Floating
Through Life
By
Amy Larson
“That
was the most relaxed we’ve ever seen you, Mom,” said my daughter, Erika, after
we’d spent the day at the beach on Maui. The water had been the perfect
temperature, the sun had gently warmed our skin, but there was something more
to it.
“I think
it was the salt,” I answered, recalling author Aspen Morrow’s manuscript, “MedFree BiPolar” I’d been editing, wherein she expounded on the body’s need for
salt, and how when in emotional crisis, a salt drip was the first restorative thing
hospitals do for people. No wonder, since bodies are made up of a whopping 40%
salt that we sweat out, cry out…then don’t always replenish.
When we
get a little low, things don’t work well. Generally the organs, specifically
the mind.
Funny that
I’d be downtown getting my sugar fix at Candy World when the Salt Guy walked
in. I quickly learned Caleb Fawkes was an avid “floater”, something I’d never
heard of. He invited me to try floating
at his float center two doors down. I nodded yeah, okay, but was hesitant. It sounded
a little too off-beat. Being slightly claustrophobic, I wasn’t entirely
comfortable with climbing into a dark little water-filled “pod” in a strange
place.
More
than anything, it was curiosity that got me to finally go. I needed to try it before writing off floating
for good.
It
didn’t hurt that once I finally got to Drop of Calm, there was resonating art,
comfortable chairs, thoughtful lighting, and books everywhere. My room for the
next ninety minutes looked nurturing. There was a vibe that’s hard to explain
(possibly growth?) within the room.
The area
holds a shower where you rinse down, both practical and psychically beneficial,
clearing off hairspray, cosmetics, perfume, lotions…the masks we wear in order
to be “okay”.
The pod
looked like a giant washing machine, which if you think about it, is pretty
symbolic. It was dark in there; that I didn’t love. Taking a timid step into
the water, it was exact body temperature, so felt like nothing, and not in the
least bit cold. You sit, then lie back, then feel your legs and arms pop up as
you become very much afloat. Caleb warned against splashing around much, lest
you get “A thousand pounds of salt in your eyes.”
The
sensation felt familiar, womb-like. Made sense, since we’re 40% salt, and up to
65% water.
The
darkness enabled my typically overactive mind to finally, blissfully catch a
break. Part of my problem “on the outside”, I realized, was that when it was
suggested I relax, I had no good frame of reference for that. The closest two
instances were floating at Hawaii on a boogie board, and last summer when my
daughter rowed me across Lake Cascade in our little inflatable raft while I
napped in the sun.
This was
like that times twenty.
In the pod,
it’s just you. You’re not thinking about your weight, your appearance, there
are zero distractions. It’s as alone as you can possibly get.
The
first float was about getting used to that freedom. Being dark, weightless, and
with no sense of where you are, other than the occasional soft bump on the sides
when drifting a little, you’re in a state of blissful relief. Fists unclench,
jaws relax, shoulders stop hunching, knees straighten. Dredging up petty
thoughts of irritants or worries takes actual mental work, and in that
condition, it’s too much of a chore to pursue. I found that only three things
stood out. Those I loved, the comfort, and the soft sounds of my own breathing.
Caleb
told me some struggled to get the hang of floating, but I had no such
resistance. I found my perfect arm position (over my head, the one most writers
and those who work on computers prefer, since it relieves forward muscle
pressure), and got pretty good at stretching out neck, arms, legs, and torso
without splashing salt water into the eyes.
The only
part I didn’t relish was getting out. At the end of your time, gentle music
comes on, slight at first, then growing in intensity to a comfortable yet
audible volume, as if waking from a dream. Lifting your head, arms, and legs is
a chore after being gravity-less. Your body protests and you’ll want to climb
back in, lie back down.
I
couldn’t wait for the next one. Once back in the pod, I promptly fell asleep,
and into a state of nothingness that only REM slumber had previously supplied.
