The Salty Turtle Float Center
717-537-6955
903 Nissley Road Unit H, Lancaster, PA
This morning I woke up, shuffled downstairs, and brewed myself a nice hot cup of coffee to start my day. Imagine my surprise when I came back to realize I'd never slid a mug under the Keurig to catch the pour. To its credit, the trough holds the new record in the house for being able to hold all 10oz, 'strong setting' coffee! So.... how is your day going?? =^.^= Our latest Spa Spotlight takes us to The Salty Turtle Float Center. Nestled in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this beautiful location is an oasis where healing flows out to the community like a warm heartbeat. This particular strength and rythme stems from the dedication of the spa's founding partners, John & Kris Fernandez. This past summer, Kris and John warmly welcomed me into their establishment for a tour. We shared an hour of comfortable and engaging conversation as this dynamic pair shared stories of how The Salty Turtle came to be, and all of the wonderful things they're working to accomplish. Meet the Founders John and Kris Fernandez have been practicing partnership, cooperation, and dream-building together over the last 25 years. When it comes to their business they both jump in to share various tasks, but they also tend to gravitate toward their own personal specialties. John, a charismatic and warm soul, is, among many things, the on-call handyman! His background in HVAC allows him to expertly install, upgrade, and maintain their state-of-the-art equipment. He enjoys learning how things work, and can understand highly technical machinery. Ask him about anything in the building - the float cabins, a brand new halotherapy unit, or their vibro-accoustic infrared therapy mats and watch his eyes light up. (More on those in a bit!) He will happily walk you over and explain all you care to know about each function, setting, and benefit. He is also often the first friendly face you see as you enter the lobby. Currently, John stays on-site to assist guests, deep clean the units, and keep daily operations running seamlessly. His brilliant wife Kris works a bit more behind the scenes. It is her responsibility to manage the center's foundational organization. She's often thinking through optimization topics - ie. the best times to be open, how to reach clients and maximize their benefits, forecasting for future endeavors, and brainstorming various innovative projects for community outreach. You might just get to chat with her if you engage with their social media accounts: Instagram: @saltyturtlefloats and Facebook: The Salty Turtle Together, they have run this center since November 2021. If the location strikes a chord of familiarity, you might have known this spot under the former name of Bala Float Center. John was a regularly floating client of the former proprietor, Chris Smeltz. Under his tutelage and mentorship (and some heavy researching and apprenticeship at other learning centers), John and Kris have been trained on how to expertly care for the tanks, prioritizing cleanliness and comfort, with a splash of trendiness and fun that will leave any visitor walking out like they're on Cloud 9. When the former owner decided his passion was gravitating elsewhere, the couple knew it was their time to step up and shape this space into a center of healing transformation for everyone in the community. Services Offered 2 Full Float Rooms I was initially drawn to this location to experience their float cabins. The Salty Turtle has two rooms to choose from, fittingly named Oasis and Tranquility. As you can see from the photo above, they are spacious, modern, and exquisite. You can enjoy a 60-minute or 90-minute peaceful float session. The owners have taken great care to design these rooms to evoke the essence of a blissful, sun-washed beach. Luxuriate in your float suite in complete privacy, then take the time you need to shower in comfort before returning to the world. Dry Salt / Halotherapy A surprise star at the center is a new Halotherapy Salt Cabin - the first of its kind in the entire county! It features several protocols that promote respitatory health, deep meditation, and improve skin clarity. The best part is, you don't need to do a thing. You simply sit inside (its built very much like a sauna), relax, and breathe. The cabin emits incredibly fine microns of pure salt. The protocol is safe for everyone, including children. It is shown to be amazing for asthma relief, boosting your immune system, and increasing lung capacity. Additional features include gentle heat, relaxing audio, optional aromatherpy, and chromeotherapy - being bathed in visible-spectrum light. Don't be intimidated -- the halotherapy unit, with its wealth of features, is John's particular specialty. As a certified halotherapist, John would be happy to guide you through the optimal session for your needs. With cold and flu season upon us, there's no better time to prioritize health .Sessions can take only 20-30 minutes so they are perfect for a quick pop-in, or a healing addition to your float appointment. 2 VibroAccoustic Infrared Therapy Mats These beauties are another feature I have not experienced anywhere else in the area. I was struck by how peaceful the room felt as soon as I walked in (surely a credit to all of the healing energy radiating from the space). Vibroaccoustic therapy uses gentle vibrations of the mat, paired with synced binaural beats (fed through comfortable headphones) to immerse your body in a wave of subconsciously perceptible tonal energy. There's a warming feature, and a blanket attached to the mat, so you are able to slip inside and feel warm and secure. The mat gently massages your muscles and has the power to transport you to a deeply restful, medative state. Additionally, the far-infrared rays eminating from beneath you help to improve circulation and regulate your body's internal sytems. The benefits can be felt even if you take a little nap while you're there! This service can be booked for 30- or 60-minute sessions to allow yourself to be dialed in and blissed out. Growing Into the Community An aspect of this location that I find particularly exceptional is their dedication to the Lancaster community. Taking care to innovate often, Kris enjoys creating specials and packages that allow the Salty Turle to partner with other small businesses. Last Valentine's Day, for instance, you could purchase a Sweetheart Package