Stressed Out? Try a Flotation Tank

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If I had the oppurtunity to try this I would. I think everybody needs to get have their time to let their minds go to another place. I think this is the place. Altered States was a very intense movie but it really gave us the incentive to try new things. So this is something I would try at least a couple times until I got used to the idea of floating in salt water only 11 inches deep.

randi C. of CA 1:15AM June 26, 2008

Deborah,
Your a wimp! I can't stand watching whiney women complain about stress and their complicated lives. Your choice lady. Try staying at home with your kids and get some real stress relief. Change your lifestyle economics if the second job is "required".
Good luck
Mr. Dog

of 11:24AM June 13, 2008

I went to H&H Flotation in Washington DC on Wisconsin Avenue NW. That was the only facility I found in my local area.

Deborah Kotz of DC 11:18AM May 14, 2008

Hi!
Could you tell me where can I find a floattion tank in Maryland, Washington DC or Virginia?
My son would like to try it because he has overtraining syndrome

********* schwedhlem of 11:57PM May 13, 2008

Floating is extremely powerful but it can take a little practice to surrender into the support of the water. Its not something you do. It happens when you let go of holding on to the stress.
Floating helps me remember and feel that I am safe and at ease.
I feel its effects for days after. There is nothing like touching the place I feel connected to something larger than my individual self, and all its spin.

Dan Howard of MA 8:40PM March 16, 2008

Ms. Kotz had the opportunity to experience one of the most profoundly relaxing experiences one can have and still be law abiding. She set herself up for failure! 35 minutes is simply not enough time to experience any of the benefits floating can impart. Having a high stress shoot during your float is also completely counterintuitive.
I recommend that Ms. Kotz come back when she can leave the world behind and give herself enough time to let her brain let go of all the whizzing thoughts we all experience.
My first float was much the same. The first 30 minutes were full of "this is silly" "wow its dark" "dang I've got an itch". All of a sudden my brain decided to let it all go and the last 30 minutes were a little slice of heaven. I've been addicted to floating ever since.

Teresita of IL 12:50PM March 14, 2008

I have been floating for over 5 years about once a week now. I love it so much that when I opened my health clinic, I HAD to add a floatation tank to it! It's helped me deeply relax, heal my ruptured lumbar disks, and bring out my creative ideas.
I think Ms. Kotz did the story in reverse. She should have floated on her own first without expectation and pressures 'To Float' and tell a story. Then come back with a crew to described her experience.
Interesingly she did get to a point where floatation was having 2 great effects on her. She was able to reduce her migraine -without medication- and then she was able to listen to the conversation/chatter in her head. How great is that!
If she is up to working on herself and listen to her self-talk again, she may have some real break-throughs in her life. All after a couple of floats!
Thank you for the opportunity to respond.
Tim Whalen
Better Body Works Wellness Center
Los Gatos, CA

Tim Whalen of CA 11:37AM March 14, 2008

Ms. Kotz partially acknowledges why her floating experience wasn't all that it could be: she didn't float alone. Obviously, doing a news segment about floating with a camera crew in the room (anxiety-producing) or having your husband hold a conversation just outside the float tank (distracting) are not conducive to relaxation. Imagine trying to get a massage under those circumstances. You might as well bring in the kids, too :-)
This article doesn't paint a particularly good portrait of floating. That's too bad because floating has helped thousands of people relieve stress, manage pain, tackle emotional issues and much much more. I want to make two other points. First, floating and massage complement one another -- in fact, many health centers offer both on their menu of services. Second, Ms. Kotz claims that floating is not for everyone (admittedly, there are few things in life which are for everyone) but then cites a study which shows that only 2% of first-time floaters said they would not do it again.
I encourage Ms. Kotz to try floating again, this time alone. And I encourage anyone reading this to learn more about floating and to ultimately try it for themselves.
Mark
Float Finder - The Worldwide Directory of Floatation Centers
Website: http://www.floatfinder.com

Mark at Float Finder 10:32AM March 14, 2008

I first floated in the 80s and have been floating regularly although not frequently since 2002. I love it more than just about anything. I can't think of anything that relaxes me more. Workers Comp reimbursed for it as a treatment for chronic pain on Long Island. After reviewing a stack of research about 3 inches high several years ago the Board of the Insurance Trust of the American Psychological Association covered me with malpractice insurance (I have a Ph.D. in psychology) for using this technique and a related technique called Chamber R.E.S.T. ... which is a soundproof dark chamber used primarily as a treatment for addiction in general and smoking cessation in general.

