1. Do I need to prepare myself for floating?
No. We supply you with everything that you need including shampoo, conditioner, soap, body lotion, ear plugs and towels for the shower before and after your float. You may want to bring a change of clothes.
If you shave 2-3 hours before using the tank your shaved skin that is in the salt solution still sting for a short time. You will probably be more comfortable if you can postpone shaving.
If you wear contact lenses you may want to remove them as it might be a problem if salt water gets into your eyes.
Avoiding caffeine and alcohol for a day before you float might help you relax and have a better experience.
2. How long do people usually stay in the Float Tank?
Normal sessions are an hour... or an hour-and-a-half, but you can leave whenever you want. The longer sessions are popular with regular floaters.
3. Are there any know side effects to floating?
No.
4. What do I do while I float?
You don't have to "do" anything. Floating is usually a passive experience, so that less you do the deeper you will relax. Usually within ten to twenty minutes you are on the edge of sleep, in a dreamy but conscious state where time doesn't seem to exist. Most people just lay back and enjoy just letting go and flowing with wherever the experience takes them.
However, if you want you can use your time to "actively" direct the experience in the tank.. For example: prepare for an important meeting, exam or presentation by going through it in your head, meditate, pray, do breathing exercises, anything to help you relax. You can take this one step further, by running audio training program sin the tank. Suitable subjects include visualization or meditation exercises, hypnotherapy, academic or technical information, language tapes, motivational programs ranging from weight-reduction through to executive decision-making skills and in particular sports training programs. Next weekend, you could be teeing-off the best game of your lief.
5. What will it be like for me?
We don't know what it will be like for you since it is such an individual experience. The most common reports are profound calmness and relaxation, deep concentration and creativity. WE like to avoid saying too much before people use the tank, so that they aren't influenced by what someone else says. Not only will it be different for you than it is for anyone else, you'll probably find that it's also different each time you float. Some people have a harder time relaxing than others. For some people with meditation experience it is easier to achieve total relaxation. Don't expect to relax fully right away. Some people get stressed because they think they are taking too long to relax. It takes at LEAST 20 minutes for ALL of your muscles to relax simultaneously. Most people need float sessions with a month before they can really let go.
6. Is there a right way to float?
No. Each person should find whatever position is comfortable for him or herself. Some people float with their hands at their sides, some with their hands folded across their chest or abdomen, or behind their heads. You can keep you head at either end but the end by the door has a tendency to drip a little.
7. Do people get scared or claustrophobic in the float tank?
Not really. When you float you are in complete control. You can enter or exit whenever you want. The door is very light weight and can be pushed open with just a finger and has no latches. In fact, you don't NEED to close the door if you don't want to. However, if you leave it open he temperature in the tank will not remain constant and you might feel chilly.
8. Do you wear anything in the float tank?
Most people don't wear anything. Anything you wear will get very heavy with the salt solution and press against your body, becoming a distraction.
9. Do people sleep in the float tank?
Yes, some people fall asleep in the tank, and some people use the tank for sleeping. They usually report a very restful rejuvenating sleep. because of the high density of the water, sleeping in the tank is very safe. There is no way you could roll over, and even if you did, the salty water in your mouth, nose and eyes would wake you up immediately.
10. What effect does the Epsom salt water have on my skin and hair?
The Epsom salt solution has many beneficial properties to the skin. We have no information on the effects of salt on hair. You thoroughly wash and rinse the salt from your hair and body when you leave the tank. We have not found a good way to keep hair dry while floating.
11. Should I eat before I go into the float tank?
You may eat. If you eat a very heavy meal you may spend a lot of time listening to your digestive juices. On the other hand, you may not want to spend your time in the tank feeling very hungry. Eat lightly if you eat immediately before going into the tank.
12. I've never been able to float. I sink. Will I be able to float in the tank?
Yes. It is impossible not to float in the tank. The tank solution is ten times more buoyant than seawater. Eight hundred pounds of salt dissvolved in the water makes the solution so much denser than your body that your body is pushed to the surface like a cork. It is precisely designed to support your body fully and evenly, giving you that pleasurable, liberating feeling of weightlessness. Your face is completely out of the water from the ear line up. Your ears will be under the water so earplugs are recommended.
13. Is there a best time to use the float tank?
This is a matter of individual preference. Some people prefer floating in the morning. Some prefer floating at night. Some prefer the afternoon at a time when they usually start running out of energy. Many people say an hour in the tank feels like a four hour nap.
14. It is true that float tanks are more hygienic than spas, jacuzzis, or swimming pools?
YES. Four things make the float so hygienic. The first is the high concentration of the Epsom salt that kills off viruses and bacteria and keeps them from surviving. (The reason the Dead Sea is DEAD). The second reason is that the water in the float tank is completely filtered and sanitized after every float session. The third reason is that chlorine is used just like in public pools and jacuzzi and the fourth reason is that there is an Ultra Violet purification system hooked up to the filtering system. This is one of the best ways to purify the water before the next floater enters the tank.
15. Can two people float in the float tank at the same time?
No. The tank is intended to be an individual experience.
16. Will I be able to resume my daily activities when I get out?
Yes. If you are new to floating it may be a good idea to keep your schedule somewhat open for a short period following the float so you can savior the experience for a while. It is always nice to take time o slowly ease yourself back into a hectic schedule.
17. Is there anyone who should not float?
We suggest that people with schizophrenia, or epileptics whose epilepsy is not under medical control not float. If you have a kidney condition, acute skin disorder, diabetes or are pregnant we suggest that you ask your doctor's advice about soaking in the Epsom salts.
18. Can people use drugs or alcohol in the float tank?
Absolutely NOT! We do not allow people who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol to use the float tank under any circumstances.
19. Can floating really improve my life?
In this age of the "quick fix", it has been said that if someone could capture the effects of floating in a pill, it would quickly outsell Valium, Prozac and Viagra put together.
There is a growing movement towards natural solutions to the problems of daily life, solutions with no underwater side-effects. The benefits of floating are natural, long-term and cumulative. Every time you float, you re-enforce the health benefits of the Relaxation Response. In the tank, you body "learns" what true relaxation feels like a skill it will never "forget".
20. Is there any proof that floatation actually works?
There are over 100 universities and medical research facilities, several dozen sports science units, and at least two national sports institutes working floatation REST.
The effects of floating have been scientifically researched and documented since the first tank was built - as a research tool over 40 years ago. Floatation REST even played a part of NASA astronaut training programs.
So...yes... there is abundant evidence that floatation "works". Detailed information on REST research can be obtained from IRIS (International REST Investigators Society) in the USA.
21. Will floating do anything for my love-life?
Michael Hutchison in his excellent (and unbiased) "Book of Floating" mentions that an improved love-life is a widely reported bonus of regular floating. Certainly, many sexual problems are related to mental stress and physical tension. We are sure that this is a promising area for future research.