Imagine yourself, completely weightless, floating like a lily pad on water. As if laying on a cloud, in an almost zero-gravity state, the mind slowly dissolves into relaxation and tranquility. In the world of floating, there is nothing to do but be there, simply breathing and basking in quietude. Our float devices are specially designed to create a near zero-gravity state and limited sensory environment. These two characteristics create a unique space that allows our body and mind to rest, heal, and grow.
Floating has been clinically proven to provide a wide range of health benefits, and relieve many ailments -- especially stress, muscle tension, and pain. One study conducted in 2018 demonstrated floating regularly to be an effective method to relieve anxiety and depression, accompanied by “significant increases in serenity, relaxation, happiness and overall well-being." We have seen people use their float practices to help recover from all sorts of emotional and physical stresses of life, and in some cases, even adopt a float practice as an alternative to pharmaceutical medications for managing pain and anxiety! Whether you are seeking relief, physical recovery, or pure and simple relaxation, a float practice will deliver.
It is our mission to provide the Columbia area with a space to experience nothingness. Within this peaceful nothingness, we are able to rest and restore our minds and bodies to a deep state of calm. When you take a moment to remove all distractions in your life, you can expose layers of clarity, tranquility, relaxation, and creativity that you may have never noticed before. Every float can ease you into this place of stillness, which promotes recovery from stress, pain, fatigue, anxiety, and more. We have been deeply touched in our own lives by the many benefits of floating, and we are here to share those same benefits with you!
We have two different types of devices, each designed to meet different needs while still providing the same basic float environment. The depth, temperature, and salt content of the water are the same in both types. The differences are in how the lights work, and in the size of the devices. In either case, you are free to leave the lights on for as long or as little as you’d like, although we encourage everyone to turn them off to receive the full restorative effects of floating.
We started this business because we have a passion and drive to bring the benefits of floating to the city of Columbia, a place that we love and call home. Clarity Float Spa is not just a place to float, but a community where you can feel at home even when you're not floating.
Connor found out about floating back in 2012 when he was in Kansas visiting his cousin. He was immediately intrigued and
booked a float at the Spa at Briarcliff. The next year when he was on vacation in Chicago
he booked two more floats. After his 3rd experience he realized this was definitely something
he wanted to make a part of his life.
He had this idea of starting a float center when he was at Mizzou finishing his IT degree.
Around this time Connor was going through a transition in his life, moving away from ways
to escape and instead towards ways to accept life as it is. Over the next few years he found
peace in meditation and attended multiple 10 day silent meditation retreats. On these retreats
he started picturing what it would be like to own his own float device. This further encouraged
him to follow his passion of starting a float center.
After he graduated from Mizzou he started working at Veterans United as a web developer
and bought a Zen Float Tent for at home floating. He started looking for spaces to open a
float center here in Columbia and came across Noah who was using the same realtor. Realizing
they shared similar values and ideas about what a float center should be, they decided that
opening a float center together would be the most sensible/logical thing to do.
Always aspiring to get the most out of life, Noah found floating to be the perfect tool for sensory reset and introspection.
With constant sensory overload in our everyday lives from phones, computers, TV, etc., being
able to jump into a float device and truly rest your mind and body was very enticing to him.
After Noah’s first float, he was hooked! Pondering the installation of a personal device in
his home, Noah decided to look into bringing his passion for floating to central Missouri
by opening his very own float center. A few months later he was on a plane flying out to
Portland to go through a three day apprenticeship program with one of the most successful
float shops in the country.
Absorbing an immense amount of knowledge over those three glorious days in Portland, Noah
began implementing his dream when he met Connor. Since then, they have eagerly been setting
plans in motion to open the doors to what they believe to be the ideal shop for the floating
experience. After living in Columbia for most of his life and getting so much out of the
great experiences this community has to offer, Noah is thrilled to bring his passion for
floating to the Columbia area to share with as many people as possible.
In 2015 Thomas' meditation practice brought him to BREATHE, a Mindfulness-based student organization on MU's campus. It was there that he met Connor, who first introduced him to the practice of floating. He was intrigued, gladly accepted an offer to try floating in Connor's in-home float tent, and was soon touched by the peaceful simplicity of floating.
