Prenatal Spa Services

Prenatal Spa Services

SPA OVARIUM

Relieving the Discomforts of Pregnancy

Supporting expectant parents

Relieving the Discomforts of Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a beautiful cycle of creation, but it does come with several physical challenges along the way. When we think of pregnancy discomforts, nausea in the early weeks or back pain near the end often come to mind first. Yet throughout the entire journey, the body undergoes profound changes that can lead to a variety of symptoms.

Let’s look at how Spa Ovarium can help pregnant women prevent or relieve some of these discomforts.

First Trimester: Discomfort and Stress

Whether the pregnancy was planned or not, most expectant mothers experience a mix of joy and anxiety. The first trimester often involves nausea, fatigue, dizziness, cramps, headaches, as well as food cravings or aversions.
In addition, intense hormonal changes can create mood swings and emotional imbalance.

promos-abonnements-femme-bain-flottant

How Spa Ovarium Can Help During This Time of Change

This stage may bring fears or worries about the future role as a parent or life changes ahead. To calm the mind, try the immersive experience of the PSiO. Similar to massage and floatation therapy, it soothes the nervous system — an essential benefit for both mom and growing baby.

How does it work?

Sounds and colorful light stimulate the auditory and visual sensory zones of your brain. This redirects attention away from racing thoughts and toward the audiovisual experience. Absorbed in bright visual imagery, mental rumination fades.

The combined effects of positive suggestions, light therapy, and mental relaxation help improve mood and cognitive function.

Second Trimester: Energy Returns and Body Changes Become Visible

During this stage, the baby and pregnancy feel more real. Future parents attend their first ultrasound and begin sharing the big news. Energy often improves, skin glows, and the baby’s first movements bring joy and excitement.

However, the body also continues to change: the belly grows, breasts become heavier, and common discomforts may appear — swelling in the legs and feet, cramps, nasal congestion, and heartburn. Some women may also experience worries about their attractiveness and body image.

How Spa Ovarium Can Support Future Parents

Why not take time to enjoy a massage for two?
Spa Ovarium massage therapists are specially trained in prenatal massage, and they adapt the experience to the mother’s needs at any stage of pregnancy. Depending on comfort, the massage can be done lying on one side using support pillows, or even on the belly thanks to specialized cushions.

This approach helps expectant moms embrace physical and emotional changes with confidence, while also relieving discomfort. And future dads or partners are not forgotten — our therapists can also help reduce their stress and tension!

Third Trimester: Making Peace with the Body and Returning to the Essentials

By the seventh month, the body feels heavier and fatigue returns. New aches and discomfort often appear.

Emotional concerns also surface:

    • Will childbirth be painful?
    • Am I making the right decisions for my baby’s health?
    • Will I be a good mother?
    • Will I feel like myself again afterward?

All of these worries are normal and valid. The challenges of the third trimester should not overshadow the beauty of the arrival just ahead.

Spa Ovarium Helps Future Moms Reconnect with Themselves

There is a strong correlation between a mother’s well-being and her baby’s. The fetus senses and responds to the mother’s physical and emotional state.

Floatation therapy and massage are ideal for relieving muscle and joint pain. In addition, float therapy offers a unique experience: a meaningful return to origins — to one’s core self.

Many women tell us they feel “as one” again — with their baby, with themselves, and with others. Floating in salt water, like being surrounded in the womb, may have everything to do with that peaceful and deeply comforting sensation.

Special Offer for Future Parents*

• First float session of each pregnancy: 60 min: 65$ (regularly 80$)
• First Prenatal PSiO session 60 min: 40$ (regularly 55$)
• During the Prenatal PSiO session, the partner can enjoy a NeuroSpa session: 60 min: 55$ (regularly 100$)

Offer only available in person. Not offered online or as a gift certificate.

Discover why Spa Ovarium is one of Montréal’s most trusted spas with massage therapy, offering treatments that blend expertise, relaxation, and wellbeing.

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Sleep, Not Always So Simple…

Sleep, Not Always So Simple…

SPA OVARIUM

Sleep, Not Always So Simple…

by Art Of The Float

Sleep, Not Always So Simple…


Translation by Laurie-Anna Babin

Sometimes, getting seven to eight hours of sleep feels impossible. We know sleep is essential. It affects both physical and mental health.

Yet, even after a long and tiring day, we may end up tossing and turning instead of resting. The next morning, we look forward to bedtime with hope… only to stare at the ceiling again.

Although sleep hygiene tips can help, they don’t always solve the problem. So, what else can we do? Float therapy may help you reach the deep relaxation your body needs to sleep well.

floating-bath-man-home

Could floating help you sleep better?

