The Float Shoppe was created in 2011 as a welcoming, calming environment in which to experience floatation therapy combined with massage, acupuncture, and counseling.
Founders Dylan and Sandra created The Float Shoppe after their own first float sessions provided deep relaxation, renewal, and pain relief. They set out together in January to create a place of integrative healing with floatation therapy at its core of offerings. A few very busy months later, they broke ground at The Float Shoppe’s forever home. Through the summer and into winter, the couple built a comfortable, inviting place with the help of friends and family. On December 14th, 2011, they gently opened their doors to the public.
A full team of staff now delights in every person who walks down the Float Shoppe’s stairs with their post-float glow. Clients leave refreshed, with a restored sense of optimism and confidence in their ability to create the life of their choosing.
“Floatation therapy–and the way it integrates with massage, counseling, and acupuncture–has immense potential to foster health and wellness.” – Sandra Calm
The Float Shoppe is a small, local, family business which strives to provide an extraordinary environment both for its clients as well as its staff. These days, you might see a little baby stuck to someone’s side, since our floaty family just grew by one. Since opening, Dylan and Sandra have become leaders within the float industry, providing guidance to others including the research facility at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research, where float research is progressing every day. Dylan hosts the Art of the Float Podcast, started in 2015 to help others successfully start their own float centers.
Float Shoppe Co-Founders: Dylan and Sandra Calm
MASSAGE THERAPISTS
Experienced massage therapists with great range and depth of skill in massage for both relaxation and therapeutic work.
Jessica Rodriguez LMT
Massage Therapist
Jessica originally started her practice of massage in the Florida keys after completing her training in Denver, Colorado. A background in martial arts combined with the flow of island life influenced her methods towards a fluid, rhythmic touch while breaking down tension through direct and intentional pressure. She uses massage to promote full body wellness, ease overworked muscles, and release deeply held tension. Intuition and a strong knowledge of the body have guided her to specialize in myofascial release, trigger point therapy, deep tissue, aromatherapy, Swedish, prenatal, injury recovery, and sports massage.
Sara Sabandal LMT
Massage Therapist
Sara started her career as a massage therapist in 2012 after serious injuries as a dancer led her to knowing firsthand its therapeutic potential. Massage played a major role in her recovery and dance has supported her understanding and knowledge of the body. Her intuitive touch is slow and deep to help re-align the body for a more a functional, efficient and mobile body. Sara specializes in deep tissue, myofascial release, Swedish, aromatherapy, and prenatal massage.
Emma Leigh Burke LMT
Massage Therapist
Emma has been a Licensed Massage Therapist since 2013 after complete healing when she was injured in a motor vehicle accident. To recover from the MVA, her doctor prescribed massage therapy as part of her path to recovery. Her healing was so complete, she decided to help others through massage. As your massage therapist, her goal is to help facilitate the most relaxing environment possible. Emma prefers to utilize cupping in massage for many purposes, including to help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, well-being and as a type of deep-tissue massage. Cupping also aides in moving lymph through the Lymphatic System, which boosts immunity.
Cydney Hildreth LMT
Massage Therapist
Cydney joins the Float Shoppe with 21 years of massage experience, offering deep skill in Swedish and deep tissue massage for injury repair and pain management. She is one of those massage therapists who, as soon as their hands meet your shoulders, cause you to settle into the ease of knowing you’re in for an excellent massage. Her background in wellness centers and chiropractic clinics, her advanced training in martial arts, and a career of working to ease pain naturally informs her perspective.
Allyne Hylace LMT
Massage Therapist
Allyne graduated from the Ashland Institute of Massage and has been practicing massage therapy since 2013. Using a holistic approach that is equally intellectual and intuitive, Allyne integrates therapeutic skill with deeply relaxing, fluid massage and energy work in balance with the unique needs of each client. Allyne specializes in Swedish massage, deep tissue, trigger point therapy, myofascial release, and energy healing for imbalances of the mind, emotional healing, and spiritual awakening.
Clementine Schiavoni LMT
Massage Therapist
Clementine’s New York roots and West Coast heart come together in her approach to bodywork. Direct and to the point via acupressure, deep tissue, cupping, and trigger point work. As well as fluid, slow, and replenishing via Swedish, myofascial, abdominal and visceral massage, energy balancing and craniosacral therapy. All these modalities are avenues she takes to meet each unique person at a depth that is therapeutic for them. Clementine graduated in 2014 from Port Townsend School of Massage and has been in practice since. She is here to offer her presence and skills to those seeking embodiment, relaxation, unwinding, and greater alignment.
Skylar Spoth LMT
Massage Therapist
Skylar provides a therapeutic and deeply nurturing massage and bodywork practice that is rooted in her 8 years of experience and education. She skillfully combines various modalities to best meet your needs during a session, allowing for greater alignment, balance, and mobility to be experienced within the whole body. Skylar’s specializes in deep tissue, myofascial release, prenatal massage, and Reiki. She is currently learning Structural Integration with the NW Center for Structural Integration in Portland. Skylar welcomes you with a caring and compassionate heart, and invites you to experience transformation through her integrative and intuitive bodywork practice.
OTHER STAFF MEMBERS
Dedicate to furthering awareness and knowledge of floatation therapy and its many benefits.
Mari Ane Anderson LAc
Acupuncturist
Mari Ane is licensed by the Board of Medical Examiners in the State of Oregon and brings more than 20 years of experience into her practice. She has honed the skills of listening and intuition, developed from helping hundreds of people over many years.
Sara Voruz, PsyD
Counseling
Dr. Voruz enjoys working with a diversity of emotional and relationship issues. She works with individuals and couples and hopes to create group therapy experiences in the near future. Dr. V’s clients float for $49.
Sandra Calm RN, MS
Co-Founder
Sandra Calm is one of the two co-founders of The Float Shoppe. As an RN in local hospitals working in medical-surgical nursing and psychiatry, Sandra witnessed the enormous impact of stress on the development of chronic illness. After floating relieved her chronic back pain and anxiety, she set out with Dylan to create a welcoming, comfortable atmosphere in which people could discover and utilize floating in conjunction with therapies that work perfectly in tandem. Through the Float Shoppe, Sandra aims to provide a center for wellness which fosters well-being and the prevention of disease.
Dylan Calm
Co-Founder
Dylan Calm, Portland native and co-founder of The Float Shoppe, has a passion for community and personal development. In 2011 he and his now-wife Sandra opened the Float Shoppe. Dylan started The Art of the Float in 2014 to help others open and run successful float centers.
Emily Noren
General Manager
Emily’s path to floatation therapy meandered through various channels of friendship, challenge, addiction, and disorder. Once floating demonstrated its capacity for healing, she became more integrated with the Float Shoppe and now spends her days sharing the benefits of floating. Her journey is described in her book, Unsinkable, which can be found here, or here, or read in our lobby.
Abraham Reese
Assistant Manager/Float Facilitator
Brian Van Peski
Senior Solution Architect
Brian plays a variety of roles, from troubleshooting computers and helping with websites, to optimizing business practices and workflow methodologies. He also works alongside Dylan to create the Art of the Float Podcast.