Floating Reflections
On Sunday, I visited Metta Relaxation Co. for a “Float.” It was a completely new experience that I found, overall, to be intriguing, pleasant, relaxing and beneficial.
The facility itself was impeccable. As soon as the front door closed behind me, I felt like I had been whisked away to a faraway and magical place. It made me feel rich; I felt privileged; I felt like this would be somewhere I would go on a regular basis if I actually had money to spend on healing, spiritual health, and transformation. The attention meticulously paid to every last detail of the decor was not in vain as far as I was concerned. Form and function were perfectly married from the floor boards to the faucets, to the shelving units, to the soap dispensers, all the way down to the towers of 50 pound bags of epsom salt in the hallways. Everything in the place was a reminder of why I was there—to slough off the mess inside my head, to strip it down to the simple, beautiful, exquisitely designed essentials. So far so good.
The orientation was helpful. The staff was calm, soothing and reassuring. After the brief explanation of the process, I felt ready. I set my intent as I showered and happily submerged. I figured that as soon as I relaxed my head shoulders and neck, I would feel a wave of intense relaxation, and be able to weightlessly float into the nothingness for the remainder of my allotted time. But as with anything else worth doing, it was not so easy. I had to work for my relaxation.
Floating there, in the dark, I suddenly became acutely aware of the sound of my breathing, the pinched nerve in my back, the salty water crystallizing on my exposed skin, the feeling of being bounced off the walls of the tub as I slowly floated back and forth, the suppressed frustration in my chest, and all the tension and stress I had been carrying around with me for months. I had the urge to cry. My brain cycled through all the things I would have to do upon leaving the facility when my float was over. Then all at once, I acknowledged the absurdity of all these petty thoughts and was inspired to surrender, and to just be here now (or there then, if you will).
Since the concept of time melted away as soon as the music faded out, it was hard to tell how long it took to get comfortable, but after finally adjusting the position of my arms so that the sensation of my pinched nerve could disappear, I regulated and silenced my breathing, and was able to spend the balance of my float almost thoughtlessly.
The after-float shower was the most exhilarating shower ever, and as I was getting dressed, I was able to feel and envision every single cell in my body moving in unison. I felt like I was gliding through air as I smoothly made my way up the steps. I felt like
had gained two years of my life back. ~Tina H.
The flotation center was the best experience I ever went through, words can't even describe it. I felt like a whole new person after it, I couldn't find anything to ruin my state of calmness. Going through a stressful situation in my life, it really helped me. During my relaxation period I finally let my mind speak for itself. I never actually heard my mind like this before, I told myself I would have to write a letter expressing my feelings towards my rough time. I told myself to do this so I would have clarity and closure. Soon after I really wrote the letter and I couldn't describe how happy I became. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. I really feel like I found myself through this experience, I even recommended it to all my Facebook friends. I really love this, thank you for showing me something new in my life. ~Melissa O.
Going into the float, I was expecting a sort of experience that would leave me startled to return to the outside world. I expected to be like the first humans that left the caves, squinting up at the first source of light in an otherwise world of darkness. While I didn't experience anything like that, I encountered a sense of relaxation that I didn't think I would ever be able to attain. And afterwards, I felt like I just woke up from the best sleep of my life, even though I was awake for all of it, and I was only in there for under 90 minutes. I would definitely be willing to go again. ~Jeremiah S.
I wish everyone could experience the sensory deprivation tanks and float! It was the most relaxing spa experience I have ever had: I could think clearly, relax, breathe deeply and hear myself blink… The staff at Metta relaxation were so kind and helpful: it was my first float (of many) and I’m so happy a staff member at Metta gave me the tip to let my head lay back, because it resulted in a deep meditation where time had no hold on me. I can’t wait to go back! ~Hillary C.
