Between dealing with the profound loss of his father and feeling unfulfilled in his career, Benjamin Allen was searching for answers.
It was during this transitional time that Benjamin went for his first “float”—an experience known as sensory isolation that entails floating in a water chamber for an array of physical, mental, and spiritual health benefits.
Benjamin noticed a change after his first float. The unique experience, which is designed to provide positive results like homeostasis, stress relief, improved athletic performance, help with addiction issues, removal of toxins, and more, awakened in him a feeling he couldn’t ignore.
“I enjoyed it immensely from the start, and the more I did it, the more it seemed to coincide with a feeling towards my career that I had never really dealt with,” he recalls.
“The drive my father had given me was running on fumes—something had changed. Floating offers the experience of pure contemplation, with no distractions and no excuses.”
Benjamin delved into some serious soul-searching to pinpoint the change.
“Was it the loss of my father, something about this new habit I had picked up, or was it something completely unrelated? I had to wait about 6 months for the answer to come, and it came from Awaken Float Lounge.”
He had gotten into the habit of chatting with Eric, the owner of Awaken Float Lounge at the time, before and after his float sessions—a practice he feels compounded the therapeutic nature of his floats.
As luck would have it, Eric was interested in selling the business, and Benjamin decided to take the plunge.
“It felt like a reason to plot an entirely new course,” says Benjamin.
“We developed an agreement, and within 3 months of our initial conversation, he handed me the keys. That was over a year ago now and I could not be happier with the new course. I’d like to think Dad would be happy as well.”
Now in its seventh year of operation, Awaken Float Lounge is a premier, state-of-the-art floating facility in Orange County.
The facility features NSF-certified and UL Listed Isolation Flotation Chambers, which are approved for commercial use to provide a floatation experience with unparalleled relaxation and stress reduction.
Before each use, the chambers are sanitized by a patented disinfection filtration system certified to provide a deep clean without the use of chemicals.
“We are a business that functions more like a club,” explains Benjamin. “Customers and members alike participate in the experience of the business with me. For example, one of our members swears by a different kind of ear plug—we now provide those for everyone. Another member suggested serving tea after float sessions—so now we do! Because I started out as a customer, I feel that connection with customers now that I am the owner,” he says. “I feel like the customers own the business, too, and I act accordingly.”
According to Benjamin, the concept of floating is a highly innovative way to tap into the human psyche.
“The experience itself is unlike any other that humans have come up with. We are not disrupting an established industry or challenging established businesses,” he says. “We are experimenting with human consciousness in a manner that has been around for only about 50 years, becoming popular in the last 20. We are on a new frontier!”
Benjamin encourages those interested in floating to give it a try. “I don’t pretend that this experience is one everyone ought to have. It’s very ‘concentrated’ alone time—something everybody says they want until they are also isolated from light, sound, and gravity as well,” he explains. “For some of us, however, that kind of alone time is something we never knew we always wanted, and once we find it, we’re hooked.”
Flexible pricing and a complimentary introductory session are available to ensure anyone who wants to experience floating has the opportunity to do so.
Upon your arrival, you’ll check in before being shown to your private room. After showering, you enter the float chamber, close the door, and relax!
Calming music will let you know when your rejuvenating hour-and-a-half session has ended. A quick post-session shower is recommended to remove the salt from your skin. The last step in the process is to reenter the world with a renewed sense of spirit.
Benjamin Allen is the owner and operator of Awaken Float Lounge, a state-of-the-art facility located in Orange County. After experiencing the therapeutic, life-changing benefits of “floating” for himself, Benjamin left a successful career to chart a new professional course at Awaken. Benjamin hopes to educate the community on the many valuable mental, physical, and spiritual benefits that sensory isolation can provide through his local business.
#1: “The experience itself is unlike any other. We’re experimenting with human consciousness in a manner that has been around for only about 50 years, becoming popular in the last 20. We’re on a new frontier!”
#2: “We’re a business that functions more like a club. Customers and members alike participate in the experience of the business with me. Because I started out as a customer, I feel that connection with customers.”
