(picture courtsey of Life Float via Facebook)

I have been wanting to do a sensory deprivation float for at least a few years and finally found the right place and the right time to do it – and I’m so glad I did!

First of all, I love trying new experiences. There’s something about getting out of your usual routine that gets the brain and body shifting in different gears that really get me excited.

Back to floating… after doing a bit of research I decided to try Life Float in Seattle. The ease of booking online, customer service, and cleanliness of the facilities had me sold. Not to mention the genuine and authentic nature of the business, which was immediately validated upon arrival.

But wait, what’s floating?

Floating is typically done in an environment that where there are no outside inputs for your brain to process. The capsule, tank, or room is pitch black and sound proof and you are floating in room temperature water.

I’m not going to lie… I was nervous when booking because of all the horror stories I’ve heard from friends who’ve tried it or never wanted to try it because of the horror stories they heard. But, in the spirit of trying something new and especially a new form of meditation I knew I had to try it at least once.

I was also a bit worried because I have a weird hypersensitivity to magnesium! Doctors are always puzzled by this but every time I take a cal mag supplement such as Natural Calm or even the fancy sachets that cost 4x more.. I get the jitters real bad and almost feel as if I can’t breathe. So you can see why I was a bit nervous of floating in 1600 lbs of epsom salt!

Upon check-in I was guided to a beautiful, calm waiting area until my appointment time. When the room was ready I was led by the most charming gentlemen into my room where there was a personal toilet, shower, and finally the queen size like pool to float in.

There is a dim light on upon entering your suite and relaxing meditative music playing in the background. Unlike some places, you have the option to either keep the lights or music on (or both) but I opted to have both turned off. Another reason why I love Life Float is that they don’t just shut it off once you’re in the pool, they have a 10 minute grace period so you can take your time until you eventually hear and see the music / lights fade out.

As I was waiting for the lights and music to fade out I was surprised at how easily I could float! For someone who loves being in the water and the ocean I will admit… swimming is one thing I have yet to learn.

Once the lights and music went out it was just me and my thoughts. Even with my eyes open my brain couldn’t tell the difference between eyes open or closed – that’s how dark it was.

What surprised me the most was that I felt the most comfortable in the dark!

You see, I am so used to sleeping in a pitch dark room with absolutely no light or electronics that I felt right at home! Or should I say bed?!

I found that it was incredibly easy to observe the thoughts without squirrel brain going in every direction due to outside factors (touch, smell, hearing, etc.). And more often than not I found there was absolutely nothing to think about.

Afterward I remember walking out of Life Float and really noticing every single sound, thought, smell… and thinking how amazing it was that our brain and bodies are absorbing literally millions of inputs daily.

BONUS – I slept well that evening and my fear of never getting to try a float again was abolished! For some weird reason or another I am able to handle the epsom salt baths with no problem. Score!

I can’t wait to try it again in the near future. Thank you Life Float for an amazing experience!

Have you tried floating before? If so, what was your experience like?

Namaste 🙂