Just in time for the holidays, I received this fascinating comment from Sandy Melendez:
I am seemingly overweight (about 25 pounds). Within my families genetic make-up, and social lifestyle, I am still thinner than the rest of the women. Unhappy with my problems with weight, I went to see numerous specialists. I don’t have high blood pressure, nor any other ailment like a thyroid problem that can be regulated through medical treatment.
For my 30th birthday last month, a great friend of mine, gave me a gift certificate to experience float therapy for the first time. This wonderful man didn’t explain all of the benefits I’d receive from partaking in the activity of floating. He just explained how it alleviates stress. Nonetheless, floating was a wonderful experience mentally, physically, and emotionally.
The aftermath benefit is what has astounded me the most. I have a lot of cellulite on my buttocks and hamstrings. Folks, instantly it has been reduced! Apparently, vigorous exercise and healthy eating is not enough to treat cellulite. Creams are one thing, but the floatation therapy helps eliminate the toxins in our bodies so much that with numerous treatments, cellulite can continue to minimize in one’s body.
I will definitely continue flotation therapy. The benefits in a one hour session has left me a believer that if I continue to experience them, stress and toxins will completely be elminated from my body. Thank you for the articles, and the opportunity to comment on such a phenomenon as cellulite. Women struggle so much with it, and its great to know that I can now cancel my consultation appointment with a plastic surgeon to see how far my floating experiences will do for my mind, body, and soul.
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Isolation Tank Magazine Article
9:57 pmFloat Into Paradise by Sydney L. Murray. Original article posted at Vision Magazine
As I was walking into the session room at Float Spa San Diego, I was mesmerized by a photograph of large salt formations from the Dead Sea. The space was very clean and inviting and I was instantly impressed by how soothing it felt. Speaking to Mark Lesicka, one of the co-founders of Float Spa, along with his wife Maylou, I found out that he had sought out the practice of floating to alleviate chronic pain. Traveling to London, they learned much about the practice of floating. After the Lesickas’ return, they opened Float Spa.
If you haven’t ever floated, you are missing out on an amazing experience. I love the feeling of being suspended in warm soothing water. As I allowed myself to “lift,” I initially had the image as seen in the classic film 2001 Space Odyssey of a body floating out into space with the person’s arms and legs extended. I was weightless. Not bogged down by the hectic pace of my life, I was floating and my mind drifted into a peaceful and open space.
The next night, I experienced very vivid and memorable dreams. I mentioned this to Lesicka, who has also experienced the benefit of having more lucid dreams, as well as the ability to recall them with clarity. He said that there have been studies which show that floating creates a bridge between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, which might explain having the experience of a more conscious dream state.
Floating has been around in the United States since the 1970s but was initially developed by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in the 50s when studying the effects of what they called Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique or R.E.S.T. Since then the float tank has been used in health care, medicine, fitness training, sports science, education and the healing arts.
Scientists have estimated that up to 90 percent of the brain’s work is derived from the stimuli of our routine external environment. Gravity, touch, temperature, light, and sound affect the muscles, the nervous system, and the organs of the body. The float tank screens out our external physical stimuli, allowing for a pure state of sensory relaxation.
This lack of stimulation of the nervous system triggers a reaction known as the parasympathetic response. Muscle tension, blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen consumption are often reduced dramatically. Stress hormones are reduced as well and are replaced with uplifting endorphins.
Discovered by NIMH researchers in 1976, endorphins are literally a natural source of elation, happiness, or what some have called a “natural high.” They can also help alleviate fatigue and chronic pain, while improving higher brain functions such as learning and memory retention.
