Floatation Suite

Float effortlessly in our spacious pool of lovely warm water and Epsom salts. Experience profound relaxation, enjoy the physical and mental health benefits and relieve stresses, aches and pains.

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What is floating?

You lie still in a peaceful space, in warm, body-temperature water, with your head on a pillow or the water. A high concentration of Epsom salts, dissolved in the water, means you float effortlessly, about a third of your body above the water line. The room is bathed in candlelight or soft, coloured lighting and most people listen to tranquil music or meditations.

It’s as near as you can get to experiencing weightlessness on Earth, in a state of peaceful, profound relaxation.

Floating provides far more than just peace and tranquillity. It shields you from the normal sensory demands on your vision, hearing and touch, and from the usual constant pull of gravity on your organs, muscles and joints. It offers relief for a wide range of medical conditions. And it opens your connective tissue (the fascia) to enhance the sense of spaciousness and weightlessness. As you lie, you slow down and feel the release of physical, mental and emotional tension. You experience a level of relaxation like no other and the opportunity to move into a deeply meditative state.

An hour of floatation brings wonderful physical health and mental health benefits that can last for days. Regular floats can have a deeper, cumulative effect that stays with you for much longer. More profound relaxation is also experienced when a float follows a massage or sauna.

If you’re ready to book a float, scroll down to the bookings section of the page.

This was an amazing therapeutic experience. I felt I experienced something entirely new, a way and level of relaxation that is rare. Being held by water was womblike and other worldly. It felt like a detox for my skin too. Lovely space.” Kirat R (thank you, Kirat)

How do I float?

When you enter our lovely floatation suite, you’ll see that it includes a changing area, a shower and the pool room itself, all exclusive to you. The pool easily accommodates two tall adults and you can use it alone or with a companion. It is not a flotation tank and does not have a cover or ‘lid’: the pool is open to the room. The water in it, suffused with a high concentration of Epsom salts for your buoyancy, is about 26cm (10 inches) deep and is heated constantly to skin temperature: lovely and warm.

After undressing and showering, and wearing only a bathing costume, you step into the pool, sit down in the water and slowly lie back until your head is touching the water surface or a pillow (your choice). As you lie back, your body gradually rises to the water’s surface of its own accord. Then you do nothing. For a unique, wonderful hour, your body, mind and soul can enjoy incredible relaxation and the opportunity to move into a deeply meditative state.

How does it work?

In the warm water is dissolved 300kg of Epsom salts. This high concentration of salts allows your body to float effortlessly, ensuring your buoyancy with no movement, thought or effort from you. The Epsom salts also nourish and soften your skin without wrinkling it like sea salt does. The therapeutic benefits stem from this effortless, deep relaxation.

Sharing

There’s plenty of room if you want to share your float with a companion, whether as a couple or with a relative, friend or carer.

 

For more information and answers to specific questions, from general ‘dos and don’ts’ to pregnancy, periods and much more, scroll down to our FAQs at the bottom of the page.
Very friendly, relaxed atmosphere, beautiful building. Had a gorgeous flotation session. Big, open flotation pool, lovely warm room with a high ceiling, all spotlessly clean. Highly recommended.” Rachelle Metcalfe (thank you, Rachelle)

Benefits of floating

Unity floatation therapy in such a peaceful space offers very many benefits to the body and mind – medical, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual – and, should you wish, provides a perfect meditative environment. Select any of the four tabs below to see some of these benefits.

Medical benefits

Floatation therapy has many physical, mental and emotional benefits and there are many medical conditions which have been shown to benefit from floatation therapy (have a look at THE SCIENCE tab).

Medical conditions include anxiety, depression, insomnia, arthritis, back pain, pre-menstrual tension, post-natal depression, asthma, migraine headaches, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular conditions, osteoporosissynovitis and long covid … to name a few.

Floating offers relief for general aches and pains, through deep muscular relaxation. It helps with nervousness. It offers complete physical and mental de-stressing. It even offers relief for jet lag.

Relaxation

At the heart of a Unity floatation experience is the reduction in demands on your body and consciousness. Floating takes you away from the overload of stimuli and noise that bombard your senses all day long. It gives your muscles and connective tissues (also known as the fascia) the rare chance to rest from the normal demands of gravity – far more effectively than lying in even the most comfortable bed. The opening of your fascia enhances the sense of spaciousness and weightlessness.

Indeed, it’s said that just one hour of floatation therapy is much more refreshing than a full night’s sleep.

As a result, the relaxation you experience can be profound. As you lie partly submerged in the warm, buoying water, you can feel yourself slowing down and your physical, mental and emotional tension lifting. You feel both physically and emotionally lighter.

You experience a depth of relaxation that is found nowhere else.

