Everyone has their own individual way of relaxing and switching off – taking a long walk, a deep tissue massage, painting, journaling. But something you may have heard of, but not yet tried is flotation therapy, currently available at Healing One in Reno at 560 E Plumb Lane.
But first before going on my own trial, I’ll answer some basic questions while looking into terminology and a brief history. Sensory deprivation or flotation you may ask yourself?
That’s because you may have heard of float therapy referred to by its other name “sensory deprivation.” It essentially involves stepping into a float tank (or isolation tank) which contains 11” of water (just enough to float above the bottom without ever touching it) and over 1,000 lbs of pharmaceutical grade epsom salts. The air and water are heated to body temperature and the experience is totally silent and sightless – picture an oversized bathtub with a lid to block out any light, sound, any other external distractions.
The concept of using a flotation tank as a therapeutic technique was first developed by Dr. John C Lilly – an American writer, inventor, physician, neuroscientists, and psychoanalyst – in the 1950s. His initial goal was to invent a way of isolating the brain from external stimulation, so he filled a pitch black, soundproof tank with warm salty water in which subjects could float for long periods of time in sensory isolation and go deep inside their own thoughts. He hoped that the tank would allow him to better research the origins of consciousness in his patients. Likely, the idea was inspired by the Dead Sea, a hypersaline body of water located between Jordan, Israel and Palestine that has such a high saline content that you can float on top freely and enjoy the feeling of being completely weightless.
While these tanks were originally used for medical purposes, in the last six or seven years it has gained in popularity as a way to relax and unwind. ‘Floating’ has a wide range of wonderful benefits for the mind and body, and is enjoyed by everyone from professional athletes, pregnant women, and those simply looking for a way to switch off after a hard work week. Studies have shown that floating has been shown to enhance muscle recovery, musculoskeletal awareness, immune function, and lower cortisol to increase stress resistance. Cortisol (our stress hormone) has been shown to be reduced for extended periods after floats, and with the removal of (almost) everything, your body has extra resources to apply to areas where you need a little extra love.
Healing One can be found online via their website: https://www.healingone.com/, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HealingOneWorld/ and Instagram: http://instagram.com/healingoneworld
Dubbed as Reno’s “headquarters for healing and relaxation,” Healing One is a balanced float center that was founded in 2015 by Chaz Allen.
Their new location on 560 E. Plumb Ln. boasts float suites, massage rooms, an infrared sauna, refreshments bar, chill lounge with library, quiet meditation spaces, and an oxygen bar. They operate by offering guests both active and passive approaches to healing.
Active healing involves engaging activities to help stimulate an individual mentally and physically so that one may fall into the “flow” state, like yoga, dance, and flow arts. Passive healing requires an individual to surrender to the healing modality and relinquish control of any and all outcomes of the session, such as a massage, floating, energy healing, and meditating.
Float therapy – a method of passive healing – is one of Healing One’s most popular sessions with guests. They have four private float suites, a mixture of sensory deprivation tanks and open-air float baths of different shapes and sizes. Each float suite has its own private and personal shower so you can rise off before and after your session to maximize comfort. They also provide you with everything you may need to prep for your float; body and hand towels, comfy robes and slippers, earplugs, vaseline for cuts and scrapes, q-tips, organic shampoo, conditioner and body soap, and bags for carrying your personal belongings between services. As a guest at Healing One, you can book in for a single one-time float, buy multiple float packages, or set up a membership for monthly sessions.
After parking outside, I walked into the Healing One Center and immediately felt a sense of peacefulness begin to wash over me. I think it was a mixture of the dimmed lighting, calm music, and woozy feeling that the smell of incense gives me.
I was greeted by a lovely employee named Mariano, who checked me in for my appointment and gave me a tour of the center, taking me from the downstairs lounge library, past quiet massage rooms, and up the stairs into the other lounge where I quietly tiptoed past guests meditating, taking a nap, and sipping on herbal tea, relaxing before for their next appointment.
If I could change anything about my appointment, I would definitely have showed up further in advance so I could enjoy and unwind in the lounge areas to their full extent before my float session. The employees at Healing One recommend coming in up to a half hour before your float session to enjoy the amenities they have on offer, so I would definitely take advantage of that next time.
After being taken to my private float suite, I was given some first-timer tips and shown how to use the sensory deprivation tank. After he showed me around, he wished me luck and shut the door, leaving me alone to soak. Once my session started, some light, melodic music started playing, signaling the fifteen minutes I had to prepare for my float. I stripped off all my clothing, stuffed in the ear plugs, and rinsed off in my private shower, just as the music began to die down, signaling the start of my 60-minute float session.
