Chicago Local: Float Society

The goal of meditation isn’t to control your thoughts, it’s to stop letting them control you – The Age of Enlightenment

Floating is a form of meditation that has been used for centuries. It was actually known to be one of the original forms of meditation because that is how we all began. Floating in the womb of our mothers. A place where we felt safe, we felt love, we felt peace.

The Ancient Greeks, Cleopatra, King David, among many others used to travel to the Dead Sea in order to reap the benefits of floating. If you are unfamiliar with the Dead Sea, it is a salt lake in between Jordan and Israel. It is filled with more salt than the average body of water and allows your body to become weightless. The salt is incredibly beneficial for the skin. It is filled with magnesium, sodium and potassium that allows your body to retain more moisture to keep it healthy and rejuvenated.

Tourists make their way to the dead sea for meditation purposes as well. The weightlessness gives your body and mind a break from gravity thus allowing your mind to relax. Allowing your muscles to rest and recover.

Scientists decided to take this ancient form of healing to another level. They wanted to see what happens to brain function when we deprive our minds from using our senses. In 1954, scientists started to suspend people in water for period of time but realized that the suspension ended up putting more strain on the mind. Float tanks were created as a form of Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy, or REST, and also known as sensory deprivation. Between 1960-1970 Epsom salt water was added to a dark, soundproof chamber of water at skin temperature. They allowed patients to float freely and studied the effects on the brain.

In their research, they found that gravity, light, sound and touch accounted for 90% of the central nervous system’s workload. And floating gave the parasympathetic response a break. The parasympathetic response is how the body naturally regenerates itself and maintains chemical and metabolic balance.

So with floating, the brain gets a chance to relax and releases more endorphins that aid in well being and happiness. The brain is also given the opportunity to perform more efficiently because it goes into the theta state.

In the modern day, what is floating exactly? You are in an enclosed tank that is lightproof and sound proof in a pool of water that is about 10-12 inches deep. 30% of what you’re laying in is magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt). You become completely buoyant, aka you won’t sink!

Float tanks are known to have many benefits. Not only are they relaxing and meditative, but they also improve your quality of sleep. They have the power to increase your immune health, help with muscle recovery, heals wounds faster and helps body circulation and regulating blood pressure. On top of that, it helps relieve stress, can help with anxiety and depression, helps you to retain information and boost creativity.

I decided to try it out for myself to see how floating impacted my life. Would I notice differences or was this simply just a fad?

After tons of research, I decided I was going to make an appointment to float. I read other blogs about it and they all suggested going more than one time, so I bought a package of three floats at a place near where I live called Float Society.

Session 1:

I walked in without any expectations. I wanted to allow the experience to be what it was without me having to force anything or doubt anything. When I walked into Float Society, I thought “wow, this place is so aesthetically pleasing!” You walk into the waiting area and you are greeted by the friendly face of Dominic. He also designed the place to sort of look like a Speakeasy. The whole back wall looks like a book shelf but there is a “hidden door” that leads to the float tank room and a staircase.

I was told to put in my ear plugs and then shower with body wash and shampoo. This was to get all of the dirt and oils off your body before entering the tank. The tank itself was about the size of a queen size bed. Having control over that made me feel more at ease. I stepped in the water and shut the door behind me and laid in the water. Once I was pretty comfortable, I decided to shut off the lights. Eyes closed, music playing and concentrated on my breathing. After I felt my heart rate slow down, I decided to turn off the music. Focusing all of my attention on relaxation and slowing down my mind.

I spent the bulk of my hour trying to quiet my mind but my thoughts were going a mile a minute. By the time I finally started to feel like I had control, the music started playing again and the lights turned on. I got up, got out, and took my second shower to rinse off the salt. Then I walked upstairs to the relaxation room and a hot cup of tea was waiting for me.

I knew that the more I did the float tank, the more control I would have over my mind.

Session 2:

After my first session I had THE BEST sleep of my life! I slept through the night and woke up feeling refreshed. Then I decided to dedicate the Saturday after my float to writing posts for my website. I sat in the cafe of my local Whole Foods and I wrote. And wrote. And wrote more. My brain was working at a super speed. My brain was working in overdrive and next thing I knew, seven and a half HOURS went by. I didn’t want to overwork my brain, so I forced myself to stop so I could go home and relax.

I made an appointment for a Sunday afternoon instead of a night time appointment to see if it made a difference. The day before this appointment, I helped a friend move into her new house, which wore my body out. I needed this relaxation and recovery. I also started to feel like I was getting sick and wanted to see how floating would impact my immune health.

This time when I got in the tank, I shut off the music and lights immediately. As expected, I couldn’t hear anything but my heartbeat or see anything but darkness.

I laid there and thought, “Missy, your body needs you to take a break. Allow it to.” I fell asleep and the next thing I knew, the jets were on to wake me up. Now I was eager to see how the rest of my day would go.

Session 3:

After my last session, I realized my body was telling me to rest, so that is exactly what I did. I went home, drank more tea and read a personal development book.

My third session came after the craziness of Thanksgiving. I was needing an extra boost of relaxation. I decided to try another early appointment knowing I had a lot of work to do after my float.

The third time was definitely the easiest to get in a relaxed position right off the bat. I was able to get my breathing under control almost immediately. I was starting to feel like a pro at this whole floating thing! My mind quickly organized my chaos. Before I knew it, my session was over, the lights turned on and I was feeling more refreshed than ever before. I felt ready to take on the day with a rush of positive energy throughout my body. I knew I could accomplish everything I needed to without stressing.

So what did I learn from floating?

• my mind thinks about way too many things at once and this definitely contributes to my anxiety issues
• I need to learn to slow down sometimes
• I am capable of managing my time
• I have a lot to say and that writing really helps me to be creative

Where did Dominic’s love of floating start? Why did he pursue opening his own Float Tank business? Here was what he said:

“Float Society was built out of a desire to function better while remaining in tune with the natural world. I stumbled into the effects of floating on a trip to the Dead Sea in 2012. I had been suffering from Crohn’s Disease and floating in the Dead Sea seemed to relieve some of the pain. When I got home, I started to search for similar therapies and found Space Time float tanks in Chicago. They were one of the original companies in the city. Their float pods were quite small and lacking in upgraded tech but the relief of the tank was more powerful than ever. I sought out several other modalities in the years manifesting this center.

Meditating in Buddhist temples in Lush Rainforest in Thailand, working with plant medicine in the Andes, learning about ancient remedies from the Bedouin and working closely with the rhythms of nature with the Lakota. The journey has formed what is now Float Society. I will continue to grow and learn new modalities to share with our community.”

I highly recommend Float Society if you are looking for a float tank. It is located at 8695 Archer Ave, Unit 5 Willow Springs, IL 60480.

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