More Float Tanks, More Floating!!

Ahhhh (that’s a sigh of relief)! Our new float cabins from ProFloat are fully installed and in operation!

It’s been one week, since last Monday, when we opened up all 4 float rooms at the same time and we’ve been getting rave reviews!!

Over the past 4 months we dismantled our old yoga studio (now the Inner Warrior is upstairs!), erected walls, added plumbing, electrical, HVAC, showers, tile, epoxy floors, paint and FLOAT TANKS to the space! It was a long journey that was frustrating at times, but ultimately went off without a hitch, and we somehow managed to stay on schedule?!

We’re grateful for everyone understanding why we had to limit our normal hours of operation during the construction period, and we’re we’re so happy to have our doors back open to our normal hours of 9am-11pm everyday (except Tuesday when we close at 5pm).

The new ProFloat cabins (Room 3 & 4) boast a larger foot print than our other tanks, and are ADA compliant, which is ideal for anyone in need of more support when getting in and out of the tanks, as well as for our larger, taller, floaters who appreciate more room in the tank.

Members received a “free float’ promo code with our last news letter as a ‘thank you’ for their patience while we had limited hours.

Thank you to Will Morris at Republic Bank for being a friend to small businesses, Mark Foxworth for the architectural plans, Ron Seiter for the plumbing work, and Jeff Walschon and Todd Volks for their construction and general contracting work.

We could not do it alone. See you at Weightless soon!

Is Santa a Shaman?

Why do many people recall their families having mushroom santa ornaments hanging on the Christmas tree?

As many have noted, December 21st, was the Winter Solstice.  Its the shortest day (or the longest night) where, in some northerly places, the sun isn’t seen again for THREE DAYS before beginning its ascent, back into the sky in time for the Spring Equinox.  

If the story of the sun, divided into 12 chapters of the Zodiac, falling at the end of the year and being born again sounds oddly similar to the story of Jesus, Horace, Krishna, or Buddha then you are not alone in that observance…but we’re not talking about THAT in particular.

In the far north, near the Arctic circle in places like Canada, Alaska, Siberia and Northern Europe the sun really does disappear for three days below the horizon. Interestingly enough, many of our Norse traditions, especially Christmas traditions, originate in such places.  So lets dive a bit deeper into the finer points of these Christmas traditions.

Santa, on his sleigh pulled by reindeer, with his big bag comes down the chimney to place gifts beneath the colorfully adorned Christmas tree and in the stockings hung by the fire with care, right?

Lets start with the reindeer.  In the north country people didn’t ride on horse-drawn carriages because there are no horses and there is too much snow, so people rode sleds pulled by caribou and reindeer, which are the animals indigenous to those regions of the world. The reindeer exist during the winter months on brush, grass, trees, and mushrooms that grow in the light snow cover beneath the conifer trees.

Christmas trees.  A evergreen, conifer, tree that grow in the north country.  During the fall and early winter, and again in the spring, brightly colored red and white mushrooms (amanita muscaria) grow beneath these pine trees.  

The Amanita Muscaria have been used for thousands of years as a medicine and as part of ceremony and ritual, particularly in the northern latitudes of the world.  It is reported to have a mild psychoactive effect, similar to that of the famed “magic mushrooms”.

So in the upper latitudes of the world, where nightfall stretches its' shadows longest and the sun drops below the horizon for 3 days there are people who consume red and white psychoactive mushrooms that grow beneath pine trees.  These mushrooms are consumed by people and animals alike.  

Often associated with religious ceremony and sacred plants is the Shaman.  In the North the shaman would collect the sacred mushrooms that grow beneath the pine trees and, so as not to carry them all at once, would hang them from the pine trees, like brightly colored ornaments.  After picking many many of these red and white mushrooms the shaman’s bag would grow quite large, almost to the size of say, Santa’s sack of goodies…? When this large bag of goodies got full the Shaman would hop onto his reindeer-drawn sled and make his rounds to the local people’s houses of the community.  In the north, where it snows quite a bit and quite often people would live in large teepees or yurts where they would burn fires inside their houses to stay warm.  In these large teepee-like yurts the fires would burn as the snow fell higher and higher, leaving only the top of the yurt, where the smoke escapes, available for entry.  

The shaman would enter the yurts via the opening in the roof to deliver, from his satchel, the amanita mascaria.  Mushrooms, and in this case the Amanita, must go through a process called decarboxylation, where the active compounds are made available by drying them out.  Oftentimes people would fill their stockings with the amanita muscaria and hang them over the fireplaces in order to decarb the mushrooms.  The mushrooms, once decarboxylated, could and would be consumed by the native people, together, in ceremony, as a community, to celebrate the rising of their Light Giver, the Sun, back into the sky, and to strengthen the ties of family, and prepare for the winter ahead.

So why does Santa dress in all red with little white spots and come down the chimney to leave gifts before gliding away on a sled by flying reindeer? I don’t know either, but it’s a good question with some colorful answers!

Psychedelics: Naughty or Nice? [A talk at Logan Street Market]

Are psychedelics on the Naughty List, or the Nice List?

Facebook Event HERE:

Join us for a casual discussion and information session at the Logan Street Market to shed some light on this fascinating topic.

Hosted by CM Montgomery, Greg Ellis of Weightless Float Center, and joined by Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) psychedelic integration therapist, psychologist and meditation instructor, Dr. John Steven Shealy: we'll be discussing research, the state of psychedelics, and answering any questions about the organizations involved in the work.

