Detox Diaries: Three of Our Editors Tried a Sensory Deprivation Tank and Here’s What Happened
Ilana, Managing Editor:
I need to admit that I have a small hippie side to me that believes in the power of Himalayan salt lamps, crystals, Chinese herbs, and Feng Shui. Let’s just say, that things speaks to me. So, when I was on my way to my session in Pause Float, I was super open-minded and excited about finding another wellness practice to improve my arsenal.
Now that you know a little about our experiences, we would like to know…
After hearing the basics from the receptionist and rinsing off, I was ready to step in my pod and in deep need for some relaxation. It was a little tough to get into a psychological state of calmness in the middle of a work day–the minute I put down in the water in my pod, my brain started going through my mental to-do list of outstanding tasks I needed to complete that day. But eventually my brain (and body) relaxed. I must have needed it because the minute I felt my brain shut off, I entered a deep state of relaxation.
When I stepped into the tank, I loved the feeling of drifting. You’re so buoyant that you may enjoy the water and the feeling of weightlessness as you relax. It did feel soothing, but I couldn’t really turn off my mind or come close to falling asleep like I had hoped. The water is lukewarm, but as someone who enjoys a nice, hot bath, I found myself wishing it had been warmer (although that goes against the whole “sensory deprivation” aspect). I believe that if I already had a powerful meditation practice I would have gotten from the experience. It also might have been harder to completely relax because it was such a new and different thing. I believe that if I went again and the whole experience was book, I would enjoy it more.
I had been floating for an hour, and I believe I dozed in and out of sleep a few times, but I couldn’t really tell how long I’d slept… I also couldn’t tell how long I had been floating. The thing I noticed most while I was drifting was tension I hold in my neck and shoulders. I was able to completely allow the rest of my body relax and float, but no matter how hard I tried to relax my neck and shoulder muscles, I could feel how tense that area was. I guess when the water completely supports your body, you really can feel the regions in which you hold your tension. The other thing I noticed was how difficult it’s to quiet my mind. I had been trying hard to switch off my psychological list, but I can’t lie, it was difficult. This experience made me realize that I have a ways when it comes to actually relaxing and quieting down my ideas to go. It’s something I’m going to work on and hopefully by the time I go to my next float, I could have a mind and a relaxing float.
So, you must be wondering, “What is a sensory deprivation tank?” This “flotation pod” as they call it in Pause Float, is basically a personal pod which has clean, body-temperature water blended with 1,000 lbs. of therapeutic Epsom salts. The great deal of salt in the water permits you become buoyant when you submerge your body to the water in this soundproof tank. And, since the water is body temperature, it becomes impossible when lying still to know about the water about you. Because these flotation suites are soundproof, dark, and full of body-temperature water, they allow you to lie back in the water and unplug, creating the ideal atmosphere.
Will you attempt a sensory deprivation tank?
Sensory deprivation tanks have been around since the 1950s. They were devised as an experiment to find out whether a tank full of body-temperature water would allow the brain to pause from reacting to outside stimuli (aka everything occurring around us), and therefore create a sense of relaxation. . Three of our editors are going to do their own bit of coverage. Make certain to tell us if you’ll give it a try in the comments below after reading our ideas!
Allison, Managing Editor:
Prior to visiting Pause, my understanding of sensory deprivation tanks was limited to Stranger Things and a few things a friend who’d done one had told me. So, I attempted to go with a mind into it. The receptionist gave us a rundown of what to expect when we got there, explained that because of the state of sleep you’re able to get into while an hour sleeping in the tank is equal to four hours of sleep elsewhere. As a sleep deprived mother of a baby and a toddler, I was convinced I would fall asleep fairly quickly.
The day I moved in was a super busy workday, with a great deal of calls and a long to-do list, so I had been a little more stressed than usual when I arrived. Within 2 minutes of being there I already felt relaxed. I was walked through the procedure, and taken to my room (which was amazing). I immediately saw the floating pod, which looks like something from the long run, and was instructed put in earplugs, to shower quickly, and get in the water. The lady in Pause told me that to have the experience, she recommended turning off all of the lights and also turning off the discretionary music once you get in the pod, so that is what I did. At first, it’s a weird feeling to be completely floating in water, in the dark, in silence. But after I settled in, I did my best to relax, and got used to it.
Hair and my skin felt clean and soft, and my entire body felt elongated though every vertebrae had expanded after toweling off–and my joints felt at ease. It was pretty amazing. Something different is discovered by each individual and mine happened to be 50 minutes of time I must have needed. Next time I float, I’m hoping to attempt really and and meditate know about the relaxation I’m experiencing.
Published at Tue, 31 Oct 2017 14:11:26 +0000
Photos: @pausefloatstudio through Instagram
Affiliate links might have been employed in this post.
If you’re wondering what is depicted in the photo above, you have the exact same question in mind that we did about a month ago. Well, today we are here to explain what exactly happens in this sensory deprivation tank, and what our editors believed when they did their first ever hour-long float sessions at Pause Float Studio at LA..
XO Team LC
Source: CelebrityChefs
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