Research suggests that it can. A fascinating Swedish study from 2010 looked at how flotation-REST therapy (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy) helps people experiencing burnout. The researchers — Anette Anette Kjellgren, Hanne Buhrkall and Torsten Norlander — found significant benefits for sleep.

In the study, four women and two men took part in a ten-week program. It combined psychotherapy with 45-minute float sessions twice a week. As a result:

“Clients reported that their sleep improved during the treatment period, especially on the nights following their flotation-REST sessions.”[1]

In other words, floating may benefit anyone:
• People who feel overwhelmed at work
• Athletes recovering from intense training
• Anyone who simply wants deeper, better sleep

Benefits that continue over time

The benefits were strongest on float days. However, participants also slept better on the days they did not float. That is encouraging, especially if you cannot float twice a week.

Not only did sleep quality improve, but relaxation became easier at bedtime:

“Clients noticed a state of effortless relaxation at bedtime, along with the deliberate or unconscious ability to increase their state of relaxation by
regulating their breathing and recreating the resting body position experienced inside the sensory deprivation tank.”[2]

This suggests that long-term use of flotation therapy can help us maintain that incredible sense of relaxation far beyond the session itself and experience benefits in many areas of our lives. Regarding the extreme fatigue caused by a poor night’s sleep, participants said they felt “more rested and more energetic upon waking.”[3]


Your Ticket to Deep, Peaceful Sleep

Overall, the study showed that flotation therapy can:

✅ Help you fall asleep faster
✅ Improve sleep quality
✅ Boost energy the next day
✅ Reduce the stress that keeps you awake

Therefore, if you have tried everything and still struggle with sleep, you are not alone. Even if you sleep well but want to experience “effortless relaxation”[4], floating may become your new favourite ritual.

Try Floating at Spa Ovarium

Experience the power of deep relaxation in our sensory deprivation tanks.
Let your mind and body unwind — and rediscover what it feels like to wake up refreshed.

→ Learn more about floatation therapy

 

References

[1], 2, 3, 4 Kjellgren, A., Buhrkall, H., & Norlander, T. (2010). Psychotherapeutic Treatment in Combination with Relaxation in a Flotation Tank: Effects on “Burn-Out Syndrome. Qualitative Report, 15(5), 1243–1269.

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Floating Bath & Massage: Why Combine Them?

Floating Bath & Massage: Why Combine Them?

SPA OVARIUM

Float Tank & Massage

Why Combine Them?

Floatation Bath and Massage: Why Combine Them?

Looking to amplify the benefits of deep relaxation?
At Spa Ovarium, we believe in combining complementary treatments. Pairing a floatation bath with a massage session can turn your wellness moment into a deeply restorative, holistic experience. Here’s why this combination makes all the difference.

What is a Floatation Bath?

A floatation bath involves relaxing in a tank filled with Epsom salt-saturated water, kept at body temperature. In a state of sensory isolation—free from light and sound—the body floats effortlessly, helping to reduce muscular tension and calm the nervous system.

Why Add a Massage to Your Floatation Bath Session?

Massage therapy enhances circulation, reduces pain, accelerates recovery, and helps release deep-seated tension. It works in perfect synergy with the relaxing effects of the floatation bath. Which Comes First—Massage or Floatation?

Massage before or after the float?
Some prefer starting with a massage, others with the floatation bath. Each order has its own benefits. The key? Try both and see what suits your relaxation or recovery goals best.

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Combined Benefits for Body and Mind

Together, floatation and massage activate the parasympathetic nervous system, reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and support muscle recovery.

Recommendations Based on Your Wellness Goals

Goal Recommended Order
Deep mental relaxation Massage → Floatation
Relief from muscle tension Floatation → Massage
Complete rest and revitalization Try both and see what works best

What the Experts Say

Specialized wellness centers like Utah Therapeutic Massage report that this combination enhances the effectiveness of each treatment and leads to deeper relaxation and recovery.

Key Takeaways

  • Combining floatation bath and massage therapy amplifies their relaxing effects.
  • The ideal order depends on your needs and preferences.
  • Spa Ovarium offers tailored wellness experiences—why not explore both options?

👉 Book your relaxation session here or contact us for more information.

Experience a therapeutic massage in Montreal tailored to relieve tension, restore mobility, and support long-term wellbeing.

