Brent Giroux, Owner, shares his personal journey

and why he started The REST Centre

Like many people who try floating for the first time, I was desperate to find relief to the chronic pain I had been living with following a serious motor bike collision in 1987 that left me in a coma for two weeks and paralyzed for two months after I awoke.

I turned 21 while in that coma and when I woke up, I couldn’t walk, talk, read or write. My traumatic head injury led to depression, phobias, fears and poor self-worth. I struggled with physical and mental health issues – including thoughts of suicide – for more than a decade following the accident.

I had been an athlete and was ranked in basketball but following the accident, every step I took was painful. I may have appeared fine on the outside but like many other people living with the debilitating effects of a head injury, I had difficulty concentrating and thinking. Going to places like a shopping mall or gatherings with high stimuli was so draining, I began to withdraw from society.

I was working for a psychiatrist as a behaviour therapist for people with head injuries when I first heard about floating. I needed a non-addictive way to manage my pain and decided to give it a try. I remember walking around in a daze following that first float because I was pain-free for the first time in decades. Colours, smells and sounds jumped out at me.

My next float was hugely disappointing. I arrived at my appointment early and was instructed to go have lunch and return. The meal and caffeine left me agitated so I couldn’t calm down in the pod to reach the brainwaves that result in deep relaxation. The advice I had been given was wrong and underscored the importance of choosing a float centre that’s knowledgeable about float therapy so you can optimize your experience and achieve your floating goals.

In 2011, I opened the first float centre in Ontario – the R.E.S.T. (Restricted Environmental Stimulus Therapy) Centre in Sudbury – and relocated it to Whitby in 2017 after moving to the area. My own success with floating, coupled with my in-depth knowledge of floating therapy, puts me in a unique position to offer sound advice on how use the floatation pod to improve your quality of life.

It has been hugely rewarding to help people discover a new beginning in their lives thanks to floating. Whether you’re looking for relief from stress, chronic pain or want to enhance creativity, I look forward to helping you achieve your goals!

~Brent Giroux