Let’s be honest, meditation sounds calming, but it’s not always easy to access. You sit down, close your eyes, and try to breathe… but instead of peace, your mind offers up to-do lists, random thoughts, and the persistent urge to move.

That’s where Floatation Therapy becomes something kind of special. In a single hour, it can help you settle into deeper meditative states — even if you’ve never meditated before, or feel like you’re “bad” at it.

And if you do have a steady practice, floating can act like a fast-track, helping you drop into that still, timeless space of pure presence without so much effort.

Why Floating Helps You Go Deep, Fast

Inside a float tank, you’re weightless. The water is filled with hundreds of pounds of Epsom salt, which supports your body completely, like the Dead Sea. You’re floating in a dark, quiet room, and the water is skin-temperature, so there’s very little sensory input. No noise, no pressure on your joints, no lights, no gravity to manage.

Without all that stimulation, your body can fully relax. And when the body relaxes, the mind tends to follow.

This is why so many people say, “I didn’t even know how much tension I was holding until I felt it let go.”

What the Brain Does When Conditions Are Quiet

This experience is sometimes referred to as REST (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy). Floating has been studied for decades as a way to support nervous system regulation, reduce anxiety, and help the brain shift into calmer, more spacious states.

When you float, your brain often enters theta wave activity which is the same kind of brainwaves seen in deep meditation, early-stage sleep, and moments of creative flow.

These slower rhythms are associated with access to the subconscious, deep rest, and feelings of timelessness. Research has shown that floaters can enter these states within the first 30 to 40 minutes, which is something that usually takes skilled meditators years to cultivate reliably.

For Seasoned Meditators, Too

If you already have a meditation practice, the float tank can be a tool for deepening it. It’s not a replacement, but it is an environment designed to support stillness. You’re not distracted by posture, discomfort, or background noise, allowing your system to drop more easily into non-doing.

We once had a regular who floated quietly and consistently. He didn’t talk much, but you could tell he was bringing a kind of inner discipline into the room with him. One day, after his session, he left all his money on the bench. We brought it to him before he left, thinking he’d forgotten it, that’s when he told us he wouldn’t be needing it anymore because this was his last float before becoming a monk.

This speaks to how meaningful this space can be for people seeking something deeper.

You Don’t Have to Be Good at Meditation

That’s the beautiful part. You don’t need a long attention span. You don’t need to know what you’re doing. You don’t even need to feel relaxed when you walk in the door.

All you need is a little curiosity and a willingness to show up for whatever the float has to show you.

The float tank takes care of the rest. It creates the conditions, and your body does what it already knows how to do: rest, release, and reconnect.

Want to Try Meditation Without the Struggle?

You can book your first float here.

No pressure. Just a quiet space waiting for you when you’re ready.

Are you curious about trying a float tank, but you’re secretly wondering, “Am I going to freak out in there? What if my mind won’t shut up? What if I do it wrong?”

If that’s you, you’re not alone. After floating over 100,000 people since opening our float centre in 2014, We can promise you these fears are completely normal, especially for first-time floaters.

Sensory deprivation therapy, or floatation therapy, can seem a bit foreign at first. The idea of spending an hour or more in a dark, silent sensory deprivation tank, alone with your thoughts can bring up a lot of “what ifs.”

The good news? Those worries almost never match what actually happens in the float tank. It might just be the most relaxing thing you ever do. But if this feels anxiety inducing, you’re not alone. Let’s talk about the most common concerns first-time floaters have and how to relax and trust the process.

1. Will I Feel Claustrophobic in a Float Tank?

Fear of feeling trapped is one of the biggest concerns for new floaters. Especially if they’re *already* no stranger to anxiety.

Here’s what you should know: You are always in control inside the float tank.
✅ The float tank door is never locked, if you keep your head by the door, you can push it open anytime.
✅ You can keep the light on, leave the door open, or even float with music playing if that helps you ease into the experience.
✅ Many people start with the light on until they feel ready to turn it off.

Simple ways to calm feelings of panic in a sensory deprivation tank:

• Focus on slowing your breath.
• Extend your exhale: this helps calm your nervous system.
• Try humming: this stimulates your vagus nerve and helps you feel safer in your body.
• Sit up and reach for the wall: find the door or the light switch and step out if you need to.

Floating is about learning to trust yourself and honour what you need. There’s no prize for staying in the dark the whole time (plus who’s gonna know?). No need to force yourself through the experience. If you need a break.. take a break. It’s all about moving at your own pace.

