excess fluid and toxins from the body, reducing water retention.
✔ Supports kidney and liver function by promoting waste elimination.
✔ Helps reduce puffiness in the face and body, especially around the eyes and legs.

Many people use MLD for body contouring and a slimmer appearance due to its ability to remove excess retained fluid.

🦵 Cellulite Reduction & Skin Health

MLD improves circulation and collagen production, which can:

✔ Reduce the appearance of cellulite and skin dimpling.
✔ Increase skin elasticity and firmness.
✔ Support healing of scar tissue and stretch marks.

Over time, regular MLD sessions can result in smoother, firmer skin, making it a great addition to any beauty or wellness routine.

🧘 Stress Relief & Relaxation

Unlike other types of massage, MLD is deeply relaxing due to its gentle, rhythmic movements. It:

✔ Activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing stress and anxiety.
✔ Lowers cortisol levels, helping to improve mood and relaxation.
✔ Promotes better sleep and mental clarity.

Many clients report feeling a sense of lightness and calm after just one session!

Who Can Benefit from MLD?

MLD is suitable for everyone, but especially beneficial for:

✔ Post-surgical patients recovering from cosmetic or medical procedures.
✔ Those suffering from lymphedema or fluid retention.
✔ People with chronic illnesses such as fibromyalgia or autoimmune disorders.
✔ Anyone experiencing bloating, sluggishness, or poor circulation.
✔ Those looking for detoxification, skin health, and immune support.

Book Your Lymphatic Drainage Massage Today!

At Float Space, we offer expert Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) therapy to support post-surgical recovery, detoxification, and total wellness. Whether you’re looking to heal after surgery, boost your immune system, or simply feel lighter and refreshed, MLD is the perfect solution.

📅 Book your appointment today and experience the transformative benefits of MLD!


📞 Call us
💻 Book online

Posted on

Feeling alive!

Am I able to walk on the water?

Hi everyone! I want to write a personal blog post about my experience with Floatation Therapy here at Float Space and how embracing the ‘rest’ side of a relaxation therapy lifestyle has already changed me.

First off, a massive thanks to all of you for making Melissa and me feel so welcome! All our customers make us proud to have started this new venture, and it’s only been one month since we opened. Can you believe that? Where does the time go?

I started this venture with just one goal in mind, mainly because I didn’t know much about floatation therapy or what it could do. Melissa had a better understanding of Float Space and what it involves, but I was 50/50 about floating in Epsom salt. I thought, “Meh, it’s not for me,” and I wasn’t sure why people actually did it. Don’t judge me just yet though. I’ll admit, I was very skeptical.

My main goal and vision became clear when Pete Sullivan, the previous owner had showed me the rear of the building. I was flabbergasted by how much space was unused at that time. Pete was building a new reception area, a lounge, and a kitchen, which were hidden away during construction, so no one really saw that part of Float Space. After seeing it all, I knew there was potential to take things even further! It felt like my destiny to take on this huge project and to create what I like to call a “Micro Spa.” Yes, a Micro Spa! We love showing everyone who visits what goes on behind the scenes and where our vision is headed. If you’re interested, just ask what’s behind the doors!

My passion leans more towards traditional saunas, a pool, and lounge area. I remember going on holiday to a small spa hotel. It was so relaxing, though I hadn’t planned for it to be. I went with a friend and we’d intended to stay up drinking until 3 a.m. eating as much as we could with the all-inclusive package, but we loved the spa more than the beer! It was brilliant and such a memorable experience.

To be able to build something I absolutely loved and offer that same experience just became more and more compelling. I was hooked on the idea! I threw Pete my money and I was ready to start!

So lets go back to why I am writing this post, my first-ever floating experience in the pod. As I said, I was very skeptical and maybe a bit wary. I wasn’t sure what I’d experience. Could I walk on water? How buoyant is it? I had so many questions! Melissa, being the comedian she is, gave me the full tour as if I were a new customer (even though I knew what to do!). It was a good laugh. After the tour, I did all the basics: I locked the door, undressed, showered, put in earplugs, opened the pod, knelt inside, closed the lid—and slipped! I nearly threw myself through the back of the pod! What an idiot! That first time is definitely an experience, let me tell you. It was my own fault for not being careful and all was fine.

I lay there, floating with the light on just to ease into it. The music stopped. I looked around at all the space I had, grinning from the strange but amazing feeling of floating on top of the water. It was definitely a unique experience, though not too strange. I switched off the light, relaxed my body and mind, “starfished” to center myself, and stayed still. Without going into too much detail about my time in the pod since everyone’s experience is different, but I can say, wow!

