Float away your stress!

with Julie Boulanger

My husband declined my invitation to try out the float pools at Silence – Centre de flottaison. “If I want to float in salt water, I’ll just go to the beach!”

Spoiler: the experiences are not the same.

What’s a Float Pool?

A float pool is a large cocoon-type tub in which you can comfortably stretch out like a sea star. The water is warm and saturated at 75% with Epsom salt, which is twice the density of the Dead Sea. This combination is what allows bathers to float in the tub – for maximum muscle tension release.

Each float pool is in an individual room with a private adjacent shower (for washing up afterwards). The experience is enhanced by the lid of the tub, which you can close for complete isolation, or not if you’re somewhat claustrophobic, or try both to see what you’re more comfortable with. The tub is illuminated by a soft interior light. Much like a pool light, you can change the color to your liking. You can request soft music, but the proprietor of Silence recommends complete silence, and after trying it out, I would tend to agree with him.

About The Perpignan Centre  (in Saint-Estève)

The owner David Martinez welcomed me to Silence on an overcast Saturday morning. When you enter, you first see the front desk and then a small waiting area off to the right. Shapes and spaces are rounded, so that by walking into the center you have the impression of entering a first cocoon. Like in yoga studios, you are asked to remove your shoes at the entrance. They are stored in the compartment under a bench that bears the name of the float room you reserved.

The center is equipped with three float pools in three separate rooms named after famous salt lakes from around the world: Hillier (Australia), Uyuni (Bolivia), and Assal (Djibouti). Magnificent photos of these places adorn the wall opposite their entrance. A lined world map on each door shows where they are located. Even the colour-scheme of the rooms is inspired by the colour of the water of its namesake.

It is obvious that the design of this centre has been thoroughly planned out.

Float Pools in France – A Rising Trend

I have known of float pools since the late 90s when a centre opened in Montreal (Canada), my hometown. A friend’s husband worked there, yet I had managed to never experience it and had never heard of them outside of Quebec. Speaking with David, I learned that they arrived in France by way of Canada. The link is hockey.

A Canadian hockey player was part of the Brûleurs de loups, the team in Grenoble. This man recommended float pools for the players for a myriad of reasons: to help manage the stress of competition, to take a quiet moment to envision future games or review past performance, to help disconnect mentally, and to help release psychological and physical stress. Three of his teammates became enthusiastic “floaters.” Upon retiring from their sport career in 2017, they joined up to open the first Silence centre in Grenoble.

At the time, there were five such centres around France. At the close of 2023, there were 20, mostly in larger cities such as Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux. Among them was the Perpignan center, the first Silence franchise.

From Grenoble to Perpignan

David is originally from Grenoble but has lived in the P.O for the past 20 years. With a commerce degree in hospital management under his belt, his first job was at the Perpignan hospital. In 2010 he was promoted to the role of Director at the Psychiatric Hospital in Thuir.

At Christmas 2022, he was looking for gifts for his sisters who still live in the Grenoble area. He wanted to offer them something special yet different and original. He found the Silence centre by searching online. His sisters loved the experience so much that he and his wife booked a session for themselves. From that first try they were hooked.

It was while working at the psychiatry hospital that David became all the more convinced of the importance of self-care. His job led him to witness both severe cases of psychosis and everyday burnouts. He concluded that everyone could benefit from tools that help relax the body and mind. After his first float session, the idea of opening such a centre in Perpignan flourished.

The Benefits

Different aspects of the experience provide different benefits. Combined, they offer a complete relaxation experience.

The floating itself is the closest we can experience to weightlessness (on earth and within reach of us normal folks). This allows your muscles to fully let go and release tension.

Epsom salt is used because it is a known anti-inflammatory. This helps with arthritic and joint pain, as well as skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

Taking an hour to just be and breathe is inherently relaxing and helps reduce stress and anxiety.

What about the water crisis in the département?

Each pool needs 700 liters of water. That may sound like a lot, but the filtration process is such that the water needs replacing about once a year. Indeed, there is a triple filtration process for each pool. First, a filter removes any large particles. Then, a large UV light is used to filter the finer particles. Finally, the circuit of each pool contains 550 kilos of salt – enough to ensure cleanliness. In effect, these pools consume much less water than your average swimming pool.

If that doesn’t reassure you, know that the construction of the centre with its planned water use was approved by the city of Saint-Estève. And its mayor has endorsed the business by attending the opening.

My Experience – Amazing!

David is a welcoming host. He will walk you through the entire process, so you won’t feel left to your own devices. There is a call button in each pool in case of any emergency.

You are left on your own in the room, so you can disrobe and enter the pool at your leisure. At the end of the allotted hour, soft music plays through speakers in the pool indicating that your time is up. You can then wash off in the adjacent shower. The entire experience takes about an hour and a half.

I am not claustrophobic so pulled the lid down. I might have slept a bit at first, but then I started bouncing off the sides of the pool – literally. Indeed, relaxing for a full hour got me a bit jittery. I tried dancing while floating. Rolled over. Tried to soak the side of my face that has some redness issue. Finally, the soft music played, my cue that it was over.

The next step was by far the most dangerous: getting out of the pool and walking the five steps to the shower. Epsom salt is not salty and it will not dry up your skin. On the contrary, it is very slippery. The shower is meant to wash off the greasy film it leaves on your body. Bring a sturdy pair of flip-flops, not 5 Euro beach sandals like I did.

My husband picked me up and asked me how it was. I was sharing my experience with him during the drive home when I became conscious of a strange sensation. I felt my body, my actual muscles, completely relaxed. I don’t remember ever feeling that before. It was strange because it was strong yet so unusual. It stayed with me for a good half hour.

“It is nothing like floating in the sea!” I told him. “You should definitely try it.”

Silence Perpignan – Centre de flottaison
12 Bis Bd du Canigou, 66240 Saint-Estève
07 89 02 13 92
www.experience-silence.com
A 1-hour session is 65 €. Reserve online or call. The centre is closed on Sundays.

Credit@with Julie Boulanger 2024