2. Why Would I Want to Be in a Dark Float Tank for an Hour?

You might be wondering: “Why would I shut myself in a dark box for an hour?”

Here’s why so many people love it: the float tank is not about punishment or isolation, it’s about giving your mind and body a rare chance to fully unplug.

Think about it: our lives are noisy and overstimulated. When you float in a sensory deprivation tank, you finally get a break from doomscrolling, emails, work chatter, podcasts and other people’s energy.
There’s nothing you need to do in there.
You finally get to just… BE.

This “dark box” is 8 feet tall, 8 feet long and 4.5 feet wide. It’s really a safe, quiet space for your nervous system to rest and reset. You might feel deeply relaxed. Or you might have creative ideas bubble up. Or you might notice how much tension you’ve been holding. Whatever shows up, you’re in charge and you can adjust the experience any time.

3. What If I Can’t Stop Thinking in the Float Tank?

This one is huge for first-timers: “My brain never shuts up. How will I survive an hour alone with my thoughts?”

Here’s the truth: your mind probably won’t go silent right away. That’s normal! Float therapy is like meditation, but without the pressure to “do anything” or “get it right.”

Many people find that once they let their mind wander freely, it naturally begins to settle.
Sometimes you’ll have what we call a “thinky float” where your brain organizes your life or works through ideas. Trust that your system knows what it needs. Whether it’s a “thinky” float, a “movie” float, a “sleepy” or a “visionary” float… your body is still getting profound physical relaxation.

4. What If I Can’t Float? Or What If I Can’t Swim?

This is such a common worry: “What if I sink?” or “I can’t swim, is floating safe for me?”

Don’t worry! You don’t need any swimming skills in a float tank. The water is so saturated with Epsom salts that your body floats effortlessly, you’re like a cork in a super-buoyant bath.

5. What If I Fall Asleep in the Float Tank?

Lots of people do, and it’s completely safe. In fact, many people drift into a deep nap-like state. The salty water keeps you naturally buoyant.

Falling asleep in a float tank often leaves you feeling deeply refreshed. Studies show 1 hour of floating is the equivalent to 4 hours rest. If you fall asleep in the tank, trust your body just needs the rest.
Floating can help shift your brain into a theta state, which is similar to the dreamy state between waking and sleeping.

6. What If I Can’t Be Still in a Float Tank?

Not everyone wants to lie still for 60–90 minutes, and that’s okay!

You don’t have to hold one position. You can:

• Gently stretch or move your arms and legs.
• Try intuitive movement, a light wiggle or small shift.
• Float like a relaxed starfish or boop around like a rocket ship.

⚠️ Tip for people who get seasick or have vertigo:
Too much movement at the start can make some people feel queasy. To prevent this, you can hold the side of the float tank until the water settles. Or keep a foot on the ground for a few moments. Move slowly, breathe deeply, and take your time.

7. What If Tough Thoughts or Emotions Come Up?

One of the deeper fears people don’t always say out loud: “What if being alone with my thoughts feels overwhelming?”

Floating can feel like a gentle mirror. Sometimes memories, feelings, or insights bubble up. You might notice things you’ve been ignoring. This is not “bad”… it’s healing.

Let go of expectations. I like to say: You don’t always get the float you want, but you always get the float you need.

Floating is about letting go:

• Letting go of tension.
• Letting go of expectations.
• Letting go of the need to control the experience.

Remember: There’s No Wrong Way to Float.

The best advice for first-time floaters? Go slow. Be gentle. Take breaks if needed. Support your head with your hands, keep the lights on or off, move around, get out, sip tea… it’s all okay.

Floatation therapy is about giving yourself what you need, not forcing yourself to have a certain experience. Take notice of how you feel before you get in versus how you feel when you come out.
Even “challenging floats” leave most people calmer, lighter, and more connected to themselves.

Trust the process.

Ready to Book Your First Float Session?

Your first float will be unforgettable. Bring your worries and your curiosity. We’ll help you feel supported and safe so you can discover why so many people say floating changes everything.

Book your first float session here or reach out to us if you have questions. You’ve got this. And we’ve for you!

Life is filled with decisions – some simple, others significant. The big ones, like choosing whether to change jobs, relocate, or navigate relationship challenges can often feel overwhelming. Floatation therapy can effectively reduce stress, quiet your mind, and foster greater creativity and clarity, empowering you to approach difficult choices with confidence.