I finished a little earlier than expected, lasting about 45 minutes on my first float—which, apparently, is quite good! In the last 10 minutes, I entertained myself by trying to lay on my side, then I tried to keep my feet on the ground and move back and forth. It was fun! I like to keep myself amused and I recommend trying it yourself.

To wrap this up and stop myself from rambling, when I exited the room, I felt very relaxed and calm. I had a nice cup of tea in the Moon Room with my daughter, Scarlett. A few customers have met her, she calls herself the “mini boss”—kids, right? We chatted for a moment, then I stepped outside for some fresh air. When I came back I chatted to her again and felt amused, Scarlett asked, “You okay?” I replied, “What do you mean?” She said, “You’re very funny and bubbly!” I laughed and admitted, “I do feel really good, actually!” That feeling lasted the entire day, even on the drive home, Scarlett said, “You seem happier Dad.” And I did! I felt more alive than I had in a long time. It was incredible.

The most I can take from this experience is: I get it now! I understand why so many people turn to floatation therapy. This experience was a game changer and for my daughter to notice a happier change in me on my first try tells me this is exactly what I need and what I’ve needed for a long, long time.

It impacted me so much I had to write about it! Thank you all for reading to the end; I hope I didn’t ramble too much! Book a session and try it out—don’t wait as long as I did!

Posted on

Pain and Physical Therapy

Athletic Recovery Floatation Tank

Relief from gravitational pressure gives our body a break, and allows blood to flow freely to parts of our body that may be injured, painful, or need to recover from intense exercise.

Normally, our bodies are subjected to gravitational pressure. But in an Epsom salt bath, the concentration of salts allows us to float effortlessly. Epsom salt baths have been reported to have significant impact on hypertension, chronic tension headaches, and chronic pain in the back and neck.

Increased blood flow also allows our body to eliminate waste and toxins such as lactic acid, which causes pain and cramping when left to build up. Coupled with the ability to become aware of knots and tensions, floating allows athletes and gym-goers to heal faster and overcome fatigue.

In recent years, floating has been used as a form of alternative medicine to treat many conditions from fibromyalgia to arthritis. It is reported as being particularly effective in relieving back pain, with a 2017 study conducted over 4 weeks concluding:

‘Floating has a direct and positive effect on reducing the intensity and frequency of chronic back pain, as well as improving associated sleep quality, anxiety and depression […] Floating twice weekly has a more pronounced effect than one float per week.’

In Fine and Borrie’s 1978 study, the participants were made up of people who had experienced chronic pain for over 6 months. They reported a reduction in the amount of pain that averaged at 31.3%, with the greatest relief in the upper back region at 63.6%, and the lowest was in the legs at 15.3%.

Studies also show further relief can be achieved with regular use of the tanks, with many reporting the after effects lasting longer between sessions the more they came. Weekly or Fortnightly visits are shown to be the most effective in providing pain relief.

Floating for recovery is being adopted by many professional sporting teams, clubs and individuals. At Float Space we have worked with anyone from runners, to boxers to professional body builders.

When you consider floatation increases the oxygen content in the blood, relaxes tired muscles, removes all strain from joints and tendons, lowers adrenaline and removes lactic acid build up, improves sleep and helps with mindset and visualisation techniques, it is really no surprise.

Posted on

Improved Sleep

improved sleep

Floatation Helps with Sleep Patterns and Insomnia.

 

A good nights sleep eludes many of us, especially with technology and our overactive minds often causing the problem. By reducing the levels of cortisol and adrenaline in your body, as well as increasing production of endorphins and serotonin your mind and body are in balance. Combined with allowing you to completely disconnect for an hour, floatation therapy can have a very beneficial effect on your sleep.

There are a number of reasons that can affect the quality of sleep. Some factors, such as drinking too much coffee and using electronic devices in bed, are within our control. Other factors, such as stress and pain, may be less so.

The mental health charity Mind suggests strong links between poor sleep and mental health and anxiety.

A recent study by the Mental Health Foundation also found that sleeplessness was a common symptom of mental health conditions, and that over half of people with depression have difficulties sleeping

Floating has been scientifically proven to have a greater and longer lasting impact on anxiety than other therapeutic interventions, and to reduce the activation of stress systems in the brain and body. And so, it is no surprise that many of our customers report having much better sleep after a session – even if that’s not what they came to float for in the first place.

