George and Kim Robinson are opening a flotation therapy business in Short Pump. Photos by Michael Thompson.
A new business in West Broad Village is looking to provide a respite amid the mad dash of Short Pump shopping.
The Oasis, a flotation therapy shop, plans to open in August at 2226 Old Brick Road. Husband and wife George and Kim Robinson plan to offer 90-minute flotation therapy sessions inside the space, which was previously home to Silver Parrot Boutique until it moved to 201 Town Center West Blvd. in September.
Flotation therapy consists of lying in skin-temperature salt water inside a single-person soundproof tank or room. The idea is to lie in complete darkness, silence and stillness to calm the mind and relax the muscles. People can adjust the lighting and audio levels to their liking. Flotation tanks are also sometimes called sensory deprivation tanks or isolation tanks.
The sessions are said to be one of the most intimate experiences a person can have with his or her own consciousness, George Robinson said.
The Oasis is in the thick of the Short Pump area near the Whole Foods and ACAC.
“If I were to name all the health benefits of it, you’d accuse me of being a 21st-century snake oil salesman,” he said.
Robinson said visitors to The Oasis will have a choice between floating in a tank that can be completely closed or an open tub.
Each can hold 200 gallons of water, about 10 inches deep, and are filled with 800 pounds of dissolved Epsom salt.
“You float better than if you’re in the Dead Sea,” Robinson said. “They’re about four times saltier than the Dead Sea.”
The Robinsons first heard about flotation therapy from a relative. They have never done a float themselves but, after months of research, are spending about $150,000 of their own money to open The Oasis.
“Everyone we talk to wants to try it,” Robinson said.
Those costs include about $50,000 to buy the tank from a company in Norfolk and the room set-up from Buffalo.
The Oasis will be Richmond’s first flotation therapy venture, but other operations are already in business in Virginia. AquaFloat opened in August in Charlottesville, and Float Norfolk has been in business since January 2014.
Robinson, a former master jeweler, said he isn’t sure who The Oasis’ initial clientele will be but said 90 minutes of relaxation could benefit “overstressed, overworked, over-frazzled soccer moms.”
With the ACAC gym nearby, the Robinsons also hope to cater to sore athletes. The Oasis will sell 90-minute appointments for $75 each, as well as discounted package deals.
The Hanover couple eventually wants to add another flotation space to their Short Pump location and open more locations in Midlothian or downtown Richmond.
Read more: A Washington Post write-up about the experience of flotation therapy.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that the water in the flotation tanks will be at room temperature. It will be skin-temperature. George Robinson said the water in the tank will be 4 times saltier than the Dead Sea, not 40 times.
George and Kim Robinson are opening a flotation therapy business in Short Pump. Photos by Michael Thompson.
A new business in West Broad Village is looking to provide a respite amid the mad dash of Short Pump shopping.
The Oasis, a flotation therapy shop, plans to open in August at 2226 Old Brick Road. Husband and wife George and Kim Robinson plan to offer 90-minute flotation therapy sessions inside the space, which was previously home to Silver Parrot Boutique until it moved to 201 Town Center West Blvd. in September.
Flotation therapy consists of lying in skin-temperature salt water inside a single-person soundproof tank or room. The idea is to lie in complete darkness, silence and stillness to calm the mind and relax the muscles. People can adjust the lighting and audio levels to their liking. Flotation tanks are also sometimes called sensory deprivation tanks or isolation tanks.
The sessions are said to be one of the most intimate experiences a person can have with his or her own consciousness, George Robinson said.
The Oasis is in the thick of the Short Pump area near the Whole Foods and ACAC.
“If I were to name all the health benefits of it, you’d accuse me of being a 21st-century snake oil salesman,” he said.
Robinson said visitors to The Oasis will have a choice between floating in a tank that can be completely closed or an open tub.
Each can hold 200 gallons of water, about 10 inches deep, and are filled with 800 pounds of dissolved Epsom salt.
“You float better than if you’re in the Dead Sea,” Robinson said. “They’re about four times saltier than the Dead Sea.”
The Robinsons first heard about flotation therapy from a relative. They have never done a float themselves but, after months of research, are spending about $150,000 of their own money to open The Oasis.
“Everyone we talk to wants to try it,” Robinson said.
Those costs include about $50,000 to buy the tank from a company in Norfolk and the room set-up from Buffalo.
The Oasis will be Richmond’s first flotation therapy venture, but other operations are already in business in Virginia. AquaFloat opened in August in Charlottesville, and Float Norfolk has been in business since January 2014.
Robinson, a former master jeweler, said he isn’t sure who The Oasis’ initial clientele will be but said 90 minutes of relaxation could benefit “overstressed, overworked, over-frazzled soccer moms.”
With the ACAC gym nearby, the Robinsons also hope to cater to sore athletes. The Oasis will sell 90-minute appointments for $75 each, as well as discounted package deals.
The Hanover couple eventually wants to add another flotation space to their Short Pump location and open more locations in Midlothian or downtown Richmond.
Read more: A Washington Post write-up about the experience of flotation therapy.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that the water in the flotation tanks will be at room temperature. It will be skin-temperature. George Robinson said the water in the tank will be 4 times saltier than the Dead Sea, not 40 times.
Far out, man. I remember this craze from the seventies/eighties. There was one in downtown Richmond in the Ironfronts building I believe. Never tried it, but I will this time.
Watch the space and follow us on Facebook. The Oasis RVA
Mr Robinson,
I am the Branch Manager at the Union Bank and Trust located in West Broad Village. I would love a chance to meet with you and learn more about this new business however I cannot find a contact number for you. Could you please reach out to me at 549-5468 or just drop by the branch?
Toby Blatt