Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! Today's post was very exciting to create and I am so happy I FINALLY get to share with you my experience with Float Therapy. This was the first time I have ever done anything like this and aside from watching a few YouTube videos this is the first time I've actually learned anything about it. The place I went to is called Zee Float, I'll talk more about them later (location and pictures will be at the end of this post) but for anyone who hasn't tried this type of therapy before I highly recommend it and them. So without further or due lets get into this weeks post :).
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For the first time EVER I tried float therapy. Now, a lot of you probably have no idea what that is or maybe you've heard of it but don't really know how it works (like me!!). Regardless, this post will guide you through what it is, how its works and my experience with it.
My first ever experience was actually kind of amazing, which is surprising because a lot of first timers (or so I've heard) have trouble relaxing or finding their "zen". I mean, it's hard to believe there is really anything comfortable or relaxing about being "stuck" in a huge metal tank for 90 minutes.
I am totally a control freak so the idea of being caged in a tank, with absolutely no control, not being able to see or talk to anyone, scared the living heck out of me. Mind you, I am also super claustrophobic. I know. .. all the worst qualities to have for this sort of therapy, but I managed to survive and actually enjoyed it, so it just goes to show that the “don’t knock it till you try it!” saying, is legit.
SO lets start from the beginning, when I first arrived with my mother (I was too scared to go alone), we were greeted by a warm, and calming atmosphere. We were then approached by our instructor. He made everything so much more comfortable. He was very informative and just had an amazing uplifting personality which are the two qualities you want in someone who is putting you in a dark tank. He first gave my mother and I a tour of the space which included the front reception waiting room (filled with so many natural goodies, yes, I was in HEAVEN), a meditation studio, 2 washrooms, 1 beauty room (for the people who have places to go after a session), a relaxation room (used after your float session, I'll touch on this later), and lastly the 2 float rooms. (One amazing side note is that this place is completely decked out in art, and I'm talking ridiculously amazing art, all painted by LOCAL artists). After the brief tour, our instructor then started to delve into the specifics of how it is going to work, what is going to happen and what we can expect during and after.
So before we delve into my experience I’m going to try and give you a little synopsis of what he told us about the tanks. The tanks vary in size, for example my mom was in a pod while I was in a massive tank. The tanks contain about 10 inches of water and over 850 pounds of Epsom salt, I mean the people that work there dedicate so much time into dissolving this salt. The water is heated to 34.2 C (the average skin temperature) and when lying down, your body floats effortlessly, within minutes you experience the sensation of floating on a cloud or floating through space.
As stated on their site: "floating is state of complete relaxation. Chaotic thoughts and the anxiety stricken body begin to let go. Your mind and body truly rest and the senses are revived. Upon exiting the float tank you rinse off again, ready to experience renewed senses and a refreshed mind." Crazy right?!? Well it's not! It was such an unreal experience.
Okay so now that you are a little more informed let me get into my experience . ...
When I first laid down I have to admit it was a tad awkward and uncomfortable, I had no idea where to put my head and I kept feeling like I was moving all over the place instead of just floating in the center. After about 10 minutes of wrestling with myself and maneuvering my body I was finally still. Now, the purpose of this float was to relax and be mindful of your body. The first half hour I was all in my head, over thinking my day, all my stressful endevours and anything else that would come to mind. It was kind of chaotic.
I was thinking about my plans for the next day when I stopped my self and thought: "this isn't what this experience is for", because it really wasn't. I had come here to relax and instead had been bombarding myself with stressful thoughts or idiotic worries. I tried to clear my mind as I laid down but it was harder than you think, for all you people out there who meditate, shout out to you, it took me almost 45 minutes to empty my mind and just be still.
Now this is going to sound kind of ridiculous but laying down in there for the last thirty minutes was really enlightening. I had this kind of "realization of things", as Kylie Jenner would say. I started to think of all the things that make me happy, which is a long list, after going through some of those things my mind started to wander on why certain things were making me unhappy if there was so much that made me happy. I started to concentrate now on those unhappy moments that were eating at me and realizing that I was still attached to them, and that I hadn't really been dealing with any of the negative in my life that I had just been sweeping it under the rug. During my last thirty minutes in that tank I recognized all those bad memories or things that make me unhappy, acknowledged them and let them go. And I mean really let them go, it kind of felt like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders.
When the lights came back on and I was done with my session, I showered got clothed and joined my mom in the relaxation room where live Kombucha was served and calming lights filled the room.
I have never felt so relaxed in my life. I left Zee Float feeling like I was walking on a cloud. It was probably the most amazing experience I've ever had.
The Aftermath
So now lets get into how I felt after, because I think that was the second biggest impact.
First and foremost I had an amazing sleep that night. As soon as my session was done I was ready to pass out, and once I did I was out like a light. That means I didn't toss and turn and I didn't wake up through out the night, like 10/10 the best sleep I have gotten in a while.
Secondly, and I'm not kidding you when I say this, that the relaxation went on for the entire next day. I have never felt so at peace or relaxed in my entire life, you could have spilled your morning coffee on me and I'd just smile and walk away that's how calm I was.
Thirdly I felt more clear. It was like I had just cleared my entire agenda full of "to-do's" in my head and had a clean slate for the rest of the day.
And lastly I felt a thousand times more productive the next day, which I thought was an interesting "side-effect". I had work the next day and honestly have never been so productive, I organized my entire day, worked non stop until lunch and finished work that I wasn't even supposed to touch till the following day. I think this goes back to the clear mind because holy I have never felt so ready to work.
In addition to my pro's and what it did for me, here are just a few of the huge list of things that this therapy can help with:
Increases Endorphin Production
Lowers Cortisol, Adrenaline and other Stress Hormones
Enhances Senses
Deepens Meditation
Diminishes Depression, Anxiety and Fear
Facilitates Freedom from Habits, Phobias and Addiction
Eliminates Fatigue and Jet Lag
Promotes Total Calm and Peaceful Relaxation
Physical and Mental Stress
Improves Sleep
Relieves Chronic Pain
Improves Athletic Performance through Visualization
Quickens Rehabilitation and Recovery
Shifts Brain Waves from Beta to Alpha, Theta and even Delta
Increases Creativity and Problem Solving Ability
Reduce Blood Pressure
And that is it for this post! I hope you enjoyed reading about Float Therapy and I hope you learned a lil sumthin' sumthin'.
If you're interested in a session or just curious and want to learn more, definitely check out Zee Float at http://www.zeefloat.com/ the instructors are super nice and they can basically answer any questions you may have!
With that I hope you have an amazing holiday break and until the next post I will talk to you guys later!!!
Nicole J