We will also have pamphlets, brochures, and bulletins from the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), and The Beckley Foundation-- two non profits with over 20 years of working to fund studies to support the legalization of plant medicines.

There will be a short, "after work" cocktail hour before the talk begins at Wild Hops Brewery (inside of Logan Street Market), and there will be some light fare to munch on provided by FOKO - Logan Street Market.

This is a free talk, and we encourage you to attend, and to bring friends!

We'll see you on the 18th of Decemeber at 5:30pm for drinks, and 6:30pm for the talk.

PLEASE SHARE THIS EVENT IF THIS RESONATES WITH YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW.

The Holiday Hook Up at Weightless Float Center!

As the holidays approach we love supporting the local Louisville and small business community just as much as you do! Every dollar spent in our community on small, local businesses benefits our community and environment in more ways than we can imagine!

This month at Weightless Float Center we are participating in Shop Small Louisville with great deals for Black Friday, Shop Small Saturday, and Cyber Monday.

We have discounts on float and sauna sessions (and even BETTER DEALS for Weightless MEMBERS!) as well as awesome discounts on retail items.

Use Promo Code: ShopSmall at Checkout

Use Promo Code: ShopSmall at Checkout

Use Promo Code: ShopSmall at Checkout

Use Promo Code: ShopSmall at Checkout

Use Promo Code: ShopSmall at Checkout

Use Promo Code: ShopSmall at Checkout

Use Promo Code: ShopSmall at Checkout

We can’t wait to see you soon! Thanks for trying to keep it as local as possible this holiday season and every other time of year. Check out this great article with some staggering statistics on local business. Much love.

Peace,

Greg, Chelsea and the Weightless Team

The Benefits of Floating

Physical

pain management

Flotation eases chronic pains in the neck and back - it also helps with spinal misalignment issues. Floating has even been shown to ease the pain from such conditions as arthritis and fibromyalgia, conditions with few natural treatment options.

increased blood circulation

The weightless environment of the flotation tank allows for the muscles and joints of the body to relax, increasing blood flow and helping to accelerate repair of muscle tissues. This is especially beneficial for those with injuries or chronic pain.

relaxation response

Floating weightless in the tank suppresses the functioning of the sympathetic nervous system which is responsible for the 'fight or flight' response. Simultaneously, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated which is responsible for relaxation, stimulation of digestive secretions, replenishment and general recuperation.

increased immune function

Immune function is enhanced by suppressing stress hormones which not only weaken the immune system but also suppress the digestion and reproductive systems, affect regeneration processes, and decrease insulin sensitivity.

use in athletic training

Water in the tank has the added benefit of being saturated with Epsom salts, which have well-established healing effects, helping to draw out toxins and lactic acid build-up, and speeding up recovery time.

heightened senses

Research indicates that regular floating leads to increased visual acuity, improved tangible perception, increased taste sensitivities and improved auditory sensitivity.

magnesium absorption

The high concentration of Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) are absorbed through skin. Magnesium has been shown to be deficient in the standard North American diet. Magnesium assists in regulating high blood pressure, preventing cardiovascular disease, preventing osteoporosis, relieving menopause symptoms, providing PMS relief, creating healthier bones and teeth, and is involved with detoxification. Magnesium is awesome.

BOOK A FLOAT

Mental

stress reduction

Modern life is full of deadlines, frustrations, and demands. For many people, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life. Flotation therapy is the most powerful stress relief technique known. Floating has been shown many times, (in controlled studies compared to bed rest), to be the most relaxing experience on earth. (Relaxation measured by perceived stress, by hormone measurement and by brain waves all confirms the truth of this claim.)

improved creativity

A small study of five university professors found that six float sessions allowed them to generate more “creative” ideas, which coincided with a self-reported increase in free imagery and remote associations. Similarly, in a study with 40 university students, a single flotation increased their scores on a standardized test used to measure creativity.

left brain/right brain

The two sides of the brain operate in very different ways. The left side deals with detail, processing information, maths, order, logic it operates analytically and systematically, it’s basically the essential yet boring side of the brain. The right side of the brain is the hub for creativity, problem solving, music, art, pleasure and emotion. It operates visually, intuitively, rapidly absorbing large scale information.

The right side is usually constrained and held back by the dominant left brain. Floating massively boosts right-brain function by turning off all external input making the left brain finally shut up, allowing the right side of the brain to run un-interrupted at full tilt.

We're Expanding!

You may have heard the news— WE’RE EXPANDING!!

| OUR BUSINESS HOURS ARE DIFFERENT DURING OUR TRANSITION |

| 5PM-11PM M-F, 9AM-11PM SAT SUN |

After almost FOUR years and almost 11,000 floats serviced to our community, our floaty family is expanding to two more float tanks!!

Our new float tanks are going to be "YUGE!”.

The ProFloat Cabins are some of the best and most spacious tanks in the industry!

The interior boasts a lengthy 8+ feet long, 4 1/2 feet wide, and 6 1/2 feet tall in standing room!

The doors to the float cabin are wide, easy to step into, and don’t close “on top of you”.

We are so happy to be able to accommodate both more floaters at once in our space, as well as guests who would like a bit more room in their float.

PROGRESS:

Today (November 5th) we received our electrical inspection, which was the last inspection needed (we already got our framing and plumbing inspections OKd!) so now it’s on to drywall, followed by the finer details like plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, and paint and finishing trim.

We hope to be back to our normal business hours (9am-11pm) on the Weekdays very soon, and we hope to have our two new float tanks filled with water by early December!!

