Floating. Suspended on water – your eyes are closed as you connect with you roots; it feels as if you were wrapped in placenta. Flying. Suspended in the air as if physical laws were just a mere illusion; as if the dense consistency of the world was just a mental projection. Air, water, fire, earth. All these elements were present during those two hours that touched my heart and my lungs, my breath and blood, my perception, and my brain. All the elements that shape the universe were there, celebrated in silence by the colors of the cave and by the patience of Luciano and Paolo who took me through one of the best experiences of my life. Yes, and I mean it. I didn’t need koalas nor Australian penguins, cathedrals in the desert, rainforest, nor skyscrapers in order to beat that feeling of life that I have felt when I was at Villa Giusti.
They call it SPA Floating but it is much more. It is a sensorial experience that pushes away stress, bad thoughts, and fears. It teaches you how to breath and how to get in touch with your body as you enjoy the marvelous simplicity of nature. You don’t need to be a diver nor a expert of the abyss to enjoy this feeling; all you need is a swimsuit, a pair of clean sneakers and your curiosity.
The SPA Floating experience is made of four steps: during the first step you need to acclimate your body in the natural cave. By taking a walk inside the cave you help your body getting in harmony with this new environment characterized by a higher temperature and by a very high humidity level. The second step regards teachings and memories. You get in touch with a real breathing experience: your breath passes the diaphragm, inflating and deflating your abdomen, emptying your lungs as if they were breathing for the very first time. The air is pure and rich in carbon dioxide; the oxygen flies straight to your heart, waking up different places of the body. And if you think that this is the main goal of the experience, you really need to wait and see.
The third phase involves a few steps among the surrounding natural rocks. You approach the water, that same thermal water that took almost two years before arriving to this cave, where theory is anticipated by practice, and where imagination becomes reality. Your body is finally comfortable with the temperature and with the humidity of the cave. Your blood circulation and your breath find a new balance, and curiosity goes hand in hand with amazement. It is time to dive in, so grab your swimsuit, your sneakers, your breath and excitement. All you need is an underwater flashlight and a mask in order not to miss any detail of your experience.
The third phase begins. I dive into that same water that – in less than 12 hours – will be already gone; gone among those rocks that have been existing for over a hundred years. My hands caress the rock as my body floats on that crystalline water; the water is so clear that you can easily see its bottom underneath your feet. Luciano and Paolo help us getting used to that new underwater world. They literally take us by hand; we are asked to close our eyes and to release our body from resistance and stress.
It works. It actually works.
Your body and your mind become light, as if force of gravity was only a mere mental invention. As minutes passes by, relax and harmony become the protagonists of this experience. At first I experience some troubles, considering that I usually can’t stand the mouthpiece when I am at the sea. However, a few minutes after – thanks to the patience of Paolo – I finally feel that the magic is happening; I forget about having a nose and I simply start working with the air supplying. Everything comes back to simplicity, as I am exploring that underwater cave that is embracing us. There is no fear but just emotions.
Happiness, heat, silence; air bubbles raising to the surface, and that feeling of belonging to that same cave that, just a few moments before, looked so different to my eyes. Adrenaline and awareness; breathing and concentration. Silence. A unique experience that I would repeat. Over and over.
A special thanks goes to Luciano Tanini and Paolo Lenaz for making this experience so special thanks to their professionalism. A special thanks goes also to Anna for suggesting me the best “treatment” ever.
P.S. I hope that you will forgive the low quality of these pictures. Humidity and heat are tricky when it comes to keep your camera clean. I hope that these pictures will at least give you an idea about this underwater paradise, and about the feeling one can experience in this natural cave.
USEFUL INFO
Grotta Giusti Natural spa Resort
Via Grottagiusti, 1411 – 51015 Monsummano terme (PT) – Tuscany – Italy
Phone number. +39 0572 90771 –[email protected]
Grotta Giusti – Grotta Termale
Spa Floating & Spa Diving: maggiori informazioni qui
History Thermal Cave
Characteristic Thermal Cave
