By now you have probably heard about floatation therapy, with its quick growth in popularity. Although there is nothing new about floatation therapy, John C. Lilly back in 1954 began using them to study sensory deprivation. He was pursuing the origins of consciousness by cutting the brain off from all stimuli. It is only recently that they have re-surfaced and began to pop up all around the place. Why the resurface? I will attempt to answer this but first I want to touch on what Flotation is exactly
So what is it?
Floatation therapy is a method of sensory deprivation treatment that’s achieved by floating in an enclosed, isolated tank that cuts off all sensory experiences: sight, smell, touch and sound. The tank is set to match your body temperature, obscuring the normal sensation of having discrete limbs in space. Most importantly floating takes no effort at all due to the high concentration on Epsom salts. It is like the Dead Sea salt lake in Asia, as much as you try to sink you just pop back up above the surface.
Claustrophobic?
Unlike what you might think, with floatation therapy, you don’t have to worry about getting claustrophobic as you’ll have plenty of room. There are numerous variations of tanks on the market, with and without lids. The lids can be open or closed, it is up to you. If you are not sure what you will prefer, check out Serenity Float Clinic because unlike most clinics they offer three unique tanks to choose from, two of which are more like floating rooms than pods.
Who is using flotation tanks?
Popularity has skyrocketed with high performers from silicon valley through to top athletes, actors and even Navy Seals praising the associated benefits. Name such as Joe Rogan, Stephen Curry, Tim Ferris, Russell Brand, even John Lennon used to use them. Although it is often associated with these high performers, the effects are far-reaching and go well beyond this and potentially more impactful for those dealing with sensory overload, depression, anxiety, chronic inflammation, insomnia and numerous chronic health conditions.
What does it achieve?
If nothing at all it is an experience I believe everyone should undergo. It teaches you to be alone with only yourself and your thoughts, not just for a couple of minutes but for a good hour. Something that in today’s fast-moving world we do not seem to find the time for. For many, the thought of wasting an hour being with one’s thoughts is unproductive, boring and often scares many busy high performers. However, just like a good night’s sleep, a float’s benefits are far-reaching and even more important for those who don’t know how to be with themselves and shut down. I guarantee if you try it you will want more.
Benefits of Floating:
Why the resurface?
With the excessive sensory overload due to this now technologically driven world we are seeing an insurgence of chronic stress and the steep decline in health. The technological advancements are designed to make our lives easier but instead are actually having the opposite effect as the World shifts to a 24/7 society leaving little time to rest and unwind. Instead, we are continually having to make choices consciously or unconsciously, on the surface this may seem minor but the human system has not evolved in this world. It’s estimated that the average adult now makes about 35,000 remotely conscious decisions each day. Floating provides the perfect escape from all of this with no connection to the outside world it is the perfect reset your system removing all stimuli giving it the break it needs.
This is an evolutionary crisis that humankind has not faced until now, requiring a need to be creative and develop unique solutions to solve this problem. I believe floatation therapy has resurfaced to meet this need, as previously it wasn’t such a requirement to the extent it is today. As a result, I believe the need to use and utilise floatation tanks and other similar tools will only grow in popularity as the need will only grow as lives become busier and busier.
My Personal Experience: Why Do I Float?
I float for a wide variety of purposes as a high performer always grinding hard both mentally and physically so my weekly float at Serenity is an essential part of how I stay on top of my hectic schedule. Regardless of how busy my week is, I know I have a 90 min session per week dedicated to disconnecting and unwinding. Or in some cases, 90 min to get creative and to problem solve, floating is where I now get many of my breakthroughs. On top of this ability to achieve sensory deprivation and clear my mind, it has also had a profound impact on my performance as an athlete not only from a recovery standpoint as it is often associated with but for training the skill of flow a state in which all top athletes refer to as most impactful performance indicators
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