Follow our progress on Instagram as we post daily updates via our Story.

Thank you so much for your continued support and understanding during this time of transition!!

We wont let our salty community down!

Much love,

Greg and Chelsea and the Weightless Staff

The Post-Float Glow

I love floating, but sometimes I wonder, “Do I love floating FOR the float, or do I love floating for the feeling after the float?”.

Similar to meditation, it’s not during my practice where I seem to find the most joy in sitting, but in that special "twilight” immediately following, when the gears have yet to reengage, but my eyes are open, drifting in the slack-tide between worlds.

The post-float glow is real. The “golden hour(s)” after a float are magical, and can be a wonderful time to re-experience the world; it’s not that the world has become mundane and want of color, but after 90+min. in sensory deprivation, we interact with our environment in a totally different way— recalibrated— almost for the first time.

The lounge at Weightless is an attempt to curate an environment conducive to the further expansion of your experience. We understand how important both “set” (the mindset you bring to your float) and “setting” (the environment in which your float unfolds) are to your experience, and in that understanding tailor the space to our guests.

Often, after a float, massage, or sauna, we don’t want to jump back in the car and whiz off into the busy world. We invite you to drink some water or hot tea. We always recommend flipping through our guest book, and even contributing to it, whether that’s a signature, a drawing, a poem, or a thought about your float/massage/sauna— the creative juices can really be flowing following some time in the flow-state!

Our selection of “Coloring Books for Big Kids” is great. We have some beautiful mandala coloring books that are very relaxing to fill in, as well as some unique, surreal art coloring books, and some very psychedelic-inspired coloring books. Our pencils, markers, and crayons can paint any canvas yours.

Our library has a fun selection of readings that range from health and wellness, plant medicine, and wild foraging to sci-fi, politics, poetry, and writing guides. We encourage you to sift through our book collection, AND you can even check a book out for later reading in the comfort of your own home or favorite reading spot. PLEASE tell whoever at the desk if you would like to check a book out and we’ll be happy to lend it to you.

Besides the lounge, consider coupling your float, massage or sauna with a complimenting service. A 90min float is amazing, but imagine marinating in 1,000lbs of zero-gravity Epsom salt water, then taking a hot shower, putting on a cushy bathrobe, and getting a 90min. massage, then getting up from that, putting a cushy bathrobe on then sitting in the toasty goodness of a 40min infrared sauna session.

Upstairs, at Weightless, is The Inner Warrior yoga and meditation studio. It’s wonderful to flow from a yoga or meditation class into a float, massage, or sauna, or vice versa!

Besides things to do at Weightless, we’re conveniently located in the heart of the city, and there are so many options for nature, food, or entertainment within minutes of walking out our doors. The sensation of the wind on your skin as the trees rustle overhead and the smells of the forest waft into you nose are enchanting.; the explosions of flavor from a local restaurant’s famous dish ‘POP’ in a way you don’t quite recall; the new art installation downtown is so moving you buy a piece for your living room right then and there! Check out our page NEW IN TOWN for lots of local favorites including Cave Hill and Cherokee Park, the Mayan Cafe, Gravely Brewing Co., the Speed Art Museum, Climb NuLu and the Big 4 Pedestrian Bridge.

However you choose to enjoy the post-float glow is up to you. Thanks for floating with us!! Much love. Float ON!

-Greg

Some of the Many 'Approaches' to the Float

If you are familiar with flotation therapy, then you are most likely aware of the benefits of what floating can do for the body and mind. The deeper we dive into the science behind what’s happening to a person inside the float tank, the more we realize its' incredibly wide reaching potential for therapy, recovery, and overall optimization.

Some reasons people float are for sports recovery, anxiety reduction, PTSD treatment, pain management, meditation, sleep, creativity, positive affirmations, spiritual quests, and more.

Here are some ways that we like to float at Weightless Float Center in Louisville, Kentucky:

As an energetic morning person, I find a lot of benefit from a morning float. It helps me focus and keeps my energy levels in control so that I don’t open up too many tabs on the mental web browser and wind up getting not as much accomplished as I had wanted to. My morning floats are often my most meditative. I come out of the float feeling quiet, calm, and focused.

On that same line of thought, I also appreciate going from a good workout to a late morning float. The workout leaves my mind aware and alert, perfect for meditation, while my physical body benefits from the Epsom salts detoxing any lactic acid buildup and restoring my muscles. I personally feel my recovery time is far less when I workout and then float immediately afterwards.

Sometimes… I’ll have a crazy-long weekend and a later night(s) than normal and there is nothing like completely checking out in the tank, mid day, while I replenish some of my much needed sleep reserves.

Our neighbors above us, The Inner Warrior, has some great classes in the morning, afternoon, and evening, and there is something special about flowing directly from a yoga class into a float or vice versa. As a reminder, you are always welcome to stretch out in our studio space at the end of the hall at Weightless.

Do you hit a standstill mid day at your work? Try popping out of the office for a moment, floating, and heading back to work. We have many people who do this and they say it’s one of the best ways to stay focused and alert while on the job.

Once the work day is over, however, there’s something realllly nice about kicking off the shoes, taking a shower and relaxing back into a 90min decompression. Dinner and a glass of wine always taste extra nice after a float.

The later evening floats are always wonderful. I easily drift off to sleep, and surf the wave between thinking and dreaming. I like to bring some comfortable clothes with me for afterwards so I can go from the float tank to the shower to the lounge to bed.

There’s other ways to “stack” your floats with things both before and/or after your time in the tank.

