Why I float: Rich Cameron

In the Beginning - Injury Recovery and Pain Management

My float journey began in 2018 as a support aid to my ongoing recovery treatment from a neck and shoulder injury that occurred around a year earlier. The incident left me with long-term implications than were not initially diagnosed. The combination of chronic pain and muscle atrophy had me motivated to try anything and everything with the hope of getting back to normal. Even with a regular regime of physio, yoga, massage, acupuncture, hot & cold treatment, and various other forms of pain management, including hanging upside down daily to help decompress the spine, which was all helping, albeit very slowly, daily-life still remained challenging and I needed something else!?

So, I tried out floating, and once I started incorporating regular floats into my recovery regime I experienced a much greater reduction of pain levels over a significantly shorter time period than I had seen so far using other techniques. And this is also given that improvements typically fade further down the recovery track. So because of this (and not only this!) I was hooked, deciding to take up a membership at Floatworks to allow myself to float every week.

It was clear that this unique environment was a tremendous aid, partly due to dramatic stress reduction, which in itself is a blessing, but for me, lower stress meant less tension, which meant less pain, and an improved chance for real recovery, as we all know everything is worse with stress! So with a break from chronic pain, sleep was improved, and other symptoms too, what a relief! Over time the relaxation and postural support of regular floating resulted in the pain from nerve impingement and damage reducing to almost nothing, and other symptoms alleviated too, such as muscle spasms and cramps which had been common and also painful and limiting. I have since been able to restore balance where there was significant muscle atrophy, instability and weakness through being pain free enough to focus on rebuilding strength and flexibility.

It is fair to say that I do notice slight twinges if I have a break from floating, as it is something I need to keep on top off and build-on over time. However I remain pain medication free and enjoy new and varied strength and mobility based exercise. Its not for this reason alone that I plan to keep regular floating on the menu :)

Inspiration and the Future

Recovery aside, I have found floating so much more beneficial than I could have previously imagined, for a variety of reasons. So much so, that I was very quickly inspired into developing plans that could bring this service to my home region where it is still lesser known. I can see huge potential for floating through all walks of life with it being so accessible via its simple and totally private format. I also have a great interest in the science and technology side of floating coming from an Engineering background, and am very excited by the future promise it has within the field of health and well-being as a whole, for which I am inspired to be a part of.

In Daily Life

As previously mentioned, physical rest and recovery was just the beginning, the effects of floating has impacted my emotional and mental peace too. Also, and unusually you might think coming from an isolation pod, but through greater perspective and received insights via its strange, silent, yet wonderful space, it has helped magnify compassion and understanding of others close to me, which is a bonus in any relationship. The immediate felt rejuvenation and invigoration gained after floating means I am so much better equipped to deal with the challenges life throws at me. I often use floating as a tool to accelerate through difficult times, the inevitable downs that we all must navigate through. Whether small or large, the effects of floating just seems to make any obstacle so much easier to manage, or issue easier to resolve, learn from, grow and move on. For me it is one of the best practices out there anyone could have.

The Side Effects

One of the most noticeable side effects of floating that I hadn’t expected or gone in for, was how certain relations or tensions within relationships were impacted. Things that would have previously triggered me in some way, even subtly, and I’m talking about those I was aware of, had worked on, no longer reacted to, outwardly anyway, but were still there none the less, and they just disappeared!? It was an afterthought at first, I noticed that a certain contraction in my solar plexus didn’t happen, and so I didn’t get caught in a reaction of any kind, inner or outer. It was simple and no longer anything to do with me, I had let go, or it had let go of me? Who knows, I didn’t care, but it was a relief! This continues to improve as an inner peace & quiet increases between myself and reactive patterns, or previously held fixed beliefs and assumptions, offering an actual choice away from such knee-jerk responses. I have found this to be a far better way of engaging with the world, which floating really supports.

For the Love of It

All physical, metal, emotional improvements aside, I simply love floating! The rejuvenating peace and subtle joy that is experienced after floating is so rewarding and grounding that it always keeps me coming back. Its effortless way of resetting myself to a starting point where all seems well and wisely put allows for any next move to come from a greater wisdom with better intention. Floating just seems to help keep things simple too especially with a mind hungry for enquiry and problem solving as I do. I know for certain I will be floating and sharing it for the rest of my days.