I never really understood that Jet song "Get Born" until yesterday. Similarly, I've never seen the…read moremovie Interstellar, but I just starred in my own version. The scientific name is total sensory deprivation, but the kids on the streets - the junkies, the tank bandits - call it floating. And it's all kinds of unreal. Full disclosure: I did a free trial session. But I dug it so much I bought two gift vouchers for my pregnant sister and her husband for Chrimbo prezzas. Here's the deal: you rock up to the Float Centre, walk down a futuristic dark-lit space-age hallway, get shown to your own private room where you shower and pop a pair of ear plugs in, then climb into a futuristic-looking float tank and pull down the lid. There's soft lights and mood music to start that fades away after the first ten minutes, leaving you floating almost on top of water that's loaded with Epsom salts and magnesium in total darkness and silence. It's a little odd at first because hey, there's no stimuli, and we're bombarded with so much of it it every day, but you focus on your breathing and let your mind wander and pretty soon you're in a state of bombed-out bliss, it's warm and fuzzy and the closest thing I can equate it to is like being in the womb. I fell asleep at the end, the deepest, most comfortable, nirvana-like nap I've ever had. While floating, Jesus-like, on top of the water. Insane in the membrane. After an hour the music comes on and gently wakes you up and you walk out of there feeling like a new person. Your mind is clear and your joints are loose from all the magnesium your skin has sucked up, and you can go lay in a hammock and drink tea and chill out before injecting yourself back into the real world. Write something on the giant chalkboard about your experience before you go. Outside of what I'm assuming heroin does to you, you just can't find this kind of relaxation in today's world. Oh and you can't go in with fake tan or hair dye because it stains the tanks, so, y'know, wash that ish off first.

I'd always been intrigued by sensory depravation tanks (aka. float tanks), and this place looked…read moregood from the get go. I went here after getting a beginner pack of float sessions, and I've got nothing but good things to say. The staff are really friendly and nice. They gave me a really good introduction the first time I arrived, and were very helpful - especially after my sessions when I was feeling super-relaxed, and a bit out of it! The facility is spotless - hygiene was not an issue for any of my visits. You're required to shower before you get in the tank, and the water is filtered between uses. You're given all the toiletries (e.g. soap, shampoo, etc, and it's the fancy stuff, not cheap at all) and towels you'll need, so no need to bring you're own. The location is at the top of the medical centre near Warringah Mall. There's an entire parking lot (with a couple of hours free) at the bottom of the building, so you can't get more convenient than that. I'm not sure how long it's been there, but it feels quite new. They have a really cool relaxation area for after your session. It has hammocks, plenty of space/mats to stretch (with foam rollers), drinks, and some couches to chill on. Make sure you allow some time to spend there after you're done. If you're thinking about giving floating a try, I'd highly recommend you do it here.