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Creating a Sensory Refuge By Heath and Nicole Reed 80 m a s s a g e & b o d y wo r k m ay/ j u n e 2 0 2 2 To celebrate my birthday this year, I (Nicole) gifted myself a float tank experience. The reverberations of this exquisite refreshment continue to ripple throughout my body, mind, and spirit, and I had to share it with you. I entered the perfectly warm, tiled room and found myself standing next to a giant water-filled, pod-like structure. To my right was a shower, and to my left was a bamboo bench, supplied with towels and a tray with an assortment of accoutrement: ear plugs, petroleum jelly, a washcloth, and a floaty ring to rest my head on. On the wall were directions to shower and wash with soap before entering the pod. After a warm shower, I slowly stepped into the pod filled with a little less than a foot of salted water. I slowly pulled the pod door shut and then rested back, placing my head on the floaty ring. And I began to float. essential skills | SAVVY SELF-CARE The lights remained on for a few more moments as I got my bearings: a small panel to one side of me with an emergency call, volume, and light control button. Then a soft soothing voice directed me to relax and let go. The lights went off and the music I chose began to play. I was in bliss. I floated for a half hour with music and then an additional half hour without, delighting in both the magic of sound and silence, feeling my body incrementally release tension from my neck, legs, and belly until a beautiful undulation in my spine emerged. I realize floating in darkness, in silence, in an enclosed space is not for everyone. But if it is for you . . . well . . . wow! There is a sort of nutrient I didn't even realize I needed that comes from completely unplugging and pausing from the endless stimuli of our modern world. I was able to let go in a way that felt deeper and more immediate than my usual meditation. Floating in the