While the concept of floatation therapy might be a little different from traditional therapy methods, it has been shown to be a very simple and effective way to improve your mood and increase your happiness.
It is a sensory deprivation treatment that utilizes the act of floating in an isolated, enclosed tank in order to reduce sensory experiences. Those senses, of course, are your sense of smell, touch, sound, and sight.
The idea behind floatation therapy is to allow the user a moment of peace and tranquility. By filling the isolated tank with water that is the same temperature as the user, it creates the sensation of having limbs floating in space, thereby lightening the user.
Since it takes literally no effort to just lay there and float, it has proven to be highly beneficial in calming the body and mind. Now, floatation therapy is increasing in popularity given its widespread beliefs of it’s therapeutic effects.
Below we’ve outlined just what those benefits are and why you should consider trying floatation therapy for your next meditative experience.
It Reduces Tension Headaches
A tension headache is an experience of feeling minor neck, scalp, or shoulder soreness and are a common addition to stress and restlessness. They’re not debilitating but they can certainly put a damper on your day, so we have good news.
In a recent study conducted at UC Irvine, floatation therapy was learned to be a versatile and long-lasting treatment option for these types of headaches.
It Helps You Sleep
These days it’s as if everyone has trouble sleeping, at the very least a couple times a year. If you’re experiencing a bout of insomnia floatation therapy may just be the cure for getting you back to dreamland.
Using floatation therapy for even just two hours a week has shown to significantly improve insomnia symptoms for up to 12 weeks, proving that this therapy shows long-lasting benefits.
If nothing else, you’ll be able to peacefully relax into a deep sleep, so why not try it out at least once?
It Helps Your Heart
Many people who suffer from high blood pressure have used floatation therapy to lower their blood pressure thereby reducing their risk of heart attack, stroke, and other heart diseases.
Lowering blood pressure is crucial to maintaining a healthy heart at any age and as such, floatation therapy makes a case for a regular secluded sensory-less soak.
It Helps You Unwind
We all know how good it feels to unwind after a busy week at work, and what better way to achieve that feeling or restfulness than by trying floatation therapy.
Many clinical studies have been conducted and showcased that its participants experienced reduced cortisol levels, lower blood pressure, elevated mood swings and better sleep, all of which are imperative to ensuring we keep our stress in check.
It Helps You Recover From a Tough Workout
Gym-goers everywhere know that a tough gym session is usually followed up with muscle tenderness, and little can be done to assist with that mild pain, but floatation therapy is one of the best things to try when you do.
It has been shown improve the level of lactic acid in your muscles after a session which lowers the perceived level of pain. With your muscles on the mend, you’ll be able to resume your daily regime with ease which will surely make you feel happier and healthier overall.
It Makes You More Creative
There are benefits to floatation therapy outside of physical effects, and one of those is that it enhances your imagination and improves creative thinking.
By reducing your senses, floating allows your brain to tap into the more creative areas of your brain and it has also been shown to increase your energy which means once you get a great new idea for a new painting, you’ll be more motivated to finish it, too.
If improving your thinking and quality of work sounds like it would benefit you in some way, floatation therapy could be the key to unlocking your inner Picasso.
It’s Highly Meditative
Meditation has shown to give us a plethora of benefits, in body, mind, and soul, but many people have difficulty tapping into a meditative state on a traditional yoga mat.
Floatation therapy makes meditation easy and allows you to reap the benefits without committing to practicing regularly until you’re a true believer.
Just by having a break from your normal daily routine and getting your eyes and ears away from TV screens or your smartphone you can drastically improve your mental state.
It Can Help You Improve Your Habits
Whether you’re a smoker, drinker, over or under water, floatation therapy can help you break the cycle and improve your habits.
Many studies have shown that there is a connection between your physiology and consciousness that can be improved through regular use of floatation therapy, thereby giving the user a heightened sense of awareness to how their choices are affecting their lives and those around them.
If you have a habit you’d like to break or improve upon, this could be a worthwhile experiment. After all you have to do is float.
It Increases Your Self Esteem
Floating is a great way to just give yourself some much needed “me-time” and for that reason, it has been shown to be useful in healing emotional pains. With just a one hour soak you can feel revitalized, calm and encouraged to complete your daily tasks.
Additionally, with floatation therapy assisting you in being calm, carefree and relaxed, your social communication skills can improve.
Simply, as you become happier with yourself, you project positively out into the world around you which will help you be more approachable, caring and understanding even intense times.
Many people who utilize flotation therapy have been said to feel more connected to their partners and friends in a more welcoming way after a session.
It’s Great For Your Skin
Since floatation therapy using water that is the same temperature as your body, you’ll experience a sensation similar to that of attending a hot yoga class upon completion.
This is great for your skin as it provides a natural exfoliation without the use of added creams or chemical substances.
It also will help your hair as the salt beads that will come out of your pores work to provide a silky, smooth finish to your locks.
You Should Really Try Floatation Therapy in a Sensory Deprivation Tank
If nothing else, it’s completely new and unique experience that you’re unlikely to have without actively seeking it out, but it’s benefits are not only immediate but also long-lasting, so you really have nothing to lose from trying it.
It’s important that when you do try floatation therapy you stay well hydrated and eat a snack a little beforehand in order to feel fully relaxed and refreshed after using the isolation tank.
It’s highly beneficial for those who are having trouble sleeping and greatly improved muscle relief, so try it out after your next workout or if you’re hoping to embark on a new creative journey, pencil in a tank session before you start your plan.