that featured wellness services at the spa paired with local chocolates and wine! How fun is that? I hope she brings that back for 2024. Go see what she has put together for the holidays, as it is sure to be unique and delightful. If you're looking for a gift to show gratitude for the cherished people in your life, a visit to the Salty Turtle might be exactly what they really need. If you're a local artist (or a lover of art), you'll soon see this location feature a gallery in their lobby, in collaboration with the art district. Floaters know that the modality can truly unlock creativity and nuture the metamorphosis from inspiration through to artistic realization. Keep an eye out for them at local events as well. They would love for you to say hi! They regularly partner with West End Yoga Studio (sign me up for that collab!), Pet Pantry, and the Lancaster Barnstormers baseball team. The center even sponsors a champion professional boxer who comes in to float as an integral part of his training regimen!! (Check out Floating for Athletes: The Warrior's Secret Weapon for some insight on why that is the perfect partnership.). They're also a really wonderful place to work. So if you love where you live, perhaps its time to love where you work! When You're Ready to Visit All services can be booked through the easy-to-use scheduling platform on the website https://www.saltyturtlewellness.com/. If you'd like to work with someone or have any questions, call the friendly staff at (717) 537-6955 The Salty Turtle Float Center 903 Nissley Road, Unit H Lancaster, PA 17601 Credit #FloatGirlOfficial December 8, 2023
Here’s a sports trivia question for all our athletically-inclined readers: What do the Dallas Cowboys, the Golden State Warriors, the Chicago Cubs, The Manchester United Football Club, and Michael Phelps all have in common? You might see this line up and think “well, the ‘92 Dallas Cowboys won the Superbowl that year, the Golden State Warriors won the NBA Finals in ‘14, the Cubs made history when they won the 2016 World Series, Manchester United is one of the most honoured Football Clubs in the world, and Michael Phelps has won more gold medals than any other Olympian in history! They’re all winners!” But that’s not all they have in common: they also all used float tanks. They weren’t alone, either: the New England Patriots, UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie, the Chicago Bulls, Olympic Gymnast Aly Raisman, the Philadelphia Eagles, Olympic Gold Medalist Carl Lewis, The Detroit Pistons, as well as literally hundreds of other professional athletes have incorporated floating into their training and recovery programs throughout the years. Floating is one of the best kept secrets in high-performing athletes and there’s some interesting research that helps explain why. Raising the Performance Ceiling If someone told you that laying in the dark on a bed of saltwater could give you superhuman strength or speed, would you believe them? It may not be as far-fetched as it sounds. One study found that high-level athletes who have plateaued – those who don’t see any additional benefits from more training – would see an improvement in performance after floating in conjunction with visualization techniques, even without additional training. Put another way, athletes were able to increase their peak performance just by floating before competition. A follow up study not only confirmed this result but also showed that floating multiple times between games led to significant improvements over a single float! This demonstrates something that most floaters already know: the more you float, the better it is for you. Improved Precision Beyond general athletic performance, a few studies looked at more specific benefits of floating in athletes. Several studies tested how floating affects marksmanship. All 3 studies had a float group and a control group, with participants from all skill levels. In the rifle marksmanship study 75% had a statistically significant increase in accuracy pre- to post-float with no such increase was found in the control group (relaxation without floating). A similar effect was found in the darts study, with 80% of participants seeing an improvement. It’s worth noting that in both studies, these improvements were seen regardless of skill level. While the archery study didn’t see any significant increase in accuracy, it did show that the float-group had more consistent scores than the non-float group, something that the other two studies found as well. Reduced Recovery Time While the benefits described above could be explained as a side effect of stress reduction, there’s more to the story of the impact on floating in physical performance, certainly not enough to explain why floating has been so popular among high-level athletes. Building off of earlier research, scientists in recent years have started using biometrics to see what’s happening to athletes who float on a physiological level. A 2013 study looked at the effect floating has on lactic acid build-up. Lactic acid is associated with that post-workout feeling of tightness in your muscles that causes your body to stiffen and get sore. Professional athletes are always looking for new ways to reduce the amount it builds up during a workout to maximize performance. What they found was that floating after exercise showed a 62% reduction in lactic acid build up on average compared to the control group. Participants also reported feeling less pain and were back at peak performance sooner. A follow up study in 2016 was able to replicate this effect with a larger sample size over 9 different sports. Not only were they able to replicate the lactic acid reduction, they also found a significant reduction in muscle soreness and improved mood and reduced fatigue in those that floated. Looking at the Whole Picture When you take all of these effects together, you can start to see why floating has been one of the best kept secrets of successful athletes. When you take into consideration the stress reduction benefits as well, you can see how floating might help them be at the top of their mental game in addition to their professional one. The best part about all of this? Floating is helpful for athletes at every level. You don’t need to be an Olympian to see the benefits of floating in your exercise. It can be a nice way to cool down after a jog or help you recover after playing in a local league game on the weekends.
