El Paso center offers healing flotation therapy

• Flotation therapy, which has been around for decades, is making a resurgence around the country.
• Float therapy simulates zero gravity by dissolving 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt into 200 gallons of water in a small shallow tank filled with 10 inches of water.
• The idea is that you will emerge with a deeper awareness than you would with traditional meditation. It promises relaxation and stress reduction.

As a realtor, Hector Torres knows all too well the pressures of playing the intermediary role between buyers and sellers in real estate transactions.

He knows the long, erratic hours, including working most weekends, spending much of his time showing properties to clients.

Because the field is highly competitive, it can cause high levels of stress and anxiety.

To relieve that tension, Torres, 64, has been going through flotation therapy.

"I can't say your mind goes completely blank, but sometimes when I get here and my mind is working overtime, once I get into the chamber and I put on the ear plugs, I don't hear anything except for my pulse," Torres said. "You can't get more relaxed than that. It's like everything stops."

Most of the time he simply falls asleep.

Twice a week, for the past three months, Torres has been submerging his body into the float tank at Desert Float Center in Northwest El Paso.

Flotation therapy, which has been around for decades, is making a resurgence around the country, including El Paso.

The float pod, which is often described as an "adult-sized womb," is devoid of light and sound for maximum relaxation.

Float therapy simulates zero gravity by dissolving 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt into 200 gallons of water in a small, shallow tank filled with 10 inches of water allowing the user to float effortlessly.

"I feel relaxed and well-rested when I come out," Torres said. "I put ear plugs on before I go in, so I can't see anything or hear anything. There is nothing to distract me, it's just me in the water floating, relaxing."

The filtered water, which is kept at skin temperature (93.5 degrees), creates the sensation of weightless floating without a gravitational pull, with the idea that you will emerge with a deeper awareness than you would with traditional meditation.

It also promises relaxation and stress reduction.

Koryna Herrera and her husband Federico Sanchez started the home business in December of 2015.

"We have a friend who is a psychiatrist and he was always talking about flotation therapy," she said. "We were in Albuquerque last year and we tried it and really liked it. When we got back to El Paso, there was one on the East Side and we tried it."

The Float Spa, which was located on Lee Trevino, is closed for relocation, according to its website.

"We fell in love with floating so much we bought a float tank just for us to use," she said. "We had close family members and friends come try it, and they wanted to share it with other friends, so we decided to open a small business."

Herrera said flotation therapy is perfect for those in need of some de-stressing and mental relaxation.

"We like this type of setting where it's very personal," she said. "We go through an interview process where the client details their need and what they hope to get out of it. We talk about about the benefits of flotation therapy and how it could help them."

There are several benefits, including reduced stress by lowering Cortisol levels, reduced chronic pain from neck, back, joint and muscle soreness, helps fight addiction, depression and improves mood,

Some say it even enhances creativity, spiritual discovery and meditation.

As far as cleanliness goes, Herrera said they use Epsom salt, a natural sterilizing agent, and when dissolved into the water, makes it "saltier than the Dead Sea."

The entire volume of water is filtered three times between float sessions, which keeps the water clean and safe.  Also, every client is required to shower on site to dissolve any oils before entering the tank and after the float.

Sanchez said he has lost count as to how many times he has used the float tank.

"For me, it's all about the physical affects," he said. "I had lower back and sciatic nerve pain, and I had my good days and my bad days living with constant pain taking painkillers just to get by."

But after a few float sessions, things drastically changed.

"After floating a couple of times, I noticed that the pain went away," he said. "In the beginning, it was all about the physical affects, pain relief, feeling great, relaxing. Then, I noticed I was going into a deep meditation state. You actually wake up and you don't have any thoughts, just an overall well-being. I guess it's what some people call enlightenment."

He said his body had to learn to adopt to its relaxed state of being.

"The water is skin temperature, so a lot of people feel as if they are back in their mother's womb," he said. "One theory on float therapy is your brain remembers when you were in the womb, in that safe environment, that your are floating in water and that's why it triggers that well-being."

Torres said he also is an avid racquetball player and the float tank helps his body recuperate faster.

"I would recommend this to everyone," he said. "There's nobody who has not experienced stress. It's almost impossible to explain. You have to come out and experience it for yourself. Just saying you feel good after, just doesn't do it justice. When you get in there and you float and experience how good it makes you feel, you're going to want to come back and do it again."

Victor R. Martinez may be reached at 546-6128; vmartinez@elpasotimes.com; @vrmart on Twitter.

Float on

What: Desert Float Center.

Where: 7317 Brays Landing.

When: 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment on Saturday and Sunday. 

How much: $40 for one session; $189 for 10 sessions; $119 monthly membership for one float per week.

Information: 400-4095; desertfloatcenter.com.