Sydney Float Centre

A floatation tank is a large pod filled with ultra-salty water to a depth of 25cm (think Eleven from Stranger Things). You lie inside it nude with your ears plugged (to prevent the water getting in), allowing the dense solution to cradle your body. There’s soothing music, then silence, then the lights go off, and you’re left floating for an hour. The sensation is very relaxing – magnesium in the water releases the tension in your muscles – and, deprived of external stimulation, many people report entering a meditative state where they seem to be floating in space. Time Out did not encounter David Bowie when we tried it at the Sydney Float Centre, but we did emerge feeling rejuvenated and even a little reborn – although that could have something to do with the pleasantly sticky consistency of the salt water that’s a bit like amniotic fluid. We’re told that it can take a couple of attempts to achieve what floatation fans call the “magic float”.