Our Floatation Tanks
Floatation therapy is what happens when you remove gravity, sound, temperature differential, and every other signal telling your nervous system to stay alert. What's left is the deepest physical rest most people have ever experienced.
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You're Not Tired. You're Carrying Too Much.
Your shoulders. Your lower back. The tension behind your eyes. The thoughts that start circling at 3am. The feeling that you're never quite caught up.
None of that is weakness. It's accumulation.
Every hard training session your body hasn't fully recovered from. Every stressful day you pushed through without downtime. Every night you chose one more hour of work over one more hour of sleep. Your nervous system doesn't reset itself, it waits for permission.
Floatation therapy is that permission.
What Floatation Therapy Actually Is (And Why It Works)
You step into a private room with a float pod that looks like a sleek, oversized bathtub. Inside is 10 inches of water heated to 36.8°C, with 550 kilograms of pharmaceutical-grade Epsom salt dissolved into it.
That's more salt than the Dead Sea. Enough to make your body float effortlessly, without effort, without adjustment. You're not holding yourself up. Gravity has no claim on you.
Zero Sound
The pod is acoustically insulated. No traffic. No notifications. No background hum you didn't know you were hearing.
Zero Light
If you choose, complete darkness. Not "dim", the kind of dark where your eyes stop trying to focus.
Zero Temperature Differential
The water matches your skin temperature, so after a few minutes, you lose the sense of where your body ends and the water begins.
What's left is called REST, Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy. It's the most researched form of deep relaxation that doesn't require meditation skill, breathwork training, or prescription medication.
Your body does what it's been trying to do for weeks: it lets go.
What Happens When You Float
Every person's experience is different, but these are the outcomes our clients report most consistently, and the research backs them up.
For Athletes & Active Recovery
When you're weightless, your joints decompress. The pressure on your spine, knees, hips, and shoulders, pressure you've been carrying through every run, every lift, every training session, disappears. Blood flow increases to areas that have been tight or inflamed. Lactic acid clears faster. Muscles repair more efficiently.
Floatation is used by professional athletes, CrossFitters, runners, and climbers for one reason: it accelerates recovery without adding another hour to an already packed schedule. Sixty minutes in the tank can deliver rest your body would normally need a full night's sleep to achieve.
For Professionals Under Chronic Stress
If your mind hasn't stopped in months, floatation does something most meditation apps can't: it removes the stimuli your brain uses to stay busy. No emails to check. No decisions to make. No sounds to process.
Within 20–30 minutes, your brain shifts from Beta waves (alert, analytical, problem-solving) to Theta waves (the dream-like state between waking and sleep). This is where creativity lives. Where perspective returns. Where the problems you've been grinding on suddenly have obvious solutions.
Most of our professional clients report the same thing: it's not that their problems went away, it's that they came back with the mental bandwidth to actually deal with them.
For Sleep, Pain, and Mental Wellbeing
We see people managing chronic pain conditions (fibromyalgia, arthritis, back injuries), anxiety, insomnia, and PTSD-related hypervigilance. Floatation won't cure any of those — but it consistently creates enough relief for people to function better.
The magnesium in Epsom salt absorbs through the skin, supporting muscle relaxation and nervous system regulation. The sensory reduction gives an overstimulated nervous system a chance to recalibrate. And the deep rest? That's not metaphorical. Studies show measurable reductions in cortisol (stress hormone) and increases in endorphins after a single session.
Most people describe their first full night of sleep in months happening the same night they float.
Your First Float: What Actually Happens
Before you Arrive
Eat lightly 1–2 hours before. Avoid caffeine if possible. If you've just dyed your hair, wait 2 weeks (the salt will pull the colour). If you've recently shaved or have any small cuts, they'll sting briefly in the salt, it passes quickly.
When you Arrive
We will walk you through everything. You'll have your own private float room with a shower, the pod, towels, earplugs, and everything you need. No shared spaces. No awkward locker room moments.
In The Pod
You shower first (removes oils and lotions). Step into the pod. Close the lid if you want complete darkness, or leave it cracked open, it's entirely your choice. The first 10–15 minutes, your body is still figuring out that it doesn't need to do anything. Then the shift happens. Time stops meaning much.
Most people choose 60 minutes. Some prefer 75. You won't fall asleep in the way you're imagining — the salt keeps you floating even if you drift off, but you'll enter a state somewhere between awake and asleep that's difficult to describe until you've felt it.
After
You shower again (the salt rinses off easily). Most people move slowly for a few minutes, not out of grogginess, but because everything feels... quieter. Softer. Less urgent.
You're in Full Control
● Lid open or closed? Your choice.
● Lights on or off? Your choice.
● Music or silence? Your choice.
● Want to get out early? The door's never locked.
This isn't something being done to you. It's a space you're given to do nothing in.
