What’s the Buzz: Float Tank Therapy
I’ve decided to start a new series here called ‘What’s the Buzz’, to see what the “buzz” is all about on different wellness trends and experiences.
First up: Float Tank Therapy. I’ve wanted to try this for a long time and I finally had the chance to!
Keep reading to learn:
What float tank therapy is
What the benefits are
My experience & tips
If it is worth it
What is Float Tank Therapy?
Float tank therapy or a sensory deprivation tank, is where you float in a pod filled with about 10 inches of salt water. The amount of salt varies, but it usually contains around 1000 pounds of epsom salt and is enough that allows you to float without any effort. The water is warmed to around body temperature
The purpose of a float tank is to eliminate all distractions and to go into a meditative state. It transitions your brain waves from alpha or beta to theta, similar to right before you drift off to sleep, and is said to help with anxiety, muscle pain and improving creativity.
What are the benefits?
There are a few psychological and physical benefits to float tank therapy. Experts suggest to add it in as part of your monthly routine in order to see long term benefits. The benefits of float tank therapy and studies have shown:
Reduction in anxiety and depression
Pain relief
Improved cardiovascular health due to stress relief and lowered blood pressure
Improved blood flow
Improved sleep
Increased creativity
Increased feelings of happiness
And improvements in athletic ability
My Experience
To give you a better idea of size and depth of the pod.
I was oddly nervous before I went for my first session. I can usually only meditate for 10-15 minutes, how was I going to do it for 60 minutes? But I shed my expectations and went in with an open mind. No judgement. And to my great surprise, I loved it!
I arrived at the facility 15 minutes early, per my facilities instructions and I was ushered into a room to watch a “how-to” of sorts on float tank therapy. They gave me a tour of the facility, which consisted of an oxygen bar and the float tank rooms, and then it was time to get started!
First of all, each room locks and is motion censored, so the lights will shut off when you are inside the pod. The rooms are equipped with a float tank, a shower with shampoo, conditioner, body wash, a body and face towel, ear plugs, and a head cushion (to rest your head on inside the tank, which is optional).
At the start of the session, you shower and wash your body for a few minutes and then you can get into your pod…yes, naked (that was one of the questions I had). They do sanitize the pods, but bacteria aren’t able to grow in an environment with that amount of salt anyway. There is also a light and a call button to the front desk inside the pod, as well as a fresh water spray bottle in case you get any in your eye.
I put my earplugs in, grabbed the head cushion, closed the top of the tank, and settled into the tank. I will say, at first it was a little jarring being in complete darkness in a confined space, so I did have the light on for the first few minutes. But as I became more comfortable, I ended up turning it off to get the full experience.
For the first 15-20 minutes my mind was racing, mostly with how cool the sensation of floating was and the fact that all I could hear was my own breathing because of the ear plugs (I think next time I would have asked to keep the music on), but I kept coming back to my breath and after a little while I became lost in the experience. It felt very freeing and peaceful.
I’m not sure if I fell asleep or if I was deep into meditation, but 55 minutes later (which felt more like 20), music began to play signaling the end of my float. I showered off and that was it! Afterwards, I felt very relaxed and that night had a really good nights sleep. The benefits (whether real or placebo), seemed to last a few days. I actually did this the day before an interview and typically I’m riddled with anxiety, but I felt more calm for a few days after and was able to have more presence of mind during my interview.
FAQ’s:
Do you hallucinate?
I wouldn’t call it “hallucinating”, it was more like having a vivid dream when you’re not in a deep sleep yet (like I said, I might’ve fallen asleep).
Can I wear a swimsuit
Yes! However, they recommend not to wear anything as it can be distracting and take away from the experience. Do what you’re comfortable with, but think of it like taking a bath.
Tips
Keep the face towel that they give you on the edge of the pod or nearby in case you need to wipe your hands or face off. You do not want that water getting in your eyes. Yikes!
For the first few minutes, find a position that is most comfortable for you: I found that putting my arms up in a “cactus” pose was most comfortable, but you can put your arms down at your sides, one up one down, etc.
Don’t forget the head cushion. I read some reviews saying people experienced neck and shoulder pain while floating and that is what the head cushion is there for (I didn’t have any issue with this however).
Don’t drink caffeine beforehand…feel like it’s self-explanatory, but do remember to eat something before going in for your appointment.
Again, the door locks so there’s no worries about anyone coming in, but the front desk does have a key in case anything were to happen.
Worth it?
I would say 100% yes. I found it to be a really nice sensation, floating with no effort and focusing on my breath, especially if you find meditating hard. It’s something I will definitely be including in my regular monthly schedule and even if you think you couldn’t be alone with your thoughts for an hour, I would encourage you to give it a go, especially if you suffer from anxiety or depression.
Cost:
Check Groupon! I paid $45 for an hour session and normally at the facility I went to they are $60, which still isn’t horrible. They also had monthly packages for once a monthly float and they also have regular specials (buy one session, get one free). All in all, I think the monthly package would be worth it and I’m planning on looking into it for 2022.
Float tank therapy has a wide range of reported benefits and if anything, it is just a really peaceful and relaxing experience. Some say it’s how they would imagine a baby feels in the womb…
Let me know what other wellness trends or experiences I should try for if you have any questions. Be sure to sign up for my weekly wellness newsletter below and thanks for stopping by for a little Balanced Buzz!
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