What Happens?
Our brains and bodies are bombarded by our environment. Gravity, temperature, touch, light, smells and sounds constantly pull on our muscles, nervous system and senses. We get overwhelmed, and the stress can physically manifest into pain.
Floatation tanks are lightless, almost soundproof tanks of warm saltwater. They remove external physical stimuli, creating a state of “sensory” relaxation. Under these conditions your body has a chance to restore its natural powers of self regulation, while you simply lie back and relax.
The temperature inside the tank is kept at 93.5 degrees, the same temperature as your skin. As a result, the nerve endings which cover the surface of the skin no longer perceive any sense of separation between the skin and the silky mineral solution which surrounds it.
Free from all external stimulation, your body can achieve a state of relaxation which is deeper, purer and more beneficial than sleep. With no body to look after, your mind can attend to other business.
Pain and Stress
Clinical research has shown that profound relaxation in a float tank triggers the production of endorphins. Endorphins interact with the opiate receptors in your brain to reduce the perception of pain and also ignite wellbeing. They act like morphine, only without the addiction and withdrawal symptoms.
Secretion of endorphins leads to feelings of happiness, modulation of appetite, release of sex hormones, and enhancement of your immune system. With high endorphin levels, we feel less pain and fewer negative effects of stress. By taking away gravity from your joints, and soaking up the Epsom salts, floating eases inflammatory pain caused by arthritis.
While floating you will notice your breath deepen, and in turn your heart rate slows down. You won’t even know it’s happening at first, it’s an automatic response. Floating on a consistent basis also aids in regulation of blood pressure.
Creativity
During a float, you produce slower brain-wave patterns, known as theta waves, which are normally experienced only during deep meditation or just before falling asleep and when waking up. It’s during these moments that we experience sudden flashes of insight and other vivid imagery. We’re not saying you’ll figure out the meaning of life, but floating may get you there faster than years of devoted meditation (it’s more comfortable too). You may find yourself humming a melody that later becomes the coda to your opera. Or maybe you realize that the last line of your short story is the first line of your novel. Floating can put you in that state of reverie that taps into your creative self.
Athletic Performance
Floating can increase athletic performance and repair muscles quicker. The removal of gravity and increase in blood flow allows sore areas to heal faster, as well as getting you ready for the next game or marathon by catching your body up on the rest it needs. Visualization techniques are another floating benefit used by athletes. The meditative state floating gets you to enables you to visualize running faster, throwing farther, seeing the bigger picture. Floatation tanks have been used by professional sports teams since the 1980s.
Pregnancy
Who doesn’t love 5-7 pounds of pure joy extending off your belly, messing with your hormones and making your back and hips uncomfortable? We know you love it, but come and experience weightlessness, take some time for yourself, and bond with your baby (and talk to your doctor beforehand). Maybe you’ll realize all along what you knew deep down – you should name him Buckminster. Or Buckminnie.
Other Benefits
Other benefits of floating include recovery of jet lag, super learning, the cessation of addictive behaviors such as smoking or overeating, lucid dreaming, and out of body experiences.