Everyone Can Float (We Mean Everyone)
Shropshire Floats is the first float centre in the UK to install a ceiling hoist system. If you have limited mobility, chronic pain, or physical disabilities that make getting in and out of a standard bathtub difficult, we can help you access the pod safely.
Wide doors. Accessible bathroom. Adjustable lighting.
Floatation therapy is especially powerful for people living with conditions like MS, cerebral palsy, spinal injuries, and arthritis, because in the tank, your body weighs nothing. For 60 minutes, pain that comes from bearing your own weight can disappear.
If you have questions about accessibility, call us. We'll talk you through it: 01939 291 933.
How We Keep the Liquid Cleaner Than Your Drinking Water
Between every single float, the entire volume of liquid is filtered through a 1-micron filtration system. That's 100 times finer than a human hair. It removes bacteria, oils, and any organic matter down to a microscopic level.
On top of that, the liquid passes through a UV sterilization system and receives a small dose of hydrogen peroxide (a natural disinfectant). The salt concentration itself (around 30%) creates a sterile environment where bacteria cannot survive.
We test the liquid daily. The system meets medical-grade hygiene standards.
How to Book (And What Works Best)
Single Float Session
- 60 minutes: £59
- 75 minutes: £69
Most first-timers book 60 minutes. If you're an experienced floater or dealing with chronic pain, 75 gives you more time in the deep Theta state.
Multi-Session Packages
If you're managing a long-term condition (chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia), single sessions help — but consistency changes everything. We offer 4-session and 8-session packages with priority booking and discounted rates.
Kevin's Top Recommendation: "Pressure to Peace" Package £99 | HBOT + 60-Minute Float
This is the combination that gets the most repeat bookings. You start with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (60 minutes) to oxygenate your blood and kickstart recovery at a cellular level. Then you float for 60 minutes while your body integrates that oxygen.
Flotation Therapy
What if I'm claustrophobic?
You're in complete control. You can leave the lid fully open, cracked, or closed, whichever feels comfortable. You can turn the light on or off. You can get out at any time. The pod door is never locked, and you're alone in a private room.
Many people who identify as claustrophobic find that floating feels more like open space than confinement. The darkness (if you choose it) removes walls, edges, and boundaries. Most people describe it as expansive, not restrictive.
If you're still unsure, try Driifloat instead. It's the same zero-gravity experience without the enclosed space.
How clean is the water?
Between every single float, the entire water volume (around 250 litres) is filtered through a 1-micron filtration system. That's 100 times finer than a human hair. It removes bacteria, oils, skin cells, and any organic matter down to a microscopic level.
The water also passes through a UV sterilization unit and receives a small dose of hydrogen peroxide (a natural disinfectant). The salt concentration (around 30%) creates a naturally hostile environment for bacteria, nothing can survive in it.
We test the water daily.
Can I float if I'm pregnant?
Yes, and many pregnant clients describe it as the most comfortable they've felt in months. The weightlessness takes pressure off your lower back, hips, and pelvis, especially during the third trimester.
If you're in your first trimester or have any pregnancy complications, check with your GP or midwife first. Otherwise, floating is generally considered safe and deeply restorative during pregnancy.
What if I have cuts or recently shaved skin?
Small cuts and freshly shaved skin will sting for the first 30–60 seconds in the salt water. It passes quickly. If you have larger open wounds, wait until they've healed before floating.
We provide petroleum jelly to cover small cuts if needed.
What do I wear?
Your float room is completely private, just you, the pod, and a shower. Most people float nude to avoid fabric touching the skin (which can be distracting when you're trying to achieve full sensory quiet).
If you prefer to wear a swimsuit, that's absolutely fine. However it may affect your experience
Will I float if I fall asleep?
No. The water is so dense with Epsom salt (550kg in 250 litres) that you float effortlessly, face-up, with zero effort. Even if you fall asleep, your body stays buoyant. You can't roll over or sink.
Many people drift in and out of light sleep during a float. It's safe and completely normal.
What is Epsom Salt?
No. Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, a naturally occurring mineral compound. It's what makes you float (by increasing water density), and it has therapeutic benefits:
- Absorbs through the skin, supporting muscle relaxation
- Helps regulate the nervous system
- Softens skin and can soothe minor irritations
It's not edible, and it doesn't sting (unless you have fresh cuts or a shaving rash, then it stings briefly before fading).
Can I float if I have my period?
Yes. Just follow the same protocol you'd use for swimming (tampon or menstrual cup). The water is private, filtered immediately after your session, and completely sterile.
Your Body Has Been Waiting For This
Not for a massage that lasts an hour. Not for a weekend away you don't have time to book.
For 60 minutes where the only thing you're responsible for is floating.
TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award Winner | ★★★★★ 190+ Five-Star Reviews