My mother often says to me, “You will try anything!” And I am proud to say that she is right! I try a lot of new things because I like to have different experiences. Plus, since I started blogging, I really like to try the latest trends not only to see if I like it but also to help my travel clients and followers gain knowledge.
With that said, I recently tried floatation therapy. Floatation therapy is exactly what it sounds like–floating in warm salt water in a float tank. Before my experience, I learned that floating in a pod puts you in a relaxed state by shutting you off from sight and sound. This helps you to do away with not only stress and anxiety but pain, swelling, insomnia, and jet lag.
As far as the setup goes, they fill the float tank with water and 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt. The water temperature is the same as your body temperature to help you become one with the water and not focus on what your body is doing. Due to the high amount of salt, your body stays on top of the water and does not sink to the bottom.
For my first session, I visited Float Horizen in Nashville, Tennessee. Float Horizen is located in my favorite hood, where I was born and raised, East Nashville. It is a new and ridiculously cute spot in the area.
After I checked in, the staff took me to a private room and provided me with instructions such as undress, shower, put in the provided earplugs, step into the float tank, and enjoy. Now, I must be honest–I thought to myself, “Am I really going to be able to lie in this tank and float for an hour doing absolutely nothing?” I had it in my mind that I would only do a few minutes to try it out and be on my way.
I stepped into the float tank, and the lights outside of the tank shut off. It was pitch dark, and soft music began to play. I laid down in the water and began to float. The music faded after about 5 minutes, and I was one with myself. No lights, no sound, no cellphone, no friends–just myself and my thoughts. I began to use this time to pray and talk to God. I heard myself starting to snore a couple of times. Then I heard the soft sounds of the music again, giving me the signal that I had 5 minutes left. I was completely blown away that an hour had already passed!
I got out of the float tank and showered to remove the salt from my body and hair. I dressed and made my way back to the lobby to leave. I found myself whispering and not wanting to talk too loud. I asked myself, “Why are you whispering?” For some odd reason, I was in such a calm and relaxing state that I felt it was only appropriate to whisper. I could not bring myself to talk in my regular voice–it seemed out of place.
In the end, I enjoyed my hour of doing absolutely nothing. I liked the time to be cut off from the world, social media, telephone calls, e-mails, etc. It gave new meaning to the concept of quiet time. In fact, it was a truly quiet time.
Floatation therapy has many possible benefits like decreasing anxiety and depression, improving sleep, lowering stress, and because of the Epson salt, relieving physical pain. Depending on what you are seeking, flotation therapy may be a great solution. I was seeking some quiet time, and I found it.