Floating "on top of the world"
Besides being a highly enjoyable experience, "floating" is a powerfully productive leisure activity for individuals who wish to explore the full potential of their bodies, their minds, and their natural abilities.
Bookings
Natalie Griffiths
natalie@releaf.co.nz
(027) 27-26-274
Floatation REST - the science of deep relaxation
Floatation is based on a scientific approach to deep relaxation known as Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy and its acronym REST. Floatation REST has its origins in the "isolation tank" developed by maverick neuroscientist John Lilly in the mid-1950s while he was an eminent researcher at America's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Floatation REST "restricts" or eliminates all the external stress-factors or "stimuli" that normally affect body and mind in day-to-day life.
· Gravity: The concentrated Epsom salt solution creates a weightless environment that liberates mind and
body from the effects of gravity.
· Temperature: The solution is kept at skin-temperature, thus freeing the nervous system and brain from
another constant stress-factor.
· Touch: With only skin-temperature fluid in contact with the millions of sensitive nerve-endings that cover
the skin, there is no sense of separation between the body and its surroundings. According to research,
this reduction in tactile stimulation (sense of touch) plays a subtle but important part in triggering a profound
state of relaxation. Subjectively, it creates a sensation of complete loss of body boundaries.
· Sight and sound: Floating in complete darkness and silence liberates large areas of the brain devoted
to processing sensory information, further increasing the depth of mental relaxation.
Although we are usually not consciously aware of these external factors, taken together they consume over 95% of our physical and mental energy.
The Relaxation Response - nature empowered by science
· Floatation REST triggers a profound "relaxation response" that is totally automatic and operates
simultaneously at all levels of the personality.
· The importance of the relaxation response to physical and mental health can be easily understood by
considering its opposite - the fight or flight response - the deep biological process set in motion by mental
stress.
· Medical science accepts that most of today's endemic "lifestyle" diseases are stress-related.
On a gross physical level, floatation REST allows the body to achieve a state of total relaxation - much deeper and richer than normal sleep - almost comparable to a state of hibernation.
· In the zero-gravity REST environment, muscles can relax fully. Residual muscle tension (often
unconsciously locked into the body, and sometimes called "body armour") discharges completely.
· With a reduced workload on the heart and cardiovascular system, blood pressure and heart rate are
lowered to healthy levels.
· Blood vessels and capillaries dilate, improving the flow of nutrients and oxygen to every single cell in the
body, promoting healthy tissue growth.
· During deep relaxation, the level of T-cells in the bloodstream is boosted, strengthening the immune
system.
On a more subtle biological level, deep neuromuscular relaxation changes the type of hormones secreted by the brain and endocrine system.
· Floating cleanses harmful stress hormones from the bloodstream.
· Floating releases large amounts of endorphins into the bloodstream, giving immediate relief from chronic
pain and fatigue.
These subtle changes in body chemistry have a profoundly beneficial impact on an individual's emotional balance. Negative emotions such as anxiety and fear are replaced by positive feelings of empowerment, confidence, and well-being - the feeling of being "on top of the world".
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I’m claustrophobic. How can I use the tank?
A. This is a common concern. You can choose to float with the door of the tank open and with the interior light on. Once we have explained to our clients that they are in charge of the whole procedure, their worries subside, and usually they go on to float with the door closed and the light off. Both of these functions are fully controllable from within the tank.
Q. How is hygiene maintained?
A. The high saline content of the floatation environment plus a tiny amount of disinfectant ensures that nothing harmful can survive within the tank. The water within the tank is automatically filtered through ultra-violet light (eliminating the need for chemicals) between each customer and further cleanliness is assured as customers are asked to shower before and after each float session.
Q. Is there any risk of drowning?
A. The high buoyancy of the water makes it impossible for the individual to go beneath the surface. Once settled it is only possible to touch the bottom of the tank with a great deal of effort.
Q. Do I need to bring anything for the float session?
A. We provide free of charge towels, shower products, make-up wipes and body moisturizer, however you may like to bring your own and any additional items you may need. Please note we do not have the facilities to provide a hairdryer.
Q. Do I need to prepare in any way?
A. No. Floating is perhaps the easiest pastime imaginable. The only precaution that you should take is that you should not shave at all on the day of your float session. The high salt content is extremely irritating to freshly shaved skin. We provide Vaseline for people to cover any small cuts or grazes and this can be effective in covering shaved skin, but our advice is to avoid shaving altogether on the day of your float.
Q. I’m pregnant. Can floating harm my baby?
A. Absolutely not. In fact heavily pregnant women probably get more relief from the float tank than anyone else. Just lying on a bed can be extremely uncomfortable for women in the later stages of pregnancy due to the massive gravitational strain placed on the body. The float tank is a wonderful haven to which pregnant women can escape. We do however recommend that like most activities floating should be avoided in the first trimester.
Besides being a highly enjoyable experience, "floating" is a powerfully productive leisure activity for individuals who wish to explore the full potential of their bodies, their minds, and their natural abilities.