Floating has since allowed Thomas to introspect, reflect, and find insight in an entirely new way along his path of growth and awakening. It has become an essential tool to his stress reduction and health maintenance, allowing him to take much-needed breaks from the doings of the external world and instead tend to the Being of his internal world. Floating has allowed him to see exactly where he’s at in life, and be okay with wherever that is.
Thomas is a local, born and raised in Columbia. A former mindfulness educator on behalf of BREATHE and MU's Health & Wellness Center, contemplative practice remains integral to his self-care routine. Outside of Clarity, his hobbies include reading, drumming, cooking, and inspiring positive change. A lifelong drummer, he moves through life with rhythm and presence, with an oft renewed intention to make the most of his precious time here. Thomas feels both honored and privileged to call Clarity Float Spa his home away from home, and is dedicated to spreading the many benefits of floating throughout the local community.
In 2014, Zac was led to floating in a way similar to many others; after years of struggling with generalized anxiety, a panicked, “best ways to treat anxiety” Google search ensued. After hastily scrounging through all of the Buzzfeed-esque self-help articles, it seemed as though he had finally found what he was looking for: an environment which minimizes all external stimuli, truly allowing him to dive deep into his mind in order to gain a better understanding of its anxious machinations. He knew as soon as the concept was introduced to him that floating was going to be a part of his life one way or another, he just didn’t quite know how (or when).
Zac joined the Clarity team in May 2019. When he saw the opportunity to get involved, he jumped at the chance, not only eager to hop in the float device, but also eager to begin working with the Clarity team to aid in their mission to bring floating to the community here in Columbia. He still struggles with anxiety, but also celebrates his triumphs in its moments of defeat after a long mental health journey.
Once he was acquainted with the float device, he quickly realized that there is much more to floating than anxiety relief. He discovered an opportunity to be wholly analytically introspective, allowing immense positive personal growth thus far. Floating for him has been a veritable multi-tool for personal care, and he looks forward to seeing how his float practice grows with him.
Anna first stumbled upon floating when she read an article about it online. She was intrigued by the thought of pure tranquility in an atypical environment. When she made the move to Columbia for college she found Clarity Float Spa and had the opportunity to try it out. After floating a few times she understood the major benefits one can take away from a float. Anna has started to establish a floating practice of her own that helps her to relax, reduce stress, and gain clearness of her life.
Floating is especially helpful for Anna in the midst of her school work. It serves as a place she can decompress and refresh her mind during the semester. She is working on her bachelor's degree in biology with hopes of continuing to medical school. She has a long road ahead of her but takes every new challenge day by day. She is excited to learn more about floating and see what long term benefits will prevail as she continues her float practice.
Outside of Clarity and school, Anna enjoys any outdoor adventure. Hiking and kayaking with friends and family are two of her favorites. She has a passion to help individuals and hopes to one day make that impact through the medical field. But for now, she is dedicated to helping others improve their lives— one float at a time.
Tyler had been a regular meditator and yoga practitioner for years when a friend introduced him to Connor, who at that time had a float device in his home. Immediately intrigued by the possibility of supercharging his meditation, he began visiting Connor to float. As he experimented with floating, he found every float was a different, unique experience, which intrigued him further.
Tyler’s main passion is exploring different traditions of mind body integration, eventually branching out into Qigong, Tai Chi, and Tibetan forms of yoga. He found floating to be complementary to each of these - whatever he was learning in his practice would influence his floats, and conversely his floats allowed him to refine his practices.
After a few career changes, Tyler was excited by the possibility of working somewhere local and oriented toward health and consciousness, as well as having the opportunity to expand his personal float practice, and joined the team at Clarity. As a Columbia native, Tyler hopes to give back to the community in the form of facilitating wellness through floating.
A growing body of research supports the health benefits of massage therapy to reduce stress, boost mental health and wellness, manage pain, and increase range of motion. Massage can help reduce muscle tension, improve exercise performance, and prevent injuries. It can also help improve mood and reset circadian rhythms, which can lead to better sleep and more energy. Floating before a massage helps maximize these benefits, just as getting a massage immediately before floating maximizes the benefits of the float! For these reasons, we are now offering this powerful wellness combo here at Clarity Float Spa.
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