To many people this concept is completely new, however it has been around for decades. So what is flotation therapy / sensory deprivation / REST?
Flotation Therapy is essentially a way of achieving deep relaxation by spending an hour or more lying quietly in darkness, suspended in a warm solution of Epsom salt. Float tanks are also known as isolation tanks, sensory deprivation tanks & REST (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy) chambers.
The Float Tank has a wide variety of uses/applications, deep relaxation and it’s benefits are just one of the reasons for floating – check out a full list of float tank benefits here.
The concept of Flotation Therapy is based on the theory that up to 90% of the brains normal workload is estimated to be caused by the effects of routine environmental stimulation (gravity, temperature, touch, light, sound, etc.). We are constantly bombarded with external stimulation as well as the incessant everyday background ‘noises’ & distractions that we may not even realise our minds are busily processing. Floating in the tank, your senses are released from all these distractions, your body is weightless & you become a mind floating in space, enabling your body & mind to reach deep levels of relaxation/meditation that would normally take years of practice to achieve. The tank creates an environment where you can achieve pure sensory relaxation.
The weightlessness combined with the benefits of epsom salts also creates an ideal environment for injury recovery as well as providing relief from muscular pain & tension.
Freed from external stimulation, your body can achieve a state of deep relaxation that is even more beneficial than sleep. Even when sleeping – your mind is receiving signals from those parts of the body that are touching the bed & covers, temperature on skin, sounds & gravity. By removing theses stresses, the mind and and body are free to focus their efforts inward repairing and rejuvenating you both physically and mentally.
The tank is light & sound proof containing an epsom salt solution, approximately 25-30cm deep. This solution is so dense with salt that anyone will float effortlessly. It also makes the water soft & silky. Light effects can be controlled by the user while floating. As well, customers can hook into the sound system with their own music if they wish – perhaps some beautiful classical music while floating is the experience that some may be looking for.
The air & the water are maintained at a constant average relaxed skin temperature of approximately 34.5- 34.7C. The huge amounts of epsom salts in the water make it silky & soft. This causes the boundaries between your body, the air & the water to blur & you become unaware of whether your body is in or out of the water. You feel like an astronaut floating in outer space.