Years ago, in a geography class at Central Junior High School, I became fascinated with the Dead Sea. Mrs. Dodds, my geography teacher described a huge, land-locked lake between Jordan and Israel, in the Middle East. When she said that you could float on the water for hours without sinking, I dreamed of visiting this marvel, halfway around the world. I learned that it earned the name “Dead Sea” because the high salt levels in the water made it a harsh environment for plants and animals to survive. Alas, I have not made a visit to the Dead Sea in any of my overseas trips and with continuing turmoil in the region, I doubt it will be on my list for several years.
Fortunately, I found a place in West Virginia where I could finally experience the sensation of floating in salt water without a care in the world. It is called Spa Oasis, and it is in the Middletown Commons in White Hall, just outside of Fairmont. My wife and I discovered it when we visited several months ago to purchase a gift certificate for my sister’s birthday. As the young lady gave us a tour, the thought of blissfully floating in warm salt water, with soft music playing, I made up my mind that this was something I was going to try.
As Father’s Day rolled around this year, my wife asked me if there was anything I wanted. I passed on the tools and golf equipment that was my usual gift, and I told my wife, I wanted to float! As I opened the Father’s Day card, I was pleasantly surprised when I spied the plastic gift card from Spa Oasis. She said that she would accompany me on my “Dead Sea” experience.
She called and scheduled us in for a mid-week visit and we filled out the paperwork for our initial visit. Arriving about fifteen minutes before our appointment, the staff gave us some tips to make our visit enjoyable and led us into separate rooms for our hour-long float. You are required to shower before entering the egg-shaped pods and ear plugs were provided to keep the water out of your ears. They pointed out the controls inside the pod, which allowed you to control the lighting and the music. As I locked the door, I was excited to get started on this adventure.
I slipped into the water and adjusted the volume of the music and dimmed the lights. You can close the lid to the pod and peacefully float in the salt infused water in total darkness, if you like. It took me a few minutes to adjust to the sensation of floating and I cleared my mind as good as I could. I must admit that my first thought was, “Did I lock the door?” and I spent a few minutes imagining someone walking in on my meditation.
Eventually, I relaxed, and my mind was at peace. Time seemed to slow down, and I enjoyed the relaxation and quietness. They let you know the session is over by turning on a water jet to slowly bring you out of the blissful environment.
While I still want to visit the Dead Sea, this experience was one that I won’t soon forget.
As we drove the short drive back to Clarksburg, I told her to that Labor Day would soon be here and that we might need to give each other a gift to celebrate the end of summer vacation!
