Have you ever had one of those days, that is so incredibly stressful you can just feel your hair turning grey? Feel the soul inside of you fade far, far away? Well, if yes, have you tried having float therapy?
Have you ever considered getting back into the womb? Nice and warm, cosy, not a care in the world. You might think ‘ but Sally, how can a fully-grown human such as myself get back into the womb? That’s a great question Diane, thank you for asking. Now let me tell you.
Table of Contents
What is float therapy?
Soundproof tanks filled with Epsom salts keep you floating in sensory deprivation chambers. These tanks’ warm air and water make you feel weightless.
To experience the full effects of sensory deprivation, you can choose to turn off the calming light inside the tank. If you feel claustrophobic (or, like me, think of sharks), leave the interior light on.
The idea of sensory deprivation tanks is to relieve yourself from the stimulation of the outside world. As you lay there, completely weightless and warm in the dark your body begins to enter a deeply relaxed state.
The original idea behind these tanks was to be able to study the idea of consciousness by cutting off the external world.
These studies were led by a neuroscientist who eventually started taking LSD and ketamine in the tanks to see how far his research could take him.
Eventually, (after all the drugs), the tanks were produced for commercial use after their benefits on health became apparent.
Benefits of Float Therapy
Improved overall wellbeing
In a corporate-health program, 14 men and 51 women were randomised to waitlist control or float therapy.
12 patients floated over seven weeks. Questionnaires were used to measure stress, energy, sadness, anxiety, optimism, pain, sleep quality, mindfulness, and altered states of consciousness.
The results of this study showed that stress, depression, anxiety, and pain were significantly decreased whereas optimism and sleep quality significantly increased for the float therapy group.
There was also a significant correlation between mindfulness in daily life and the degree of altered states of consciousness during the relaxation in the flotation tank. No significant results were seen in the waitlist control group.
Floating for mental health
One 2018 study demonstrated that out of 50 participants with stress and anxiety-related disorders, a single one-hour float session significantly improved mood and decreased anxiety levels.
It’s becoming increasingly popular to employ float therapy with other forms of treatment for mental health issues. Symptoms begin to fade after the first session and continue to improve with subsequent appointments.
- Visit www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Pain relief
The complete weightlessness of these tanks enables you to completely relax and release all tension in your body.
Several studies have shown float therapy to be effective in treating muscle tension, tension headache, and stress-related pains.
One study showed how float therapy was beneficial to several participants with chronic whiplash-related pains such as neck stiffness, reduced range of motion, and pain.
- Visit www.journals.sagepub.com
Heart, immunological, and stress health benefits
Grey hairs and bags under our eyes are just the tips of the iceberg when it comes to stress.
Chronic stress promotes early death due to heart disease and stroke. Many disregard this until it’s too late. Chronic stress impairs our immune function, making us sicker.
Studies have shown those who use float tanks experience reduced cortisol levels (our stress hormone) and lowered blood pressure.
Stress often deprives us of sleep, which again creates a vicious cycle. The less we sleep the more stressed we feel.
Sensory deprivation tanks allow you the time to completely let go. When the lights go off, many individuals fall asleep in the warm tanks. The goal behind the tanks is to rest deeply, let your nervous system regulate itself, and feel energetic and weightless inside and out.
- Visit www.tandfonline.com
Fancy a float?
Floatworks in London is the place to go. The first time floating in their Vauxhall studio was unforgettable.
Friendly faces and homey smells greeted me at the front door. Each tank room contains a shower to wipe off dirt and oils before floating.
Then you’re free to enter the tank, completely naked, just like the womb – told you it was possible.
The Tank Experience
Buttons on each side of the tank control the illumination, while an emergency button dials the front desk.
Your float lasts around 45 minutes, with the first 10 minutes being filled with relaxing, zen, music.
The music will come on again in the final 5 minutes to bring you back around. If you want music throughout your float, that’s an option too.
After your float, you can go back to the shower (where shampoo, conditioner, and body wash) are provided. Then you can head upstairs to the hair and mirrors room which contains studio-lit mirrors with hairdryers and straighteners.
Overall Comment
The experience was like having a full spa day all in about an hour. I left feeling lighter and got the finest night’s sleep in a while.
The Floatworks experience is one I would recommend to everyone. Their introductory offer of 3 floats for £90 is a steal – and you cannot put a price on good health!
Kindly, Floatworks has offered a 10% discount to our readers with this code:
Our Expert: Clementine Rose
Nutritionist & Recipe Creator
