In August 2020, co-owners Tanner Heim and Taryn Ostendorf opened True Rest Float Spa in Cedar Park with a goal to expand wellness and self-care options for Williamson County residents.
The independently owned float therapy business offers a different approach to personal wellness and pain relief—a float pod filled with Epsom salts and a private vitality suite stocked with amenities.
How it works
The float spa offers a customized, one-hour experience where clients have their own suite equipped with a rainfall shower and float pod. The pod itself is filled with about 10-15 inches of water and 1000-1,500 pounds of medical-grade magnesium salt, creating a sense of weightlessness, Heim explained.
“You kind of forget where your body ends and the water begins,” he said.
True Rest in Cedar Park also offers a large private contrast therapy suite—which involves alternating between hot and cold treatments—equipped with a sauna, cold plunge and an approved medical device for red light therapy.
In offering sauna, cold plunge and red light therapy services, Heim and Ostendorf encourage clients the opportunity to experience all the services during one visit, creating an extended experience. (Courtesy True Rest Float Spa)The background
Before moving to Austin, Heim worked at traditional massage and med spas. After personal struggles, he discovered floating. Ostendorf is a retired school administrator and started floating to help manage her daily life—the experience quieted both her mind and spirit, Ostendorf said.
Heim and Ostendorf met while working at a float spa, where Ostendorf first proposed opening their own business together in 2019.
“Life is busy and overstimulating,” Heim said. “Even at home, you try to find a quiet place, but it can be really hard. This is a place that we built literally to go and get as quiet as possible.”
Tanner Heim and Taryn Ostendorf opened the Cedar Park location in August 2020 due to the community’s growth and the lack of holistic self-care outlets in the area. (Courtesy True Rest)The local impact
Float therapy can be especially beneficial for people recovering from injuries or traumatic events, Heim said. He added that the space may be particularly helpful for individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries.
True Rest offers free floating services for veterans on the 11th of each month, serving about 45 clients free of charge.
“A thousand pounds of Epsom salt and 15 inches of water [is] really good for pain in general … and just reducing stress for people that may be recovering from or living with a heightened nervous system,” Heim said
The business has also partnered with Wounded Warrior Project to provide discounted rates for veterans in the organization, Ostendorf said.
Of note
Heim and Ostendorf hope to make floating more accessible to people through memberships that provide discounted rates. True Rest in Cedar Park has between 370-400 members, and pricing for monthly memberships starts at $109.
“Just show up for yourself,” Ostendorf said. “All you [have] to do is get yourself to the space. We have everything that you need.”
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