Floating: A New Meditation Technique

While this isn’t necessarily about travel, this is a health and wellness topic that is becoming popular everywhere. It is something being practiced around the world, and it is a unique experience that I felt inclined to write about.

The other day, I visited Just Float in Pasadena. It was my first time floating, and I was interested to see if floating was as “life-changing” as everyone had said it was. For those who don’t know, floating is a new way to relieve stress and to reach a perfect meditation. You float in water with a high concentration of Epsom salts, which keep you afloat. Most floating tanks or pods will take away all light and sound so you are completely alone with your thoughts and left without distraction. You are simply, floating.

 “It was a remarkable experience, and it has been proven to help people with anxiety, depression, and mental health disorders. If you have anxiety or issues of that kind, it will  most likely make a difference in your life after you have been floating for a while. For me, it wasn’t something I would always do, but I see it being very helpful when I am having a stressful or anxious week. It will definitely be something I will do again in the future.”

I was lead into a very cozy room that had a shower, a little changing/touch-up area, and the floating tub. The floating tub looked like a large tank. It sealed with a door that reminded me of a safe door. The tub had, roughly, 10 inches of water. Just Float’s floating room was large enough that I didn’t feel claustrophobic in it.

When I first touched the button to begin my session and spread out on the water, the music turned on, and the lights began to fade. The first few minutes, I was trying to get myself completely comfortable and relaxed in the water. During the next ten minutes or so, I was trying to get over my fear of being in absolute darkness, as the tank is sealed so tightly that no light can contaminate the space.

Then, I tried to push my thoughts away. For me, it was hard to turn my brain off, so I focused on my breath to try and do so. I, initially, got distracted because the natural ingredients in the water kept me from pruning. (So, if you go, just know that’s a thing so it doesn’t distract you.) Then, the music faded away and the lack of sound made it so I only heard my own breath. When you are deprived of all sound, your own breath becomes surprisingly loud. It was all I could hear. That helped me slip more into the meditation.

Whenever I would start to let go and just exist, I would start to ask myself “Is this is? Am I getting there,” and I would snap myself out of it. However, even if you have a very distracted mind, you will probably get to that deep point of meditation. It may take a while, but you should get there. Once you get to that point, it is truly worth it. You are not worrying about anything in life anymore. Your brain is only existing. There is nothing else you are experiencing except basic existence. There was a brief period of time where I was truly there. It helped me to open my eyes. When I couldn’t see anything, I would be able to just stop and lay there. I’d stop breathing for a bit, and I wouldn’t even notice or need air for a decent amount of time.

I would break out of that feeling every so often, and it made me realize that, maybe, I wasn’t content with just existing. I like feeling happy and excited, and, without that feeling, life isn’t worth it to me. Just existing at peace wasn’t nirvana for me. But, it was comfortable. It makes since that this would be comfortable for the human brain, as it almost stimulates being back in the womb- floating in total darkness.

As I got towards the end, it helped me touch back in with my body, at times. I would move around a bit, and I felt comfortable back in my own skin. Once the process was over, they put the music back on, and the lights gradually came back. It was like being reborn. Being introduced to light and sound after an hour of being deprived of it was almost as exciting as the float, itself.

It was a remarkable experience, and it has been proven to help people with anxiety, depression, and mental health disorders. If you have anxiety or issues of that kind, it will most likely make a difference in your life after you have been floating for a while. For me, it wasn’t something I would always do, but I see it being very helpful when I am having a stressful or anxious week. It will definitely be something I will do again in the future.