You may be surprised to learn that arthritis affects more than 60 million people yearly, making it one of the most common disabilities in the country. There are many different types of arthritis, and people are impacted in different ways by it, but two of the most common forms are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Osteoarthritis wears down the joint cartilage and can alter bone shape, while Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints. Both of these can cause intense joint pain, body fatigue, stiffness and mobility issues, having a lasting impact on quality of life. Even the simplest of tasks can often be too difficult to perform due to pain. With Rheumatoid Arthritis in particular, since it’s an autoimmune disorder, there is evidence pointing to outside stress exacerbating the issue and causing even more pain and stiffness. While medications, exercise, and healthy eating are some of the most common treatment routes, those who suffer from arthritis often still have difficulties with their day-to-day activities despite taking steps to alleviate them. Another avenue of treatment people have explored is pool therapy, which offers a unique space where the buoyancy of the water can take weight off of the joints while still allowing work on a range of motion exercises with less strain. The warm water used by the pools also provides benefits, as it helps ease muscle pain while loosening the body, which has shown to be especially beneficial for those with Rheumatoid Arthritis. The idea of using warm pools for healing is not a new concept: the use of natural hot springs for body ailments has been around for thousands of years, with cultures all around the world using them to find relief. Similarly, people have been using the float tanks for pain and stress relief since they were first developed. The anti-gravity effect of the tank lets the body loosen and relax, offering the joints and muscles an opportunity to release tension and heal. As a result, people from all walks enjoy floating to ease their aches. Additionally, time spent in float tanks has been shown to lower blood pressure and drop cortisol levels, leaving you with a relaxed and calm state post-float. With both the increase in knowledge of pool therapy as a treatment, as well as the rise in availability and knowledge of float tanks, it was only a matter of time until people began to turn towards the tank for a possible treatment option for arthritis – and the research has been extremely promising. Early pilot studies began popping up looking into floating for arthritis relief, all with similarly positive outcomes: nearly all those who completed these early trials saw benefits in one way or another. Participants reported being once again able to perform tasks that had become too difficult. Some saw a decrease in the need for pain medication, as well as general pain reduction. One study showed how range of motion could be increased through floating, likely due in part to soaking in warm water, allowing the muscles and joints a chance to relax and loosen. The high concentration of the Epsom salts may also be a contributing factor, allowing for further relaxation and healing to the muscles, simulating forms of natural hot springs used in the past for body pain. While the results of these early studies are promising, more evidence is needed before any claims can be made definitively. Despite that, testimonials from those suffering from arthritis continue to pour in, applauding the tank as a great source of healing. Many continue to find the relief that floatation tanks have to offer, and continue to spread the word of the wonders it can do.
The longest study on human happiness tells us the greatest determinant of happiness is the quality and warmth of our relationships. Beginning in 1938, the Harvard Study of Adult Development has explored many aspects of human existence as they relate to health and happiness, monitoring the lives of 724 initial participants plus 1300 of their descendants. The finding that meaningful relationships hold the greatest influence over health and happiness begs us to examine barriers to true connection in our lives, and in caring for oneself, pursue ways to overcome these barriers and focus intentionally on fostering relationships. Barriers to connection, whether internal or external, abound. External barriers relate to surrounding circumstances such as time, context, aspects of other people with whom we are connecting, and more. It’s possible to intentionally create environments in support of connection, such as setting aside time and assuring a comfortable environment, but many factors remain out of one’s control. Internal barriers to connection arise from thoughts, experiences, attitudes, and perceptions about oneself and others, influencing openness to connection and relationship building. In this complex and nuanced area of human experience, one may find fear of rejection, low self-esteem, low self-efficacy surrounding communication and relationship building, trauma, and many other factors. Additional internal barriers to connection include physical pain, stress, anxiety, and distraction, all of which pose the potential to detract from open, vulnerable time with another person. Floating offers the opportunity to rest and spend time with oneself, including becoming aware of those thoughts and perceptions that might influence connection with others. What inner work can be done to reduce and eliminate long-held patterns that reduce the ability to connect? Particularly when partnered with work with a therapist, delving into these spaces is, while potentially challenging, also deeply meaningful for one’s happiness and well-being. Emerging from a float feeling rested, relaxed, and renewed with a touch of insight to the self is quite a time to sit across from a friend or loved one to share a meal. Perhaps, for your next float, you might consider arranging dinner and a walk together afterwards. Your happiness is real, your happiness matters, and reaching out to that person across the table is of benefit to you both.