Meditation benefits

Floatation therapy is deeply relaxing – for the body, mind and soul. It is also excellent for meditation, deepening your spiritual journey inwards towards a powerful presence and peace.

It is not uncommon for people emerging from a floatation session to talk about how moving and profound the experience was for them.

A floatation therapy session is a deeply meditative experience particularly before a massage or after a yoga class.

The science behind floatation

The benefits of floatation are well established in mainstream science.

We recently conducted a thorough study (science researchers call it a literature review) of the scientific evidence for the health benefits of floatation, centred on mainstream, published, peer-reviewed research studies. The work conclusively demonstrates the significant benefits offered by floatation therapy in managing or alleviating conditions including anxiety and depression, insomnia, stress, pain (particularly stress-related muscular pain), hypertension and chronic tension headaches. It reduces blood pressure and levels of stress-related hormones and offers improved sleep (and improved ease in falling asleep) and heightened feelings of optimism, serenity, relaxation and wellbeing, with increased energy and performance.

If you’d like to read it, our study is here, as a PDF.

Enhancing your floatation

Floatation is a therapy and, like many other personal therapies, it is not a ‘quick fix’: its benefits build over time and as you become used to the experience. Initially, it can take a session or two to adjust as the mind and body learn how to ‘let go’. For the greatest benefit, we therefore recommend a course of regular floats, which can also lead to a deeper, cumulative effect that stays with you for much longer.

You may also experience a much deeper relaxation still if your float is followed by a massage or sauna, or comes after a yoga class. The combined effect is greater than the sum of its parts!

To help you, we offer float spa membership that reduces the cost of regular floats; membership also includes discounts on other spa services. And we offer Unity duos – float + massage and float + sauna – at money-saving package prices.

Had my first ever floatation experience followed by an amazing deep tissue massage – simply heavenly – an afternoon of purely self love and healing thanks to the amazing team and therapists at the Unity Centre. Fantastic” Julia F (thank you, Julia)

Booking a floatation experience

A 75 minute session in our beautiful floatation suite give you plenty of time, with a full 60 minutes in the pool and 15 minutes to ground yourself, shower and change.

You can book a float session for one (with the suite to yourself) or for two together (perhaps you’re a couple, friends, relatives, parent and child over 12 or an individual with a carer), with plenty of room in the pool for both.

Float prices

Float session for one: £55
Float session for two: £70

For concessionary cardholders, your 10% discount will be automatically applied when you pay for your float.

Or for regular floatation therapy (recommended), why not choose float spa membership:

  • Fixed monthly (or quarterly) cost
  • Lower priced floats
  • 10% off other spa therapies

Visit our spa memberships page

Before your appointment

Before you come in for your appointment, it is essential that you read and take notice of our appointment guidelines. If you don’t follow the guidelines we may have to postpone or cancel your appointment. And please don’t forget to bring your own towel.

»Read our appointment guidelines here

Floatation packages

Float+massage duo

The height of luxurious relaxation and restorative bliss.

  • A private session in our wonderful, open floatation pool (75 minute session)
    followed by
  • a one hour massage, including a cleansing foot soak and ending with a lovely hot tea

READ MORE

Buy your float+massage package:

Float+massage for two together: £175

Float+massage for one person: £108

The effects of the massage are so much deeper after the float has already relaxed your body and mind. An enlightening experience – a deep journey of unfolding that can stay with us for days and even weeks.

 

After purchase, please contact us on 01273 778400 (or pop in if you prefer) to arrange the day and time of your experience.

Before your appointment

Before you come in for your appointment, it is essential that you read and take notice of our appointment guidelines. If you don’t follow the guidelines we may have to postpone or cancel your appointment. And please don’t forget to bring your own towel.

»Read our appointment guidelines here

And if you wear a pacemaker, please check with your consultant before using an infrared sauna such as ours.

More spa experience packages

Fancy a massage, facial or sauna after your float? Floats can be part of a range of spa packages, including  day and half-day experiences. that can provide a wonderfully deep and lasting experience, and save a little money. Our packages can be experienced on your own or most of them can be shared with a partner, relative or friend.

A few of my colleagues have been raving about the benefits of ‘floating’, so I decided to have my first ever float session at The Unity Centre. The floatation pool is set inside a lovely building, and the actual float room has been fitted out very nicely. Before floating, I was fully briefed by the friendly staff what to do, so the actual float experience for me was first class. I left the float feeling very relaxed” Andrew C (thank you, Andrew)

 

Incredibly attentive and thoughtful staff who made my floatation experience a really relaxing and memorable time. Love the Unity Centre!” Lulah E (thank you, Lulah)

Frequently asked questions

For more information about our float pool, please contact our Holistic Spa Manager