I showed up for my first float therapy appointment super nervous. I had read up on it, so I had a general idea of what to expect, but when the float host escorted me into the dark room, I felt anxious. After some simple instructions, follow up questions, and calming answers, the float host left me to it.
First I showered to remove any sweat, oils, and excess skin cells. Then I cautiously stepped into the Epson salt-filled float cabin and sat down. The water was only about 10 inches deep. After looking around a bit to acclimate to the size of the tank, which was 9-feet x 9-feet, I pulled the submarine-like door closed and laid back.
I floated.
I knew that was the whole point, but I was surprised by how easily it happened and how natural it felt. I placed the neck pillow under my head and pushed my way around the tank for a minute before I made my way over to the control panel. I scrolled through the music options, but nothing struck my fancy, so I opted for silence. Then I played with the lighting options, but ultimately decided to float in darkness.
Total sensory deprivation. No light. No sound. Nothing touching me except the warm 94 degree water (okay, full disclosure: I was naked, but my boobs floated up out of the water, and that got chilly, so I draped a towel over my chest; but other than THAT, it was total sensory deprivation).
With no light and no music, I was left with just the sound of my own thoughts, but even those disappeared after a few minutes. I may have fallen asleep without even realizing it. The light came on, indicating that my float was over, and I thought “There’s no way that was 50 minutes.”
I suffer from a chronic pain condition (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, or CRPS), which affects my right arm, head, neck, and back. It stems from an accident that happened in 2007, so for over 10 years I’ve lived with severe burning pain and debilitating muscle spasms that put me in a wheelchair at the age of 22. Even after a decade of treatments (pharmaceuticals, surgeries, behavioral therapy, physical therapy, and more), I’m still in pain every second of every day.
That is, except when I was in the float therapy tank.
The water was so close to my body temperature that I could barely feel my own body, which meant I didn’t feel any pain. The usual fire that rages in my arm was extinguished. The aching spasms in my neck and back vanished. With my body at ease, my mind cleared and I just – was. I wasn’t thinking. I wasn’t feeling. I simply existed in that moment, completely clear and free of thought, stress, or anything from the outside world.
I stepped out of the tank and back into the shower with a new sense of calm. I dressed, and opened the door to find my float host waiting for me with water. She escorted me to the Whisper Lounge, which was vacant (thankfully, because after that serene float, I wasn’t ready to “people” yet). I sat in silence, staring out at the woods and wondering how I could make float therapy a regular thing.
According to The Lodge at Woodloch website, the benefits of FLOAT Therapy include the relief of muscular tension, joint inflammation, and arthritic pain, as well as improved sleep, concentration, and skin ailments. FLOAT Therapy can also help to reduce headaches, high blood pressure, and more. If you ask me, I think their website under sells this service.
Learn more about our experience at the Lodge at Woodloch.
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