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| - I've been wanting to try this place for a while now, and they just came out with another Groupon so I had to get one! The $39 Groupon is a fantastic price to try this out if you are a little skeptical of it. I will preface by saying, I really don't think this is for everyone, but everyone should at least try it with an open mind. I can think of a few people I know that would probably be horrified sitting in one of these pods in the dark for an hour. I however, am definitely a believer! The experience was incredible.
I was a little worried that I wouldn't get the full effect on my first time, because apparently it takes a few sessions before you can fully relax and appreciate it. This was not the case with me though. I can safely say it was thoroughly enjoyable.
After filling out first-timer paperwork and watching a short video, they take you to your private room, and you first shower, then get into the pod. You'll be amazed at how buoyant you are in the pod, its almost impossible to get underwater. I opted to do it with the pod closed, lights off, music off. I highly recommend anyone trying this to do the same, I can't imagine doing it with the lights on or music playing, completely defeats the purpose of the whole thing. For the first 10 minutes while the music is still playing, find a comfortable position that your body likes. Ideally, you should stay in this position the entire time. Takes some time and adjusting to figure out what is most comfortable, but once you find it...stay there. Focus ONLY on your breathing, count each breath. If you can successfully do this, and not let your mind wander, you will be greeted with a pleasant lucid-dream like experience about halfway in that really is hard to describe in words. Its like sleeping, while being somewhat awake...almost out of body-like. Afterwards, when you "wake up" you feel incredibly refreshed, relaxed, and rejuvenated. The feeling afterward tops any good massage I've had before....incredible!
From getting in the pod my thoughts went in a progression from:
-"Umm...ok, I have to sit in this thing for an hour?"
-"Well lets just play along and do the breathing thing..."
-"Ok, I'm relaxed...its not so bad, but still, an hour of this??"
-"*FOCUS* on breathing Blake!!"
A matter of minutes pass where I successfully stopped thinking about things and all I could think about was the sound of my breathing and my heartbeat. The mere idea of thinking about NOTHING, and having ZERO stimuli around me actually gave me a wave of anxiety, almost to the point where I thought ok, I might need to get out of this thing. But I fought that and continued to focus back on breathing and quickly began relax again. What resulted was an incredible lucid dream-like state, where I was essentially asleep, yet awake. I wasn't seeing things like in a dream per-say, it was a dream of nothingness...all I could hear was my faint heartbeat, and that's all that existed in my head and world at that point. Words really can't explain it very well...but it was fantastic.
I have a suspicion that a good majority of people will not let go of their mind and thoughts enough to relax to this degree, but it is certainly worth the effort to try. I highly recommend trying True REST out...and do so with an open mind, open enough to leave your thoughts and worries behind!
So why not 5-stars you say? Well upon recent, I've been pretty stingy giving out 5-star reviews. The whole experience was definitely 5-star, but I feel the "spa" could be a little more spa-like. The rooms have a damp, humid smell to them (go figure?)...maybe somehow get some lavender scent going on in the room? Just a thought! Not a fan of the plastic material lining the showers...re-do the showers in stone....hell if my gym can do it, so can a "spa." These aren't really negative criticisms, just me offering up some suggestions!
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