And the good thing about the float tank is that it all happens without much effort for the client. You just enter the tank, lie back and float. The tank is the temperature of your skin, which is 94.5 degrees. It is filled with an Epsom salt mixture of about 30 percent which, when combined with your body’s natural buoyancy, allows you to float in a small amount of water. Float Spa San Diego’s website illuminates the use of Epsom salt and why it is so valuable to our bodies: “One of the earliest discoveries of magnesium sulfate, the scientific name for Epsom salt, occurred back in Shakespeare’s day in Epsom, England (where the compound was first distilled from water) which explains the first half of the name. The term salt probably refers to the specific chemical structure of the compound, although many people mistakenly assume it refers to the crystalline structure of Epsom salt, which has an appearance similar to that of table salt. (Table salt, of course, consists of sodium chloride, so it’s an entirely different substance than magnesium sulfate.)
Magnesium is the second-most abundant element in human cells and the fourth-most important positively charged ion in the body, so it’s little wonder that this low-profile mineral is also vital to good health and wellbeing. Magnesium is a major component of Epsom salt and also helps to regulate the activity of more than 325 enzymes and performs a vital role in orchestrating many bodily functions, from muscle control and electrical impulses to energy production and the elimination of harmful toxins.
Studies show that magnesium is an electrolyte which helps to ensure proper muscle, nerve and enzyme function and is critical for the proper use of calcium in cells. Another benefit is that it can help prevent heart disease and strokes by lowering blood pressure, protecting the elasticity of arteries, preventing blood clots, and reducing the risk of sudden heart attack deaths. Magnesium may also reduce inflammation and relieve pain, making it beneficial in the treatment of sore muscles, bronchial asthma, migraine headaches and fibromyalgia.”
The seemingly subtle mental and physical effects of floating can greatly improve your powers of emotional control and sense of wellbeing. Negative emotions and many unwanted habits seem to melt away in the tank, along with any physical tensions and the stresses that accompany them. Smoking, alcohol dependence and weight control problems can be effectively lessened or even overcome—and sometimes these changes can occur spontaneously. Research suggests that compulsive behavior patterns such as these are linked to low endorphin levels in the body. In fact, according to experts at NIMH, the float tank “is the only technique ever shown by controlled studies to be effective over extended periods of time.” Studies show success rates of 81% in eliminating or sharply reducing smoking, 61% in reducing alcohol consumption, with similarly impressive results in combating weight control problems. In the deep theta state that comes with floating, you experience increased access to and control over subconscious mental processes. You can literally become the master of your own mind.
So if relaxation, stress reduction, the lessening of chronic pain and the ability to remember your dreams more vividly are just a few of the many benefits you may desire, then floating is for you. Try it today—it just might change your life.
For more information, visit www.floatspasandiego or call 858-279-3301.
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The growing problem of isolation tank addiction (I.T.A.) was highlighted this week on the popular TV show Fringe. Olivia Dunham (played by Anna Torv) was introduced to the isolation tank (aka sensory deprivation tank) in the first episode by renegade scientist Walter Bishop (played by John Noble) in a novel attempt to make headway in a criminal investigation. This week’s episode (The Dreamscape) is the 3rd time that Dunham enters the tank, and is the first time we see the signs of her growing addiction to its powerful effects. At the end of the episode, a visibly agitated Olivia visits Dr. Bishop late at night and begs him to put her in the isolation tank, even though she had been floating in the tank earlier that same day.
A person’s first isolation tank experience is typically spent getting accustomed to the low gravity environment caused by a supersaturated Epsom saltwater solution. But even the novelty of floating weightless is a minor distraction compared to the giant burst of endorphins that are released during an isolation tank session. People whose brains are lacking endorphins are inadequately prepared for the euphoric effect of this feel-good neurochemical. With repeated use, some people may find themselves craving the experience to a degree that would be classified as an addiction. Its unknown what percentage of the population is lacking endorphins.
A high incidence of I.T.A. was seen by early researchers of the isolation tank, and so several people responded to the problem by promoting disinformation about the isolation tank. The most common disinformation that exists to this day is that the isolation tank causes people to hallucinate. The most ironic untruth that also persists to this day is that the isolation tank experience is boring and uneventful. The success of this falsehood is thanks in large part to the term "sensory deprivation tank", which was originally coined to discourage the general population from discovering the tank’s powerful euphoric effects, thereby risking a widespread compulsion for the experience.
