Tag: meditation

How Does Floating Freely Feel? We Tried It Out At Palm Ave Float Club!

When you think fitness, what comes to mind is usually a fast-paced, sweaty workout to burn off those calorie-laden junk we’ve been feeding our bodies.

While that’s not wrong, a cardio workout hardly constitutes the entire concept of fitness. Fitness is a connection between the mind and body – which makes meditation a huge part of fitness.

It is a common misconception that, when the body is at rest, it is completely unproductive.

Well, here to bust that myth is a studio home to floatation pods and calm, meditative spaces for you to free your mind.

Palm Ave Float Club

Zero clutter, and away from the bustle of the city life that we’re all too familiar with – walking into this space was a breath of fresh air.

The vibe was zen, calming the mind and easing the body in preparation of a new environment: the floatation pod.

At the reception area, I was greeted by Cherie, who checked me in and handed me a cup of tea. It was my first time in a floatation pod, so Cherie talked me through the whole process of floating, and the healing properties of salt water.

The Floatation Pod & its benefits

Floating is a form of meditation.

Like all meditative practices, floating helps to clear the mind, calm the soul, and reset our bodies.

It is a mental detoxification, which is especially therapeutic in today’s digital age. We are not only glued to our digital devices like computers and handphones, we are also multi-tasking thanks to the functionalities of these devices.

Floating helps us to put aside such stressors and focus on the present.

To reap the full benefits of floating, your mind should be free from distraction for the whole 60 or 90 minutes. When you find yourself drifting to other thoughts, bring your focus back to your breath, or the atmospheric music played in the pod.

Be aware of what you’re feeling in your body, so you’ll leave the pod noticing the difference.

Each pod is filled with 500kg of epsom salt dissolved in water, making floating effortless. So don’t be afraid to lie back and relax. In addition to healing in the form of meditation, the buoyancy of the salt water helps to heal muscle aches and ease tensions in the body as well.

I guess it’s true what they say, “The cure for anything is salt water”.

What to expect

After the introduction, it was time to leave my insecurities at the door, strip down, and trust in salt water.

Source

Yes, one is recommended to float nude to feel weightless – after all, you do have an entire room to yourself. If putting on a swimsuit makes you feel more comfortable – by all means!

Due to hygiene purposes, it is necessary to take a shower before stepping into the pod. Don’t worry, soap, shampoo, and towels are provided.

Next, I popped in earplugs (also provided), switched off the lights, and stepped into the pod.

The water was at a comfortable temperature and felt slightly alkaline from the salt content. I took no time at all to familiarise myself with my new surroundings.

There was a spray bottle and a small towel hooked over a rod on the left, just in case I somehow managed to get salt water in my eye (I didn’t).

There were also large rubber buttons in the pod for me to switch the colour changing lights off within the pod as soon as I was comfortable.

My experience

I shut the pod and laid down, arms and legs stretched out like a starfish (in yoga terms, savasana). The pod was spacious – my hands and feet did not touch the edge of the pod, and the roof of the pod did not feel close to my face at all. As soon as I closed my eyes, I completely forgot that I was in a pod.

I’m pretty sensitive to motion when in the water, especially when I’m on a boat or on a paddleboard (I don’t get sick, but I do feel nauseous).

But while I was floating in the pod, I did not feel any motion.

That few minutes before I fell asleep, I actually heard white noise – a beat that sounded like it came from a turntable (apparently this is common). I then drifted into a deep sleep, dreamt, then woke up panicking because I forgot that I was in a floating pod – that was how comfortable I was!

The only thing I’d have done differently was to use the pool noodle provided to support my neck, because I felt slightly nauseous not from motion sickness, but from the weight of my head hanging down.

Overall, the experience was extremely relaxing and rejuvenating – I’d definitely be back!

As a self-professed worrywart, and someone who is constantly juggling too many things at once, I did feel more calm and alert after my float.

If you’d like to carry  your meditation on after that 60 or 90-minute long float, feel free to stay as long as you like at Palm Ave’s chill out spaces, and take in the breathtaking view of Kallang.

Palm Ave Float Club
Location:
66 Kampong Bugis, #05-01, Singapore 338987
20 Waringin Park, Singapore 416333
Website Better Than A Power Nap – Freedom Yoga Energises You In Just 30 Minutes!

Stressed? These Products Will Surely Help You Feel Better

Being stressed out can be quite a bummer. No one likes to be constantly worrying about their decisions, or having their nerves on the edge. Especially in sunny Singapore, where it’s a competition to perform and excel from an early age at school, we’re no strangers to that uncomfortable feeling.

Get some breathing space with Headspace

[caption id="attachment_4777" align="alignnone" width="700"] Image Credit: Apple and Android devices, and is free for the first 10 days. It should be noted, however, that Headspace can be quite pricy after the initial trial version expires, as you will need to subscribe if you wish to continue using the app.

A year’s worth of subscription costs about $95 USD, but unlocks hundreds of hours of meditation content. So if you happen to find yourself more serene after the free trial, perhaps subscribing will be a small price to pay for a more healthy body and mind.

3. Stress detecting technology

With the recent strides in modern technology, these products are specially invented with your stress levels in mind. It’s like your own personal therapist that you can carry around where you go!

Keep track of your health while on the go

[caption id="attachment_4778" align="alignnone" width="700"] Image Credit: Fitbit[/caption]

The newest fitness trackers from Fitbit, Apple and others boast a wide array of helpful technology and sensors to monitor your daily health. This is especially useful when you’re putting in overtime at work.

From continuous heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking or step counting, these products provide you with useful insights on when your stress levels are at its peak. By utilising the measurements given, you can begin making healthy changes to your daily routine.

In fact, a Fitbit user Image Credit: Audio-Technica[/caption]

When you just need a moment of silence with your favourite tunes to get back your groove, a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones will be a good investment. Leave distractions in the background as you listen to relaxing playlists done up by Spotify or Apple Music, which are specially tailored to boost your concentration and focus for a more productive day.

Sennheiser and Plantronics are brands well-known for their noise-cancelling headphones, but they tend to cost a bomb ($200 or more) for average users. For a cheaper but effective alternative, consider brands like Audio-Technica or Sony. Most electronic stores will sell these brands, but if you’re looking for a particular model, your best bet would be to head online to local seller TREOO.com to find what you’re looking for.

Spotify is free to download on various devices, but to avoid the annoying advertisements, and enjoy high definition quality, the subscription will cost you $9.90 a month.

Image Credit: Image Credit: WABA Fun[/caption]

Does squishing plasticine get your mind off things, but you hate that oily feeling on your fingers? Make the jump to kinetic sand. It shares the same flexibility as modelling clay but keeps your hands clean! Made up of 98% pure sand, it was designed for relaxation purposes for both young and old!

What’s more, the sand only sticks to itself, so you don’t have to worry about cleaning up remaining residue. Of course, it’s best if you just wash your hands after playing with it. You can never be too sure!

Kinetic sand can be bought at a few selected stores in Singapore, most notably at .

(Header image credit: Because The Weather Has Been Such A Beach, We Need To Chill At These 5 Cool Beaches In SG