Floating in a saltwater-filled tank to relieve stress and anxiety

I was nervous about the idea of floating in a dense salt solution for the first time. Spas call them float tanks or sensory deprivation tanks. The experience entails floating “weightless” in a large bathtub filled with saline solution that is about two feet deep. The water is heated to stay right at body temperature and the tub is in a pitch-dark room.

I practice meditation daily, so I was comfortable being alone with the sound of my breath for 90 minutes. The new elements were the extreme darkness, the feeling of weightlessness and the soundproof room. I had heard that each person’s experience of floating was unique. I recalled the Buddhist saying, “All beginnings are difficult.”

Fortunately, I was in Florida for a family Christmas gathering and my younger brother was game to try floating as well. He had some trepidation about it as welll. Trying it together made it more of an adventure. We drove an hour to a spa in Delray Beach to “dive” into the unknown.

Upon arrival, we found the spa staff to be kind and welcoming. We sat at their juice bar waiting for the tank (there was only one) to be cleaned after the previous client. The spa also offered classes on yoga, meditation, and martial arts. I took the first appointment while my brother waited at the bar.

A spa attendant soon led me to the room where the float tank was housed. A pre-float shower is mandatory to rinse off dirt and oil so your naked body can more easily absorb the magnesium in the water. It typically consists of about 30 percent Epsom salt. One’s body floats effortlessly while lying on their back. I imagined it would be akin to the buoyancy of floating in the Dead Sea.

Fleeting “monkey-mind” type thoughts crossed my mind before I stepped into the tank. Would I get claustrophobic? Is it possible to have a “bad trip” while floating? Would I feel trapped? I let those thoughts pass and stepped into the float tank. I closed the heavy door behind me and took a moment to get my bearings. Where was that inside doorknob again?

I laid down in the tank carefully so I would not lose my footing on the slippery floor. The body temperature water was soothing. I adjusted my wax earplugs to block any possible water seepage while floating on my back. The lack of gravity’s effect on my body was a new and welcome experience.

I had not realized just how “clenched” my leg muscles were until I was able to completely let go of them without the pull of gravity. It took about twenty minutes to acclimate to my body’s weightlessness and the total lack of sound in the float room. It was the type of darkness where you “can’t see your hand in front of your face”. The sound of my breath gradually quieted.

In the absence of any distractions I found it easy to meditate. I let my body breathe normally. Thoughts would come and go but I let them pass like clouds in the sky. This was prime float time! I happily sank into “nothingness” and quiet bliss. I felt a sense of peace and acute presence.

I found my rhythm and wanted to keep on floating. It was around that time that the attendant knocked on the door, signaling that my session was ending. I found the inside doorknob (phew!), opened the heavy door and stepped out to towel off. I was on a natural high as I showered to rinse off the salty residue. As i got dressed, my movements felt deliberate and mindful. My senses were wide-awake.

As I walked out of the room my breaths felt chock-full of life. It was a type of euphoria that I had never experienced. In my float-influenced mind anything was possible and everyone I passed in the studio was perfect. A friend had told me about the high she was on after parachuting from an airplane. As I soaked up the blissful afterglow, I got a taste of what she had experienced.

I left the spa to meet my brother who was waiting outside for his turn in the tank. “What took you so long!?”, he blurted. For a moment, my post-float buzz came to a screeching halt! He burst my bubble!  I responded “You don’t understand. It takes a while…there’s a whole process involved…you’ll see.”

Fortunately, my euphoric “bubble” returned. That sense of presence was still with me. My solo stroll around the shops of Delray Beach was blissful. My view of the busy streets was not veiled with thoughts of the past or worries about the future. I was truly and joyously present.

Colors had a new vibrance. I projected happy thoughts onto everyone I passed on the sidewalk. I saw their innate goodness and silently wished them well as we passed each other on the sidewalk.

I felt so alive! I had conquered my fears about floating in isolation. It was a quiet victory. I felt such clarity, calmness and a total absence of anxiety. For th remainder of the afternoon I savored my quiet bliss. I wanted to spread the word about float tanks to anyone who had ever experienced stress or anxiety. I wanted everyone to feel the euphoria!