Float Research Collective

Last year’s #WorldMentalHealthDay theme emphasized that mental health is a universal human right and I truly believe that we as a society need to do a much better job of making mental healthcare more accessible to the people who need it the most. The survivors of these horrific natural disasters endure a lifetime worth of stress and trauma over a very short period of time, leaving an indelible imprint on their nervous system. We desperately need to find better solutions for reducing stress in the immediate aftermath of a community trauma and I think the Maui Calm project (MauiCalm.org) provides a viable way forward. It took a lot of work to get to this point and none of this would have even been possible without the support of so many people and organizations that have helped my nonprofit this past year. In particular I would like to highlight Hawaii Community Foundation, the Goodfellow Bros., and the Maui YMCA. Because of their support we now have the incredible opportunity to provide FREE float therapy to all fire survivors, first responders, and frontline workers on Maui! Our goal is to prevent PTSD from spiraling into a chronic state and to reduce the high level of stress and anxiety that the people of Maui are currently experiencing. We will be measuring outcomes longitudinally and plan to publish our findings in a peer-reviewed medical journal. If it works, this could become a scaleable solution for addressing traumas and disasters in the real-world, from the moment they occur. And if it’s deployed quick enough, floatation therapy might even be able to prevent PTSD from forming in the first place. Does anyone at FEMA want to help me put this idea to the test? #MauiCalm #MauiStrong

On #WorldMentalHealthDay let’s not forget all the survivors, the millions who have been traumatized by this endless chain of natural disasters ravaging our planet. FRC President, Dr. Justin Feinstein, spoke this week with Russell Subiono on Hawaiʻi Public Radio to shine a light on Maui’s mental health crisis and the escalating rates of PTSD, suicide, and addiction. They also discuss the Maui Calm project (MauiCalm.org), an innovative emergency response that will provide free float therapy to everyone on Maui who has been impacted by the fires. Listen now at https://lnkd.in/gfRjdFid

Dr. Justin Feinstein from the Float Research Collective was on the BBC's top podcast this week to discuss all the research-backed ways that floatation therapy is the best thing since sliced bread! Listen now at https://lnkd.in/gq6sRRPV

This Saturday, Dr. Justin Feinstein will be giving the keynote address at the International Surf Therapy conference in Manhattan Beach, California. His presentation will dive into the details of the Maui Calm project and how floatation therapy is being deployed to Lahaina in order to help heal the thousands of fire survivors and first responders who are struggling to cope in the aftermath of last year’s devastating wildfires. This presentation is dedicated to Dr. Feinstein’s close friend and colleague, Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, who devoted his life to illuminating the healing powers of water. The title of the keynote address is “A decade of explorations into the Blue Mind: a talk in honor of the life and legacy of Wallace J. Nichols” #bluemind #mauicalm #mauistrong

The Maui Calm project is on the cusp of being able to finish the buildout of our float facility! Our goal is to have the facility on island by the end of the year so we can start providing FREE float therapy to everyone in the community who has been impacted by the fires, including all fire survivors, first responders, and frontline workers.     To help get us to the finish line, we are excited to announce a $75,000 Matching Campaign sponsored by Goodfellow Bros. As soon as our nonprofit can finish raising $75,000, Goodfellow Bros. will match it, and we will be able to finish building the float facility and get it over to Maui ASAP. A GIANT MAHALO to Goodfellow Bros. for helping us bring this project to the people of Maui!  You can donate or help sponsor this initiative to improve Maui’s long-term mental health by going to our website at MauiCalm.org #mauicalm #mauistrong Goodfellow Bros.

A giant mahalo to Josh Dorkin and his entire family for all their help in bringing this project to the people of Maui! #MauiCalm #MauiStrong

Dr. Justin Feinstein recently joined Ryan Anderson on his podcast @awonderjunkie to discuss the power of float therapy to help relieve stress, anxiety, burnout, and trauma, including in first responders and firefighters. Ryan has been a firefighter paramedic since 2005 and has seen firsthand the mental health crisis we are in and the effects of stress and trauma on first responders. You can listen to the whole podcast on Spotify or iTunes to learn more about the Maui Calm project and how float therapy is being used to help the community of Maui heal after their devastating fire trauma. Here's a link to the podcast: https://lnkd.in/gWGMBfgD #MauiCalm #MauiStrong

Floatation therapy is one of the most powerful tools to bring an anxious and stressed nervous system back into a state of equilibrium. Please share this post and help Dr. Feinstein and the Float Research Collective as they race to bring this safe water-based therapy to all the fire survivors and first responders on Maui. With your support we can help stop the vicious cycle of chronic stress! To learn more please visit MauiCalm.org #mauicalm #mauistrong (video produced by @morefloats)

“It’s a testament to the generosity and camaraderie that typifies Hawai‘i that even amid all that panic and chaos, so many people put their loved ones, neighbors, and even total strangers before themselves. In their darkest hour, their first instinct was to help. In that moment, everyday people became eternal heroes. The outpouring of kindness continued far beyond those first few hours. As the grim and heartbreaking reality of death and destruction set in, people did everything they could to ease the burden, even just a little bit. Everyone pitched in. Not because they were asked but because they saw their ohana needed help. For the survivors who lost everything in an instant, no amount of help is ever truly enough. 102 people died that day. 2,200 structures – most of them homes – were decimated. More than 12,000 residents were displaced overnight…. Understandably, people are worried and anxious and exhausted. They’re tired of having to uproot their families from one temporary housing unit to the next every few weeks or months. They’re tired of wondering what the future holds…and if that future will be on Maui at all as housing costs soar out of reach. They worry about their friends and neighbors grappling with depression and PTSD from the lingering trauma of the fires. For the people of Lahaina, the past year has been a year of uncertainty and unease…unspeakable grief and heartache…impossible choices and tough decisions. A year of what ifs and what’s next. Nothing will ever fully replace the people and things they lost on that harrowing day 12 months ago. But what we can do is be there for them as they recover…for as long as it takes…every step of the way. That is our responsibility, and that is our promise.” -Senator Schatz’s speech last week commemorating this solemn day #mauicalm #mauistrong

A big thank you to Anthony Pennachi for his amazing donation to the Maui Calm project! Through his generosity, we will be able to have a state of the art water disinfection system as part of our float facility. Anthony is a Delaware Small Business Owner, IT specialist, Holy Fire Reiki Master, Woodworker, and Handyman. To learn more please visit FindDirtEveryday.com