This calculated fear mongering reached a crescendo with the release of the 1980 science fiction movie Altered States. In it, Professor Eddie Jessup (played by William Hurt) combined hallucinogenic drugs with isolation tank sessions with the goal of achieving higher consciousness. Instead of attaining enlightenment, Jessup devolves into a caveman who attacks people and feeds on the raw flesh of wild animals.
As ridiculous as its premise was, Altered States was successful at making the general population afraid of the isolation tank, and served to stem the tide of increasing interest of the medical community in the isolation tank from. This was a major coup, because the isolation tank was being successfully used for enhanced athletic performance by professional sports teams such as the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Phillies, the Australian Olympic team, US Olympic track star Carl Lewis and Ironman champion Peter Reid. These benefits were featured in Time magazine and other national and international media outlets.
Without the widespread fear inspired by Altered States, as well as the disinformation campaign that associated the isolation tank with the sensory deprivation tactics used by the CIA and in brainwashing experiments at McGill University (click here for more info), all of the positive press combined with the proven health benefits of the isolation tank inevitably would have resulted in the isolation tank becoming accepted by the medical community, exposing millions of innocent people to potential addiction.
Recent efforts to use the internet to combat decades-old disinformation campaigns have been taken up by people whose health has improved thanks to the therapeutic benefits of the isolation tank. Floatforhealth.com is one such example. The author used the isolation tank to eliminate six years of progressively debilitating sciatic pain, putting an end to medication use. Floatforhealth.com cites several research articles that validate the many health benefits of the isolation tank, while also archiving four decades of media coverage into the athletic, health, mental and emotional benefits of the isolation tank. Fortunately, floatforhealth.com has only attracted a little over 100,000 visitors, a drop in the bucket compared to the millions of people worldwide who for decades have been led to believe that the isolation tank is something to be feared. We can only hope that this disinformation remains the dominant perception, for the sake of the many people who might unwittingly succumb to isolation tank addiction.
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Aritcle By JAN JARVIS jjarvis@star-telegram.com www.star-telegram.com/health/story/1040005.html
Floatation therapy is making a comeback in spas across the globe, but these days, it’s all about sending stress and aches down the river
In the 1970s, isolation tanks became a trendy way to go beyond the conscious mind to another dimension in time and space. There was just one problem: The coffinlike chambers made people feel claustrophobic. Instead of floating into a world of enlightenment, many were clawing their way out.
Over the decades, the flotation fad drifted in and out of consumers’ consciousness. Sensory deprivation got some notoriety from the 1980 sci-fi flick Altered States, but isolation tanks never gained widespread acceptance.
Then flotation got a facelift. Instead of being enclosed, some were designed to be open, with less emphasis on total sensory deprivation and more on relaxation. Flotation therapy spread across Europe, and more than 50 facilities popped up across the United States.
In Colleyville, former Texas Rangers first baseman Pete O’Brien had long been intrigued by flotation as a way to relieve stress and improve well-being. After investigating the psychological and physiological benefits, Pete and Donna O’Brien opened At Peace Floatation Spa this summer.
Pete O’Brien found that floating in a zero-gravity environment left him feeling relaxed and that the anti-inflammatory effects of Epsom salts eased the pain of past sports injuries.
"You come out much more at ease and at peace," he said.
Dr. Jeff Connors, a Colleyville chiropractor, said floating can speed healing and "reset the body’s circuit breaker." He recommends flotation to athletes and does it himself. "To me, I felt like I was walking on clouds," Connors said.
Dr. Scott Stoll, a professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, remembers using his father’s isolation tank when he was growing up. Anything that helps people relax is beneficial, he said.
"You can sit at home in your easy chair, you can get a massage, you can learn to meditate or you can lie in one of these isolation chambers," Stoll said.