When facing these major decisions, stress and anxiety significantly impact our thinking. The body’s stress response includes releasing cortisol, a hormone that triggers the “fight-or-flight” mechanism. While helpful in emergency situations, elevated cortisol can negatively affect everyday decision-making, often resulting in impulsive or overly cautious choice, or in general indecision.

Research highlights the negative effects of anxiety on cognitive functions essential for clear and strategic thinking. Hartley and Phelps (2012) reviewed literature demonstrating that anxiety leads to heightened risk-aversion, causing individuals to focus disproportionately on potential negative outcomes. Similarly, Paulus and Yu (2012) illustrated that anxiety disrupts the brain’s rational decision-making processes, causing choices that often prioritize short-term relief over long-term benefits.Moreover, studies by Starcke and Brand (2012, 2016) underline cortisol’s role in impairing judgment during stress. Elevated cortisol has been consistently linked to increased risk-taking behaviours, compromised reward assessment, and diminished cognitive flexibility – particularly under pressure (Maier et al., 2015; Pabst, 2013).

This is where floatation therapy comes in. Floating significantly reduces sensory input to induce deep relaxation. Inside a float tank filled with warm, Epsom salt-rich water, your body floats effortlessly, removing nearly all sensory stimulation. This environment prompts a profound relaxation response, leading to measurable reductions in stress hormones.

A significant study out of LIBR (Laureate Institute for Brain Research) by Feinstein et al. (2018) demonstrated that even a single floating session could significantly lower anxiety and improve mood among participants with anxiety and stress-related disorders. Similarly, earlier studies out of Sweden, including Bood et al. (2006) showed floatation therapy’s substantial anxiolytic effects, indicating its potential for ongoing anxiety management. These benefits are likely related to floating’s ability to decrease cortisol levels, enabling cognitive recovery from stress and anxiety-induced impairments.

Floating doesn’t simply reduce stress; it actively enhances key cognitive abilities required for decision-making such as creativity, focus, and problem-solving. Early evidence from van Dierendonck and te Nijenhuis in their 2005 meta-analysis demonstrates that floating not only reduced stress and enhanced feelings of well-being, they also increased performance across a range of physical and mental tasks. These cognitive enhancements suggest that floatation therapy indirectly supports better decision-making by fostering clearer, calmer, and more creative thinking.

Another study involved jazz musicians who regularly used floatation therapy, finding significant improvements in their improvisational performance – a skill inherently dependent on rapid, intuitive, and creative decision-making (Vartanian & Suedfeld, 2011). This enhancement in spontaneous creative expression parallels the cognitive flexibility and adaptive decision-making floating can foster.
Floating becomes especially beneficial when approached intentionally.

Here are a few practical strategies to optimize your floatation sessions for decision-making:
● Define Your Intentions Clearly: Before your float, consciously outline the issue or decision you wish to address. Clearly articulating your intention prepares your subconscious mind to explore it deeply during the float session. Writing down these intentions beforehand can further solidify your focus.
● Embrace Mental Flexibility: Rather than actively forcing solutions during your float, allow thoughts and ideas to flow naturally. This gentle approach often reveals unexpected insights and creative solutions. Practice mindfulness by observing your thoughts without judgment or immediate analysis.
● Immediate Post-Float Reflection: Directly after exiting the float tank, spend 10-15 minutes quietly journaling or reflecting on thoughts or insights from your session. Capturing these immediate impressions helps solidify and clarify your initial reactions and feelings.
● Delayed Decision-Making: Research suggests a post-float refractory period – a time when your mind remains deeply relaxed and somewhat ‘floaty.’ During this period, it’s beneficial to avoid making major life decisions immediately. Wait at least an hour or two, or even better, sleep on it. Allowing your mind extra time helps integrate insights gained from floating, ensuring you make decisions with clarity rather than impulse.
● Consider Regular Sessions: While a single float session offers significant benefits, regular floating can provide sustained improvements in anxiety reduction, cognitive clarity, and creative thinking, offering long-term support for navigating complex life decisions.
Significant life decisions can become clearer and less overwhelming when approached from a place of calm and focus. Floatation therapy provides a proven method to reduce anxiety, boost creativity, and sharpen cognitive clarity, empowering you to make choices with greater confidence.
If you’re facing important decisions or simply seeking greater clarity, scheduling a float session could be a valuable step forward.
——-
Citations

Hartley, C. A., & Phelps, E. A. (2012). Anxiety and decision making: A review of the literature. Biological Psychology, 90(2), 101-110.

