Scottsdale Facility to Be First in U.S. to Showcase True REST Technology

June 16, 2009

According to the American Medical Association, stress is a factor in more than 75 percent of illness today. The World Health Organization cites stress as America's No. 1 Health Problem. And the American Psychological Association calls stress a "major health problem." An Arizona entrepreneur, however, is launching a business that he hopes will send stress levels tumbling.

This summer, Nick Janicki will open a True REST Float Center in Scottsdale, Ariz. - the first of its kind in the U.S. In the United Kingdom, more than 300 of these types of centers are in operation, with hundreds more throughout Europe. REST stands for Restricted Environmental Stimulus Therapy, a name developed in the late 1970s by Peter Suedfeld and Roderick Borrie for a technique that had previously been called Sensory Deprivation (SD) or Sensory Isolation. The use of sensory restriction as an intervention that alters human consciousness actually began in 1951 at the McGill University Perceptual Isolation Laboratory.

Flotation REST involves floating on top of a pool of saltwater - 10 inches of water and 800 pounds of Epsom salt - in a specially designed tank with minimal light and sound. Because of the high salt content of the water, which is heated to skin surface temperature, a person is able to float effortlessly. The tanks are completely safe and clients of True REST can customize their experience with music and a multitude of light colors for ambiance.

"True REST is a state of complete relaxation," said Janicki. "It's a great way to escape the stresses of everyday life."

Flotation REST has been associated with the following benefits:

    -- Eliminates jet lag
    -- Improves sleep
    -- Quickens rehabilitation and recovery
    -- Relieves pain
    -- Boosts immunity
    -- Improves circulation
    -- Reduces blood pressure, pulse, heart rate and oxygen consumption
    -- Sharpens mental clarity and alertness

"The float tank is not a hypothetical laboratory phenomenon, but a viable, proven technology," according to Dr. Henry Adams of the National Institute of Mental Health.

Studies have shown REST to be effective in treating various eating disorders, in decreasing heavy drinking, and in treating a variety of other behavioral and mental health disorders. A University of Arizona study examined chamber REST as a relapse prevention technique for substance abusers enrolled in traditional outpatient treatment programs. At the end of four years of follow-up, 43 percent remained continuously sober and drug-free. None of the control group did so for eight months of follow-up.

Treatment in the form of floating in huge tanks of saltwater, so-called "floating," is effective for chronic stress-related pain, according to a study at Karlstad University, Sweden. Patients treated with floating suffered from long-term health problems. Several had been diagnosed with "burnout." After a seven-week treatment period, 22 percent of the participants in the floating group were entirely pain-free, and 56 percent experienced a clear improvement, reported the International Journal of Stress Management.

True REST sessions are priced on either a single session, monthly, twice a month or weekly rates. Group rates are available upon request. Reservations are being accepted now, with pre-opening discounts. For more information, visit http://www.true-rest.com.

SOURCE True REST, LLC