Yes this happened… I went into a Sensory Deprivation Tank, I survived and it was AWESOME!

 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