For Type A personalities who have a tough time unwinding, floating is a way to shut down the brain, Pete O’Brien said. Some people experience a heightened awareness of color, sound and clarity of mind.
Without the distractions of light or sound, the body naturally relaxes, he said.
"When you are in that restful place, you don’t move; you don’t even know you’re in water," Donna O’Brien said. "You lose all concept of time."
Here are the flotation facts:
The environment: Temperature-controlled suites contain a spa about the size of a twin bed with 10 inches of Epsom salt water warmed to body temperature. Spa users must shower before and after use. Many choose to float wearing bathing suits or swim trunks. Buttons in the spa control music and lighting. The user can float in silence or can select from meditation music or guided imagery — a gentle voice from the sound system that guides you through relaxation techniques. There’s an intercom that can be used if needed.
The experience: The salt water is so dense that any body, regardless of size, floats effortlessly. Some people feel as if their body is drifting away into a dreamlike state. It is common to fall asleep. A one-hour session is said to have the restorative effect of four hours of sleep.
The hygiene: The idea of soaking in someone else’s water might turn some people off, but a filtering and sterilization process is used to keep the spa as clean as possible. Epsom salts also kill bacteria.
The benefits: Floating is said to boost immunity, reduce high blood pressure, diminish depression, speed the healing process and promote circulation. It also is said to reduce symptoms associated with asthma, insomnia, fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. It has been used to improve concentration and creativity.
The proof: Since the 1950s, when sensory deprivation isolation tanks were introduced, more than 100 universities have studied flotation. Numerous athletic teams, including the Dallas Cowboys, have used tanks. Carl Lewis used it to prepare for the 1988 Olympics. At the 2000 Olympics, more than 200 flotation tanks were available for athletes.
The downside: Epsom salt water leaves the skin feeling soft, but it can also sting where there are minor cuts. To eliminate this problem, shave at least four hours in advance. A gel is provided to cover any cuts.
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When my wife and I ran a floatation center, I had the opportunity to see the initial response of 100s of people to a floatation tank. I was surprised that many people responded with apprehension. Most of us have gotten used to getting into elevators, airplanes, MRIs and other enclosed places, but the floatation tank seems to trigger some deep-seated fear in many people.
During the 1950s, the US media introduced Americans to the concept of sensory deprivation, as a result of events during the Korean War. I haven’t found any specific newspaper articles yet, but I understand that it left a lasting impression on many people. [Note: If you can direct me to any supporting material about this subject, I'd be grateful.] It may be a result of this negative exposure that many people today believe that being in a sensory deprivation tank causes a person to hallucinate or "freak out." I found a very interesting science film that illustrates this idea:
For the person who sees no difference between sensory deprivation and the floatation tank, it must be powerfully confusing for them to learn that many people pay money to spend time in a sensory deprivation tank. For these people, it’s helpful to understand the significant differences between sensory deprivation as it’s commonly understood, and what a sensory deprivation tank (aka floatation tank) does.
A major part of the stress that comes from typical sensory deprivation is the extreme monotony and boredom that comes with it. It’s true that our brain seeks stimulation, and that leads me to an important distinction about the sensory deprivation tank experience. When you’re floating weightless in skin-temperature water that is saturated with Epsom salt, the resulting deep relaxation causes your brainwaves to gradually transition from beta (wide awake and alert) to theta, which is a dreamlike state we all experience when we’re asleep. It’s for this reason that the last statement made in the above video is also true of the sensory deprivation tank experience: "Deprived of normal sensory bombardment, the brain may cease to function in the usual way." The difference with the sensory deprivation tank experience is that the altered brain function has very pleasurable and beneficial effects.
Monotony and boredom isn’t an issue when you’re asleep because your brain isn’t in the state where it’s seeking constant input (beta). The same is true of being in the theta brainwave state. It typically takes 30-40 minutes to get into this theta brainwave state when you’re floating in a sensory deprivation tank, but once you do reach theta, monotony and boredom are non-existent, just like when you’re sleeping.