Paulus, M. P., & Yu, A. J. (2012). The impact of anxiety on decision making. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 6, 1-13.

Starcke, K., & Brand, M. (2012). Decision making under stress: A selective review. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 36(4), 1228-1248.

Starcke, K., & Brand, M. (2016). Effects of stress on decisions under uncertainty: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 142(9), 909-933.

Maier, S. U., Makwana, A. B., & Hare, T. A. (2015). Acute stress impairs self-control in goal-directed choice by altering multiple functional connections within the brain’s decision circuits. Psychological Science, 26(11), 1683-1695.

Feinstein, J. S., Khalsa, S. S., Yeh, H. W., Wohlrab, C., Simmons, W. K., Stein, M. B., & Paulus, M. P. (2018). Examining the short-term anxiolytic and antidepressant effect of Floatation-REST. PLOS One, 13(2), e0190292.

Bood SÅ, Sundequist U, Kjellgren A, Norlander T, Nordström L, Nordenström K, et al. Eliciting the relaxation response with the help of flotation-rest (restricted environmental stimulation technique) in patients with stress-related ailments. International Journal of Stress Management. 2006;13(2):154–75. doi: 10.1037/1072-5245.13.2.154

Vartanian, O., & Suedfeld, P. (2011). The effect of the flotation version of restricted environmental stimulation technique (REST) on jazz improvisation. Music and Medicine, 3(4), 234-238.

van Dierendonck, D., & te Nijenhuis, J. (2005). Flotation restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST) as a stress-management tool: A meta-analysis. Psychology & Health, 20(3), 405-412.

May was Mental Health Awareness Month, dedicated to raising awareness and understanding of mental health issues while promoting healthy practices for maintaining mental well-being. It’s a time to reflect on the importance of our mental state, engage in open conversations about mental wellness, and explore various approaches to improving our mental health.

In recognition, we wanted to explore how floating’s widespread impact on our minds and bodies can help us build a strong foundation for our mental health. Through helping us by managing our stress, alleviating our anxiety, and even bettering our sleep – floating can be a powerful ally on our journey to enhance our overall mental and emotional wellbeing.

Reducing Stress Hormones

 One of the most significant and well-studied ways that floatation therapy supports mental health is by reducing stress. When we’re under chronic stress, our bodies produce excess cortisol (a stress hormone) to help us cope with the perceived threat. However, in the modern world this “threat” is triggered by the fast paced and noise filled life we lead, meaning it’s essentially ever-present. This constant state of hyperarousal can lead to a range of negative effects on both physical and mental well-being.

Regular floating has been shown to regulate cortisol levels, leading to improved mood stability and reduced symptoms of anxiety. By reducing stress hormones, you’ll find it easier to manage daily stressors and maintain a sense of calmness in the face of everyday stressors.

 

February is American Heart Month, where the spotlight turns to nurturing one of our body’s most vital organs. For those familiar with the tranquility of floatation therapy, it’s well-known as a sanctuary for the mind and body. However, its impact stretches beyond mere relaxation, touching the very core of our cardiovascular health. Let’s explore the ways in which regular floating sessions can be a powerful ally for your heart.

 

Easing the Heart’s Burden: Stress Reduction

In the fast-paced rhythm of modern life, chronic stress has become a public health enemy, contributing to a plethora of cardiovascular issues, including hypertension and heart attacks. The serene embrace of the float tank is a proven antidote to the stresses of daily life. For our hearts, this reduction in stress is not just a relief, but a necessity. Chronic stress taxes the heart, elevating the risk of these common heart issues. By stepping into the float tank, we allow our bodies to shift away from stress, thereby safeguarding our hearts against these risks. During this month of heart health awareness, it’s a poignant reminder of how essential stress management is for cardiovascular well-being.

 

Blood Pressure Regulation: Floating Toward Equilibrium

High blood pressure is a silent threat that significantly increases the risk of heart disease. The serene environment of a floatation tank can help the body shift from its sympathetic (stress-induced) state to a parasympathetic state, which is responsible for relaxation and healing. This gentle regulation is a testament to the body’s innate ability to heal and find balance, providing a non-pharmacological option to support heart health. Regular floatation therapy sessions could, therefore, play a role in maintaining optimal blood pressure levels, offering a serene route to heart health maintenance.

