With pulsing lights, vibrant crowds, and 24-hour bodegas on every other block, it’s no wonder New York has been dubbed “the city that never sleeps.” Succumbing to sensory overload is easy when not even your apartment is safe from the occasional siren wail. Where can you go when you just want a quiet place to relax?
Try float therapy, which is the process of floating on salt water in a bed-sized pod devoid of all light and sound, called a sensory deprivation tank. It relieves stress and anxiety, soothes muscles, helps regulate sleeping patterns, and, at its core, acts as a quiet place to relax for an hour or so.
Read on for our favorite places to practice float therapy in and around the city.
1. Lift Floats
320 Court Street, Second Floor, (718) 701-0808
Ease skyscraper-sized stress at this Brooklyn-based floatation center. They have a knowledgeable, friendly staff; clean private rooms; and spacious sensory deprivation pods with a buoyant Epsom water solution that's set to the temperature your body requires.
2. Chill Space NYC
124 East 40th Street #603, (212) 661-3400
Dr. Josh Kantor founded Chill Space in Murray Hill to merge science and wellness in pursuit of relaxation, restoration, and rejuvenation. Enjoy a private, soundproof room with dimmable lighting, a shower, and a cozy sensory deprivation tank where the water is kept a calming 96 degrees, and mimics the buoyancy of the Dead Sea.
3. om.life
18 Park View Avenue, Suite 2A, (212) 206-0009
If you live in Jersey City, om.life is the perfect place to unwind after a long and stressful week of work.
Their spacious floatation pods allow you to fully control the lights and music from the inside, and their large flotation orbs give you extra legroom and twinkling lights.
4. Serene Dreams
537 Kearny Avenue, (201) 997-1000
As New Jersey’s first floatation therapy center, Serene Dreams promises a relaxing experience similar to that of a deep meditation.
The saltwater in their spacious, state-of-the-art isolation tanks is set to the body’s temperature, 98 degrees, so you can let yourself float comfortably and effortlessly. Benefits include stress and chronic pain relief, enhanced lucid dreaming, and alleviating symptoms of depression.
5. Infinity Float
224 5th Avenue, Second Floor, (212) 213-8520
Heighten your sense of calm in the Infinity Float suite at Q Flatiron. Walk through a sleek and airy lobby to a relaxing private chamber, and then shut the rest of the world out for an hour. For added serenity, the ceiling even twinkles like a starry night sky (though you can turn this off inside the tank if you prefer complete darkness).
Floating gets easier when you get the hang of it, though we encourage you to do ample amounts of research before your first session. Make sure you’re relaxed and receptive to the experience – when done right, sensory deprivation can be a unique way to approach mindfulness!