A float session and a massage. The perfect gift from my husband. Now if you haven’t heard of floatation therapy you need to. Oh my God!
Floatation Therapy is the new thing. Well it’s not that new because it’s been around forever but its gaining some traction as THE way to totally unwind. And why? Because you spend a glorious 60 minutes suspended in this amazing tank filled with water and 500kg of Epsom salts which means you float – without any effort. Add to that sensory deprivation – I know the word deprivation sounds awful but in this case it’s a dream – and shebang! You’re relaxed.
So here’s how it went for me. After showering and hopping into the tank, which was lit up still and playing music, I completely immersed myself into the water. And then I waited. I waited to be overcome with a deep sense of calm. But no! Of course my monkey mind began chatting. Here’s the joys of what it said.
- Am I relaxed?
- When will the lights go out?
- The music is still playing so I haven’t been in here for 10 minutes yet?
- When will I zone out?
- I can’t feel the water on me.
- I can’t believe I’m warm.
- This feels really nice.
- I’ll put my hands under my head. Nope. By my side. Now I look like I’m on the crucifix.
- Wow this is really relaxing.
- I wonder how much time has passed. More than 10 minutes because the music has stopped.
- I can hear my heart beat. Well that’s good. At least I’m alive. Geez it’s loud. Better loud than non-existent. It’s so nice to hear that noise and not be freaked out like when I used to have panic attack…
And so it went. I have no idea for how long but believe it or not my mind did stop. I think I might have dozed off a few times. I definitely experienced getting into ‘the zone’ too. ‘The zone’ being a state of zen. I remembered it like a good friend from my meditation years. I really should get back to that.
And then, the music came on to gently pull me out of this space. I was a little cranky because I was just enjoying being physically and psychologically suspended in no-man’s land. My being was so peaceful.
I got myself out of the tank, had a shower and felt like I was floating. Still!
I will be honest and tell you that I didn’t feel more enlightened but I did feel lighter. I will definitely go back again and I strongly recommend you do too. It’s the full experience of truly having time out and recharging.
But if you have a very busy mind like I do and you experience anxiety, I’d suggest it even more. You can leave the lights on and the music on if you’re a little freaked out by the idea of being in the tank with no light or noise. I thought I might be a little anxious in that environment but I just wasn’t. Seriously. Give it a go.
