SCOTTSDALE, AZ (CBS5) -
It's supposed to be more relaxing than a massage and provide the benefit of four hours of sleep.
It's called a float pod, and it's making waves across the Valley for being the ultimate relaxation experience.
"That just totally blew me away," said customer Robert Maneri. "There's no gravity. I'm floating on water."
TRUE Rest Floating Spa in Scottsdale is where clients step into their own private pool that's been filled with 1,200 pounds of Epsom salt.
Think of it as a salt bath on steroids.
TRUE Rest team member Steve Farrel told CBS5 that the zero-gravity experience allows folks to float on water like they're floating on air.
"After about 15 to 20 minutes, since the water is heated to your skin temperature, you don't notice a difference between your skin and the water," said Farrel. "It's almost as if you melt into the water and become one with the water."
According to Farrel, 60 minutes floating in a pod can dramatically reduce aches and pains, provide euphoric relaxation and allows for better, deeper sleep.
They were promises that Phoenix firefighter Ryan Anderson was a little skeptical of until he had his first float.
Anderson said he now comes back twice a month to ease stress and relieve the pain in his back.
"It's almost like that feeling you can't really describe until you are in it," said Anderson. "A zero-gravity environment, so all I feel is weightless. It's a very strange feeling."
Some people have wondered if there are any health concerns with so many people using the same pod.
Farrel said that all the salt acts like a saline solution so no bacteria can grow, and the high-tech filter system runs automatically after each use.
The cost for one float experience is $79, around the same as you'd pay for an hour massage.
The price drops to $59 if you become a member.
Repeat customers like Anderson are convinced it's worth the expense.
"Completely relaxing," said Anderson.
Copyright 2012 KPHO (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
