My first time experiencing a float tank
By Mercedes Deutscher, Social Media Coordinator
My best friend and I recently went for a float tank session. It was the first time either of us had tried the experience.
For those of you that are unfamiliar, a float tank (also known as an isolation tank or sensory deprivation tank) is a large enclosed tub that contains water and Epsom salt—a lot of Epsom salt—between 800–1000 pounds of salt, which is roughly three times saltier than the Dead Sea.
When the user enters the tank and relaxes their body, they will float. The door to the tank is closed, shrouding the user in darkness. After a pre-float shower, the scent should be neutral. Some float houses offer to play relaxing music, but it’s optional.
Float tanks are advertised to be an experience that relaxes and detoxes your body and mind. Personally, I’m not one to buy into alternative medicine, so I was a little reluctant to try it, but any opportunity that could potentially relieve the constant tension in my back and neck is welcome in my books.
We visited Float House, which is located in Gastown. The venue was clean and full of all kinds of alternative medicine, including salt lamps, sage, tea. To be frank, it felt gimmicky. My best friend was over the moon. She loves that kind of stuff.
We were shown into our rooms, which included a shower, towels, and the float tank. Each room had a small pool noodle that was meant to go along our spine, along with a foam donut to rest the head and neck on.
The session was 90 minutes long. I used my music selections to keep track of time, but I felt like I was in there forever. Being so used to the distractions of life and the outside world, it felt strange and uncomfortable to just lie there doing nothing for so long. Yet I slowly felt myself relaxing and slipped into a semi-comatose state. By the time my wake-up call came, I felt like I was being jolted awake.
I was surprised at how relaxed I felt afterwards. The tension in my back and neck were completely gone, and I was in no hurry to jump back on my phone. Float House has a relaxation lounge where patrons can unwind after their session, complete with tea, buddha boards, books, and journals. My friend and I shared our experiences with each other afterwards. She lost tension through her body through twitching. I’ve heard stories of people even hallucinating in these tanks.
Overall, floating is an experience I would recommend that everyone try at least once. My back and neck remained tension-free for days after the session, and I’ve felt more relaxed overall. At $70 for a session (sans membership), it’s definitely not an every-weekend kind of thing, but is great to do now and then.
