INTRODUCING THE FLOAT TANK
Float tanks are also called : Samadhi tanks , Samadhi Pools ,
Floatation tanks , Isolation Tanks , R.E.S.T Chambers ,
Salt Water Spas, and Sensory Deprivation Chambers.
Whatever it’s called , most people who try it , Love it !
What is a Float Tank ? What is Floating ?
A floatation tank is a small enclosed pool - 8 feet long by 4 feet wide by 4 feet high. In the pool is 100 gal. of water and 800 lb.. of dissolved Epsom salt. Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, and is very different than the kind of salt we eat. Epsom salt has been used for centuries for its many health benefits.
The water in a floatation tank is 10 inches deep, and is kept at 94.5°F, which is the temperature of your skin. The pool enclosure is also temperature controlled so that the front of your body (the part that's floating above the water) doesn't get cold. The saltwater is so dense that you float like a cork. This is particularly enjoyable for people who have difficulty floating in a swimming pool. Because you're perfectly balanced, you can't flip over accidentally, so feel free to doze off. The feeling of weightlessness cannot be described. It must be experienced to be fully appreciated.
Many people who've never heard of floating are surprised to learn that there are float centers all over the world, with about 60 in the USA.
As you read more, you'll see references to "REST". This stands for Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy. The phrase was coined in the early 1980s by researcher Dr. Peter Suedfeld (University of British Columbia, Vancouver) to describe the physical process that underlies floatation, and to replace earlier terms such as sensory deprivation or sensory isolation that were scientifically inaccurate and highly negative.
As the phrase suggests, the floatation tank simply restricts or eliminates environmental stimulation - the combined effects of gravity, temperature, touch, sight, and sound on the muscles, nervous system, sense organs, and brain. Freed from the workload created by these external stimuli, body and mind enter profoundly deep levels of relaxation.
consider this partial list of benefits that are obtained by floating:
speeded recovery from injury.
reduced high blood pressure.
reduced symptoms of such ailments as asthma, arthritis, bursitis, multiple sclerosis, migraine and tension headaches, fibromyalgia, insomnia, and rheumatoid arthritis.
improved post-operative recovery.
rapid elimination of fatigue.
increased flow of endorphins .
increased feelings of self-confidence, self-control and serenity.
I'm going to talk to you about the tank "experience" for a few minutes.
This will include the things I have found most people want to know before their first float.
Many people have some fear or concern before they use the tank the first time. Fears such as being alone in the dark, drowning, not having enough air, claustrophobia, and others. The fears are usually the thought or the idea that YOU won't be in control of the situation, but in this situation you are totally in control. You can go in and out of the tank as you please. You can use the tank with the door completely open, you can keep it partially open, or you can close it. There is no particular way to use the tank that is more correct than another. Any way you use it, that is comfortable for you, is correct.
There is no reason to fear the tank. It will not "do" anything to you that you don’t want it to.
You are in control.
We’re Talking about your mind here. Were talking about what is called A.S.C. or
Altered States of Consciousness.
If you fear A.S.C., or If you fear your own dreams, perhaps floating is not for you.
On the other hand, if you do fear these things, Maybe floating is exactly what you need !
Try to look at it like this :
YOU are in control, and as such, have given yourself the permission to give up that control !
Is this making any sense ? Not to worry, It need not. Just relax, let go, and HAVE FUN !
The following is one persons account of there first time float.
I have included it here because it is very typical of many peoples (Including mine) description of there first time float.
I use the word "typical" very loosely though because no one can say what YOUR experience will
be like. It’s like me asking you " What will I dream about tonight ? "
"During my first flotation session, I spent most of my time uncomfortable both physically and mentally. Physically, I was struggling with the idea of floating and continued to find myself tying to float, concentrating on floating, which is unnecessary in the tank. You really can’t help but float. Also, my mind seemed confused with the lack of sensory input. I experienced little flashes of pain, like pin pricks, randomly all over my body as if my mind was trying to locate all of my body parts since it was not getting any signals. It was disturbing and uncomfortable and frustrating.
I spent about forty-five minutes this way. Uncomfortable, frustrated, BORED, and waiting for something to happen. And, finally, everything changed. It all changed, actually, at the precise point that I decided that flotation was not for me and I would never do it again. When I made that decision, my mind stopped struggling and completely let go. I went into a deep meditative state and the first thing I experienced was similar to a night time dream, but I was not asleep !
I "saw" scenes that I was a part of but I was both the observer and the participant. I can only describe the scenes as exaggerations of my own personality traits. Aspects of myself.
After that first session, I was hooked. I continued to float and had some of my most powerful meditations while in the R.E.S.T. environment. I started to notice that after the sessions, the world seemed a little bit different to me - more vivid, more interesting, more emotion filled. And, above all, I noticed an increase in my own intuitive abilities.
On occasion , I’ll emerge from the tank, laughing out loud and grinning ear to ear,
and for the life of me, I don’t know WHY. What I do know , is that it’s GREAT! "
I ( Lester ) Did not write the above account, nor did I read it , or anything like it prior to my first float more than 20 years ago. However,
I decided to include it here in the introduction because I think it would have greatly improved
my first float and with the hopes it will improve yours.
*******
Soaking in Epsom salts is one of the most effective means of making the magnesium your body needs readily available.
Researchers and physicians report that raising your magnesium levels may:
Improve heart and circulatory health, reducing irregular heartbeats, preventing hardening of the arteries, reducing blood clots and lowering blood pressure.
• Improve the body's ability to use insulin, reducing the incidence or severity of diabetes.
• Flush toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances.
• Improve nerve function by regulating electrolytes. Also, calcium is the main conductor for electrical current in the body, and magnesium is necessary to maintain proper calcium levels in the blood.
• Relieve stress. Excess adrenaline and stress are believed to drain magnesium, a natural stress reliever, from the body. Magnesium is necessary for the body to bind adequate amounts of serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of well being and relaxation.
While increasing your magnesium levels, Epsom salt also delivers sulfates, which are extremely difficult to get through food but which readily absorb through the skin. Medical research indicates sulfates are needed for the formation of brain tissue, joint proteins and the mucin proteins that line the walls of the digestive tract. Sulfates also stimulate the pancreas to generate digestive enzymes and help to detoxify the body's residue of medicines and environmental contaminants.
How does It work?
Scientists estimate that up to 90% of the brain's normal workload is caused by the effects of routine environmental stimulation the combined effects of gravity, temperature, touch, light and sound on the muscles, nervous system and sense organs of the body.
The float tank screens out these external physical stimuli, creating a pure state of "sensory" relaxation. Under these unique conditions your body has a chance to restore its natural powers of self regulation, while you simply lie back and rediscover the latent abilities of a deeply relaxed mind.
The pleasures and perks of the modern float tank are based on a revolutionary scientific approach to deep relaxation called Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique or R.E.S.T. for short, first developed back in 1954 by researchers at the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) in Washington.
During the past 20 years the remarkable effects of the float tank have been systematically studied and applied in such areas as health care, medicine, fitness training, sports science and education. Meanwhile, floating has caught on in America, Australia and, more recently, Europe and Asia as a powerfully productive and creative form of recreation in its own right.
The flotation tank is a well-documented "tool" for individuals who wish to explore the full potential of their bodies', their minds and their natural abilities.
Floatation has been utilized by top athlete's to achieve maximum performance in highly demanding circumstances as well as by individuals who wish to reduce stress, pain and unlock the bodies natural healing powers.