Bookings
Natalie Griffiths
natalie@releaf.co.nz
(027) 27-26-274
Floatation REST - the science of deep relaxation
Floatation is based on a scientific approach to deep relaxation known as Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy and its acronym REST. Floatation REST has its origins in the "isolation tank" developed by maverick neuroscientist John Lilly in the mid-1950s while he was an eminent researcher at America's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Floatation REST "restricts" or eliminates all the external stress-factors or "stimuli" that normally affect body and mind in day-to-day life.
· Gravity: The concentrated Epsom salt solution creates a weightless environment that liberates mind and
body from the effects of gravity.
· Temperature: The solution is kept at skin-temperature, thus freeing the nervous system and brain from
another constant stress-factor.
· Touch: With only skin-temperature fluid in contact with the millions of sensitive nerve-endings that cover
the skin, there is no sense of separation between the body and its surroundings. According to research,
this reduction in tactile stimulation (sense of touch) plays a subtle but important part in triggering a profound
state of relaxation. Subjectively, it creates a sensation of complete loss of body boundaries.
· Sight and sound: Floating in complete darkness and silence liberates large areas of the brain devoted
to processing sensory information, further increasing the depth of mental relaxation.
Although we are usually not consciously aware of these external factors, taken together they consume over 95% of our physical and mental energy.
The Relaxation Response - nature empowered by science
· Floatation REST triggers a profound "relaxation response" that is totally automatic and operates
simultaneously at all levels of the personality.
· The importance of the relaxation response to physical and mental health can be easily understood by
considering its opposite - the fight or flight response - the deep biological process set in motion by mental
stress.
· Medical science accepts that most of today's endemic "lifestyle" diseases are stress-related.
On a gross physical level, floatation REST allows the body to achieve a state of total relaxation - much deeper and richer than normal sleep - almost comparable to a state of hibernation.
· In the zero-gravity REST environment, muscles can relax fully. Residual muscle tension (often
unconsciously locked into the body, and sometimes called "body armour") discharges completely.
· With a reduced workload on the heart and cardiovascular system, blood pressure and heart rate are
lowered to healthy levels.
· Blood vessels and capillaries dilate, improving the flow of nutrients and oxygen to every single cell in the
body, promoting healthy tissue growth.
· During deep relaxation, the level of T-cells in the bloodstream is boosted, strengthening the immune
system.
On a more subtle biological level, deep neuromuscular relaxation changes the type of hormones secreted by the brain and endocrine system.
· Floating cleanses harmful stress hormones from the bloodstream.
· Floating releases large amounts of endorphins into the bloodstream, giving immediate relief from chronic
pain and fatigue.
These subtle changes in body chemistry have a profoundly beneficial impact on an individual's emotional balance. Negative emotions such as anxiety and fear are replaced by positive feelings of empowerment, confidence, and well-being - the feeling of being "on top of the world".
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I’m claustrophobic. How can I use the tank?
A. This is a common concern. You can choose to float with the door of the tank open and with the interior light on. Once we have explained to our clients that they are in charge of the whole procedure, their worries subside, and usually they go on to float with the door closed and the light off. Both of these functions are fully controllable from within the tank.
Q. How is hygiene maintained?
A. The high saline content of the floatation environment plus a tiny amount of disinfectant ensures that nothing harmful can survive within the tank. The water within the tank is automatically filtered through ultra-violet light (eliminating the need for chemicals) between each customer and further cleanliness is assured as customers are asked to shower before and after each float session.
Q. Is there any risk of drowning?
A. The high buoyancy of the water makes it impossible for the individual to go beneath the surface. Once settled it is only possible to touch the bottom of the tank with a great deal of effort.
Q. Do I need to bring anything for the float session?
A. We provide free of charge towels, shower products, make-up wipes and body moisturizer, however you may like to bring your own and any additional items you may need. Please note we do not have the facilities to provide a hairdryer.
Q. Do I need to prepare in any way?
A. No. Floating is perhaps the easiest pastime imaginable. The only precaution that you should take is that you should not shave at all on the day of your float session. The high salt content is extremely irritating to freshly shaved skin. We provide Vaseline for people to cover any small cuts or grazes and this can be effective in covering shaved skin, but our advice is to avoid shaving altogether on the day of your float.
Q. I’m pregnant. Can floating harm my baby?
A. Absolutely not. In fact heavily pregnant women probably get more relief from the float tank than anyone else. Just lying on a bed can be extremely uncomfortable for women in the later stages of pregnancy due to the massive gravitational strain placed on the body. The float tank is a wonderful haven to which pregnant women can escape. We do however recommend that like most activities floating should be avoided in the first trimester.
© 2009 - St Benedicts Health Care
· Deep Relaxation
· Mental Clarity
· Peak Performance
· Physical Regeneration
· Mental Clarity
· Peak Performance
· Physical Regeneration