Float Space provides late-night floating sessions until 10PM for those who need to float at night. This is great for those with acute sleeping problems, but nighttime floating will help everyone lower their baseline stress and anxiety which makes falling asleep easier.

Posted on

Mindfulness and Meditation

Float Space Floatation Tank

Mindfulness and Meditation

What is difference between mindfulness and meditation?

Mindfulness can be applied to any situation throughout the day, while meditation is usually practiced for a specific amount of time. Mindfulness is awareness of “some-thing,” while meditation is the awareness of “no-thing.” There are many forms of meditation.

What is the point of mindfulness meditation?

There are various ways to practice mindfulness. However, the goal of any mindfulness technique is to achieve a state of alert, focused relaxation by deliberately paying attention to thoughts and sensations without judgment. This allows the mind to refocus on the present moment.

When we float, we often experience the same thoughts and feelings as we might during meditation. Floating can also develop the brain in a way that makes meditation easier.

A state of meditation can be brought about more easily in a float tank due to the relaxation you’ll feel.

By removing, or more accurately reducing external stimuli in this relaxing environment, floatation therapy makes it easier to practice various aspects of meditation, such as:

  • Interoception: sensing internal processes in the body
  • Attention-regulation: directing our attention somewhere without being distracted
  • Self-regulation: determining our physical response to a stressful environment

Through meditation, you can develop awareness and presence of mind. In addition, the restful state that comes from floating can give you a fresh perspective on issues that have been difficult to resolve, allowing for a more empowered response.

Posted on

Self Exploration

self exploration floatation

Floating was originally developed by a Neuroscientist.

John C Lilly, the creator of the original floatation tank, was a neuroscientist. He wanted to investigate what happens in your mind when you are floating.

“From a neurophysiological standpoint, one has immediately freed up very large masses of neurons from the necessity of constant computations”

In the 1960s, John C. Lilly became interested in sensory deprivation tanks and their potential therapeutic uses. He found that floating allowed him to explore the nature of his consciousness and he published a book about his findings.

Many of our customers say they experience moments of clarity during their sessions where they manage to solve an illusive problem or make a decision that has bothered them. Additionally, the deep state of mindful relaxation frees us from anxiety and allows us to tap into creativity.

Joe Rogan, one of today’s best-known advocates of floating and the person responsible for us first floating, says floating is: “The most important tool I have ever used for developing my mind, for thinking, for evolving.”

In the moments of heightened awareness we experience whilst floating, free from all stress and without distraction, exploration of our consciousness becomes more possible.

Posted on

Better Connections

Xander float tank connection

Spend some quality time with yourself

 

“The relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you have.” Robert Holden

Self-care is about looking after yourself and your mental health. It’s crucial to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself in order to build healthy relationships with others. Being kind to yourself regularly is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

Many people say the only time they put their phone away and check in on their inner-self is during an hour long float. Floating helps us to connect to ourselves without distractions, as we are more focused on relaxing than anything else. The idea of floating in salt water is that it helps us to relax by reducing stress and releasing tension in the body.

We know that staying in touch with our minds and bodies is important. We need to keep ourselves healthy, managing stress, anxiety, insomnia, and burnout. Floating can help us with these things because it keeps us connected. It helps us feel better so that we don’t find ourselves at our limits.

The pod can be a place that helps us feel the outside world and inside our bodies, connect with what’s most important to us, and observe our thoughts. This might help us process what’s happening in our lives, think about things from another perspective, or give us time to consider how we want to change or how we might go about doing that.

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation.” Audre Lorde

However you choose to use your float time, you’re giving yourself a real treat!

Posted on

Stress Relief & Anxiety

Olivia Floating Stress Free

Stress relief and anxiety

Floating is scientifically proven to reduce anxiety more effectively than other therapeutic interventions

A powerful antidote to stress and anxiety

A small amount of stress and anxiety is normal, but many people experience levels which damage their health. Reducing stress and anxiety is complex, but there are mental and physical drivers that floating can have a significant impact on.

Floating in a tank of warm water alone is known to lessen stress. An hour in a float tank reduces blood pressure, cortisol levels, and other stress-related chemicals like norepinephrine, adrenaline, and ACTH*. It also reduces activity in the amygdala – which is overactive when we are stressed or anxious.