What’s your float preference?

Send us an email or comment below.

Click HERE to book your next float.

Buoyantly,

Greg

Ol' Salty Ear

With nearly 1,000lbs of Epsom salt in the water (5lbs/gallon!) it’s understandable that if you don’t use earplugs and you don’t rinse well after your float you will have some crunchy ears!

After this many years of floating, for me, it’s almost an endearing sound— to bend over to pick up something off the ground and to hear my ear creak.

I imagine my ear drums are absolutely covered in salt, and the delicate hair follicles have glacier-sized Epsom salt crystals attached to them, and when I move they crash together like icebergs and go “creeeeak” in the night, the morning, or the afternoon.

So what to do about this small quandary?

Well, for starters, if you REALLY don’t want salt in your ears then we recommend using the Mack’s Silicone Ear Plugs that we provide here at Weightless.

Put them in BEFORE you shower (it’s tough to put ear plugs in with wet ears) to ensure maximum protection.

If you’re like me and like the sound/feeling of your head submerged in the water, then don’t use earplugs, simply wash your ears out after your float.

I’m not trying to patronize you by saying this:

tilt your head to the side and massage your face beside your ear, near your temple, to ensure the fresh shower water gets in there good, and then do the same to the other side. When you hop out of the shower be sure to give your head the ol “jerk!” like you’re trying to get water out of your ears (you don’t want to leave lots of fresh water in your ears either!).

Use a Q-Tip to gently remove any salt from around your ear. Be careful to not poke your ear drum!

If, after you wash you ears out well, there is still a crunchy, creaky, salty sound in your head, then mix a a bit of distilled white vinegar + water (1:1 ratio) and put a few drops in your ear— it will do wonders to dissolve the salt.

We hope this helps you navigate the salty waters of Weightless Float Center!

Happy Floating!

Buoyantly,

Greg

TFW (the feeling when) You 'wake up' Mid-Float

It’s happened to almost everyone at least once while floating;

You are in the tank, breathing, relaxed, thinking or not thinking and then all of a sudden you WAKE UP!

“Where am I? Did I just fall asleep? How long has it been? Did I not hear the music? Have they forgotten about me?!”

The questions are common ones, and at this moment many people decide to end their float.

“I was just ready to get out.”

We hear it all the time.

By all means, honor your mind, your body and your intuition, but consider this:

If you are running, either a mile or a marathon, there’s a point when you’re “just ready to stop”, but that point is not often when you are crossing the finish line, it’s when you begin to break a sweat.

Many of us decide to push on and continue the race, and for that we feel better.

Floating can be looked at similarly to that proverbial race.

Sometimes it’s MORE difficult to choose to stay in the tank than it is to choose to keep running.

When you’re running a race you’re in all your athletic gear, you’re physically moving forward, and everyone’s watching you, but in the tank (or in meditation) it’s so easy to just open your eyes, to get out.

Try shifting your perspective— consider that THIS is when your float truly begins.

Think about it, you’ve become so relaxed in the tank that you’ve dozed off. Your mind and body are completely at rest, and your heart rate is slower and more regular than it has been all day. What a perfect time!!

Observe your mind and your body in this space.

Settle into the assurance that you are here for this— to take the time for yourself—don’t sell yourself short on some personal, and much needed, ‘ME’ time.

But what to do…?

An easy way to lasso your attention is to BREATHE.

Inhale deeply, hold for just a moment at the top of your inhale, and as you exhale, exhale the thoughts right out of your head. Imagine it happening.

Relax your jaw, remove your tongue from the roof of your mouth, and let your muscles relax;

relax your hands, your shoulders, your neck, your abdomen, your hips, your thighs, your calves, your feet.

Focus on the sensation of your breath passing your nostrils, and nothing else.

Try counting your breaths, back from 200.

You will feel yourself go deeper.

You will feel the coiling spring of your monkey mind begin to unwind again.

Breathe.

There are other techniques to relaxing yourself back into a float, but this simple method is tried and true.

Happy floating :-)

Buoyantly,

Greg and the Float Fam at Weightless Float Center

Is Santa a Shaman? A brief history of Santa, Reindeer, and the Amanita Muscaria Mushroom

Is Santa a Shaman? A brief history of Santa, Reindeer, and the Amanita Muscaria Mushroom

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Why do many people recall their families having mushroom santa ornaments hanging on the Christmas tree?

As many have noted, December 21st, was the Winter Solstice.  Its the shortest day (or the longest night) where, in some northerly places, the sun isn’t seen again for THREE DAYS before beginning its ascent, back into the sky in time for the Spring Equinox.  

If the story of the sun, divided into 12 chapters of the Zodiac, falling at the end of the year and being born again sounds oddly similar to the story of Jesus, Horace, Krishna, or Buddha then you are not alone in that observance…but we’re not talking about THAT in particular.

In the far north, near the Arctic circle in places like Canada, Alaska, Siberia and Northern Europe the sun really does disappear for three days below the horizon. Interestingly enough, many of our Norse traditions, especially Christmas traditions, originate in such places.  So lets dive a bit deeper into the finer points of these Christmas traditions.

Santa, on his sleigh pulled by reindeer, with his big bag comes down the chimney to place gifts beneath the colorfully adorned Christmas tree and in the stockings hung by the fire with care, right?

Lets start with the reindeer.  In the north country people didn’t ride on horse-drawn carriages because there are no horses and there is too much snow, so people rode sleds pulled by caribou and reindeer, which are the animals indigenous to those regions of the world. The reindeer exist during the winter months on brush, grass, trees, and mushrooms that grow in the light snow cover beneath the conifer trees.

Christmas trees.  A evergreen, conifer, tree that grow in the north country.  During the fall and early winter, and again in the spring, brightly colored red and white mushrooms (amanita muscaria) grow beneath these pine trees.  

The Amanita Muscaria have been used for thousands of years as a medicine and as part of ceremony and ritual, particularly in the northern latitudes of the world.  It is reported to have a mild psychoactive effect, similar to that of the famed “magic mushrooms”.

So in the upper latitudes of the world, where nightfall stretches its' shadows longest and the sun drops below the horizon for 3 days there are people who consume red and white psychoactive mushrooms that grow beneath pine trees.  These mushrooms are consumed by people and animals alike.  

Often associated with religious ceremony and sacred plants is the Shaman.  In the North the shaman would collect the sacred mushrooms that grow beneath the pine trees and, so as not to carry them all at once, would hang them from the pine trees, like brightly colored ornaments.  After picking many many of these red and white mushrooms the shaman’s bag would grow quite large, almost to the size of say, Santa’s sack of goodies…? When this large bag of goodies got full the Shaman would hop onto his reindeer-drawn sled and make his rounds to the local people’s houses of the community.  In the north, where it snows quite a bit and quite often people would live in large teepees or yurts where they would burn fires inside their houses to stay warm.  In these large teepee-like yurts the fires would burn as the snow fell higher and higher, leaving only the top of the yurt, where the smoke escapes, available for entry.  

The shaman would enter the yurts via the opening in the roof to deliver, from his satchel, the amanita mascaria.  Mushrooms, and in this case the Amanita, must go through a process called decarboxylation, where the active compounds are made available by drying them out.  Oftentimes people would fill their stockings with the amanita muscaria and hang them over the fireplaces in order to decarb the mushrooms.  The mushrooms, once decarboxylated, could and would be consumed by the native people, together, in ceremony, as a community, to celebrate the rising of their Light Giver, the Sun, back into the sky, and to strengthen the ties of family, and prepare for the winter ahead.

So why does Santa dress in all red with little white spots and come down the chimney to leave gifts before gliding away on a sled by flying reindeer? I don’t know either, but it’s a good question with some colorful answers!

Merry Christmas and Happy Solstice.

Love and Light…and salt.

Firefighters Use Infrared Sauna at Weightless for Cancer Prevention

In the late winter of last year we noticed an uptick in what appeared to be firefighters coming in to use the infrared sauna. No, they were not coming in dressed in full firefighter gear, but rather many a blue or gray shirt with the St. Florian ‘fire fighters emblem’ on their breast.

Luckily we inquired as to why and we were given a fantastic response by a fireman:

“The fire departments in Louisville and Indianapolis are encouraging us firefighters to sit in infrared sauna after we go into burning buildings. It’s because a lot of us get cancer, and this stuff (the sauna) is supposed to be good at detoxing”.

When told this my jaw nearly hit the floor! I was so happy to know that firefighters were seeking this amazing, low impact, form of therapy to prolong their life. And it makes me seem waayyy less crazy when talking about why IR Sauna is so good for “detoxing”. Here is some data compiled by the Natl. Inst. for Occupational Safety, and the Natl. Cancer Institute:

“A study by researchers from (NIOSH), the NCI, and the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences, completed a five-year study in 2015 of nearly 30,000 firefighters from Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco and concluded that firefighters in the study had a greater number of cancer diagnoses and cancer-related deaths.

The firefighters studied had at least one day of active duty between 1950 and 2009 and found that when compared to the number of cancer cases in the general U.S. population, the firefighters had an increase of 9 percent in diagnoses and a 14 percent increase in death.

The International Association of Fire Fighters says that 60 percent of career firefighters die from cancer.

Those statistics are pretty eye opening, but why infrared sauna? (We have a lot of info on sauna under our ‘sauna page’ on our website, so feel free to check that out.).

Here’s a brief explanation:

Infrared Sauna uses a low-frequency light (invisible to the human eye) that is able to penetrate into the body’s muscle tissue up to 1.5” deep. The penetrating infrared light heats your body by stimulating blood flow to deep tissue and agitating water molecules in the body, creating a better, more effective, ‘deep’ sweat. The sweat from an IR sauna has shown to be more concentrated with heavy metals, chemicals, and toxins.

The sauna’s heat maxes out at 140º, which is significantly cooler a temperature than a normal ‘dry heat sauna’ or ‘steam sauna’, but since the infrared light is able to penetrate your body more effectively your body heats up quicker and with less discomfort both during and after the sauna.

During a regular Infrared Sauna session at Weightless Float Center it is not uncommon for users to burn 500+ calories in 40min. of just sitting there…if you do some isolated flexing or stretches you’re guaranteed to burn a lot more, plus, the 20-30min of cool-down after your session will likely burn another 200+ calories. Thats almost 1,000 calories in an hour of just SITTING. If you were going to run that on a treadmill you’d be running for 5hrs!

Check out this screenshot from a guest at Weightless who wore their heart rate monitor while in the sauna:

Besides for detoxing, cancer prevention, and burning calories there are LOTS of other benefits to using infrared sauna including, but not limited to:

1. inflammation

2. chronic fatigue

3. increased brain function

4. fighting infection and boosting immunity

5. chronic pain

6. better skin health

7. reducing stress or anxiety

8. increased overall life longevity

Check out all the benefits of using IR Sauna at Weightless KY’s website

As the cooler temperatures descend upon us in Kentucky I look forward to the chilly days, knowing that Louisville has access to infrared sauna that will keep our cores warm in the coldest of months while at the same time providing incredible health benefits for both body and mind.