Before experiencing the flotation tank I was nervous and intimidated. I have never meditated before my float, but I have done yoga. When I got a tour of the flotation room I got a little more comfortable knowing that the room was wide open and it just looked like a big bath tub. When I first laid in the tub I was amused by how much i was floating and it was sort of fun to me. I enjoyed the music playing as it made me feel like i was floating in outerspace, when the music went off i found my mind wondering and thinking about what to think about. As i started to relax i found myself falling into some sort of sleep where i knew i was sleeping but i didn’t try to wake myself up. Occasionally i jumped and realized that i was sleeping and was out of the meditative state, but then fell right back into it. After awhile in the tub i found myself to get a little anxious and wondering how long i have been in and when it was going to end. But when i heard the music come back on letting me know that there was only a little bit of time left, i didnt want to get out. Overall i had a very relaxing experience and recommended it to all of my friends and family. I see myself going back for a second floating experience as i think it is an amazing thing to do and a great way to relax my body and mind. ~Calli M.
I enjoyed my flotation experience greatly. For the first time in my life, I was able to enter a state where my muscles were not very tense. It was probably one of the most relaxing experiences I've ever had, and definitely would like to go again someday. It was like an enhanced version of sleep, without being asleep, and, fittingly, my mind began to enter a sort of lucid-dream state, which was very pleasant. Time did seem to go very quickly, and I felt very energized afterwards -- I am naturally not a very smiley, friendly person, but I noticed myself being significantly happier afterwards. ~Mark C.
The thick thudding ran through my veins, and I could feel the organ pulse life through me in a way unlike ever before. My lungs expanded, I felt my ribs, a strong cage, inside of my skin. I had a moment of realization that in twenty two years I had never felt so acutely aware of the organs that faithfully work to keep me alive and functioning. Spacial awareness slipped away from me as I narrowed my focus on where my body ended and the tub began. I had become suspended, and every other aspect of existence ceased to exist. The floating sensation sent me gently gliding through the cosmos. As soon as the music slowly faded back in through the speakers I removed my ear buds. Standing in the tub, blinking myself back into the real world I waited to see if there was some miraculous difference in me that needed a moment to marinate. While the float felt like magic, nothing miraculous dazzled about me afterwards. But when I stopped looking for what had happened during my float, the simple quiet surrounding me seemed to be a soft honey to my ears. I had never appreciated quiet, in fact the “please be quiet” sign on the door’s entrance had caused me to worry just an hour before. The twenty-two years that fill my pores with emotion, pain, constant mental dialogue, and a steady heart beat, seemed to be thanking me for the opportunity to not be stimulated. The float gave me a deep relaxation, beyond my muscles and my mind, but a sense of unity within myself and a fresh start to my senses. ~Brenna W.
After finally getting adjusted to the actual floating I was finally able to relax. And after the time I was able to feel something I never felt before, pure relaxation. ~Michael M.
It was one of the best experiences ever, it was honestly the most relaxing thing that I've done. It really relaxed my body, mind and soul, it also felt like I was actually flying. I'd definitely go again! ~Ariana G.
I will not lie, I had high expectations for my floating session, but as was explained to me, I shouldn’t necessarily come into the session with any high expectations as to not be disappointed or hindered by my expectations. I also had fears that maybe I would be scared being in complete darkness.
When it began, right away, I found it very easy to enjoy and disconnect from my senses and felt a tingling in my body, particularly, my legs. I was happy, too, that it was very easy for me to be in complete darkness and also that it was very easy for me to trust that the water would support me. I saw a lot of purple light in the beginning of my session swirling around in front of me and I said silent prayers to myself. It seems when I was emoting a particularly inspirational or positive thought that I saw little bright flashes of light in front of me. Also, sometimes it seemed that I got the sensation of losing complete sight and body connection to my right eye.
It became apparent to me as I was in the tub for a bit that I definitely hold way too much tension in my neck and shoulders and it was a relief to have the support of the water to let go of some of that tension. It became easier for me to become disconnected to my body as a whole, and it seemed to me as more of a dead weight on the whole of me. In the water too, my knees felt a relief of tension as well and felt better in a way I can’t exactly describe. In a way, having a greater disconnect from my body, and the concept of it as just a vessel or skin, made me appreciate it more. I started to enjoy moving my body in the water and feeling the movement of the water on my skin. I got a profound feeling of appreciation for my body and how fascinating and beautiful it is.
After my session, I felt completely at peace with the world and everything seemed to be illuminated with beauty. My chest felt entirely devoid of any tension at all and even driving home after my session was calm. I would say the session left me with a greater feeling of inner peace and more confidence in what lies beyond the physical world. ~Lauren R.