By the third float, I was over-anxious to find peace again, but realized enough
about the process to know I could use floating to my advantage. Relaxed minds
are empty canvases for painting what you want out of life. I envisioned
articles practically writing themselves, national magazines I’d write for, time
with my kids, beautiful meals with family and friends, and someone giving me
vibrantly-colored flowers.
It was
only after that third float that Caleb Fawkes granted me an interview. With
knowing grin, he expanded on why so many are hooked.
“You’re
essentially soaking in 960 pounds of Epsom salt. Salt draws out toxins, and has
a mild muscle-relaxing effect. There’s also magnesium. So many are magnesium
deficient, and your body can’t process calcium without it. Posture depends on
the person. Just get comfortable, and drop expectations. It’s going to be good,
no matter what. There’s no gravity, you’re removing all stimulus, you’re
getting magnesium into your body. It’s alone time…it’s an incredibly simple way
to help yourself.”
Caleb’s
grandfather introduced him to basic meditation when he was eight years old.
He’d do a little just before going to sleep. By age twelve, he was meditating
regularly, and now has over 21 years of meditation experience.
“Anytime
you’re thinking about your breathing, it’s beneficial. One basic method is to
mentally grab a color you think of as negative. I use red. When you exhale,
think red. When inhaling, think cool, calm blue.”
When hearing
about float tanks, he was intrigued.
Three
years ago, he tried his first float, intentionally not meditating in the tank
so he could discern the effects of the float, nothing else. When leaving the
tank, he felt calm, grounded, peaceful, as if he’d meditated.
“Do what
you love, and you’ll never work another day in your life. I liked meditating
and teaching people to meditate. But that’s a hard way to make a living.
Minutes after the float, I knew it was the business I wanted to be in. There’s
nothing there in the pods, just the core of your being. When people come to
Drop of Calm, I’m not selling them anything. The world says, ‘Take this pill,
use this cream, you’re not good enough’. With floating, you are enough, you are
everything you need. I’m selling them nothing. And people want that nothing.”
Caleb has
a long list of floating benefits.
“If you
want to lose weight, when you float, you’ll either let go of the idea or be
dedicated to it. After floating, people notice their digestion getting better.
Chemically, floating aids a ton of organ processes. You have pure water
entering your body at a cellular level, which is fantastic for your skin
health. Floating helps to prevent injury, recover faster from hard workouts,
and relaxes you enough to perform better as an athlete. When it comes to
visualization, floating is powerful. Closing your eyes in a dark, non-
stimulus, gravity-less space and imagining shooting perfect free throws for an
hour is just as effective as the real thing. Those into archery can practice in
their minds and have better marksmanship. A painter told me he sees floating as
a way of “going to the well”. With control groups of musicians, those who had
floated produced music with much more variety. Those with PTSD can benefit by
getting down to nothing, so it’s safe to process those things without
physically experiencing them. Those who have a hard time really being in their
body, or are too much in their body, can find that natural balance. If you’re
living with situations you don’t like, or going through trauma, floating helps.
So, you’re removing toxins, you’re feeling better, you’re getting more
connected with yourself.”
Frequency
depends on your goals. For some, it’s like getting a massage, something to
power down with. Some float in concert with workouts and are regimented about
it, floating three times per week. If you want to maintain the effects of
floating, once a week is best. You can tell when you’re ready to float again
when people and things start to irritate once more. Easygoing-ness is one obvious
side effect.
After
floating thrice, I’d highly recommend it to others. I visualized what I wanted
while in the tank, articles writing themselves (some, but not all, have felt
that way), national magazines I’d write for (still working on that, but after a
few more floats, hey, it could happen), time with my kids (after floating we
went on two spontaneous camping trips to Lake Cascade), beautiful meals with
family and friends (that happened), and someone giving me vibrantly-colored
flowers. (Those were happily received).
If you
want a “massage” for both the conscious and subconscious mind, and you want to
feel pretty darn good in your body, I’d tell you to float.
“Once
you’re good with your mind,” says Caleb Fawkes, “everything else flows from
there.”