New Research Examines How Floating Improves Cardiovascular Wellness
In 1954, a young medical doctor and neuroscientist, John C. Lilly, donned a breathing mask and took the first descending steps into a large, fresh-water tank designed to cut out as much light, noise, and general sensation as possible. From that first iteration, it would be 19 years before floatation therapy was offered generally to the public, thanks to the work of Dr. Lilly, along with Glenn and Lee Perry. Glenn Perry, an engineer by trade, had his first float in 1972 at a workshop hosted by Lilly. An ordinarily extremely shy Glenn emerged from the tank in a new state of consciousness, one that “broke him from a spell,” allowing him to speak freely in front of a group of strangers (which would have terrified him under normal circumstances). After the week-long workshop, Glenn knew that he needed to have his own personal tank, so he set out to craft one. Along the way, he decided to pursue designing floatation tanks for others as well, thinking that if his own time floating could be so beneficial to him, that surely it would be useful for others as well. Glenn immediately began designing new prototypes, experimenting with construction materials from plywood to fiberglass to cardboard. It was in one of these early tanks that Lee had her first float, as part of an isolation tank research project. After meeting and falling in love, the two set out to bring floating to as many people as possible. They began the Samadhi Tank Co., a name given to them by John Lilly. By 1973, all the basic features of current float tanks were in place: a shallow, temperature controlled pool of water, saturated with magnesium sulfate, that you would lay down in. 50 years ago, Glenn and Lee began hosting the first commercial float sessions out of their house, trying to get the word of floating out to anyone who would listen. Glenn worked on tank design while Lee worked with the floaters, learning how to introduce them to floating, how to prepare them for the float without any “pre-programming,” and how to welcome them back to the physical world after their session. With each floater, they expanded their knowledge and introduced more and more people to the buoyant practice. This was the beginning of the commercial float world. 1979 saw the first large scale commercial float center, a five tank center in Beverly Hills run by the Perrys. Their new space, and practice, was a hit, and floating began to captivate the citizens and celebrities of LA. All the while, more and more tanks were being sold and shipped across the globe and within a couple years, half a dozen more commercial float centers had opened up. Samadhi Tank Co. even started an ambitious 20 tank center in San Francisco that doubled as a sales floor for their manufacturing. By the mid 80’s more and more people were reaching out to Glenn and Lee, curious about opening their own float centers. The Perrys began to share the knowledge that they learned from their own experiences, generously assisting and welcoming newcomers into the burgeoning industry. The Float Tank Association (FTA), a non-profit dedicated to serving the float world, began in 1983 with Glenn and Lee Perry, as well as John Lilly, serving on the board. The FTA began to hold conferences and events centered around floatation, which included both the commercial industry, as well as the latest research being conducted. The FTA, along with its sister organization, the International R.E.S.T. Investigators’ Society (IRIS), nurtured the float industry and helped it to break even further into the mainstream. Celebrities like Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams, and Michael Crichton were using the tanks and talking about them publicly. Sadly, with the general public not fully understanding the transmission of AIDS, float centers all over took a gigantic hit when the AIDS epidemic and media frenzy took hold. By the early 90s, most float centers around the United States had shut their doors, citing poor income and attendance due to HIV/AIDS as the primary reason. Thankfully, this wasn’t the final chapter for commercial floating. Internationally, floating rebounded more quickly than it did in the US, and new float centers and tank manufacturers popped up in Italy, the UK, Sweden, and Germany. Still, through the 1990s and most of the early 2000s, the float industry remained incredibly small, with relatively little development or mass awareness. It wasn’t until around 2009 that the industry began to pick up again. Media attention picked up, and Joe Rogan especially was very vocal about floating and its benefits on his popular podcast. Between 2010 and 2016, hundreds of new float centers had opened up in the United States alone, with Canada and Australia following similar trends. New floatation specific research labs were constructed, and an annual float conference started up with hundreds of attendees from around the globe. Today, there is at least one float center in essentially every major city in an English speaking country. You can also find float centers in most countries throughout Europe, as well as various other hot spots across the globe. Top sports stars – like Steph Curry and Tom Brady – give high praise to the tank, encouraging other athletes of all levels to give it a try. References in popular culture have ranged from The Simpsons, to Big Bang Theory, to Stranger Things, to Cobra Kai, and beyond. Floating now has greater awareness and availability than has ever existed in its past. Since those early days of being fully submerged in laboratory water tanks, and going on private retreats with John Lilly, the world of floating has gone through its trials and tribulations. Through it all, however, the industry has retained its core value: sharing floating with as many people as possible in the hope of changing the world, as Dr. Lilly put it.
