"Floating" is just that: you float in densely salted water. But beyond that, you are in total darkness and utter silence. For about an hour and a half. So yes, a sensory deprivation of sorts. And yes, I am aware that this is sometimes a torture technique. It must be a fine line between wondrous and torture. I am happy to report I stayed on the wondrous side.
Proponents of floating tout all sorts of benefits including: better sleep quality; pain relief (I was pretty much sold right there); stress relief; mood elevation; inspiration; and heightened creativity.
Physiologically, apparently what happens while floating is your body increases its dopamine and endorphin levels (happy brain chemicals) as your mind goes into a state of theta brainwaves. It's that place of "I'm sort of awake but not really" right before falling asleep. It's also the state people enter when they are meditating. In fact, my little Beginner's Guide to Floating brochure says that "Float tanks can also be thought of as training wheels for meditation." After my disappointing yoga experience in search of meditation, this sounded like an intriguing shortcut.
My floaty friend lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, so I thought perhaps floating was a new-agey California thing. I was quite surprised to discover that Portland is the home of the largest float center in the country. New agey AND weird! Score!
What this looked like in reality was two...TWO...couches in the free-trade-herbal-tea-sipping area and six...SIX...rooms to float in. This largest float center in the US was about the size of your basic Starbucks. I somehow expected more. Yet, there is apparently enough experiential demand in Portland that the center is open all the time. By that I mean 24-7. When I made my appointment for 11:00, I had to specify "a.m."
Some of the fundamental things I wondered before I floated:
How will I float? What happens if I fall asleep? Will I drown?
No drowning here! In this situation, drowning is against the law...of gravity. Har har. The water is really really really salty. They add in enough Epsom salt (I think he said 900lbs) that the water is more buoyant than the Dead Sea. It felt really soft and slimy, in a good way. Also, the water is only about 10" deep. Yes, normally enough to drown in but still very comforting to someone who continues to work on her aquaphobia.
Do I wear a bathing suit?
Nope. Each float room has its own adjoining private shower and changing room. All natural all the way.
I'm not really claustrophobic but will I feel confined?
Nope. But just in case, I chose one of the larger float tanks, which was about 7 feet tall. However, once the lights were out, I eventually starting feeling like a smaller tank would have been better. More cozy and contained and comforting. That was an unexpected reaction.
How much of me will be in the water? Do I need to wear eye goggles? Cuz salt water hurts!
Because of the buoyancy, I was about half-way submerged. My ears were under the water but my eyes never were. At first my neck and shoulders hurt a bit as I was floating, which surprised me because I don't typically have pain there. I experimented a bit and discovered that having the water at my hairline was uncomfortable. As soon as I tilted my head further back so that the water was a bit above my eyebrows, my neck and shoulders relaxed.
Although ear plugs were provided, my Float Tour Guide Guy said he never wears them. He seemed to have a lot of experience being in a floaty state so I followed his lead. I shall wear earplugs next time and forever more.
Is the water hot? Cold?
The water is kept at skin temperature and the air is warm so eventually you can't really tell where the water stops and you start. In fact, the entire center was rather warm. I arrived comfortably wearing a long sleeved shirt, jeans, and a coat. It was just a few minutes before I was peeling off layers as quickly as was socially acceptable. However, when I went out into the reception area after my float, I found it to be the perfect temperature. And the outside air was now startlingly brisk.
The allotted 90 minutes seems like an awfully long time.
At first it felt like I was going to be in there forever. I was very aware of time and it was passing s l o w l y. But then eventually I lost track of it. When the new agey music started to play to let me know my 90 minute float was ending, I was disappointed.
So what was the floating experience like?
My friend described it really well. It was indeed wondrous, eerie, and peaceful.
It took awhile for me to just relax into being in this dark pool of warm, slimy water. My mind darted all around and I felt sort of hyper-aware. I wondered if I was ever going to get into that meditative theta brainwavy state. It was during this time that 90 minutes seemed like forever.
I tried touching the bottom on the tank with my hand. I eventually touched it but it took some work. It occurred to me that doing arm and leg exercises in salt water could be a really good resistance training work-out. Like I said, I wasn't so good at the relaxing part at first.
After awhile, I started to realize I must getting close to the "float state" because I kept surprising myself back into awareness because the water was moving. It turns out I was twitching, as Rob tells me I typically do as I start falling asleep. So then I started wondering if I was ever going to get past the twitchiness and find out what this meditative state thing feels like. Lots and lots of wondering.
And then it happened.
I wasn't asleep but I wasn't aware of my body or the water or any twitches. And boy, was my mind going! I was having all sorts of ideas that came and stared at me and then flitted away like a hummingbird. I started to imagine they...these ideas which I can't remember...were fire flies that I was trying to catch. Interestingly, I was amused by my inability to catch them. In normal life, I would have been getting just a touch frustrated.
There was only one idea that I still remember. It came through very loudly and definitively. It was a little voice that said, "Your body is beautiful. No judgements."
Whaaatt??
I've been sitting with this for a few days. While I will admit that I have been obsessing a bit about losing my "winter coat" of a few extra pounds, I really don't think that was the extent of the message.
I have long been amazed by the construction of the human body and how all the organs know how to work in just the right coordination to keep us alive. I have described this system as beautiful.
I have come to think the message -- instead of being about physical appearance -- was more about not being so annoyed that some of my body parts aren't working like they used to. That even though my back and foot and knee and hormones are all evolving into a new normal, my body...all our bodies...is still a beautiful, wondrous, awesome creation. And I really need to stop discounting that just because a few things aren't perfect.
So what about all the other stuff? The pain relief, better sleep, and happier Toni? Eh, maybe.
My back did feel a lot better while I was floating, and for few hours afterwards, but I'm pretty much back to my typical pain level now. My sleep has actually been worse, but that there are some very distracting environmental issues at play, namely two hyper cats. And a snoring husband. And happier? Maybe. I don't know. I'm typically a pretty happy person so it would take a pretty big shift either way for me to really notice.
One interesting observation: when I left the float center, all of my senses were heightened. I smelled flowers I didn't even notice when I walked by them before my appointment. Everything around me seemed more defined and clear with sharper edges and more saturated color, like "High Dynamic" photographs. I wanted to make sure I didn't hit traffic on the way home so I should have checked the time, but I figured it would be what it would be and I'd know what time it was soon enough. Ummm....not my typical approach. Also, while driving (no traffic!), I found that I was super aware of what was around me but my reaction time was noticeably slower. Fortunately I noticed this quickly and adjusted my driving accordingly.
The entire floating experience fascinated me. My brain wasn't nearly as relaxed as I thought it would be but my body sure was. It was very instructive to finally experience meditation so that I have a better idea what I'm aiming for. But all that brain activity was a trip. I was expecting more quiet.
I definitely plan to float again, anticipating that it will be even more...relaxing? inspiring? bizarre?...since I won't have the "what the heck am I doing?" filter that goes with any new experience. I will be sure to wear short sleeves next time. And I will definitely use the earplugs. Let it be noted that vinegar and rubbing alcohol, pushing and tugging and gravity, and using a blow dryer do not help get water out of your ears. Sigh.
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| Promo shot from the float center's Facebook page. The room was dark and there was no bikini, but otherwise this is accurate. |
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