Sensory Deprivation Tank aka ( float tank, isolation tank,
escape pod, the i-sopod)
It looks like this,
well at least the one that I went into:
You’re probably wondering why in the world would a person go
in to something like this purposely? And that’s okay…, because I thought that
same exact thing until I learned about the amazing health benefits it has on a
human mind/body/spirit.
A few to mention:
Alleviates stress- mental and physical
Energizes, rejuvenates and revitalizes
Diminishes depression, anxiety and fear
Decreases the production of Cortisol, ACTH, Lactic Acid and
Adrenaline
Increases production of endorphins
Boosts immune function
Reduces blood pressure
RELIEVES PAIN (true story!)
Stimulates left and right brain synchronization that leads
to mental clarity, alertness and creativity and much much more…
Soo after I mentally prepared myself (or so I thought) I
bravely made the appointment for a 90-minute floating session at the
Float Central in Bend Oregon. Once I got there and seen the float tank in person all that I could
think was “ No way in HELL am I going inside this box and floating in THE
DARK for 90 minutes ESPECIALLY with the door CLOSED SHUT!! And OMG did I really just
pay money for this craziness? And why am I so weird for always wanting to try
strange, random things?” Not going to lie…at that moment I slightly wanted to
run. But… I gathered my self together and proceeded with my experience.
In a super awkward looking like an ostrich way I worked my way inside the tank and slid inside the salty solution (magnesium sulfite) I wasn't about to shut that door behind me either. A slight glow from the salt lap from around the corner gave me some comfort; So there I was floating, it was so freaky but so AWESOME all at the same time. I
was completely weightless and my mind just couldn’t wrap around how I can be
floating without having to put any personal effort into it. For the first 15 minutes or so my brain
was running wild. Between trying to make sense of this new sensation and outrageous thoughts such as “what if I relax so much that I go in to a coma, followed by this
ridiculous visual imagery in my mind of people fishing my awkward naked body
out of this pool of salty water; And what if I’m the first person to ever drown
in one of these? As well as "why didn’t I just stay home, stick some ear plugs in
my ears and hide myself in the closet, I mean it’s bound to have similar effects
right?”
So I reverted to my breath (deep breathing always does the
trick), I finally was able to surrender myself to the stillness. Before I knew
it I was even able to shut the door AT MY OWN WILL. I do not have the words to explain how
relaxed and calm I felt. Every so often I had to move my hand or foot just
to make sure I was still in my body. Because to me it felt like I was floating
out in space and my body was detached from my mind. Pretty sure I ended up
dosing off because the next thing I knew soft music came on indicating that it
was time for me to get out. “What?? No way!” I felt like I just got started, I
completely lost all sense of time. I was NOT ready to get out.
So in conclusion I LOVED IT!! And I CANNOT wait to do this
again! I felt so amazing the rest of the day not to mention slept like a baby
that night. I would recommend this
experience to everyone in the world because Awesomeness is the only side effect.
For more information on the benefits and research that Sensory
Deprivation Tanks have on a human body click
here.
Happy Thursday
Lena
