Sitting at the helm of this cloud ship with my salty crew of rubber duckies you can imagine we get asked a wide variety of questions about the float experience-- from the fundamentals to the far-off and infrequent-- we talk about R.E.S.T. rather restlessly. There are a few things you should know, though, so i'll explain below.
R.E.S.T. | Flotation Therapy
R.E.S.T. : Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy or Floating or Sensory Deprivation is amazing. It's profoundly relaxing. It's water therapy.
Just imagine a huge bathtub! 10 feet long and 4 feet wide, with 200 gallons of water in it. Sounds like a lot of water, right? It is...but it's only 8 inches DEEP! So this 8" of water has nearly 1,000lbs of Epsom salt dissolved into it, which causes you to FLOAT like a cork on the surface of the water. It's more buoyant than the Dead Sea!! The water is the same temperature as your body so you don't feel the water AND you don't feel gravity, and if you choose to (BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO!) you can close the door and turn off the light which makes the room dark and quiet. The combined effects sets your mind in the most relaxed state of NOTHINGNESS it's ever experienced.
So as you float you're receiving all the benefits of 900lbs of Epsom salt in the water which is reducing inflammation, soreness, chronic pain, stress, PLUS you're floating effortlessly with NO GRAVITY on your body-- and for the first time ever your mind-- you brain-- isn't being bombarded by this constant barrage of external stimuli that is our fast paced world. When your mind finds itself in this uniquely relaxed and calm environment it takes FULL ADVANTAGE of the situation. What happens next is a big part of the takeaway.
Through fMRI and EEG mapping we observe the brain in the float tank transition into a different state, where it begins to produce Theta Waves, a type of brainwave found in R.E.M. sleep or deep meditation, so that 1 hour in the float tank (we offer 90min sessions, however) can equal 4hrs of rest for the mind. This environment of "controlled nothingness" lets the brain exist in that state of relaxation while at the same time receiving all the benefits of the Epsom salt PLUS no weight on your body which allows your spine to realign, and activates the parasympathetic nervous system (think 'Rest and Digest'). The combined effects creates one of the most profoundly relaxing experiences possible.
Epsom Salt
Epsom salt is the bee's knees (whatever that means) and a household panacea from an older time. For some reason the young whipper snappers don't know a lick about the stuff! It's uses range from stress reduction to sore muscles, skin exfoliants to soil prepping-- so it's almost as good as snake oil.
Epsom salt is also called Magnesium Sulfate. Magnesium is SUPER IMPORTANT for our bodies, specifically our nervous system, and is known to regulate over 300 functions. Magnesium also regulates cortisol (stress hormone) levels in our bodies so it literally chills us out! And this isn't just a couple cups of Epsom salt in a bathtub, remember, its 900lbs of SALT!
Professional athletes, yogis, meditation practitioners, insomniacs, those suffering from chronic pain, stress, hypertension, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders, and others ALL FIND RELIEF through the use of the float tank. It's beautiful.
Lets recap, shall we?
So no gravity on your body. (that is neat, and feels so damn good)
Epsom salt reducing pain, inflammation, swelling, stiffness, and stress levels.
Your brain is in meditation R.E.M. beta wave heaven.
Your body and mind are crying tears of happiness for how flipping good they feel!!!
Now, we can talk all day and all night and all day and all...ok, you get the idea that we can talk ad nauseam about floating, but those right there are the breaks.
Stay salty and afloat my friends. See you soon.
Peace.
gELLIS