I was lucky to get a wonderful gift recently, good for a 90 minute float tank experience at Dream Float Hawaii.
I admit, at first I thought it might be a little weird. Floating in darkness? Wouldn’t I sink if I’m not actively moving my arms and legs? Would I get bored, or worse, have a claustrophobic freak-out? What exactly would happen inside there?
My fears were definitely put at ease when I arrived at Dream Float with its serene atmosphere and kind friendly staff. The entire float process was explained to me carefully. I wouldn’t be fighting gravity due to a super-concentrated salt solution that fills the tank. The water is kept at body temperature so you don’t feel cold. The float tank is dark but there is light in the room, so you can float either with the tank door open – or closed, in total darkness. The idea, which was explained to me by Geoff the owner, is that when you are not fighting gravity or constantly taking in sensory information, your body can truly relax, and you enter a naturally meditative state. Geoff also explained that there’s only 10 inches of water in the tank, so you can’t drown in there. And no matter your weight – you WILL float, he said.
I was definitely still a little skeptical, but I went ahead. I chose to float with the door partially open at first. I felt totally comfortable after a few minutes, so I did eventually close the door.
During my float, the outside world really did disappear – it was quiet and soothing, and I could systematically feel each of my muscle groups starting to release and let go. I could barely feel where the water began and my skin ended. I was just breathing and tuning into sensation, without distraction.
I was stunned when the gentle music began, signaling that it was time to get our. My 90 minute float was over. How did it go by so fast?
To sum up, I found float quite transformative. I felt relaxed, peaceful and with heightened mental clarity the rest of the day. My chronic neck pain was instantly improved. Geoff explained that these reactions are heightened the more one floats.
How is this relevant to weight and weight loss? Why am I writing about this here?
We all lead busy, stressful lives, and making such a huge behavior change that our protocol requires takes a lot of drive and effort. It also takes mindfulness – the ability to tune into bodily sensation so we better notice hunger and fullness and where these sensations are coming from (heart? head? somewhere in between?). When you are working this hard, it’s nice to shut out the rest of the world and give yourself the time to tune in to all that your body is experiencing, and deeply relax. I’d strongly encourage all our Kailua and Honolulu patients to give this a try. Geoff has even created a discount code specifically for those who are OSR Weight Management patients. Email me at [email protected] for the code, and give this amazing experience a try!
Here’s how to contact Dream Float Hawaii for more info: