LiveWell Louisiana

Calm Waters: NOLA Float Tanks

It’s all fluid at this new therapy-oriented business.
May 21st, 2014 by: Lianna Patch

Founder of NOLA Float Tanks, Spencer Fossier, became interested in flotation therapy after hearing a podcast by comedian and commentator Joe Rogan. Flotation therapy refers to simply floating in a tank of water for a period of time; each tank’s water contains hundreds of pounds of Epsom salt, which increases the water’s density, allowing the body to float effortlessly.

Fossier did some research, and discovered that flotation, a type of restricted environmental stimulus therapy, or REST, could offer benefits for sufferers of attention deficit disorder. “Having been diagnosed [with ADD] earlier in my life, I figured this was something I should try,” Fossier says. He notes that in addition to causing the brain to release endorphins, floating can also increase blood circulation and help detoxify the body.

Fossier first experienced flotation therapy last summer in Houston, and he knew he wanted to float more frequently than the five-hour drive to Houston would allow. He promptly founded NOLA Float Tanks, which opened early this year in Jefferson Parish. Though Fossier is quick to note that he’s not a physician, he can vouch for the benefits flotation therapy has personally provided him.

“Personally, I experience physical relief similar to that of a chiropractor visit,” he says. “Other effects are that I’m more centered and not as easily distracted."

Along with assuring claustrophobic clients that they have full control over their tank’s door being open or closed, Fossier is most often asked how often the tanks’ water is cleaned. “The tanks auto-filter seven times between clients, both chemically and superficially,” he explains. Float on! 

nolafloattanks.com