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Floating Therapy to Reduce Chronic Pain

Floating Therapy to Reduce Chronic Pain

SPA OVARIUM

Floating to Reduce Chronic Pain

Floating Bath

Floating Therapy: Floating to Reduce Chronic Pain

By Guylaine Fortin

For most of us, pain is a temporary sensation alerting us that something is wrong in a specific area of the body—something that has caused or could potentially cause damage. Generally, a simple action such as adjusting our posture, stretching, or self-massaging is enough to relieve the pain and prevent it from worsening.

For others, however, pain becomes a constant companion, one that can have devastating long-term consequences.

The World Health Organization now recognizes chronic pain as a disease in its own right, rather than merely a symptom of another condition. 1

This classification is significant because it validates the reality of millions of people who live with this condition across the globe.

Although chronic pain may sometimes make one want to scream, it remains a silent epidemic, often pushing sufferers into isolation, silent struggles, and challenges in performing daily tasks.

How Chronic Pain Develops

Pain is considered chronic when it lasts for at least three to six months. Involving both physical and psychological components, the issue can quickly become cyclical.

The body’s neural and hormonal responses to extreme pain may trigger a continuous stress reaction, which in turn intensifies and prolongs the pain.

One in five people will experience this chronic pain cycle at some point in their life.

Symptoms and Causes

Joint pain, muscle pain, fatigue, insomnia, irritability, loss of endurance and flexibility due to reduced physical activity, mood issues, depression, and anxiety are all symptoms of chronic pain.

The causes are equally varied: chronic or autoimmune diseases, arthritis, repetitive stress injuries, migraines, fibromyalgia, nerve damage, Lyme disease, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic or post-surgical pain, and more. This makes diagnosing and managing the condition even more complex. What’s more, what qualifies as chronic pain can differ greatly from one person to another. Fortunately, researchers are gaining a better understanding of the conditions most likely to lead to chronic pain.

Can Chronic Pain Be Treated or Cured?

Unfortunately, there is no universal cure for chronic pain. But once the underlying causes are identified, several treatments may be considered. A combination of medication, surgery, rehabilitation, physical therapy, and psychotherapy is often proposed for people suffering from chronic pain.

In recent years, a global virtual chronic pain community has formed—often made up of people disappointed or disillusioned by conventional medicine. Since chronic pain is difficult to define or contextualize, alternative treatments like yoga, stress management, relaxation, and other holistic care methods have drawn attention from both researchers and healthcare professionals. People living with chronic pain are often open to trying alternative remedies in the hope of resolving what feels unsolvable.

Floating Therapy: A Promising Option

Among these alternative methods, floating therapy has shown surprising results, particularly due to its sensory deprivation component. This practice involves floating in a pod filled with Epsom salt-saturated water heated to body temperature. The pod can be closed to block out all light and sound. Researchers explain that this lack of external stimuli sharpens the mind and relieves anxious thoughts.

Promising Treatment

In recent years, floating therapy has gained popularity, especially within wellness and holistic health communities. Studies suggest that sensory deprivation may help the brain slow down and reset, alleviating psychological conditions—though not curing them. While research is still in its early stages, there’s a growing consensus that floating holds real promise.

Researchers at the Hannover Medical School in Germany conducted a study focused on using floating therapy for chronic pain. Their experiment involved a sample of 99 men and women aged 18 to 75 who had been diagnosed with chronic pain disorders involving both physical and psychological factors. The treatment consisted of five floating sessions lasting 60 to 90 minutes, every four days.

Overall, the results showed short-term benefits in terms of pain reduction, improved sleep quality, lower stress, and reduced anxiety. This study concluded that floating therapy appears to be a highly promising treatment for chronic pain.

Spa Ovarium invites you to experience the benefits of floating—for yourself and for your loved ones who suffer from chronic pain.

Sources:

  1. www.canada.ca/fr/sante-canada/organisation/a-propos-sante-canada/mobilisation-publique/organismes-consultatifs-externes/groupe-travail-douleur-chronique/rapport-2019.html
  1. Art of the Float : How floating can reduce chronic pain, july 2021.

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Floatation Bath: A Journey Within

Floatation Bath: A Journey Within

SPA OVARIUM

Floatation Bath: A Journey Within

Floatation Tank

Floatation Bath: A Journey Within

A floatation bath, also known as a sensory deprivation tank, allows you to float effortlessly, creating a feeling of weightlessness that promotes deep relaxation. Your muscles unwind, your joints decompress, and your organs regain their natural space.

Originally designed to create an environment free from external stimuli, floatation therapy provides a much-needed break from the constant bombardment of sensory input. This process helps the nervous system regenerate, reducing both stress and anxiety.