I’ve experienced this theta brainwave state firsthand on several dozen occasions, and I’ve interviewed 100s of people who have also experienced this unique state of mind. However outside of the sensory deprivation tank, the only people I know of who are able to achieve the theta brainwave state while awake are those people who are highly trained in meditation.
As always, your comments are welcome.
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It seems that every time I visit YouTube, there’s a new cool video about floating. I did a quick search a minute ago and found yet another beautifully filmed video, this time from Germany. Enjoy!
p.s. A word of warning – you don’t want to dip your eyes into the saltwater like this model did!
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Gorgeous Floatation Tank Video
8:27 amI just found this beautifully filmed promotional video from Ocean Floatrooms in Europe and I had to share it. If you’ve never floated and wondered what it looks like when a person floats on top of the water, then you definitely want to check this out.
Categories: Floatation Tank
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I find a lot of activities to be relaxing – taking a walk, reading a book, sitting in the backyard, the usual stuff. However, when I’m very stressed out, those activities rarely do the trick. I’ve found floating to be the solution for severe stress. In my research, I learned that your brain releases endorphins when you float.
In my case and the case of many others I’ve interviewed, you start to experience this brain dump of feel-good chemicals about 30-40 minutes into a float session. On many occasions, I’ve emerged from a floatation tank feeling positively euphoric. Floating has been shown to eliminate cortisol in the blood – you become stress-free. What’s so impressive is how quickly this happens. I’ve seen many people come in looking very anxious and ill at ease, but after a 1-hour float session, they’re visibly relaxed, smiling and casual. I found this great little cartoon that sums it up nicely:
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Americans hold the title for working more hours than anyone in the world Work is a huge part of American culture and it’s how most people define themselves. The most common question adults ask each other when first meeting is, “What do you do?” This identification with work is having a major impact on our health and our economy.
For many people today, it’s normal to burn the candle at both ends. That’s why it’s so important that we consider the scientific research that clearly shows what a serious risk it is to allow stress to become a major part of our lives. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at
Blood tests showed that a chemical secreted by fat cells, called Interleukin-6 (IL-6), sharply increased in the blood of the stressed caregivers, compared with blood of the others in the test. “This really makes a link to why chronic stress can actually kill people,” said Kiecolt-Glaser. She explained that people under stress tend to respond by doing things that can further increase their levels of IL-6. For example, they may smoke or overeat. Previous studies have associated IL-6 with several diseases, including heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, type-2 diabetes and certain cancers.
The dangers of stress don’t at health risks, there’s a huge financial toll too. This data comes from the Centers for Disease Control
§ More than ever before, employee stress is being recognized as a major drain on corporate productivity and competitiveness.
Stress is taking a major toll on our health and our economy. So how can we stay productive
To learn more about the tool many people use as their “secret weapon” against stress, visit www.floatforhealth.net
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This report courtesy of The Sun:
PHILLIPS IDOWU has been banking on a flotation tank to sink his
Olympic rivals.
The Londoner spent last year battling a back injury and the floating treatment has paid off.
Triple-jumper Idowu, 29, now goes into the Beijing Games as the only British athlete ranked No1 in the world.
He leaped 17.58 metres at the Olympic trials last month as he warmed up for his attempt to follow in the footsteps of world-record holder Jonathan Edwards and win gold.
He said: Most days before I came out here I was in a flotation tank for about an hour.
"I started it last year and it really eases the pressure on my back. And it’s very relaxing."
This interview courtesy of BBC News:
What does it take to get to the top?
Phillips Idowu: I’ve got a really good team behind me. I’ve got a nutritionist, physiotherapists, doctors and a masseuse. I’ve got a new coach that I’m working with, so everything’s going really well. I’m using a flotation tank every week and it all seems to be coming together nicely. I’m happy and it’s just flowing.
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