Report - Float tank experience

[pixy0stix]

I mentioned yesterday that I had booked a float experience for today, and was asked to report back, so here it is.  tl;dr summary - I loved it and am a convert. I've bought more passes.

Locally we have a float center that has several different rooms that you can book for your float session. One is what I think most people think of when they imagine what it looks like - a pod with a lid that you close. They also have 2 small rooms, and one larger room. I opted to book a small room. The tank itself is 5'x7' with an 8' ceiling. It's within a room that is your changing area and has a shower. I would have taken a picture of the tank itself, but it's featureless so it doesn't photograph well. In the picture below, the small door leads to the tank.



Inside the tank, the bottom is completely filled with highly salted water. The temperature is body temperature, and the tank air is fairly warm. There are controls right inside the door that adjust whether you want to keep the lights on (low light cool toned changing colored lights), or if you want the light off (which makes it completely dark). There's another button that will turn off the relaxation music, which makes the tank completely silent.

In preparation to go into the tank you put in wax earplugs (optional - I decided to put them in), shower with body wash (provided), and put vaseline on any cuts or abrasions you have so the salt doesn't sting. Trust me, you'll find out very quickly if you have anything you didn't know about. I had to hop out real quick and vaseline a mosquito bite that I must have scratched. You can wear a bathing suit if you want, I opted to go in naked. They give you 5 min to do the preparation before they start counting it as your float time.

Once I entered the tank, it took a while to settle. They had provided this thin foam ring to rest your head on to provide a little more support, so I had to figure out if I liked that or not. Then I had to play with the lights and music to find what I wanted. I opted to keep the lights on because I got very disoriented with the lights completely off. Now that I know what to expect I might try lights off again next time. I turned off the music, as my brain eventually settled into trying to find a pattern in the music which was distracting.

The other thing that took a while to settle was how to position myself in a float position. Which sounds dumb, and it probably is dumb, but it took a while to figure out what to do with my arms (up and out, or down by the body). I then had to work on telling my body to relax, that I didn't have to support myself or the float. Eventually I got that figured out, and just floated. However, the other part to that is that you sort of careen around the tank bumping into the walls just from the small movements you make in adjusting yourself. So the learning curve there was to do the gentlest of pushes off the wall. It doesn't take too long until you're just floating somewhere off the wall without touching anything.

Settling my mind was the hardest part. I'm not real good at meditation (mostly because I rarely practice), so it took a very long time to stop cataloging the new experience, stop thinking about work from the past week, stop thinking about what I have to do today, blah blah blah. I don't think I ever really reached a quiet Zen place, but my mind did really slow down, and I felt just on the brink of my brain just "being". My sympathetic nervous system has been stuck on "flight/fight" mode for what feels like months, and I actually felt it ease and calm down. Now an hour post float, I still feel very relaxed.

When your time is up they change/start the music to an upbeat piano tune, and the lights turn on if you've had them off. You climb out and shower again because you've by now become a very salty bitch. You have 10 min to shower/dress and leave.

Overall, 8/10 experience - I think next time will probably be 10/10 as I now know what to expect and what I like for now.

[pixy0stix]

spindle92 and ProfessorArtNerd since you asked for a report back

[mrsd2006]

Very interesting. How long is your float time ?

[gummybear]

I am so interested in this? Is there any odor (like essential oils etc)?

[momin2013]

This sounds simultaneously very cool but also claustrophobic!

You describe it as a pod with a lid - is the lid over top of you, or is it more like a pod you step down into, then close the door (in your pic it looks more like a door, which I think I’d be ok with. A lid over me…I’m not so sure about…)

[pixy0stix]

Jul 14, 2023 12:05:28 GMT -5 mrsd2006 said:

Very interesting. How long is your float time ?

90 minutes

[pixy0stix]

Jul 14, 2023 12:08:23 GMT -5 gummybear said:

I am so interested in this? Is there any odor (like essential oils etc)?

No smell at all, but your mileage may vary depending on the the place you go to. 

[VillainV]

I did this a few years ago, and had a very similar experience. My SIL and I went to a “salt spa” and did a bundle that included an hour in the float tank (we both agreed that was maybe just a little too long), 30 minutes in the sauna, and 45 minutes in the “salt cave” (a room with natural salt on the floor, Himalayan salt light fixtures, etc). The salt room was cool — felt like it cleared out my sinuses.

The salt in the float tank water did a number in my hair though…if i did it again, I’d use a swim cap or something to protect my hair.

[pixy0stix]

Jul 14, 2023 12:12:08 GMT -5 momin2013 said:

This sounds simultaneously very cool but also claustrophobic!

You describe it as a pod with a lid - is the lid over top of you, or is it more like a pod you step down into, then close the door (in your pic it looks more like a door, which I think I’d be ok with. A lid over me…I’m not so sure about…)

So they have a pod, but that's not what I was in. What I was in was very much like a tall, narrow room. You get into the room via that smallish door.

