healingways
FLOATING AWAY STRESS Isolation Tanks Induce Deep Rest and Healing by Gina McGalliard S
ensory isolation in a floatation tank is known for inducing deep relaxation with subse-
quent improved health. A 2014 study published in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry investi- gating the effects of a series of flotation tank treatments for 65 participants, showed it to be an effective measure in decreasing stress, depression, anxiety and pain, while enhancing a sense of optimism and quality of sleep. The Book of Floating: Exploring the
Private Sea, by Michael Hutchison, reports on 20th-century research sug- gesting the therapy can help allay ail- ments like chronic pain, migraines and sore muscles. There’s also evidence for
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enhanced meditation, creativity and spiritual experiences. Float therapy was invented by
Dr. John C. Lilly, a neurophysiology specialist. The individual enters an enclosed tank containing 11 inches of water heated to 93.5 degrees—a normal temperature for human skin— and some 1,000 pounds of dissolved Epsom salt. The effect is like buoy- antly floating in the Dead Sea, but in a clean, quiet, private realm. The water is typically filtered three to five times between each session and sanitized using UV light; some also use perox- ide and ozone gas to purify the water. Without any sensory input—no
sight, sound or tactile sensations—the
floater typically enters a profound deeply calm state of theta brain waves that tends to bring the subconscious to the surface. It can take experienced meditators years to learn to consistently achieve this condition, remarks Bryan Gray, of Float North County, a spa in Solana Beach, California.
Ultimate Meditation Venue Scientific research has shown that floating can release the feel-good neurotransmitters endorphins and dopamine, and lower the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Studies performed by the Laureate Institute of Brain Research, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which maintains a float clinic, have found the therapy is an
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