The concept of taking time away from obligations to relax and recoup is so foreign in our society that the idea is often met with confused looks; people live in a constant state of motion, often bouncing from task to task with no time to stop, breathe, and enjoy the moment. In society’s eyes, relaxing and doing nothing means wasting time… and wasting time means losing out on both money and opportunities. The guilt that many of us feel for not being productive at all times is something we’re taught when we’re young, whether intentionally or not, and it gets carried with us as we age. This can lead to a cycle where we feel that we need to be going at all times, even when our mental and physical capacities are out of gas. We dig ourselves deeper and deeper into exhaustion trying to make the best use of our productivity each day, inevitably leading to symptoms of burnout, which are often ignored for as long as possible. Learning to take a step back and let your mind and body recover is a valuable skill that can keep yourself afloat while battling the regular stresses of life. Taking time out to rest offers a whole slew of benefits: a boost in energy, increased creativity, time to process the new things you’ve learned, and much more. The problem, though, is that despite how simple resting is, not everyone actually knows how to do it properly. Sitting down to scroll social media with TV on in the background might feel like we’re resting, but in actuality our brains are still fully engaged trying to concentrate and process all of the information we’re being confronted with. Our bodies can be relaxed, yet our minds stay on. Instead of staying active by scrolling and channel-hopping during the majority of our downtime, making time to consciously do as little as possible is surprisingly effective – by taking the time to slow your day down, you can let your brain get a reset, which in turn has been shown to reduce stress, boost creativity, and (almost counterintuitively) increase your overall productivity. Many of these ideas and ideals are embraced by the slow living movement, and incorporating them into your own life can actually be accomplished quite easily. This includes things as simple as waking up a few minutes earlier so that you have time to sit and enjoy your tea or coffee, or taking a little extra time in the shower to enjoy the feeling of the water warming your body, rather than setting an alarm that gives you as little time as possible before you rush out the door. Likewise, going for an afternoon walk to get some fresh air, instead of relentlessly pushing through your to-do list, can refresh your entire system, leaving you rejuvenated when you return to work. Being more mindful and taking longer to do tasks like this allow the mind a chance to wander and daydream. This wandering mind provides a break from the flow of the day, allowing a focus on bodily maintenance, as well as time working through ideas and problems without distractions. Letting the mind wander can help increase bodily-awareness, possibly helping us notice when we need breaks sooner as we are more in touch with our body's stress signals. These moments of idle wandering can even be the spark for a Eureka-level thought, as the brain is relaxed and can come up with unique ideas or solutions to problems without being stressed and forced to do so. Finding the time to rest can be more difficult than it should be, particularly when it comes to escaping the grasp of technology and industry. The mental tether that attaches us to our phones is strong; all types of notifications could go off at any moment, taking us away from any chance of rest. Many of us live on-call (whether it be for work, family, or both) and it becomes increasingly difficult for us to be on silent mode. Those who live in cities or near industrial facilities hardly ever catch a break from the noise that seems to constantly hum from the surroundings. Freeways, railroads, and airports keep an ever flowing level of noise coming in at all times of day. This causes a deep level of stress as we can never fully relax, there is always something (sometimes subconsciously) bringing us back to the outside world. Since so many people become used to never having the chance to rest, they go about their day never looking to make time for it, and they suffer the consequences. Resting won’t happen unless you make room for it, and starting by carving out even 30 minutes a day to rest can begin to do wonders for your stress levels and mental health (which is not to say that longer isn’t even better). Unsurprisingly, floatation therapy is one of the best forms of rest that you can get. Removing all the chaotic, outside stimulus from the world gives us a truly unique and wonderful opportunity to let go both physically and mentally. The type of relaxation you get in the tank is unlike anything else: the sense of zero-gravity allows the muscles to release tension to the fullest, your joints can loosen and get a deep relaxation without any forces weighing them down, and your mind gets a break from the outside world and enters a calmed state as the body slows down and the parasympathetic nervous system takes over. Our heart rate slows down, and blood pressure is able to follow suit. Cortisol levels drop while dopamine levels increase. It is a stress-free environment where there is nothing keeping us on high alert. Our mind is clear and free of clutter for once, allowing us to focus more intently on one thing at a time, instead of being flooded with thoughts like usual. The creative side of the brain opens up and many report being in a dream-like state, creating a rich opportunity for new ideas to flow. This boost of creative energy can even continue outside of the tank, with heightened senses when returning to the world as colors are more vivid, sounds of nature and music become more enjoyable, and delicious food tastes even better. We experience the world around us through different lenses, providing a chance to be fully and stress-free for a change. By taking time to rest, we give our body and, more importantly, our mind a chance to recover and recalibrate. Stepping away from the outside world and the stress that comes with it can be difficult, but when we do make space in our lives for it, it allows us to return to our regular lives with renewed vigor and a better state of mind. Finding the time for a float can help us step away and do nothing… in the most productive way possible.