We look forward to seeing you at Weightless Float Center (@Weightlessky) for a float, massage, or infrared sauna.

Peace, Love, and Salt,

Greg Ellis

XOXO

Welcome Weightless Float Center's new neighbors: The Inner Warrior

It’s been a few months now since The Inner Warrior completed their demolition and reconstruction of Suite 250 (directly above WeightlessKY) at Distillery Commons and we are more thrilled than ever to have this amazing group of people sharing space with us.

The Inner Warrior is a yoga studio and boutique featuring eco-friendly and sustainably sourced yoga & active lifestyle apparel and books, and boasts an impressive list of yoga and meditation classes (between 2-5 classes per day) that are ALL DONATION BASED!!

The dynamic mother-daughter duo consists of Sabine (mother) and Gabriella (daughter) Gaona, two Louisville locals who have made a strong impact on the yoga community of Kentuckiana when they opened their first, modest store-front on Frankfort Ave. (across from the Silver Dollar) in 2014 where they sold clothes, books, and local artists’ works as well as held 2 weekly yoga classes followed by meditation.

Besides their physical location, now at Distillery Commons, the Inner Warrior also holds a bi-annual yoga festival at Terrapin Hill Farm called M.Y.P.A.T.H. (Mindful Yoga Practice At Terrapin Hill). The Kentucky yoga festival is strongly attended and continues to create a reputation that precedes the festival for its commitment to core yogic principles and values, while at the same time creating a fun, loving, and strong community of people who are keen on camping, dancing, eating tasty and healthy foods, and getting to know both themselves and their community better. The next MYPATH festival is THIS COMING WEEKEND— are you able to make it?!

No worries if this MYPATH doesn’t fit your schedule— there’s always the spring!

So please welcome the Inner Warrior into your awareness and into your hearts. If you have been thinking about starting yoga then this is your best opportunity. Their classes range from Beginner to Intermediate to Advanced, and include yoga classes for hatha, vinyasa, kundalini, yoga nidra, kaleidoscope yoga, hula hoop yoga, and meditation. If you have been thinking about deepening your practice, finding a new studio/teachers or branching out, or been wanting for a deeper connection to the people practicing in your community then THIS IS YOUR PLACE!

Stop in to their store/studio before or after a float, sauna, or massage at Weightless and tell them you’re coming from downstairs to check out what’s UP!

It feels like home.

Peace, Love, and Salt.

XOXO

Greg Ellis

Yurtle the Turtle Unveil$ Bill In Favor of Legalization (for hemp)

There's a big buzz about Industrial Hemp in KY, and there has been for years, in fact, it's part of our State's hertitage-- we were, at one time, the largest producers of hemp in the country (and we will be back with the same superlative soon enough!).

Secular Talks' Kyle Kalinksi gives a quick little breakdown of things with his normal dry humor.  

You may find some other interesting topics amidst his videos on his YouTube page.

I still do not support Mitch McConnell's views on the majority of issues, and even in this Hemp SB I believe that this is because we, as a State, are beyond broke, and have been funneling money away from public programs and and poor people for YEARS.  Lets hope this does some good for the most of our state and not the small handful of rich people who have opposed and enforced these draconian laws around an incredibly beneficial plant for decades.

Is Santa a Shaman

Why do many people recall their families having mushroom santa ornaments hanging on the Christmas tree?

As many have noted, December 21st, was the Winter Solstice.  Its the shortest day (or the longest night) where, in some northerly places, the sun isn’t seen again for THREE DAYS before beginning its ascent, back into the sky in time for the Spring Equinox.  

If the story of the sun, divided into 12 chapters of the Zodiac, falling at the end of the year and being born again sounds oddly similar to the story of Jesus, Horace, Krishna, or Buddha then you are not alone in that observance…but we’re not talking about THAT in particular.

In the far north, near the Arctic circle in places like Canada, Alaska, Siberia and Northern Europe the sun really does disappear for three days below the horizon. Interestingly enough, many of our Norse traditions, especially Christmas traditions, originate in such places.  So lets dive a bit deeper into the finer points of these Christmas traditions.

Santa, on his sleigh pulled by reindeer, with his big bag comes down the chimney to place gifts beneath the colorfully adorned Christmas tree and in the stockings hung by the fire with care, right?

Lets start with the reindeer.  In the north country people didn’t ride on horse-drawn carriages because there are no horses and there is too much snow, so people rode sleds pulled by caribou and reindeer, which are the animals indigenous to those regions of the world. The reindeer exist during the winter months on brush, grass, trees, and mushrooms that grow in the light snow cover beneath the conifer trees.

Christmas trees.  A evergreen, conifer, tree that grow in the north country.  During the fall and early winter, and again in the spring, brightly colored red and white mushrooms (amanita muscaria) grow beneath these pine trees.  

The Amanita Muscaria have been used for thousands of years as a medicine and as part of ceremony and ritual, particularly in the northern latitudes of the world.  It is reported to have a mild psychoactive effect, similar to that of the famed “magic mushrooms”.

So in the upper latitudes of the world, where nightfall stretches its' shadows longest and the sun drops below the horizon for 3 days there are people who consume red and white psychoactive mushrooms that grow beneath pine trees.  These mushrooms are consumed by people and animals alike.  

