20 | January/February 2019
by an increase in prescription of opioid
medications for the relief of pain.
According to an article for Providers
Clinical Support System, opioid use
among soldiers aer a deployment
is greater than it is for the civilian
population. As a result, there's a higher
risk of addiction. Walcott was not
interested in becoming one of those
statistics.
"I had always done yoga, that sort
of thing, and flotation was the last
piece of the puzzle," she said. "It was
recommended to me by my pediatrician,
who actually now serves as our medical
director."
Walcott said her first experience with
floating was almost a disaster.
"I am a very type-A person, former
military, from New York, and I needed
someone to tell me exactly what I needed
to do and how to do it, and I walk in
and the guy is giving me hippy speak,"
Walcott said. "e guy is saying, 'You
can use this pillow or these earbuds to
keep water out of your ears, I personally
don't use them, but some people do and
some people don't ...' He says, 'Just enjoy,'
then he leaves the room … I'm nervous.
I had been living with chronic pain
since 2013 and as soon as I hit the water
and I can feel no pressure on any of my
joints, within five minutes, I am feeling
completely relaxed and this immense
pain relief. However, I was so nervous
that I didn't realize that I hate water in
my ears, and I hadn't put the ear plugs in
because the guy said that he hadn't put
the ear plugs in. So all of a sudden my
ears are filling with water."
Floating Shanti's services
include a sauna (pictured
at top), bath salts and
other products (middle)
and massage therapy and
chiropractic treatment (in the
room pictured at the bottom).
