If there’s one thing Nick Dunin loves to do, practice and preach – it’s floatation therapy – an experience that changed his life so much so, he created a business out of it.
While floatation is still a fairly new concept, it is gaining more and more traction as a method to help people destress, relax and escape reality.
In this #FacesofCoWorkMe feature, we sit out with Nick to find out what flotation really is, the benefits and his journey being the first to introduce flotation down under.
How did Beyond Rest come about?
I was at a work conference in San Diego where I was invited to try flotation for the first time by a very interesting man. On my first go, I was quite uncomfortable in the float tank – didn’t really get the whole experience. But, the next day, I felt super productive and inspired!
This didn’t make sense as I was quite hungover from partying the previous night.
I was intrigued by this new discovery and it was not long before I became obsessed with floating – it changed my life. I then had the idea to bring flotation to Australia in 2012 under BeyondRest and have never looked back.
BeyondRest flotation now has 3 centers in Perth and 4 centers in Melbourne.
And how was the concept of flotation received in Australia?
Well, we were the first to bring this concept to Australia, so people were very curious and interested, so the response was positive. We also received a lot more traction when major celebrities like Joe Rogan and Broadsheet featured us on their channels.
So, what is flotation exactly and how does it help people?
A floatation tank is a lightless, soundless tank filled with highly concentrated Epsom salt water heated to skin temperature. Floatation is the act of relaxing in a tank with all sights and sounds removed, and drifting into a meditative state that rejuvenates your mind and body.
This process helps pump out dopamine and endorphins within the brain, which enables you to combat stress. The magnesium acts as a muscle relaxant, which helps you get a good night’s sleep. And what the tanks also do is bring your brainwaves down to a calming theta frequency, which is what you normally find between wakefulness and sleep.
There are many benefits of practicing floatation – it raises consciousness, reduces stress and anxiety, pain and insomnia levels to name a few. Over the years, I’ve realised that for some, flotation transforms and for some it keeps them out of the fire.
Can you give us some history around floatation?
Flotation was invented back in the 50’s by a neuroscientist Dr. John C. Lilly to understand what’s going on in the mind. There are numerous studies that show that flotation is one of the most powerful ways to help anxiety, stress and chronic pain. Then, In the 80’s and 90’s, there was a surge in interest for flotation, but this soon died down when the aids scare came about because people thought you could get it from the water…obviously you can’t. Fast forward to the mid 2000s, this concept was catching on fast and has grown from there to what we have now.
What was the inspiration behind starting the company?
I was running so many businesses before my floatation venture, but the main reason to start was that I knew this would be very good for me, that’s when I knew others would definitely benefit from it too.
Who is your target market, has this evolved over the years?
The people that don’t have time to do or people that have too much going on are our best customers. When these people are in the pods, it’s almost like an escape – they know no one has access to them…everything else can be on hold and that’s quite a liberating feeling.
In an industry that is quite saturated and fast paced, how do you constantly stay innovative and inspired?
Australia, as we know, is way behind than the rest of the world.
So the challenge is to try and stay ahead and look at new biohacking modalities that help people manage stress and insomnia, and then try and introduce it at our centers.
What’s the biggest piece of advice you’d give other startups wanting to launch a brand?
The biggest thing required for a startup is collective effort and perseverance. So, it’s important to have values and vision aligned with your business partner, otherwise it’s hard to move forward with business decisions.
Do you enjoy working at CoWork Me?
Yes I do! I’ve been part of the CoWork Me community for 2 years now. It helps me really zone in and focus on my work, which is great because working from our tranquil floatation centers can be distracting.
To learn more about Beyond Rest, visit https://www.beyondrest.com.au/
