I think the first time I ever hear about sensory depravation tanks was on the Simpsons. Homer was floating around and I am pretty sure he had some lucid visions of donuts and Duff! Nonetheless, it seemed like an interesting concept and when I heard about Float House opening in Vancouver a few months ago, I knew I had to try it.
Meditation has become a very important part of my life, and I aim to at least have 5 mins a day to close my eyes and centre myself. It’s not always easy for me to do this, and sometimes nearly impossible. I have heard the ability to meditate is kinda like a muscle and the more you do it, the better you will get at it. I figured that being in a float tank would be like bootcamp for my meditation muscles.
After watching the info video on the Float House website, I bought a few sessions and made an appointment for my first float. The morning of, I was a little nervous because I can sometimes get claustrophobic and the thought of floating around in a small, silent, dark tank freaked me out. The guy at Float House explained that it is impossible to drown because the epsom salt water makes you incredible buoyant and you can open the door at anytime if you need to. This made me feel much better and I was ready to get naked and float!
When I first shut the door on the tank and there was total blackness and silence I actively reminded myself that this was safe and I had nothing to worry about. I focused on my breath and increased my inhalations and exhalations. This helped a lot and soon I was feeling gooood. Thoughts of “what is the oxygen hole gets blocked and I am suddenly in a Final Destination movie” did cross my mind from time to time, but the more relaxed I became, the less I cared. I also did some exploring with my limbs and realize how shallow the water actually is and that I could touch both sides with my arms. It is not scary or claustrophobic at all.
What fascinated me the most about being in the tank, is that after a while you can’t feel your body. The temperature of the water in the tank is the same as your body so you can’t tell where you end and the water begins! A little trippy at first, but once you become more and more relaxed it is an amazing experience.
I found that my state of mind was somewhere between meditation and sleep. It was easy to let creative ideas flow in a whole new way because you are so relaxed but your brain is active. This makes focusing on each thought easier than normal because there are no shiny things to take away your attention. Floating proves to be a fabulous way to explore new business ideas and gain tons of clarity. Plus you just feel so damn good!
Each session at Float House is 90 mins, which I thought would drag by. When the end of session music came on I was stunned it went by so quickly. After getting out of the tank, showing all the salt water off and drinking a ton of water, I felt like a superhero! My energy was higher, I felt relaxed and inspired. The best comparison would be the feeling after a great yoga class.
Overall, I had a great first experience at Float House and have since been back. The second time was even better because I knew what I was getting into (literally!). I found my happy place much faster. If you live in Vancouver I highly recommend giving it a try, and if you live somewhere else do some Google searching to see if there is a float centre in your area.
Have you been in a sensory deprivation tank before? Are you planning to go to one? If so I would love to hear about it in the comments below.
Thanks so much for reading!
Sparkly love,
Jenna