On Sunday, I visited Metta Relaxation Co. for a “Float.” It was a completely new experience that I found, overall, to be intriguing, pleasant, relaxing and beneficial.
The facility itself was impeccable. As soon as the front door closed behind me, I felt like I had been whisked away to a faraway and magical place. It made me feel rich; I felt privileged; I felt like this would be somewhere I would go on a regular basis if I actually had money to spend on healing, spiritual health, and transformation. The attention meticulously paid to every last detail of the decor was not in vain as far as I was concerned. Form and function were perfectly married from the floor boards to the faucets, to the shelving units, to the soap dispensers, all the way down to the towers of 50 pound bags of epsom salt in the hallways. Everything in the place was a reminder of why I was there—to slough off the mess inside my head, to strip it down to the simple, beautiful, exquisitely designed essentials. So far so good.
The orientation was helpful. The staff was calm, soothing and reassuring. After the brief explanation of the process, I felt ready. I set my intent as I showered and happily submerged. I figured that as soon as I relaxed my head shoulders and neck, I would feel a wave of intense relaxation, and be able to weightlessly float into the nothingness for the remainder of my allotted time. But as with anything else worth doing, it was not so easy. I had to work for my relaxation.
Floating there, in the dark, I suddenly became acutely aware of the sound of my breathing, the pinched nerve in my back, the salty water crystallizing on my exposed skin, the feeling of being bounced off the walls of the tub as I slowly floated back and forth, the suppressed frustration in my chest, and all the tension and stress I had been carrying around with me for months. I had the urge to cry. My brain cycled through all the things I would have to do upon leaving the facility when my float was over. Then all at once, I acknowledged the absurdity of all these petty thoughts and was inspired to surrender, and to just be here now (or there then, if you will).
Since the concept of time melted away as soon as the music faded out, it was hard to tell how long it took to get comfortable, but after finally adjusting the position of my arms so that the sensation of my pinched nerve could disappear, I regulated and silenced my breathing, and was able to spend the balance of my float almost thoughtlessly.
The after-float shower was the most exhilarating shower ever, and as I was getting dressed, I was able to feel and envision every single cell in my body moving in unison. I felt like I was gliding through air as I smoothly made my way up the steps. I felt like
had gained two years of my life back. ~Tina H.
The flotation center was the best experience I ever went through, words can't even describe it. I felt like a whole new person after it, I couldn't find anything to ruin my state of calmness. Going through a stressful situation in my life, it really helped me. During my relaxation period I finally let my mind speak for itself. I never actually heard my mind like this before, I told myself I would have to write a letter expressing my feelings towards my rough time. I told myself to do this so I would have clarity and closure. Soon after I really wrote the letter and I couldn't describe how happy I became. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. I really feel like I found myself through this experience, I even recommended it to all my Facebook friends. I really love this, thank you for showing me something new in my life. ~Melissa O.
Going into the float, I was expecting a sort of experience that would leave me startled to return to the outside world. I expected to be like the first humans that left the caves, squinting up at the first source of light in an otherwise world of darkness. While I didn't experience anything like that, I encountered a sense of relaxation that I didn't think I would ever be able to attain. And afterwards, I felt like I just woke up from the best sleep of my life, even though I was awake for all of it, and I was only in there for under 90 minutes. I would definitely be willing to go again. ~Jeremiah S.
I wish everyone could experience the sensory deprivation tanks and float! It was the most relaxing spa experience I have ever had: I could think clearly, relax, breathe deeply and hear myself blink… The staff at Metta relaxation were so kind and helpful: it was my first float (of many) and I’m so happy a staff member at Metta gave me the tip to let my head lay back, because it resulted in a deep meditation where time had no hold on me. I can’t wait to go back! ~Hillary C.
