floatation...  [n]  the action of floating or capacity to float...   to become weightless...     DRUG FREE pain relief...   DEEP relaxation...   STRESS relief...   PEACE...   in fact, ALL you ever wanted...

Sally White swears by weekly sessions in a floatation tank to keep her calm, relaxed and stress-free. "I had my first float four years ago," she says. "I'd been in a minor car accident, and was suffering whiplash injury. The symptoms just vanished."

Since then, Sally, 27, has been a regular floater. "It was particularly helpful when I was going through a stressful period in my life. When you are in that float tank, your mind is at peace. After, you always sleep well." Today, Sally finds floating helpful in the week before her period starts, as it relieves her tiredness and irritability.

Relaxing in a floatation tank offers the chance to shut out the entire world, and it's a good way of boosting your energy and self-esteem. "Floatation tanks - or Float Tanks - are dark and quiet, so you feel dreamy and weightless," says Ron Kemeny, of the South London Natural Health Centre.

Floatation tanks are large, round baths filled with 10 inches of water kept at body temperature and saturated with Epsom salts. This means that, no matter how heavy you are, you are unaware of being in water and have a sensation of weightless suspension.

According to Ron, many busy mums enjoy a weekly float. "An hour away from worries puts them into perspective," he says. "If you're kicking a habit or starting a hobby, you'll be less distracted and quicker to learn. Some women listen to a motivating tape - such as an assertiveness or diet programme - while they're in the float tank."

Floatation induces a deep state of physical and mental relaxation, rather like hypnosis. It also appears to activate the right side of the brain, the part that controls the creative part of our nature. Studies suggest that floatation can lower blood pressure and steady the heart rate. It also relaxes muscles, and some sufferers of multiple sclerosis find it helps to relieve stiffness. Floatation may also raise levels of endorphins, the body's 'feel good' hormone, which is why some specialists use it to treat anxiety and depression.