Often associated with religious ceremony and sacred plants is the Shaman.  In the North the shaman would collect the sacred mushrooms that grow beneath the pine trees and, so as not to carry them all at once, would hang them from the pine trees, like brightly colored ornaments.  After picking many many of these red and white mushrooms the shaman’s bag would grow quite large, almost to the size of say, Santa’s sack of goodies…? When this large bag of goodies got full the Shaman would hop onto his reindeer-drawn sled and make his rounds to the local people’s houses of the community.  In the north, where it snows quite a bit and quite often people would live in large teepees or yurts where they would burn fires inside their houses to stay warm.  In these large teepee-like yurts the fires would burn as the snow fell higher and higher, leaving only the top of the yurt, where the smoke escapes, available for entry.  

The shaman would enter the yurts via the opening in the roof to deliver, from his satchel, the amanita mascaria.  Mushrooms, and in this case the Amanita, must go through a process called decarboxylation, where the active compounds are made available by drying them out.  Oftentimes people would fill their stockings with the amanita muscaria and hang them over the fireplaces in order to decarb the mushrooms.  The mushrooms, once decarboxylated, could and would be consumed by the native people, together, in ceremony, as a community, to celebrate the rising of their Light Giver, the Sun, back into the sky, and to strengthen the ties of family, and prepare for the winter ahead.

So why does Santa dress in all red with little white spots and come down the chimney to leave gifts before gliding away on a sled by flying reindeer? I don’t know either, but it’s a good question with some colorful answers!

Put a Bindi On It

up level your fridge with the most woke- AF magnet game EVER!

**WARNING! This post contains sarcasm thicker than the coldest sorghum you ever done chugged, so take it with a grain of salt, mmmmk?****

They're IN! They're IN! We're pretty hyped to have Visionary Magnets in the reception area + lounge for all our guests to activate the heady mystic flower energy portals that are yearning to spiral into control like a good habit! 

This set of 444 Magnetized Words is absolutely dripping with the ooey gooey diarrhea of new age bull shit and we can't help but shovel it all over the thin skinned steel exoskeleton of our refrigerators like Rhoto into the 3rd Eye of a the most angst-er indigo children.

Want to bring a set of Visionary Magnets home with you? You're in LUCK! or Blessed! Or the Karmic light has shown down upon your radiant crown chakra...however you want to skin the cat... YOU CAN BUY THEM HERE AT WEIGHTLESS!  

Heady-ify your own kitchen appliances and show us what you got.

#getshwifty, y'all.

Peace

g.ELLIS

What Is Floating?

Sitting at the helm of this cloud ship with my salty crew of rubber duckies you can imagine we get asked a wide variety of questions about the float experience-- from the fundamentals to the far-off and infrequent-- we talk about R.E.S.T. rather restlessly. There are a few things you should know, though, so i'll explain below.

R.E.S.T. | Flotation Therapy

R.E.S.T. : Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy or Floating or Sensory Deprivation is amazing.  It's profoundly relaxing.  It's water therapy. 

Just imagine a huge bathtub! 10 feet long and 4 feet wide, with 200 gallons of water in it.  Sounds like a lot of water, right? It is...but it's only 8 inches DEEP! So this 8" of water has nearly 1,000lbs of Epsom salt dissolved into it, which causes you to FLOAT like a cork on the surface of the water. It's more buoyant than the Dead Sea!! The water is the same temperature as your body so you don't feel the water AND you don't feel gravity, and if you choose to (BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO!) you can close the door and turn off the light which makes the room dark and quiet.  The combined effects sets your mind in the most relaxed state of NOTHINGNESS it's ever experienced.  

So as you float you're receiving all the benefits of 900lbs of Epsom salt in the water which is reducing inflammation, soreness, chronic pain, stress, PLUS you're floating effortlessly with NO GRAVITY on your body-- and for the first time ever your mind-- you brain-- isn't being bombarded by this constant barrage of external stimuli that is our fast paced world. When your mind finds itself in this uniquely relaxed and calm environment it takes FULL ADVANTAGE of the situation.  What happens next is a big part of the takeaway.  

Through fMRI and EEG mapping we observe the brain in the float tank transition into a different state, where it begins to produce Theta Waves, a type of brainwave found in R.E.M. sleep or deep meditation, so that 1 hour in the float tank (we offer 90min sessions, however) can equal 4hrs of rest for the mind. This environment of "controlled nothingness" lets the brain exist in that state of relaxation while at the same time receiving all the benefits of the Epsom salt PLUS no weight on your body which allows your spine to realign, and activates the parasympathetic nervous system (think 'Rest and Digest').  The combined effects creates one of the most profoundly relaxing experiences possible.

Epsom Salt

Epsom salt is the bee's knees (whatever that means) and a household panacea from an older time.  For some reason the young whipper snappers don't know a lick about the stuff!  It's uses range from stress reduction to sore muscles, skin exfoliants to soil prepping-- so it's almost as good as snake oil. 

Epsom salt is also called Magnesium Sulfate.  Magnesium is SUPER IMPORTANT for our bodies, specifically our nervous system, and is known to regulate over 300 functions.  Magnesium also regulates cortisol (stress hormone) levels in our bodies so it literally chills us out! And this isn't just a couple cups of Epsom salt in a bathtub, remember, its 900lbs of SALT! 

Professional athletes, yogis, meditation practitioners, insomniacs, those suffering from chronic pain, stress, hypertension, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders, and others ALL FIND RELIEF through the use of the float tank.  It's beautiful.