Before experiencing the flotation tank I was nervous and intimidated. I have never meditated before my float, but I have done yoga. When I got a tour of the flotation room I got a little more comfortable knowing that the room was wide open and it just looked like a big bath tub. When I first laid in the tub I was amused by how much i was floating and it was sort of fun to me. I enjoyed the music playing as it made me feel like i was floating in outerspace, when the music went off i found my mind wondering and thinking about what to think about. As i started to relax i found myself falling into some sort of sleep where i knew i was sleeping but i didn’t try to wake myself up. Occasionally i jumped and realized that i was sleeping and was out of the meditative state, but then fell right back into it. After awhile in the tub i found myself to get a little anxious and wondering how long i have been in and when it was going to end. But when i heard the music come back on letting me know that there was only a little bit of time left, i didnt want to get out. Overall i had a very relaxing experience and recommended it to all of my friends and family. I see myself going back for a second floating experience as i think it is an amazing thing to do and a great way to relax my body and mind. ~Calli M.
I enjoyed my flotation experience greatly. For the first time in my life, I was able to enter a state where my muscles were not very tense. It was probably one of the most relaxing experiences I've ever had, and definitely would like to go again someday. It was like an enhanced version of sleep, without being asleep, and, fittingly, my mind began to enter a sort of lucid-dream state, which was very pleasant. Time did seem to go very quickly, and I felt very energized afterwards -- I am naturally not a very smiley, friendly person, but I noticed myself being significantly happier afterwards. ~Mark C.
The thick thudding ran through my veins, and I could feel the organ pulse life through me in a way unlike ever before. My lungs expanded, I felt my ribs, a strong cage, inside of my skin. I had a moment of realization that in twenty two years I had never felt so acutely aware of the organs that faithfully work to keep me alive and functioning. Spacial awareness slipped away from me as I narrowed my focus on where my body ended and the tub began. I had become suspended, and every other aspect of existence ceased to exist. The floating sensation sent me gently gliding through the cosmos. As soon as the music slowly faded back in through the speakers I removed my ear buds. Standing in the tub, blinking myself back into the real world I waited to see if there was some miraculous difference in me that needed a moment to marinate. While the float felt like magic, nothing miraculous dazzled about me afterwards. But when I stopped looking for what had happened during my float, the simple quiet surrounding me seemed to be a soft honey to my ears. I had never appreciated quiet, in fact the “please be quiet” sign on the door’s entrance had caused me to worry just an hour before. The twenty-two years that fill my pores with emotion, pain, constant mental dialogue, and a steady heart beat, seemed to be thanking me for the opportunity to not be stimulated. The float gave me a deep relaxation, beyond my muscles and my mind, but a sense of unity within myself and a fresh start to my senses. ~Brenna W.
After finally getting adjusted to the actual floating I was finally able to relax. And after the time I was able to feel something I never felt before, pure relaxation. ~Michael M.
It was one of the best experiences ever, it was honestly the most relaxing thing that I've done. It really relaxed my body, mind and soul, it also felt like I was actually flying. I'd definitely go again! ~Ariana G.
I will not lie, I had high expectations for my floating session, but as was explained to me, I shouldn’t necessarily come into the session with any high expectations as to not be disappointed or hindered by my expectations. I also had fears that maybe I would be scared being in complete darkness.
When it began, right away, I found it very easy to enjoy and disconnect from my senses and felt a tingling in my body, particularly, my legs. I was happy, too, that it was very easy for me to be in complete darkness and also that it was very easy for me to trust that the water would support me. I saw a lot of purple light in the beginning of my session swirling around in front of me and I said silent prayers to myself. It seems when I was emoting a particularly inspirational or positive thought that I saw little bright flashes of light in front of me. Also, sometimes it seemed that I got the sensation of losing complete sight and body connection to my right eye.
It became apparent to me as I was in the tub for a bit that I definitely hold way too much tension in my neck and shoulders and it was a relief to have the support of the water to let go of some of that tension. It became easier for me to become disconnected to my body as a whole, and it seemed to me as more of a dead weight on the whole of me. In the water too, my knees felt a relief of tension as well and felt better in a way I can’t exactly describe. In a way, having a greater disconnect from my body, and the concept of it as just a vessel or skin, made me appreciate it more. I started to enjoy moving my body in the water and feeling the movement of the water on my skin. I got a profound feeling of appreciation for my body and how fascinating and beautiful it is.
After my session, I felt completely at peace with the world and everything seemed to be illuminated with beauty. My chest felt entirely devoid of any tension at all and even driving home after my session was calm. I would say the session left me with a greater feeling of inner peace and more confidence in what lies beyond the physical world. ~Lauren R.