Flotation-REST
Posted: Wed May 18, 2022 3:25 pm
Some recent discussions on out of body experiences and ways to induce them got me thinking that I should probably share part of my standard self-care routine for any that might be interested. Please note that I am not claiming any measurable health benefits here and I'm aware there isn't a ton of research to fall back on. I am merely offering up my own experience as I thought it might be intriguing. That said I find my floats to be an excellent tool for helping me de-stress and relax.
In the summer of 2020 my wife surprised me with with a gift card to a local spa that offers floats in an isolation tank. They come in a lot of shapes and sizes, from spaceship looking pods to large open pools, but the general concept is the same. You put about a foot of water in them and then add a metric butt-load of Epsom salt to the point where the human body can float effortlessly, you literally can't sink even if you wanted to. I can't speak to all setups but the one I go to has the open pools or pods in separate rooms that have showers. You can float in swimwear or nude but you do have to shower everything off both pre and post float. The tanks are heavily filtered between each float and at least for my location the cleanliness is impeccable. The water is maintained around 98-99 degrees, so very well suited for keeping body temp regular. My place also has noodles and head rests if you're uncomfortable with fully floating without supports (I found the head rest helpful for easing into my first float but since use nothing). There are lights in the tanks if pitch blackness is too overwhelming and also some very light music of the binaural beats variety is available that is well timed to ease you down and bring you back if the silence is too deafening. My place offers times for 30, 60, or 90 minute floats and I opt typically for the 60 minute as my body seems to ease down and back up well within that window, my wife prefers 90.
I was instantly hooked and we now go once a month. The effortless floating was relaxing in a way that I'm not sure I get in any other way. Every muscle in my body is able to unclench and melt into the water. The pods are well designed for blocking out light and sound (although neither is really a problem in the open pools either) and there is an eerie stillness in a world so void of external stimulation. I'm forced into my mindfulness practices, having time both to do a system check from the tips of my toes to the ends of my hair and also run through mental exercises to try to get at the thoughts in my brain that are stressing and weighing me down. I've done plenty of mindfulness work prior but for me I realized afterwards that external stimulus was always interfering and occasionally it was nice to not have to "fight" that as well and just focus on myself.
I help myself in my practice by setting intentions before each float. Sometimes it is just about the physical relaxation, others it is about a work problem I'm sorting through, or personal issues that I need to wrap my brain around. Immediately after the float I spend a little time writing down my thoughts, impressions, and feelings. Even with my intention setting, sometimes things go in ways unexpected. Sometimes my body is clearly just exhausted, I fall asleep almost instantly and wake up to the chime telling me it is time to go, I rarely dream during these times and wake up feeling quite recharged which isn't too surprising after an hour long deep relaxation nap. Others I'm clearly awake the entire time and spend it running down thoughts, examining what I can control, sorting through my dilemmas. Others are more hallucinatory in nature, feeling far too real to be dreams but often analogous to my intentions for things I feel I need to address. Those types of floats are where it isn't uncommon for me to feel as if I'm detached from my body. They can feel like work during the moment or when I'm talking about them but it doesn't stop them from being physically very relaxing and excellent for my mental state.
Where we go even has tanks large enough for you to float as a couple which I'd describe as "deeply intimate but not sexual". You can feel rather raw and exposed during a float (between the nakedness, the dark, the silence, and being so alone with your thoughts it is to be expected) and that is a very different experience to share with someone. It can also change the nature of the float some in that there is a sense of grounding when you touch and are reminded you aren't so alone after all. I'd say there is some nice analogy to draw from that experience, in that there is at least one person with whom you can share it all. If I was still Mormon I might find some nice parallels between eternal marriage and a nice manifestation of that bond in this world, instead I just get to enjoy it as it is.
All that to say, here is this experience that has brought me a lot of growth and joy and relaxation. I'd be interested to know if any others have used an isolation tank and what your experience has been. I'd also be interested to know if you have your own ritual or practice that you think aligns with how I'm using the floats. I'm also open to any questions about the process, especially if you are interested in trying it.
In the summer of 2020 my wife surprised me with with a gift card to a local spa that offers floats in an isolation tank. They come in a lot of shapes and sizes, from spaceship looking pods to large open pools, but the general concept is the same. You put about a foot of water in them and then add a metric butt-load of Epsom salt to the point where the human body can float effortlessly, you literally can't sink even if you wanted to. I can't speak to all setups but the one I go to has the open pools or pods in separate rooms that have showers. You can float in swimwear or nude but you do have to shower everything off both pre and post float. The tanks are heavily filtered between each float and at least for my location the cleanliness is impeccable. The water is maintained around 98-99 degrees, so very well suited for keeping body temp regular. My place also has noodles and head rests if you're uncomfortable with fully floating without supports (I found the head rest helpful for easing into my first float but since use nothing). There are lights in the tanks if pitch blackness is too overwhelming and also some very light music of the binaural beats variety is available that is well timed to ease you down and bring you back if the silence is too deafening. My place offers times for 30, 60, or 90 minute floats and I opt typically for the 60 minute as my body seems to ease down and back up well within that window, my wife prefers 90.
I was instantly hooked and we now go once a month. The effortless floating was relaxing in a way that I'm not sure I get in any other way. Every muscle in my body is able to unclench and melt into the water. The pods are well designed for blocking out light and sound (although neither is really a problem in the open pools either) and there is an eerie stillness in a world so void of external stimulation. I'm forced into my mindfulness practices, having time both to do a system check from the tips of my toes to the ends of my hair and also run through mental exercises to try to get at the thoughts in my brain that are stressing and weighing me down. I've done plenty of mindfulness work prior but for me I realized afterwards that external stimulus was always interfering and occasionally it was nice to not have to "fight" that as well and just focus on myself.
I help myself in my practice by setting intentions before each float. Sometimes it is just about the physical relaxation, others it is about a work problem I'm sorting through, or personal issues that I need to wrap my brain around. Immediately after the float I spend a little time writing down my thoughts, impressions, and feelings. Even with my intention setting, sometimes things go in ways unexpected. Sometimes my body is clearly just exhausted, I fall asleep almost instantly and wake up to the chime telling me it is time to go, I rarely dream during these times and wake up feeling quite recharged which isn't too surprising after an hour long deep relaxation nap. Others I'm clearly awake the entire time and spend it running down thoughts, examining what I can control, sorting through my dilemmas. Others are more hallucinatory in nature, feeling far too real to be dreams but often analogous to my intentions for things I feel I need to address. Those types of floats are where it isn't uncommon for me to feel as if I'm detached from my body. They can feel like work during the moment or when I'm talking about them but it doesn't stop them from being physically very relaxing and excellent for my mental state.
Where we go even has tanks large enough for you to float as a couple which I'd describe as "deeply intimate but not sexual". You can feel rather raw and exposed during a float (between the nakedness, the dark, the silence, and being so alone with your thoughts it is to be expected) and that is a very different experience to share with someone. It can also change the nature of the float some in that there is a sense of grounding when you touch and are reminded you aren't so alone after all. I'd say there is some nice analogy to draw from that experience, in that there is at least one person with whom you can share it all. If I was still Mormon I might find some nice parallels between eternal marriage and a nice manifestation of that bond in this world, instead I just get to enjoy it as it is.
All that to say, here is this experience that has brought me a lot of growth and joy and relaxation. I'd be interested to know if any others have used an isolation tank and what your experience has been. I'd also be interested to know if you have your own ritual or practice that you think aligns with how I'm using the floats. I'm also open to any questions about the process, especially if you are interested in trying it.