Saturday I floated in a tank at Floating Lotus in Midtown Manhattan with hundreds of pounds of epsom salt for an hour with full sensory deprivation – no lights or sound.
Before getting in, I put in ear plugs and then rinsed off in the shower. Then, I got into the tank, laid down and hit a button on the wall to shut the light off.
When I first laid down in the water that is set to the same temperature as our body, I felt an irritation in the lower part of my back. I cracked my back and it was then fine. Apparently, its common for aches and pains to arise in the water and for our bodies to become more aware of them while floating.
The women at the front desk, Noah was very informative and mentioned how floating was a meditative state between being awake and being asleep. In my first few moments of floating, it felt exactly like this. I had a similar feeling as when I seldom dream at night of flying. It felt as if my body was being elevated and that I was caught between an awake and sleeping state of being. There is no gravity pulling you down in the tank, so the sense of euphoria/freedom I felt made sense
For a while after, my mind started racing about my plans for the rest of the day. I tried to calm it down by focusing on my breath. I do like meditating, but I usually meditate with a a guided meditation or a sound meditation with intense noise. I was told that flotation this has higher benefits and gets “easier” the more often you do it (like anything else, right?). When my hour was up, the light turned on. I got out and showered. There was a noticeable difference in my anxiety levels. I felt relatively anxious earlier that day and felt a noticeable difference in my mood after floating. I felt very calm and relaxed and ready for my day!
Some other benefits according to Floating Lotus include:
Mental Benefits
🔹Stimulates left/right brain synchronization
🔹Creates mental clarity, alertness
🔹Increases creativity, problem solving
🔹Heightens visualization
🔹Deepens meditation
Physical Benefits
🔹Decreases the production of cortisol, ACTH, lactic acid and adrenaline
🔹Increases production of endorphins
🔹Speeds up rehabilitation and recovery
🔹Relieves pain
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