Let Go! Float Cloud 9

Sensory Deprivation… Why in the world would I want that? I’ll tell you!

To release tension
to experience ultimate relaxation
to detox negative or unaligned energies
and … to think.

I mean really think. Think or meditate in a way that you may try to think or meditate when you’re at home, but your dog sits down next to you and licks your face and your cat believes the lotus position is actually you sitting silently after moving your body into a new chair just for her and falls asleep in your lap. This is not you-and-your-familiars meditation time.

The tank was very similar to this. PS… That is not me :)

The float tank experience is described by Cloud nine Float Center in Boulder as “Relaxing in outer space.”

Since the temperature is the same as your skin temp (93.5 degrees), it feels perfectly luke-warmish—Like bath water when you get in, but soon it morphs into seriously feeling like nothing! It does feel like you’re hanging in space. None of your muscles have to engage at all, so you really are just floating there… (800ish lbs of salt is keeping you afloat… You couldn’t sink if you tried.)

No waves, no movement, no sound (If you choose) and no light (also optional), and you’re in a space that I can honestly say is so private and peaceful…

I must mention that I feel you have to be brave.

You have to be able to handle that much alone time with just you—processing thoughts, brainstorming, releasing, forgiving, listening to your higher self, or simply in quiet meditation at monumental levels by floating, motionless with yourself for 60-90 minutes.

I opted for 90 minutes my first experience. I thought I’d experiment a bit with sound and floaties (a floating neck pillow and “under-the-knees” noodle). I found that I did like the neck pillow because, believe it or not, I had a hard time relaxing completely. My neck and shoulders wanted to hold me up—I guess they didn’t believe they would float…

Yes, I need to practice relaxing..

So the pillow helped, I didn’t need the noodle—I asked for the music to fade out after fifteen minutes and then come back on just before the session was over. I realized at the end that I enjoyed the really relaxing angel-y music and I was actually more comfortable with the very dim light inside the tank on.

So apparently, or so far anyway, complete perceptual isolation is not for me just yet. I did have some racing thoughts that consisted of me scream thinking to myself, “Relax! Relax! Move your shoulders down away from your ears! Stop breathing so hard, for god sakes stop thinking so much!”

I gave myself some Reiki and it got quieter eventually :)

Cloud nine is awesome.

I feel it is a tranquil and safe environment, everything you need is there—towels, robes, tea, shower, etc. It has a Spa feel.

When I go again I’ll definitely go in the evening as I did the first time. I have to say, it was an amazing night of sleep I had after floating. I believe this can be a very effective part of meditation practice and relaxing in water is the best thing in the world.

Happy Floating!