I tried a cocooning compression session, and it’s the most relaxing thing I’ve ever experienced – here’s what happened.
The past few months have been insanely busy, and while I try to practice self-care and wellness techniques – as T3’s resident wellness expert, it’s my job to, after all! – I’ve been feeling a little strung out and stressed. So, when I was invited to Therabody’s Rest to Restore event, I jumped at the chance.
The Rest to Restore event was at the Hotel Café Royal in London, which has an adjoining Akasha spa which specialises in wellness and relaxation treatments. Aside from the relaxing spa atmosphere, the activity that I was most excited for was the cocooning experience.
Cocooning is described as therapeutic body compression, where you’re swaddled and weighed down by equipment, while having your senses blocked from noise and light. I was really excited to try this and after the session, I immediately wanted to book another appointment – here’s what happened.
Cocooning: the equipment and experience
As the event was organised by Therabody – and the brand’s products are used in most treatments at Hotel Café Royal’s Akasha spa – the devices used in the cocooning session were from Therabody. It included the second generation of the SmartGoggles, and the new JetBoots Prime.
Starting with the Therabody SmartGoggles, the eye mask is designed to reduce stress, enhance relaxation and prepare you for sleep. The hardshell mask fits comfortably on the eyes and around the head, thanks to its lightweight design and adjustable straps. The SmartGoggles completely blackout any light, and they also have heating and vibration technology to massage the eye area and soothe headaches and eyestrain.
The JetBoots Prime are wireless compression boots that are designed to aid leg recovery. To use them, you put your legs completely into them – I’m quite short so they reached up to my hips – and you sit in them like you would a pair of trousers… or boots! The JetBoots Prime have a built-in air pump system that inflates, tightens and expands to increase circulation and reduce fatigue.
The cocooning session started with me trying to get myself into the JetBoots Prime. As I said, they were quite long on me as I stand tall at just five foot three, but they were surprisingly comfortable. Once I got them on, I lay down on a yoga mat with my legs slightly elevated before I put on the Therabody SmartGoggles. As I lay back, the boots and mask were turned on before I had a blanket put over me and two sandbags laid on my chest.
Compression isn’t something I’ve looked into much but it’s something I’ve wanted to try for a while. I run four times a week so I was really looking forward to trying the JetBoots out. The boots took a few minutes to get used to and it’s probably not for everyone as they do get very tight (as is expected). Anytime I thought they couldn’t get any tighter, they did! But the build up and pressure relief was really relaxing and concentrating on that helped clear my mind from any racing thoughts.
I found the SmartGoggles to be very relaxing. The heat and vibrations pulsed around my temples and made light noises which were incredibly soothing. As a blackout mask, I was completely in the dark which I liked as it helped me to unwind and focus on my body rather than what was happening around me. Having the additional blanket and weights on top of me also helped with the cocooning feeling, and I felt very warm and safe.
Cocooning: what’s the verdict?
The cocooning experience ran for about 15-20 minutes and I have to say that I absolutely loved it. The compression feeling on my legs took some getting used to, but I started to really enjoy it and afterwards, I really felt the difference in my legs, as my muscles felt a lot less tired. The mask also gave me a relaxing massage and made my eyes feel less strained, and I walked away from the experience wanting to book in another appointment!
Cocooning won’t be for everyone as it might make some people feel a bit trapped with the weight and squeeze of the equipment. But if you’re training for something, run a lot or just want a few moments of quiet relaxation, then it’s definitely an experience that I’d recommend.