Lets recap, shall we?

1. So no gravity on your body. (that is neat, and feels so damn good)

2. Epsom salt reducing pain, inflammation, swelling, stiffness, and stress levels.

3. Your brain is in meditation R.E.M. beta wave heaven.

4. Your body and mind are crying tears of happiness for how flipping good they feel!!!

Now, we can talk all day and all night and all day and all...ok, you get the idea that we can talk ad nauseam about floating, but those right there are the breaks.

Stay salty and afloat my friends.  See you soon.

Peace.

gELLIS

Floating into Fall

"Allow myself to reintroduce...myself."

Weightless float center, Louisville ky

#floatlouisville #weightlessky

@weightlessky on instagram

I can't tell you how it happens but it happens; time may or may not be speeding up but for me the gavel has fallen and the jury's out.  I am hurtling towards the edge of singularity as we chase the big bang's tail back to the snake skin it crawled out of.  What I'm saying is, "it's been a long time since I last wrote something on here and I had to rub my eyes to make sure that I was seeing the date correctly.".  As we all mutter when getting back to something we've willfully neglected, "i'm gonna try to stay on top of it this time."  If you're expecting me to be perfect and mindful and not mind-full because I co-own a wellness center then think again, friend.  :-)

As Austin Power's so eloquently said, "allow myself to reintroduce...myself."  How hi are ya? I'm Greg! A way-too-jazzed-up-all-the-time, hyper kinetic, sci-fi reading politic following, environment concerned, amateur poet, Louisvillian and Co-owner at Weightless Float Center, and I am pleased that your eyes are tumbling over the jungle gym of words like a pun you thought about asking to go on a play date. Aaaand one of the reasons I float is to relax.  I need it.  In this world, I think we all do.

Follow along with me as we take some deep dives in the shallow, salty waters of the places my mind may roam while in the tank.  In this world of information overload I find the float tank to be a perfect environment to think, or not think, about everything.  The tank provides me with the comfort and ability to connect the dots across a wide range of topics that crop up in my daily readings; other times it's the dissolving of the lines, a dissolving of the dots, that is what helps refigure a situation or thought.  Either way, you're in for a swirling milieu of fractal proportions, and for that, I commend you.

Follow us on instagram @weightlessky

And come hang out at Weightless.  We love you.

Peace y'all.

gELLIS

The Jump Off

My First Float in a Sensory Deprivation Tank

Weightless Float Center, Louisville KY

Well it's been two weeks at the helm of Weightless Float Center in Louisville, Kentucky and we salty as can be...in the best way possible!

Floating, for Louisville, has been incredibly well received thus far, and more and more people are coming out of the woodwork--- keen on floating for one reason or another, people's interests span the board from general curiosity to PTSD, improved mental awareness, peak athletic performance, and a want to get submerged in the slippery salts of weightlessness.

Each time someone comes in I can't help but ask how they heard about floating, how they heard about Weightless Float Center and if they've done it before.  My favorite answer to any of those questions is that they've never floated before.  It gives me great joy to know we're sending these vessels across the calm waters of tranquility, but there's no telling what they'll see on their trip down the river.  I remember my first float very well...

I was healing from a broken bone that compromised the structural integrity of my entire body; the scaffolding of my framework had been kinked like a battered set of armour and I was almost certain I would never feel 'OK' again.  I slung my sling off (gingerly), and frustratingly tried to run my good arm through my long hair as I stood in the shower, wincing at every minute movement...needless to say I was in a bit of pain.

When I stepped into the tank and slowly lowered myself into the water I was startled at how buoyant I was in the saturated Epsom salt solution.  It took me aback as I shifted my weight and effortlessly popped up off the bottom of the shallow pool.  "OK", i thought, "I'm into this.".  

After a few moments of getting situated to my surroundings I eased my head back into the water and felt the last pangs of pain dissolve like a salt crystal in a warm bath.  I was floating. And it felt so damn good.

It had been months in a sling.  Months of holding my arm close to my body.  Visibly uncomfortable in the most hospitable positions; again, i was certain I would not feel 'OK' for the rest of my life.  Compound fractures are no joke, especially a spiraled clavicle fracture and a cracked skull from a late '80s blue Mercedes Benz at 6:30am on a busy street...but in there, in the tank, I was weightless.  

I laughed.  And it hurt to laugh, but I laughed harder, and it hurt more and I laughed harder still!  Eventually I cooled my jets, realized how important the stillness of my body was to keeping the water placid and my brain from realizing what was up/down/all around, and let myself drift...

I was about 10minutes in, although it could have been 2min or 45min (time is a different beast in the tank), when I got a muscle twitch.  It happens to me a lot, especially before bed, and it shook me from my stillness.  I opened my eyes and realized I was still in pitch blackness, realized where I was and what had happened, and set my head back and began to again stare at that special place between your eyes, just above the bridge of your nose where your "3rd eye" is...I was gone.

After my 2hrs was over the owner of the float spa not only knocked on the door, he banged on the door, then sent my girlfriend in after me to see if i was alive.  I was alive alright. It was the first time in months and months and months that I could lie down and be comfortable.  So comfortable, in fact, that I fell into such a deep sleep that when someone is banging on the door of a room that has no ambient noise AT ALL it's still not possible to wake up...it was the most beautiful quiet, calm, serene sleep I think I've ever had.

Float life is the where it's at.

Blessed to be have the opportunity to be able to float and to provide the community with a place to do the same.

Peace.

Greg (Ellis) Ellis