Healing from the inside out

Infrared sauna great addition to Float Spa

Angie and Tim have done it again!
My morning began with a headache, which only increased, and once again Mitchell's Float Spa has relieved my tension.
As if Float Spa wasn't already awesome enough, owners Angie and Tim Moon have improved the town's newest hotspot with an infrared sauna.

"It has provided our clients with an opportunity to feel relaxed prior to their experience in the float pod." ~ Angie Moon

Ahhh ... I love a good sauna. Lucky I wore shorts today.

I tested out the sauna today and the experience was awesome! I've been fond of steam saunas in the past having felt amazing afterward, but this one was more comfortable and would likely fit more easily into a busy life.
The infrared sauna heats you from the inside out, Angie said.
For those of you who may not know, Float Spa opened in January. Clients float in pods filled with 10 inches of water, in which 1,000 pounds of epsom salts are disolved. You float like you are in the Dead Sea. Blissssssssssful!
Now, clients will have the opportunity to enhance their floating experience by opening their pores and relaxing their muscles prior to floating.
Angie noted several benefits the sauna provides, many of which correspond with the benefits of floating:

• Pain relief through dilating the blood vessels.
• Stress reduction. 
• Improves skin through removing impurities. 
• Lowers blood pressure by making the heart pump faster, in turn increasing blood flow.
• Improves circulation, which is imperitive to human health and healing. 
• Boosts immune system, helping with recovery time from injuries or illness. 
• Weight loss by increasing heart rate and burning up to 600 calories in 30 minutes in the sauna. 
• Detoxification of impurities from your body. 

You can read more about the sauna benefits while in the sauna! (Photo by Anna Jauhola)

OK. So some people get scared when they hear the word sauna because they think HOT. Well, yes, it gets warm, but really the infrared sauna wasn't as warm as I thought it would get.
Angie noted that traditional saunas heat the air and can reach brutal temperatures between 180 and 220 degrees Farhenheit. I've experienced a traditional Finnish sauna, and it is amazing, but I'm strange and love those types of things. However, on a regular basis, I'd much rather prefer the infrared sauna.
The infrared sauna was more like sitting outside on a 90 degree day, even though my session got up to 121 degrees!
Toward the very end of my session, it dropped two degrees.

It is surprising how warm the temperature is
inside the sauna. It doesn't feel
that warm! (Photo by Anna Jauhola)

My 15-minute sauna was lovely even with
the 84-degree outside temps.
(Photo by Anna Jauhola)

Instead of using steam and other ways to create heat, the infrared sauna uses infrared light. The sauna will never get above 150 degrees, Angie said, and two adults can sit in it at a time.
"It's another tool that helps relax the mind and muscles," Angie said. "In order to maximize the benefit of both therapies, we suggest at 15-minute sauna followed by a 60-minute float. The sauna opens the pores, allowing for greater absoption of magnesium, the significant healing element found in epsom salts."
Clients can also book appointments to just sit in the sauna. Try it out! It's totally awesome.

Business increasing

Since I last talked to Angie, the Float Spa has seen repeat and new clients alike. She said the spa's days are 50/50 with new and returning clients.
She and Tim still plan on becoming a fixture on Mitchell's Main Street.
"We love downtown Mitchell and see ourselves with a product that can achieve long term success," she said.
She added that clientele continues to be all ages. Many elderly or older clients book appointments in the mornings and early afternoons. Middle aged and younger clients book appointments in the afternoons and evenings.
The Float Spa has room to expand if needed, Angie said, but so far the two pods and sauna are sufficient for the business.
"We want to be a small business that helps each person and to provide a lasting effect to each client that comes through the door," Angie said.
Float Spa is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 12:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Sundays. You can book appointments online.

Client comments

"I have never felt more relaxed" is one of the most common phrases Angie hears from clients after a float. 

She also hears that the float pods are much bigger than clients imagined; those afraid of the lid being closed ended up closing the lid; clients who use the sauna are much more relaxed prior to a float; and "I can't believe I fell asleep!" 

The second most common comment: "If I didn't receive this gift certificate, I would never have tried this. Thank you so much for bringing this to Mitchell."