Touch, sight, smell, hearing, and taste are what most people immediately think of when asked about the human senses. While these five major senses get the most attention, there are numerous, often-overlooked senses of the body that can add a great depth of information about what is going on inside of us: for example thermoception (sense of temperature), nociception (sense of pain), and equilibrioception (sense of balance). One of these lesser known senses is interoception, or the sense of the sensations inside your own body, like your heartbeat and your breathing. “It’s like an inner selfie,” Dr. Sahib Khalsa, floatation researcher, says in his 2016 Float Conference talk. Interoception can be compared to other forms of bodily sensations such as exteroception, which deals with sensations outside the body through stimulation of the five major senses, and proprioception,which deals with your spatial awareness. Together, these senses work to help the brain determine the answer to “how do you feel?” Through knowing where you are spatially, what is in your immediate environment, as well as what is going on in your body, you can identify how you feel, and what you need to do to correct anything that feels off. When one of these pathways for sensing our inner and outer worlds isn’t functioning properly, it can become challenging to articulate our feelings and emotions. Research has shown a link between how we regulate our emotions and our level of interoceptive awareness; a lower ability to recognize what is going on inside our bodies leads to a more difficult time working out our emotions, which in turn can make us more anxious. Interoception has been shown to be a basis for our emotional regulation - if you know what is going on inside, you’ll likely be more in tune with your emotional states. There is an evolutionary explanation for this, the more connected our ancestors were to their bodies, the more quickly they could act to solve a problem. Were they hungry and needed food? Or cold and needed shelter? Being able to decipher these messages sent to the brain in a fast and efficient way allowed ancient humans a better chance at survival. The disconnect between what the body is feeling and what the brain is perceiving can slow us down, causing us to have trouble acting on our internal feelings, often bringing out feelings of distress and anxiety. Not knowing how to describe what you’re feeling leads to confusion as we are lost in describing what we feel. Previous research has shown that floating can increase the awareness of inner bodily sensations, especially when in the tank, when a beating heart suddenly becomes more prominent in the otherwise empty environment. That feeling of body-connectivity can carry on outside of the tank as well. This has led to current research looking at how floating can be used to help people with anxiety who struggle to connect their inner sensations to the proper emotions. Anxiety Sensitivity (AS) is described as the fear that one will experience anxiety symptoms and sensations, specifically ones arising from inside the body, and is an underlying contributor to many forms of chronic anxiety. AS can be a large factor in anxiety levels for someone in their day-to-day life, and can have a variety of effects ranging from impacting how their immune system is functioning to being a cause of random panic attacks. Is it possible that getting people with high AS and low interoception into a float tank could help them get more in tune with their bodies through the reduction of all the outside stimulation? Dr. Justin Feinstein and Dr. Sahib Khalsa set out to answer that in a 2017 study. The study took individuals with high AS and other forms of anxiety and looked at how floating might be beneficial for interoception compared to another relaxing treatment (watching a nature documentary). After floating (compared to the documentary) participants reported lower states of anxiety, while also having reduced blood pressure and muscle tension. Participants who floated also had an increase of sensations from the cardiorespiratory system – their breath and heartbeat became easy to focus on with all other stimulation swept away. Interestingly, participants found it easier to detect their heartbeat all throughout their body, including areas on the face, head, and on the back.The ability to regulate their focus on internal bodily sensations was also increased. The findings indicated that floating helped these participants see a reduction of general anxiety as well as increased interoception, specifically through the heartbeat and the breath. Many anxiety disorders stem from a disconnect between the mind and body, lowering levels of interoception. This disconnect can cause other forms of anxiety, as emotions can feel out of sync, leading to internal confusion. Having a higher interception allows for someone to be more attentive to their emotions, as they can process internal stimulation quicker and more accurately gauge how they are feeling. While more work needs to be done, the results are promising, and early studies show that floating could be beneficial to increasing interoception, specifically within highly anxious individuals. There appears to be a strong connection between floating and heightened recognition of the heartbeat and breathing, making you more in tune with your body, and fostering a better understanding of the connection between your physical and mental states.
