If you are coming from instagram…skip down to the deep stuff.

I did some Float Therapy last week and wanted to share my experience. (Obviously this is Tatum floating in a lake this summer.) 

My float experience…was in a tank, pitch black, with a lot of salt, and only the sound of my breath. 

I just want to say this was 4 days ago but I’m still feeling the effects. My mind feels clearer, I feel more intentional and mindful about things, calmer, and my husband may disagree because FRIDAY…the day after my float was a very emotional day. I can only Explain this by saying it was part of the detox. You know when you are meditating and suddenly things start digging themselves out? You start cleaning a room and suddenly you can’t walk anywhere because it’s a disaster area? Things always get messy before they get better. I think that’s what Friday was. 

It’s hard to shut the mind off, but the whole process at Lost in Float made it so easy. I’m not sure what happens but one you get in the tank it’s like the outside world is gone. It’s so silent. And all you have is the self. 

Now it’s about to get crazy. 

The deep stuff

When I walked in I noticed the art on the walls. A trippy looking face with what looked like the universe oozing from the eyes. Other pieces with purple swirls. I saw one with a brain floating up into the sky like a kite. If you know me…I’m like…’right on.’ I felt instantly welcome. The guy at the desk explained everything to me, showed me around. There was a space to “come back down to earth” as he put it, put a record on, read a book on floating, write about your experience in the journal, and read about others experiences. I’m calmly nodding my head, but at the same time I’m like…THIS IS FREAKIN AWESOME!!!

When he asked me what brought me to floating I calmly said…”I’ve heard there are really great benefits.” I didn’t tell him that I was really hoping to find all the answers to life and have an out of body experience traveling through space and time, discover thy self, talk to God…you know…all of that. I didn’t tell him that, but that’s what I was secretly hoping for.

So once you get in the room, you shower, put some earplugs in, and dive in. Or rather calmly step in, shut the hatch and turn off the light. I steadied myself in the water which is filled with a super high amount of epson salt. Hence…the floating. It’s literally the most silent place I’ve ever been. Pitch black also. You can keep the light on if you want. But when your brain is deprived of the senses…some crazy stuff happens.

ALL I COULD HEAR was my breath. I’ve never just listened to my breath for more than 10 minutes. I was in that tank for an HOUR. I started seeing these purple swirls. I’ve tried googling the scientific explanation behind this. I’ve only skimmed the surface. Purple swirls, star like dots darting back and forth. I tried making them stop. Stand still stars. I couldn’t do it. I tried breathing slower, but then a black fog would wash over the purple and hurry up the stars. I thought to myself…”just… stop… TRYING.” I closed my eyes to the darkness, let my mind wander. Then came back…opened my eyes and the busy stars formed some sort of winged bird, still, frozen. . . maybe like it was soaring.

Also…I’m completely sober. It’s 9:45 in the morning.

So I listened to my breath, didn’t think one IOTA about the outside world. And this is CRAZY because when I’m meditating at home…I’m all over the damn place. All the thoughts come creeping in. But in that tank. Something about it…just let me BE. I floated. I WAS.

It’s been said breathing in four counts, our four counts out helps to activate the vagus nerve which then helps your parasympathetic nervous system, which helps you recognize your sense of self. You become aware. And it puts your body into a super relaxed and healing state. I’ll go over the benefits at the end.

How I feel days later.

So I felt an immense sense of clarity instantly. It was so recognizable just driving home. My vision was clear, yes but just something about everything was CLEARER, I could see better. It was all different in the best way. I felt lighter. I felt clearer. I feel more able to deal with stress 4 days later. I have yet to clean my office and bedroom and put all my clothes away but I feel more intentional about not creating a bigger mess. My mind feels more at ease.

THE BENEFITS.

You can check out this website for the full list.

Also, go to Lost In Float for some more benefits and that’s also the place I went to float. If you are in Lincoln, do it.

RELAXATION RESPONSE

The tank suppresses the functioning of the sympathetic nervous system which when active produces our fight or flight response. And it then activates the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for relaxation, healing, replenishment, etc. Some physical symptoms of the relaxation response are decreased muscle tension, decreased blood pressure, decreased stress hormones, and increased endorphins.

HEIGHTENED SENSES

Research indicates increased visual acuity, improved tactile perception, improved auditory sensitivity, and increased taste sensitivities after floating

PAIN MANAGEMENT

Arthritis, back pain, neck pain, tendinitis, bursitis, inflammation, and psychosomatic pain relief have all been documented via tank use.

INCREASED IMMUNE FUNCTION

Immune function is enhanced by suppressing stress hormones which not only weaken the immune system but also suppress the digestion and reproductive systems, affect regeneration processes, and decrease insulin sensitivity.

ENHANCED HEALING/REJUVENATION/RECOVERY

Floating increases circulation to extremities, promotes greater elimination of metabolic by products, decreases the forces of gravity to help promote greater muscular relaxation, and it can prevent adrenal fatigue.

MAGNESIUM ABSORPTION

Magnesium can prevent cardiovascular disease, regulate high blood pressure, prevent osteoporosis, relieve menopause symptoms, provide PMS relief, create healthier bones and teeth, and is involved with detoxification.

DEAUTOMATIZATION

The mental “reset”. Patterns exist throughout our lives. Going throughout our daily routines we get “numb” to so much around us, we become automatic with so many of our thoughts, our actions, our environments. The “resetting” experience provided by the tank can shift us out of this automated existence and bring us into greater awareness of the things we are often over-looking, less aware of or insensitive to, and not appreciating.

Some other things…

Decreased anxiety and depression; increased calmness or sense of well-being; Elevated states of creativity, greater non-linear connections, and deeper realizations. Positive feelings of a healing intention has improved recovery rates from various ailments. AND better sleep. I read somewhere that an 90 minutes in a tank is like equal to 6-8 hours of sleep. WHAAAAAAT?

Overall, I cannot wait to go back. If you haven’t tried float therapy, I can’t recommend it enough. I’m not claustrophobic but sometimes I would wonder how close my head was to a wall or I felt the darkness closing in on me. I’d just put my hands out and feel the walls and feel my space again. If you’ve floated before, I’d love to hear about your experience!