Spa Review: “Sanitas per Aquam (health through water) on Preston Road” Five Hot Stones

Adrift Float Spa 8315 Preston Road Dallas, TX 75225 214-363-5628

First Impressions:

Very well done, an excellent use of blue, aqua shades and white water scheme that works wonders from the moment you walk into the reception, waiting area and ‘Relaxation Room’ to calm you down. All appointments are well thought out, matching the calm and cool water theme. Quality accoutrements everywhere; in short most everything was well placed. I had been anticipating the opening since it was written up in D Magazine last Fall. The wait was worth it!

Description:

Noah Daniels, DC, Steven Tate and Bernadette Fiaschetti have put together a viable spa business: floating in water tanks. It’s called sensory deprivation and technically known as restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST); essentially a deliberate removal of outside stimuli to the brain. Floating at Adrift Float Spa is done in a private cabin within your own room. The entrance to the tank is through a cylindrical shower stall leading to the floatation area which is about 7 feet by 6 feet wide and filled with about 10” of water heated to your body temperature and that has 800 lbs of Epsom salt (the main component is magnesium sulfate) dissolved in it. You will need to shower prior to entering and upon finishing your session. Your goal here is to have a complete hour of “me” time; just you, your body and mind in a private session alone (or you can have a couples session as the cabin is big enough for two).

Spa: sanitas per aquam meaning ‘health through waters’:

Although most people have a notion of what a spa is, I like to point out that the word has origins in the Greco Romans periods where people enjoyed thermal springs and bathing as a ritual for wellness and socializing (balneotherapy or water treatments) The term Epsom salts comes from Epsom a historical spa town located in the UK (no spas here, you would have to visit Bath for a spa). A possible explanation for the word spa could be ‘spargere” meaning to pour forth or sprinkle with water. Although the original location was called Aquae Spadanae; the municipality of Spa, Belgium is still in existence today with a population of just over 10,000. The acronym for spa has only been in use for decades (prior to WWII acronyms were not readily used).

The treatment was:

In one word, relaxing. Since the water temperature is the same as your body temperature you feel comfortable. The subdued color light therapy, the quiet (one reason is that magnesium sulfate absorbs sound) and unobtrusive music all lead to a private cozy environment. Perhaps you might like to use the ear plugs, the inflatable neck rest and the plain water sprayer (for your eyes/face) to further enhance your relaxation and literally float in your private oasis. I would describe the whole experience as having a CranioSacral Therapy session where you reach a state of total relaxation in the theta wave stage. I left in a more peaceful state of mind as if a load of worries had been lifted from my mind and body. The benefits of Epsom salt on your skin are the softeners, phosphates, minerals and other organic substances that change the structure of the water and the way it interacts with your skin giving you a ‘silky finish’.

Amenities:

Prior to your floating session you are instructed to go to the Relaxation Room which has a big wall of black basalt stones with a water fall of streaming. You get to sit and get a 15 minute “zero gravity” massage in a huge chair made by Lasuki.

More information on products:

-Minera 20 lbs bag of Original Dead Sea Salt from

-San Fransisco Bath Salts Co. (plus many more varieties with essential oils)

-Hand poured soy candles

-Authentic Turkish bath robes

-Onesta Hair products

-Books: “The Book of Floating” Michael Hutchinson, “The Deep Self” by John C Lilly and “On the Ledge of Life” a novel by one of the owners, Stevie Tate.

Rating:

Five Hot Stones for a well conceived idea, implemented and presented: floating to enter the alpha state of mind has been around for decades and is well worth it. I wanted this to work and it did! I came out of the experience relaxed and in a quiet contemplative mood as if nothing bothered me.

Five Hot Stones” is a rating system devised by @MarktheSpaman to indicate something special, worth going to and something of substance (Five Hot Stones) or (One Hot Stone) to stay away from.@MarktheSpaman lives in Dallas and is a principal at McKenney Spa and Wellness Consulting which works with many aspects of the spa and wellness industries. Mark’s quest and passion for spa and wellness began years ago when he worked with the Upledger Institute in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida as an educational representative. One of his favorite work assignments was the introduction of the Thai herbal ball/compress to the spa market at Sa-wan.com. Mark can be found on Twitter @MarktheSpaman and other Social Media and 972-415-4SPA in Dallas, Texas.