FLOAT ON

After traveling around the country, Ashkahn Jahromi found himself on a couch in Portland surrounded by friends and a few beers. His friends, Graham and Quinn, were starting a company, and after a brief description Ashkahn thought “Sure, I’m in.” This company would not just be a job but would create a lifestyle that was about to hit Portland by storm – an epsom salt storm.Float On, located in Southeast Hawthorne, started just 152 days after that fateful night Ashkahn was couch-surfing. The store is home to four float tanks, each full of just over 850 pounds of epsom salt that soothe, stimulate and restore. Now this largest float tank center on the West Coast is painted in shades of blue and green, giving off an inviting, comfortable water-like glow that makes you feel right at home. You can even take a nap on the couch if you feel inclined to take a dry float.Nowadays, Float On is more than just a float center. As the small business grows and receives international recognition, they’ve invited more communities to join the world of floating by offering Portland artists and musicians a chance to float in exchange for artwork and music. 150 local PDX artists were given two free floats, a canvas and inspiration to create. Float On had no idea what they were in for, but they cherish every moment of it. Not only did the artists have stories of their own, but so did the artwork. The business received so much positive feedback and pieces of work, they published a book entitled “Artwork from the Void.”

After the inspiration from the artist project, they expanded to Portland’s other true loves, music and fine food. They opened their doors to the musical talent and later this month will be selling a CD of tracks created based on musicians’ time in the tanks.  Recently they created a chef’s program and have been recruiting the best chefs in the city to participate. Their plan is to create a Float On guide to Portland for those who float and are looking to explore the city afterwards. The space has turned into a Portland Must-see for visitors alike.

E+E: As Float On becomes a “must-do” item in Portland, what health benefits do you see for the traveler passing by?Float On: The greatest benefit we see, especially as people are traveling, is how it helps with the effects of jet-lag. We just got back from Sweden from the Float Summit 2012 and we found floating completely resets your internal clock. The rest in the tanks is such a deep rest that there are arguments that two hours in the tanks feels almost like triple that amount to your body.E+E: We know people love floating, but do people come in to float every day?FO: Everyday, no. We have a couple guys who come in to do 16 floats a month, so four a week. That’s as close as you get to floating every day. There’s that slippery slope where you start doing longer floats and soon 90 minutes doesn’t seem like enough time in the tanks. We think once a week is perfect.E+E: What does the magnesium from the salt do for your skin?FO: It leaves your skin feeling silky smooth. Within twelve minutes, the magnesium soaks into your bloodstream, activates a lot of enzymes, cortizone levels drop and make you fall into a deeper state of relaxation, circulation increases throughout your body, and digestion regulates. Your skin is a great way to absorb magnesium to meet your body’s need for it. Your body will naturally cap off when it reaches the optimum level, so you can’t overdo it. Your fingers actually don’t prune up because you’re lying in an epsom salt bath rather than normal water.Take a first listen to The Valley Mix by The Ascetic Junkies which will be included on the upcoming CD release.E+E: Lastly, what is your favorite part about Portland?FO: We love how quickly you can get out of the city. We love Portland, the night life, the shows, the food, easy access to the bike community, and in 15 minutes we’re in the gorge, an hour, we’re on the coast. We even smell like a fire now because we just got back from camping.So it seems floating has many benefits – physical, psychological and creative!Got questions pre-float? They have answers. Float On