By getting rid of all sensory input you allow a part of your brain to calm down for a second, which allows the creative, relaxed part of the brain to come out and play. Without the constant pressure of analyzing the world around it, the body lowers cortisol levels, the main chemical component of stress. Your brain also releases elevated levels of dopamine and endorphins, the neurotransmitters of happiness.
If you don’t have to fight gravity, your muscles, joints, and bones take a well-deserved break. Your body suddenly has a lot of extra resources (you usually spend them on maintaining your balance, regulating your temperature, and trying not to get a speeding ticket) that can now be focuses on things like healing and rest.
Without gravity pushing you down all the time, the spine lengthens by an inch, chronic pain is relieved, and the muscles are fully rested. Unlike lying on a mattress, lying in water allows blood to flow freely throughout the body. You don’t have to adjust your position to be comfortable.
About 40 minutes into the floating session, the brain stops producing normal alpha waves and begins to emit Theta waves. These are responsible for this state “between wakefulness and sleep”. The same happens naturally every night and morning. Although it lasts only a few moments in bed, you can achieve a prolonged Theta state in the floating tank, a state of consciousness usually only seen in children and people who have a wide range of meditation experiences.
The magnesium-based Epsom salts used in the tank are also good for you.
They soften and renew the skin and hair and help prevent the magnesium deficiency that most of us have due to reduced magnesium levels in our soil.
P.S.: We recommend that you float at least three times. The first time you will only get to know the experience itself, the second time you will be able to relax a little more because you will know what to expect, and only the third time it will be the real experience from which you will get the most. This is also confirmed by many studies and experienced floater alike.