A 2018 study by the Laureate Institute for Brain Research found:

‘Floating substantially reduced anxiety, with participants reporting significant reductions in stress, muscle tension, pain, depression and negative affect, accompanied by a significant improvement in mood characterized by increases in serenity, relaxation, happiness and overall well-being […] the most severely anxious participants reported the largest effects’

Justin Feinstien who led this research said:

‘Essentially what we found in the preliminary data is that the amygdala is shutting off post-float,” Feinstein says. “It’s nice to see that that can be done in a way that doesn’t require medication.’

The state of deep relaxation is one that our body naturally enters; however, this state can be hard to find on our own. The key to reaching the meditative state is through focused attention on an object or sound. While some people like to focus on their breathing, others choose a mantra (a word repeated over and over again).

The mental health charity Mind suggests that there are strong links between anxiety and poor sleep, which could explain why many people who float to reduce stress or anxiety also say they slept better after their session.

*(Hutchinson, 1984; Kjellgren, 2003; Bood et al, 2006; Dierendonck, 2005)

Posted on

Floatation Tanks and Mental Health

mental floating

Have you ever imagined what it would feel like just to let your mind and body go? If you suffer from chronic pain, stress, or anxiety, then it is likely you have dreamed of a place where you can be in complete isolation, not only from the world but from your busy thoughts. Fortunately, a place like this exists, and they are called Floatation Tanks. These tanks, also referred to as Isolation Pods, are first and foremost designed to remove excess stimuli, such as sights and sounds, so that your body can reach a restorative state and begin to heal.

 

For much longer than Isolation Pods have been around, water has been known to produce soothing effects on the mind and calming effects on the body. Can you recall the last time you sat on a beach and listened to the rhythmic sounds of the ocean or tuned in to the sound of water droplets falling upon your head in the shower? Chances are, it brought a sense of ease to your body and mind as if the water was literally washing away your fears or troubles. Water has that kind of powerful effect, and during Floatation Tank Therapy, you will be fully immersed in this power of tranquility.

 

Floatation Tanks channel this powerful feeling and combine it with the therapeutic effects of Epsom salt (magnesium saturated water), which is also what works to keep you afloat effortlessly. The Isolation Pods are filled with this highly concentrated Epsom salt water and heated according to your skin temperature. The Epsom Salts alone help aid muscle strain, inflammation, joint stiffness, and stress, but are also what makes Isolation Pods safe so that you can float freely. The pods omit all sounds and light so that the only thing you are surrounded by is warmth and comfort. Without worrying about staying afloat or anything else going on in the world around you, a truly meditative state can be achieved.

 

We live in a busy and stressful world, where it is far too easy to go about our days without realizing all of the stimuli we encounter. Outside of work, most of us choose to spend even more time than we need to in front of a screen. It is easy to think that some of what we are doing or watching helps us when really it does not. We do not typically realize that the extra moments we spend browsing the internet or Facebook or watching that one last TV show before bed feed our minds all of these extra stimuli to process.  This results in things like adrenal fatigue and feeling off-centered. It also causes stress and anxiety levels to spike, on top of whatever else we are dealing with in life. Floatation Tank Therapy recognizes the value of stillness and isolation from all of this. It is just one hour of your day, but it will benefit you for far longer than that. In fact, the more you float, the greater your benefits will become.

 

The deep state of relaxation you attain from floating will lower your blood pressure and cortisol levels as it increases your circulation, allowing your body to float with ease. When the body is deeply relaxed, the mind will follow suit. So, Isolation Pods use water, Epsom salts, and isolation to approach mental health from both angles. A healthy body promotes a healthy mind, and a healthy mind nurtures a healthy body.

 

If you are curious about what other specific benefits there are to Floatation Tank Therapy, here are a few of them:

 

  • Reduced anxiety and depression
  • Improved mood and production of endorphins
  • Reduced stress and cortisol and adrenaline levels
  • Revitalization of the body and mind
  • Pain relief
  • Enhanced awareness
  • Calm and relaxation
  • Improved athletic performance and recovery rates
  • Reduced blood pressure
  • Reduced heart rate
  • Enhanced creativity and stimulation of the left and right brain synchronization
  • Improved circulation
  • Enhanced immune system

 

Floatation therapy can also be tremendously helpful with sleep, which is one thing that is connected to and gets affected by all of these things. Heightened anxiety, stress, and adrenaline levels, for example, can all affect your quality of sleep or your ability to sleep at all.