 

Improved Circulation: Nurturing Your Heart through Enhanced Flow

The benefits of floating extend to enhancing blood circulation, a key component of heart health. Good blood circulation is fundamental to cardiovascular health, ensuring that oxygen and nutrients are efficiently delivered throughout the body. The buoyancy and warmth of the saltwater in float tanks encourage the blood vessels to dilate, improving overall circulation. This enhanced blood flow can help in preventing the build-up of plaque in arteries, a major cause of heart disease.

 

The Heart’s Rhythm and Variability

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a measure of the variation in time between each heartbeat, considered an indicator of cardiovascular fitness and stress resilience. HRV is an important indicator of heart health, reflecting the heart’s ability to adapt to stress and changes in the environment. Emerging evidence suggests that floating may positively influence HRV, signifying a more resilient and flexible cardiovascular system. By incorporating floatation therapy into our wellness routines, we can potentially foster a heart that’s not only stronger but more adaptable to the challenges it faces.

 

Embracing Heart Health Through Floating

For those of us who have experienced the profound calmness of floating, it’s clear that its benefits ripple through every aspect of our well-being, including our heart health. As American Heart Month encourages us to focus on cardiovascular care, let’s recognize floatation therapy as more than just a mental escape – it’s a practice with the power to enhance heart health, offering a peaceful yet potent way to support our cardiovascular system. Whether you’re a regular floater or occasionally indulge, the heart health benefits of floating are compelling reasons to make it a staple in your self-care repertoire.

 

So this Heart Month we raise our glasses (and lower our blood pressure) to floating, where heart health meets profound relaxation.

You’ve probably heard of our fight or flight response–when we’re presented with stressful or threatening situations (like being chased by a hippopotamus), our body’s autonomic nervous system responds by preparing for action. Our heart rate increases, our breathing picks up, and blood flows from our core out to our limbs (along with a lot of other changes, all focused on helping us get ready to defend ourselves or to get out of there as swiftly as possible). In addition to this well known reaction to stressors, we have another autonomic response you may not have heard of, which is pretty much the polar opposite of fight or flight: the relaxation response. This is also referred to as the “rest and digest” response, and it takes over when we feel safe and secure. Our breathing and heart rate slow down, our circulation evens out, our digestive system becomes more active, and we’re more likely to become sexually aroused. While our fight or flight serves us best in dangerous situations, our rest and digest response is useful for all those times when we’re NOT being threatened, and it makes more sense for our body to focus on taking care of itself. This allows us to store up energy, heal and recover, and even attempt to produce future generations. Both autonomic responses are incredibly useful to our survival, helping us to get through tough short-term situations and make sure that we have the resources and time to prepare for whatever maybe coming in the future.

Unfortunately for modern humans, we’re often under constant stress (even if it’s not as immediately threatening as being chased by a hippo). Things like being cut off in traffic, being chewed out by our boss, or being woken up by a loud car in the middle of the night can make our fight or flight response kick in. Even before the global pandemic, stress levels were especially high for people living in cities, where all of the motion, noise, and interaction creates a more threatening environment for our psyche. It’s safe to say that many of us were going through our days in a state of constant and chronic stress, and having to deal with the Covid and all of its impacts has certainly not helped.

This isn’t an all-or-none situation: there is a large gradient of stress that people experience in everyday life and a large diversity in the effects of that stress. Regardless of both the exact causes and levels of stress, finding ways to unwind, de-stress, and cue the relaxation response is increasingly important for all of us. In fact, when the term Relaxation Response was first coined by Herbert Benson, it was presented alongside a protocol for practicing and eliciting it in yourself. Reading through his suggested steps, it may sound very similar to engaging in a simple meditative practice. You wouldn’t be the first to make that comparison–in fact Dr. Benson is often credited with familiarizing a Western audience with meditation, essentially through rebranding it as the Relaxation Effect and conducting studies on its measurable impacts. With that in mind, it’s not surprising at all that numerous studies have found that floating in a float tank seems to bring on both the relaxation effect and its associated benefits. In fact, floating is often described outside the scientific community as “training wheels for meditation,”demonstrating that outside the lab, people have also been noticing the similarities between floating and the relaxation response for things like reducing stress, improving mood, and increasing focus.