Float Therapy: What to Expect on Your First Float?
We totally understand; it can feel extremely daunting if it is your first time floating. In fact most people report the build up of anxiety before their first float. Hopefully this piece will help to put your mind at ease and so that you can have some insight into what to expect when you visit us.
Everyone has different float experiences and even your personal experiences will differ each time. Perhaps that is the beauty of float therapy; not one float is the same. We highly recommend that you experience it 3 times before making a full judgement on it as it certainly takes time for your body to adapt and learn how to relax fully. In a hectic and overstimulated world, it can be a deeply shocking experience when we enter the Float Tank for the first time. We are simply not used to the quiet hence be patient and kind with yourself as you give it a go!
Arrival
Upon arrival at Soma Haus, you will be welcomed by one of our friendly staff and taken through to either the lounge or directly to your float room. After all of the necessary questions have been asked, your float therapist will explain how the float tank works, the benefits of float therapy before leaving you to begin your experience.
Shower & Mentally Prepare Yourself
Showering is important before and after the float. If you are feeling anxious, take your time to ground and settle yourself. Take a couple of deep breaths and always remember that at any point in time of the experience, you can always choose to come out of the float pod. Only when you feel ready, take a step into your float pod.
Enter The Pod
Take your time to feel the temperature of the water and perhaps begin in kneeling position. Feel free to explore the pods, the relevant buttons and props you may need to enhance your experience. Closing the lid during the float will keep the pod at the most comfortable and beneficial temperature but it is not entirely necessary. If you feel unsafe with total darkness, feel free to adjust the float tank lid to let some light seep through. Inside the pod, you lie totally supported in a warm concentration of Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate). Magnesium is the second most abundant element in your cells, and Sulfate improves absorption of nutrients. Both are essential for maintaining a healthy body and help to form joint proteins, brain tissue and so much more.
Settling & Relaxing into the Experience
Expect gentle music and a simple guided breathing exercise to help you settle inside the pod. After a while the music and breathing instructions will slowly dissipate but you may wish to continue noticing your breath throughout your experience. The water is maintained at relaxed skin temperature (34.8C), making it safe for pregnant mums and ideal for safely detoxifying the body. Lying totally weightless in silence and darkness, your nervous, skeletal and muscular systems can surrender to total relaxation and healing. The body’s natural response to sensory deprivation allows the brain to gently slide into the meditative theta state. Emotional stress, magnesium deficiency and the pull of gravity are all proven to be the causes of many chronic aches and pains, as well as debilitating illnesses. While you float, your body is relieved of stress and you feel completely weightless. Your brain then releases endorphins which bring with them a heightened sense of well-being.
Final Minutes And After Float
In the final minutes of your float session, soft distant music and a guided awareness of your body and breath will bring you back to full awareness. You can then return to the shower to wash the salt from your body and hair using our own preferred body washes and hair products. We ask that you that you not bring your own as it is important to not get chemicals in the pods. We then invite you to relax in our lounge with some organic tea infusion before making your departure back to reality in your own time.