Baylah David, Ph.D> of CA 12:43AM March 14, 2008

First and foremost, thank you Deborah for your attention to floating,
My name is Kane and I will come right out and say, I am the owner/operator of Float Matrix in San Francisco. Interestingly enough, my first float produced very similar effects. I experienced nausea, and had to exit. I was curious and began researching why I had this response. I found out that our abdomens have more nerve endings than any other part of our bodies (which has profound implications). Most in our culture eat refined sugar and starches (Godiva Truffles). This is a drastic shift from thousands of years of whole foods. What happens when you put diesel into a car that is designed to operate on unleaded? Fortunately our bodies are incredibly adaptable. These starches mostly break down in the mouth if properly chewed with alkalinizing saliva (and again most people don't). They DO NOT break down in the stomach and they convert to acid in the small intestine. This produces a host of issues as your ph moves from a healthy alkaline to an unhealthy acidic state. It creates tension in the digestive track, a releasing of stress hormones and a numerous other sympathetic responses. These responses begin a process of desensitizing the nerve endings so that we don't experience discomfort (part of our adaptation). Most people are unaware of this but tension in the belly is the root of anxiety and floatation has been researched to be one of the most effective natural anxiety eliminators. When you float, your awareness is no longer "hiding" behind your eyes in viewing the external world, but rather goes internal. Much like lifting your finger and focusing on it, you begin to feel your finger, when you float, you begin to feel your body. This "feeling the body" directs your energy there and the process of healing begins. Remember, the body wants to heal itself, it merely needs to be released from the environment that caused the issue. The first thing that happens is the body wants to dispel the toxicity built up from a lack of proper digestion. What do you think happens when a hotbed of bacteria and old excrement begin moving in your system? Bingo, nausea. And that is a good thing. Get out and go take care of yourself. But it sounds like you didn't let the process complete. I can honestly say that we have been open for about 1 1/2 years and I have personally assisted over 400 people with their first floats. I have only had one other (besides myself) get out because of nausea. I have had about 4 exit because of other factors. Usually they are older and this environment is too scary for them. For perspective remember this, about half of the people who come here have real concerns about claustrophobia and "freaking out" yet 75 percent of them purchase packages after their first float. Sales don't lie.
A couple more things.
#1 We also store hurt in our bellies. If you have unreleased hurt, I highly recommend "Unwinding the Belly" by Alison Post. It released a lot of trauma for me but I did experience some nausea.
#2 you wrote "A handful of studies suggest"
Numerous and they empirically state.
#3 you wrote "Floating, like massages, meditation, and yoga, is clearly not for everyone"
Like parties are not for everyone. Our being forced behind desks to logically construct words at an early age has produced an imbalance in our systems. For thousands of years we learned outside moving (funny how P.E. and Sports are the first to get cut...not really funny). It has been wonderful for creating the culture that we live in, but it is now time to allow the body to heal. The intellect is logical and masculine, the feeling body is emotional and femine, it is time to stop the suppression of the feminine and allow balance to be restored.
-Massages nurture the feminine
-Meditation silences the masculine
-Yoga does both actively
-Floating does both passively
Being "On Women" I hope you can appreciate that.
BTW I float a couple of hours every week and I truly know what it means to be empowered. This is the gift I'd like to share with others as I put my money where my mouth is.
As far as the comment RE: Nature is free. Have you floated? How about "nature's" Great Salt Lake or the Dead Sea ? About a million people visit just to float. I agree with you in part, but be mindful of the judgments you make because it says more about you than it does what you are judging.

KANE MANTYLA of CA 12:17AM March 14, 2008