Millions of people of all ages struggle with getting a good night’s sleep. Work stress and personal issues often keep people up all night, tossing and turning in their beds until their alarm clock goes off. A chronic lack of sleep can significantly impact your physical and mental health and daily productivity. While sleep supplements and medications can provide some relief, they don’t always work. Some of these products even come with significant side effects and a risk of addiction. Fortunately, there is a natural way you can improve your ability to sleep and enhance your overall well-being. What Is Float Therapy? Float therapy (also known as Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy) is a form of complementary alternative medicine therapy where participants float inside a pod designed to reduce environmental stimulation. These pods contain about a thousand pounds of magnesium sulfate salts and water raised to skin temperature. This combination of salts and skin-temperature water creates the sensation of floating. A person “floats” in this pod for an hour to an hour and a half. During this time, their blood pressure lowers, and their heart rate slows. The water in a float tank is very shallow, and the buoyancy of the salts means that people may even fall asleep during their session. However, those who do not will find themselves in a very restful state of mind. How Does Float Therapy Affect Sleep? Experiencing such a highly meditative state strongly impacts a person’s ability to fall asleep faster, experience more restorative sleep, and decrease overall stress. Float therapy can improve overall health. Furthermore, the benefits of floating on sleep quality may remain for several weeks. Many people choose to book a regular session once they have seen the positive impacts that floating has had on their quality of life. A review of several studies conducted in 2020 showed flotation therapy effective in reducing insomnia levels in several groups of adults. In addition, the absorption of magnesium sulfate salt into the skin during this treatment relaxes the muscles. The darkened float tank encourages the production of melatonin, which helps regulate sleep. What Is The Effect Of Sensory Deprivation On Mindfulness? Mindfulness is the ability to be present at the moment without worrying about the future or the past. It is difficult for most people to remain mindful because they are continuously thinking about their expectations rather than accepting things for how they are. Flotation tanks are built so you cannot focus on external stimuli. The unique sensation you experience in a float tank combined with sensory deprivation lets your worries melt away as you relax your central nervous system and slow your breathing. Mindfulness is a valuable technique to help you manage stress and anxiety and improve your mental health. If you’re ready to experience improved sleep, better mood regulation, and greater well-being, consider booking a float session. This unique experience will help you enjoy peace and quiet as you enhance your state of mind.
As you probably know if you have tried it, the experience of floating in a sensory deprivation tank can be deeply relaxing. So, why does floating relax you? What’s the science behind this? The relaxation effect that occurs after floating is far from rare. In fact, relaxation is one of the core reasons why people seek out floating as a top defense against burnout, stress, anxiety, and depression. Science is revealing the reason why floating induces relaxation. What is Flotation Therapy? Floatation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy) is a mind-body intervention used to naturally reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression that leave the mind and body feeling heavy. While there are many mindfulness practices that can be practiced anywhere, many people find that the sensory deprivation involved with floating allows them to experience life-changing results. The Therapeutic Benefits of Floating Recent studies have uncovered just how drastic the positive benefits of floating can be for people struggling with anxiety or mood issues. One 2018 study examined the short-term anxiolytic and antidepressant effect of Floatation-REST in 50 anxious and depressed individuals. The participants presented with a range of different stress-related and anxiety disorders (including generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD, agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder). The study found that just one single-hour session of float therapy was capable of inducing a strong reduction in state anxiety and a substantial improvement in mood in study participants. In addition to experiencing immediate decreases in self-reported levels of stress, pain, muscle tension, depression, and negative affect, study participants also reported strong mood reversals. Significant increases in feelings of relaxation, serenity, happiness, positive affect, energy levels, and over-well-being were reported. What's more, participants also reported that they felt "refreshed." The Science Behind the Calming Effect So, what is behind the effects produced above? Let’s take a look at the science behind why floating relaxes you. Reduces Sensory Overload Sensory overload occurs when you are getting more information more quickly than what your brain and nervous system can process. Things like flashing lights, loud noises, and multiple conversations all going on at once contribute to sensory overload. This occurs often because of how much information we receive in today’s fast-paced world. Researchers believe that floating induces relaxation by slowing down sensory input to the nervous system. According to information shared by the University of Washington School of Medicine, floating may reduce stress, depression, and anxiety by reducing how much sensory input the nervous system and brain receive. In fact, it’s the "rest" given to the nervous system during floatation that is thought to be responsible for the relaxation-inducing effects of the experience. This essentially helps reduce sensory overload. In normal conditions, the sympathetic nervous system is "charged up" to be ready to respond to the slightest form of stimuli. However, floating triggers a takeover by the parasympathetic nervous instead. When we are operating with our parasympathetic nervous system activated instead of the sympathetic nervous system, we enter a physical state that allows for the healing and replenishment needed to relax the body at deep, restorative levels. While in this state, a person is likely to experience decreased blood pressure (arterial pressure), suppression of cortisol/stress hormones, reduced muscle tension, and a concentrated rush of endorphins. All of these effects contribute to a greater feeling of calm and relaxation.
The Sense Behind Depriving the Senses: Why You Need To Try Floating Now It happens to almost all of us whether we are stay-at-home parents, college students, or executives. What are we talking about? The answer is simple - stress! We want to relax and get some much needed rejuvenation. But, it just doesn’t seem to happen no matter how hard we try. For most people, getting to a point of deep relaxation is difficult. While wellness activities like yoga and meditation can be instrumental in the quest for balance and rejuvenation, they come with certain limits that make it challenging to get outside of ourselves. For people wanting to go deeper, sensory deprivation using a float tank in a secure, monitored environment is the game-changer. Recent studies on the physical, mental, emotional and cognitive benefits of floating are proving that this experience has the power to help people generate lasting changes in the mind and body that lead to whole body rejuvenation. Here’s more about the deprivation tank benefits. How Floating Can Be Therapeutic for Anyone Using a float tank is as close as most people will ever get to experience what it's like to drift like celestial bodies in space. The experience of entering a great nothing while in a sensory deprivation tank allows people to truly empty their minds. What Are Deprivation Tank Benefits? Here are just a few of the deprivation tank benefits: β Reducing muscle tension. Want to soothe sore muscles? Float therapy is a great way to do just that. The practice is frequently used by professional athletes like Tom Brady to help relieve muscle tension. β Reducing pain - Floating has been found to be extremely beneficial for people with pain issues. β Decreasing anxiety and depression - One 2018 study found that spending just one hour in a sensory deprivation floatation tank helped reduce anxiety significantly. Participants reported a significant increase in happiness and relaxation. β Decreasing stress - People report that nothing else works as well as floating in reducing stress, not massages, meditation or other activities. Floating helps you to achieve a whole new level of relaxation. That is because it helps clear your mind of those thoughts that worry you. β Aiding with better sleep - Better sleep is just one more benefit of floatation therapy. Studies have found that it helps improve sleep quality for people who have insomnia. A study published in 2014 on the beneficial effects of treatment with sensory isolation via flotation tank found that participants saw significant decreases in pain, stress, depression and anxiety. Participants also experienced increased optimism and sleep quality. People aren't just utilizing float tanks to support physical and mental health. Floating can also boost creativity and performance! According to a 2014 study, floating enhances intuition, creativity, originality and imagination. Additionally, research released in 2018 demonstrates that the cognitive benefits of floating help people to improve learning and performance with help from clearer, more precise post-float thinking. Bringing the Joy of the Floating to Your Life The good news is that sensory deprivation can be beneficial for anyone who experiences daily stress, which would be all of us! People are healing their bodies, opening their minds and going to places of awareness that simply can't be reached on "dry land" using flat tanks! The antidepressant effect of sensory isolation is helping many people to have beautiful breakthroughs through an experience that allows them to travel beyond the boundaries of what they already know. Floating is something that all seekers wanting to go deeper into the mind-body connection must try!
How Float Therapy Is Helping to Restore Peace for Veterans Many of the nation's veterans struggle with the psychological toll of serving their country. In fact, up to 20 percent of veterans who serve in active conflict are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a rate that is much higher than in the general population. They may experience disruptions of sleep, nightmares, and more as a result of PTSD symptoms. It is beneficial to take a holistic approach when dealing with such complex psychological trauma. While talk therapy and properly prescribed medications can be helpful to alleviate symptoms associated with posttraumatic stress disorder, there are other alternatives that can also help and may be an important part of a well-rounded treatment plan for PTSD. Float therapy is a type of holistic treatment that can help regulate the parasympathetic nervous system naturally without the use of medication or more invasive procedures. Float therapy is a well-accepted holistic practice that can substantially enhance a patient's quality of life. What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder? While float tanks are not a cure-all for posttraumatic stress disorder, they can be a vital component of a veteran's overall treatment plan. PTSD is a debilitating mental disorder that is characterized by a wide variety of symptoms including: β Hypervigilance of surroundings β Irritability β Inability to find pleasure in once treasured hobbies β Loneliness even when around others β Inability to sleep due to insomnia or frequent nightmares β Emotional detachment and a tendency to withdrawal β Unwanted and intrusive thoughts While all cases of posttraumatic stress disorder feature several of these symptoms, no two cases are ever alike. Comprehensive treatment typically involves some combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), pharmacological intervention (if necessary), and holistic treatments such as yoga, meditation, and float therapy . What Are the Benefits of Float Therapy? There are many physical and psychological benefits associated with float therapy. Research has show that float therapy helps: β Reduce blood pressure associated with posttraumatic stress disorder β Alleviates insomnia and helps the client achieve a more restful night's sleep β Decreases muscle tension and helps the client achieve total body relaxation β Reduces the amount of cortisol being produced in the body According to Dr . Josh Hagen with the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute at West Virginia University, research has indicated that veterans may be able to find effective and natural relief from their PTSD symptoms by floating in a float tank. Sensory deprivation allows them to quiet their mind, slow their heart rate, and achieve a state of homeostasis. This is especially beneficial for veterans who are diagnosed with moderate forms of posttraumatic stress disorder. How Does Float Therapy Work? During a float therapy session a person enters the room where the float tank is located. After removing their clothes they enter the tank which has been filled with about ten inches of water and several hundred pounds of Epsom salts. When the user lies down they will feel as though they are floating, therefore achieving total body relaxation. A typical session lasts for about sixty minutes, after which they can shower and get dressed. Veterans who have bravely served their countries deserve comprehensive care and treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. By incorporating float therapy in to their treatment plan they are better able to eliminate intrusive symptoms and enhance their overall quality of life.
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