I entered the capsule without any wild expectations. I thought it would be a very quiet, serene place for about an hour. And it was… exactly that. It wasn’t like Eleven from Stranger Things – there were no mind games, encounters with extraterrestrial entities, or trips to the Upside Down. Instead I felt relaxed and deeply focused. The tank itself was much more welcoming than I’d anticipated – white, sleek, and clean, beckoning me to step inside. It was also much bigger inside than I’d first thought. It was almost the width of my arm span and as a female pushing six feet, I had plenty of room for my long, lanky legs.
After switching off the tank light, the room was pitch black and eerily silent. It took me about ten minutes to get comfortable and used to the feeling of being weightless. For the first five minutes, I had a creeping sense of panic and perhaps a bit of claustrophobia. I’m not afraid of very much, but there was something about floating in the dark that was slightly disorientating. I reassured myself by brushing the sides and floor of the tank, and feeling out for the lid hinge just so I knew where it was. I felt a tiny papercut from the day before prickling in reaction to the salt water, sharp stinging at first but easing after a while. I had completely forgotten about it, and remembered the still-full tube of Vaseline sat waiting for me outside the tank, unused. Also, definitely avoid touching your face while in the tub – the last thing you want is for even a drop of that water to get near your eye.
The only noise was the occasional sound of sloshing water when I moved. I was laying flat on my back, floating naked, except for earplugs in my ears. In addition to the darkness and silence, I couldn’t feel much at all. This was as close to total sensory deprivation as I had ever been. After a while, I began to drift in and out of sleep. My body finally fully relaxed, and I felt completely still. The lack of sensory input allowed me to be completely alone with my thoughts for the first time that I could remember. The idea of that seems terrifying, being alone with my thoughts for an entire hour sounds anything but relaxing. But my mind felt at peace. It was the closest to internal silence I’ve experienced in my life.
I think that because this was my first time, I wasn’t as fully relaxed as I could’ve been. It was a brand new experience that I was trying to take in at the same time, and if I went for a second session I could relax even further and fall more into a deep, dreamy state – I was very close to it. Another 30 minutes would’ve probably done the trick.
Although my other senses had been dampened, I noticed that I hadn’t lost my sense of smell. To maintain cleanliness, the water in the tank is micro-filtered and treated with bromine between uses, and the faint chemical smell lingered slightly. It wasn’t bothersome, but with my other senses gone, my sense of smell felt heightened. As soon as I noticed the smell, I was back drifting asleep.
Suddenly, the calming music started up again and I could just about hear it with my ears submerged under the water. I blinked, bleary-eyed. Apparently sixty minutes had passed, though it hadn’t seemed that long at all. After sitting in the shallow water for a moment, I felt around for the light switch, popped open the tank door and showered the salt water off with the fragrant organic soap and hair washes.
I got dressed, and padded across the hallway and into the downstairs lounge room, where a float journal awaits my own personal entry. I rehydrated, took a moment to relax and reflect on the past sixty minutes in the float tank before leaving Healing One. I felt very refreshed and relaxed after, but also slightly sleepy at the same time. The Traffic speeds down Plumb Lane, it’s rush hour in Reno and the weather is deathly hot. Cars honk, my smartphone buzzes in my pocket as I switch it off from silent mode. PING. That distinctive iMessage tone. I felt like I’d become so sensitive to even the slightest sounds – is this what we deal with everyday? Everything was REALLY LOUD. AND FAST. AND BRIGHT. AND DISTRACTING. Prepare for a sensory overload when you step back onto the street. It confirmed that there really is something important about having a quiet place to retreat to every once and a while, whether that be in a dark salty bathtub or sitting in a corner of your bedroom with the lights off.
I would say that you should give everything at least one try, and flotation therapy is no different. It’s definitely a unique experience and unlike nothing I’ve tried before, and for that in itself I would suggest just giving it a go to see how it could perhaps benefit you personally. I’ve tried various ‘passive healing’ techniques, but found that although meditation and yoga practices are relaxing, I can never really fully switch off. I’m always focusing on something – my hamstrings twinging slightly because I’m the worst at stretching after working out, or my headphones beeping because I forgot to charge them. The 60-minute float session I underwent at Healing One is probably the most effective relaxation technique I’ve ever experienced and I would definitely return for more float sessions, whether that be for mental health and reducing stress or if my muscles are extra sore during a particular week.