The winner of Beauty and Beyond Urban Retreat's special Soul Mates Valentine competition is Lynda Mooij of Invercargill.

Lynda has won a one-hour floatation experience for two (two people, one pod) at Beauty and Beyond valued at $135.

Experience the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of floating. With little to touch, taste, smell, hear, or feel, you’re wrapped in a cocoon of warmth and silence in your own floatation pod, with only your thoughts to keep you company – putting you in a meditative state to better heal what ails you.

At Beauty and Beyond Urban Retreat in Invercargill, you'll find an inner-city sanctuary of calm and serenity, a special place where you are their focus.

If you're looking for a gift, some beauty advice, hair, nails or make-up done for a special occasion, or simply some precious time out for yourself, Beauty and Beyond Urban Retreat has it all.

Body wraps, facial treatments, dermaplaning/blading,hair removal, spray tanning... the range of services available at Beauty and Beyond is almost endless.

Forgotten Valentine's Day??? It's not too late to grab a Beauty & Beyond gift voucher for your loved one. CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE

What is floating?

Inside the Beauty and Beyond floatation tank 600kg of Epsom salts are added to 700 litres of water, creating a deep solution, which is heated to body temperature, 35°c. This temperature means that it is virtually impossible to distinguish between parts of the body that are in the water, and those that aren’t. The buoyancy created by the Epsom salts creates an experience of weightlessness on the body. Removing the effects of gravity.

Most people are unaware of the strain that gravity places on the body, the brain power used to deal with it every second is huge. Floating weightlessly in the pod frees all sensation of temperature, touch, sight and sounds allowing you to reach ultra-deep relaxation which resets the body’s hormonal and metabolic balance, strengthening resistance to and accelerating recovery from the effects of stress, illness, injury or strenuous exercise.

During a float experience the brain gradually shifts from its usual waking beta state to generate deep alpha, theta or delta waves, the state-of-mind that Buddhist monks try to reach through hours of meditation and years of training.