A floatation bath is also an invitation to an inner journey—whether psychological or spiritual—depending on your perspective. Introspection is essential to aligning our life choices with our deepest values. Taking the time to pause, float, and focus on this inner journey is the very essence of the floatation experience.

Exploring Your Inner World

Engaging in floatation therapy is a deeply personal experience. Some use the tranquil setting to meditate under ideal conditions, while others enter the floatation tank with a question in mind, let it go during the session, and later find an answer emerging while sipping herbal tea after floating. For many, it is the perfect opportunity to truly let go—emerging from the tank feeling lighter, freer. If you find yourself torn between logic and intuition, a floatation bath can help your consciousness expand, guiding you toward the right choices. Each person experiences floating in their own way.

The Science-Backed Benefits of Floating

Beyond its introspective and meditative qualities, floatation therapy offers numerous physical and psychosomatic benefits. Scientific studies have shown that regular float sessions can significantly reduce anxiety and chronic pain.

For example, research conducted at the Human Performance Laboratory of Karlstad University found that floatation therapy alleviates chronic pain related to stress. Among participants suffering from anxiety, depression, or fibromyalgia, more than three-quarters reported significant health improvements.

Additionally, floatation therapy has been shown to improve sleep quality, reduce fatigue, and enhance overall well-being. The sensation of weightlessness in a warm, silent sensory deprivation tank activates the body’s natural healing and regenerative systems. (Source)

The Origins of Floatation Therapy

The invention of the sensory deprivation tank is credited to Dr. John C. Lilly, an American physician and neuroscientist. In the 1950s, he developed this tool to study human consciousness by isolating the mind from external stimuli. His research paved the way for new approaches in neuroscience and psychology, ultimately contributing to the modern-day popularity of floatation therapy

For those interested in exploring the subject further, several books discuss the benefits of floating and sensory deprivation tanks. The Book of Floating by Michael Hutchison delves into the therapeutic effects of floating, while Programming and Metaprogramming in the Human Biocomputer by John C. Lilly offers insights into consciousness experiences in sensory isolation.

At our Floating Spa Ovarium in Montreal, we believe that everyone can discover their own reasons for floating. We invite you to share your experiences on our Facebook page and inspire others to explore the many benefits of floatation therapy.

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Lower Your Cortisol Levels

Lower Your Cortisol Levels

SPA OVARIUM

Lower Your Cortisol Levels

Lower Your Cortisol Levels!

A few years ago, the Float Conference took place in Denver, Colorado.

Researchers, entrepreneurs, and consciousness explorers who believe in the benefits of floating tanks gathered to share knowledge, experiences, and research findings. We were there, and we came back inspired—more convinced than ever of the importance of spreading awareness about float tanks.

Here, we share two of our favorite insights.

A Health Break

Among the various testimonials and speakers, we were particularly moved by Jerry Walker’s presentation. As a clinical psychologist working with elite U.S. Air Force operators, he helps them manage stress and cope with post-traumatic shocks that affect every aspect of their lives.

He chose the float tank as a tool to support these individuals, and the results were remarkable. Here are some key findings:

  • The 91 men and women he studied reported, on average, a 60% reduction in stress after just one float, with effects lasting several days.
  • They also experienced a 66% reduction in chronic pain after floating.
  • Many noticed improvements in both the quality and duration of their sleep.
  • The more frequently they used floating tanks, the greater the benefits they felt—and the less they relied on self-medication (such as alcohol).

Walker attributes these results to the sensory break that the float tank provides. This pause allows the nervous system to shift into relaxation and regeneration mode.

An Essential Moment of Peace

Glenn Perry, the creator of the first commercial float tank, was one of the speakers. He raised an important point that deeply resonated with us.

To navigate the challenges humanity faces today, it is essential to take moments of reflection and reconnect with our deeper resources, rather than operating in reactive mode. The floating tank provides the peace necessary to foster this connection and self-awareness—something that can truly make a difference.

The presentations by Glenn Perry and Jerry Walker reinforced our belief in the significant role that floating tanks at Ovarium have played in people’s lives for the past 37 years!

A Contagious Enthusiasm

We wish we could share the excitement of the event organizers and participants, who were inspired by the research findings and powerful testimonials of those whose lives have been transformed by floating tanks.

We returned from this conference more inspired and convinced than ever about the importance of floating!

Discover Our Monthly Memberships!

They allow you to float regularly at an affordable price. Interested? Click here!

Follow us on Facebook, where we share numerous videos about float tanks!

Looking for floatation therapy near you? Spa Ovarium offers one of Montréal’s most recognized float experiences, designed to promote deep rest and mental clarity.

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