Sensory Deprivation with Intention.
Sometimes we need the silence and others we need positive self talk and that’s where intention brings the best of sensory deprivation. A guided session in a float tank can add positive affirmation to the way you talk to your self, the self you spend most of the time with.
The next time you book a sensory deprivation tank session, get a personalized meditation going in the background.
Sensory Deprivation to Wellness Restoration
Guided floats are incredibly helping me restore my wellness regularly. Our job in life is, like all living things, to grow; however, unlike trees and other living beings, we have found ways to miss our wellness. Because of that, taking care of our well-being has been added to our list of responsibilities. From exercise and yoga to sauna and ice baths, we're doing everything we can to keep the body and mind functioning in optimum condition to take on the load, but nothing came close to my experience with guided floats.
Mindfulness via Sensory Deprivation
Before the rise of technology, sensory deprivation was built into our daily routines. Our brains are not designed/evolved to deal with the intensity and quantity of information we're processing these days, and a moment of mindful meditation or even stillness has become few and far between. I never realized that until one day, after an alternative wellness session on a sound and vibration bed got me a taste of peace that I still to this moment try to master. That was in 2021, in New York City, what is more accessible you ask? Float Tanks.
Sensory Deprivation Reliefs Stress
Ever heard of fight-or-flight mode, no matter how sophisticated our thinking gets and how systematic our processes are, without intentional sensory deprivation, we can fall victim to the flight-or-flight mode due to compound stress. Day by day, we go on carrying more and more mental weight without realizing it, and without proper rest and recovery, it can get too much. So, if you feel less emotionally available, easily agitated, or unable to enjoy the small sweet things like you once used to, that's it, your stress level is on the rise.
Benefits of Sensory Deprivation
Attending to Mind and Body Needs
When did you last intentionally exercise, spend enough time in nature or under the sun, or add vegetables to your dinner without feeling a bit burdened? These seem like minor, usually overlooked, tasks that affect our mental and physical health and before we know it, we’re exhausted and burnt out. A sensory deprivation session in a tank is a forced pause to look inward and check on ourselves.
Although it can be a daunting task, being in a sensory deprivation tank has a lot of benefits (plus some side effects), and attending to your needs is on top of that list.
Uncovering Agency
By intentionally getting into a sensory deprivation tank, you stop life from happening to you and start making it happen for you. From the time, the alarm rings to the first email, text, or social media post, our brains are playing catch up with the increasing demand for attention. If we don’t stop occasionally, we get hooked to the machine and lose touch with what we really want.
To stop the cycle, we need to slow down. You can do this by simply unplugging and reading a physical book or magazine, or going for a hike or a walk; nothing will come close to the ultimate silence of a sensory deprivation tank, only there can you get as close to your agency as possible.
Harnessing Self-love
How does sensory deprivation relate to loving one’s self you ask? Well, just like loving your friend or pet, you won’t go for years without checking on them, and making sure they’re doing well. 60 minutes in a sensory deprivation tank can do that. But before that, we need to know what self-love is and the benefits of practicing such love.
The simplest way to put it is treating yourself like you’d treat someone you love and having some quality time alone can do that, or at least it’s a good start.
Becoming Emotionally Available
Sensory deprivation tanks allow you the opportunity to clear the backlog of processing feelings and emotions. It’s simply filling one’s cup first. The way we ideally want to connect with others emotionally is to become available to them, to have the availability, and listen with empathy.
That bandwidth can be so cluttered with the pace our lives are going and having some alone time, in complete silence and relaxation can help clear the clutter.
What’s next? Positive self-talk is the first thing one can do with such clarity, and that’s where the guided meditation comes.