[pixy0stix]

Jul 14, 2023 12:15:11 GMT -5 VillainV said:

I did this a few years ago, and had a very similar experience. My SIL and I went to a “salt spa” and did a bundle that included an hour in the float tank (we both agreed that was maybe just a little too long), 30 minutes in the sauna, and 45 minutes in the “salt cave” (a room with natural salt on the floor, Himalayan salt light fixtures, etc). The salt room was cool — felt like it cleared out my sinuses.

The salt in the float tank water did a number in my hair though…if i did it again, I’d use a swim cap or something to protect my hair.

I felt like the 90 min was too short this first time, because my brain never really calmed down. Once you hit the meditative place I couldn't even "feel" the passage of time.

[mrsd2006]

Jul 14, 2023 12:13:22 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Jul 14, 2023 12:05:28 GMT -5 mrsd2006 said:

Very interesting. How long is your float time ?

90 minutes

Holy cow!! I figured 30 or so. 

[pixy0stix]

I found a picture of what it looks like inside the tank. The ceilings are 8 feet tall, so you don't feel claustrophobic at all.

[pumpkin]

I’ve floated a few times and find it’s so great for my stress.

The place near me offers 60min floats and has pods and a little room, like the picture above. I’ll admit that the 1st time I floated I wasn’t sure about closing the pod lid so I closed it most of the way, but not completely.

I have been to a place with 1.5hr floats and that was a little long for me.

[jg183]

I find the first time (everytime I take awhile off) is not as enjoyable) so I try to go back kind of soon after. The second time is much better. Float tank is the only time I have ever been actually able to turn off my mind. I do however start to get paranoid towards the end that I lost track of time and that they forgot me in there (everytime)
I think one hour is perfect for me because it always happens the last 15 minutes
I think I have some passes, I should try to go soon.
I like to close the pod all the way but leave a wash cloth in just so a little light gets in

[Jalapeñomel]

I don’t think I could shut off the “don’t fall asleep or you’ll die” mantra that’s so ingrained into me around water (even though I know I would’ve ever fall asleep).

[definitelyO]

wow - thank you so much for sharing your experience.

[donutsmakemegonuts]

How deep is the water in the tank?

[sofamonkey]

Thanks! I’ve been thinking about doing this as well, so I appreciate know the scoop.

[pixy0stix]

Jul 14, 2023 13:04:16 GMT -5 donutsmakemegonuts said:

How deep is the water in the tank?

Maybe a 1.5'? It felt standard bathtub depth.

[namasteak]

I don’t think I would like this but it does sound like something DH would love and never buy himself.

[namasteak]

Jul 14, 2023 12:48:48 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

I don’t think I could shut off the “don’t fall asleep or you’ll die” mantra that’s so ingrained into me around water (even though I know I would’ve ever fall asleep).

Same - I would be so stressed about not falling asleep (which honestly happens if I try to meditate for longer than 20min).

[gretchenindisguise]

Ooh thanks for posting this! I bought an hour float at a local place through an auction and I haven’t gotten around to scheduling it. Maybe this will help spur me.

[Deleted]

Jul 14, 2023 13:40:19 GMT -5 namasteak said:

Jul 14, 2023 12:48:48 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

I don’t think I could shut off the “don’t fall asleep or you’ll die” mantra that’s so ingrained into me around water (even though I know I would’ve ever fall asleep).

Same - I would be so stressed about not falling asleep (which honestly happens if I try to meditate for longer than 20min).

I fall asleep sometimes during a 10 minute meditation, there's no way I wouldn't fall asleep in this tank! And as much as I enjoy a Swedish Massage, I always fall asleep during that too, so it's like I end up missing half of the experience.

[court26]

Thanks for reporting back. I’m definitely intrigued.

[7costanza]

I did a float in a pod a few years ago, I was worried about being trapped so left it open a bit with the light on but couldn’t ever relax. They also very heavily emphasized that if you get any bodily fluids, etc. in the water they would charge you like $5k for cleaning, so I was paranoid my period would start unexpectedly while I was floating. I didn’t use the earplugs and ended up with dried salt in there making a crinkly noise for a couple days until I figured out what it was.

The place you went to looks much nicer than the place I did, they ended up closing because they had several floods and the landlord wouldn’t renew their lease, lol. Maybe I should try again with a better company!

[joy]

Am I going to fall asleep in there? That’s my biggest fear. Not that I’ll drown but that I’ll sleep thru my time. 🤣

[pixy0stix]

On their website they say that falling asleep is very common. I bet it'd be the best nap ever.

[sarapocalypse]

I love floating! The float place I go to also offers a float/massage package, which I gave myself for my birthday this year. 60 minute float followed by a 60 minute massage. Most relaxing day ever!

Glad you had a good experience too!

[NomadicMama]

Lurker here…I started floating a couple of years ago. I’m glad that your first experience was so good! It takes a bit of practice to learn how to find the meditative sweet spot. I learned (the hard way) not to have caffeine before hand. I literally bounced off the sides of the pod that visit. The magnesium in the Epsom salt is soooooo good for you. Due to the magnesium and the relaxation, I typically sleep so well the night after a float.

If you have fibromyalgia, some float centers offer a 50% discount if you being in proof of your diagnosis. It is worth looking into.

[spindle92]

pixy0stix, Thank you so much for reporting back.

I am sold on it - calling tomorrow to make an appt.