 

No matter what state you are in with your mental health, chances are there are a few things on this list you would like to work on and that floatation therapy can help you achieve. What is more is that Floatation Tanks are incredibly safe, as the tanks are so highly concentrated with salt that you would have to make a conscious effort to turn on your side. You may feel some restlessness during your first time, and that is completely normal. But the more often you float, the more quickly your mind and body can adjust and settle. At Float Space, we want you to know that relaxation and healing are not only possible but blissful. We provide a safe space for you to connect with yourself and disconnect from the world. Visit us and experience restoration of the body and clarity of the mind. Come and turn back the clock; we will keep an eye on the time.

 

Posted on

Physical Benefits of Float Tank Therapy

Floating Space

Physical benefits of float tank therapy

What is float tank therapy?

Float tank therapy is a sensory deprivation tank that consists of water and almost 800 pounds of magnesium sulfate and Epsom salts. These salts help in the promotion of floating inside the tank. The concentration of these salts is usually higher to keep the person afloat in the water. In the float tank, a person tends to stay afloat and awake yet relaxed.

The atmosphere and temperature around these tanks are usually about skin temperature. At the same time, the room is soundproof and dark to induce relaxation. These tanks help in decreasing the sensory states of the external environment.

Physical benefits of float tank therapy

In this article, we will discuss some physical benefits of this type of therapy.

  1. Pain relief

The floating tank has a vital role in decreasing or managing body pain. Pain can range from physical body pain, injury or disease-related pain, and pain due to physical exertion. Floating tank therapy tends to remove all the external stimuli, affecting the person and triggering the pain’s internal stimuli. Floating therapy tends to suppress the sympathetic nervous system or “flight or fight” the brain’s action. It takes a person to “rest and recover” phase, which is the prerequisite for relaxation.

  1. Muscle relaxation

According to several research studies, floating therapy can simultaneously provide relief from pain and other psychological distress. The relief from tension and stress can help in the improvement of sleep.

In an interventional study, three patients had flat tank therapy for their fibromyalgia. Researchers assessed and measured their levels of pain before and then after the session. According to the study results, there was a vital decrease in the intensity and levels of pain.

After a few sessions, there was an even more decrease in the intensity of the pain.

Floating tank therapy helped the patients with fibromyalgia to:

  • Decrease the muscle tension
  • Ease in muscle movement
  • Stress reduction
  • Decrease anxiety and irritation.

Along with these all benefits, floating tank also helped with having:

  • Relaxation
  • High energy or energy boost
  • Metal and physical well-being

  1. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis & rheumatoid arthritis are the two most prevalent diseases of the joints. These diseases have characteristic features of pain, stiffness, and inflammation in the joints. Float tank therapy or isolation pod is the best alternative for traditional practices for arthritis.

Floating tank therapy can help individuals suffering from arthritis by:

  • Relieving the joint pain when a person is in weight free condition
  • Increasing the muscle strength around the involved joint
  • Improving the joints’ and muscles’ range of motion
  • Improving the function and pain of the body
  • Relieving the cofactors of the disease as anxiety, sleep disturbances, and stress

  1. Sharpens sensitivity

Float tanks and rooms tend to minimize the external stimuli, improving the internal body responses.

A patient tends to feel secure and safe inside a place where there is no external sensory stimulation.  A person tends to feel his or her body and the heartbeat’s rhythm, establishing a strong link between person and body.

  1. Behavioral adjustments

Along with treating several physical conditions, floatation tank therapy helps with different behavioral patterns.

Float tank therapy helps in:

  • Reducing the depression
  • Decreasing anxiety
  • Alleviating stress
  • Inducing calmness
  • Improve focus and concentration

Along with it, this therapy can also help remove the daily life adverse effects that encourage the sense of emotional and physical well-being inside an individual.

  1. Athletic performances

According to the research studies, floatation tank therapy helps with a faster workout by reducing lactic acid concentration in the body.

In the floating tank, gravity tends to minimize, helping in a faster lactic acid movement outside the muscle. It also helps in the reduction of overall pain and stiffness in the muscles.

According to floating tank experts, these float tanks are also usable by the athletes for improving their physical and athletic performances.

The better results of athletic performances can be due to:

  • Reduction in overall all body muscles stress
  • More focus on the goal while therapy
  • Less interaction with the noisy external environment
  • Less muscle soreness or fatigue post long workouts

  1. Treats hypertension

In isolation pods or float tanks, an individual tends to float free of gravity. In this state, your blood vessels tend to stay dilated. The dilatation of the blood vessels helps in immediate relief from hypertension and smooth blood flow through them. Floatation tank therapy maximizes the supply of oxygen, blood cells, and nutrients to the body cells. Float tank therapy is a great way to balance blood pressure.