How I Was Able To Truly Let Go & Find Peace Inside A Sensory Deprivation Chamber

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Feel Good Project Day #6

For me, starting to feel better and return to wholeness involves quite a bit of solitude and introspection.

Although nobody in my life has really said it to my face, I think some of my close friends and family might be a tad confused-or even put off-as to why I seem to be a bit of a loner these days.

Rewind two years ago and beyond, and I can say without a doubt I was MISS SOCIAL BUTTERFLY. In fact, those nearest to me jokingly called me “The Mayor” of this small little beach town, as my career as a hairstylist for the past fifteen years has brought about many connections, and the numbers just continued to grow and grow.

I used to never be home. I’d fill up my days with clients either five or six days a week-FULL days, and then proceed to go out for drinks and dinners almost every night of the week with pals or Justin (if I could twist his arm-he has always been more of a homebody than me). I know I am not unique to this lifestyle I led, as most of my girlfriends did the same.

In fact, I might still be living that life today had it not been for the harsh wake up call I got some time ago, when things in my body starting to communicate in whispers at first, which grew to loud screaming to get my attention when I tried to ignore them.

The journey has been a slow one to say the least, and some hard knocks have accompanied it along the way. The slower my bad habits changed though, the slower my progress was, so I had to finally decide to kick things into high gear if I was to really give this getting better thing a fair shot.

The dietary changes were soon followed by lifestyle changes, and I found the more I started to stay in at night, carefully and thoughtfully preparing my meals and picking up books and taking nightly baths and such, the more hooked I became.

These changes didn’t happen over night, and they most certainly involved a few ‘I’m officially an old person’ jokes, but I found myself not only becoming okay with this, I actually found I started to CRAVE my quite nights at home.

To be very honest, in the almost nine years Justin and I have been married, along with the six years that I lived on my own before then, we have unfortunately always picked very loud places to live, always downtown and close to the action. This was a novelty in the beginning, but after all this time, it is really taking a toll on us.

For a small beach town, it feels and sounds like we often live in a busy, bustling city. There is rarely one truly quiet moment in each day. This can prove challenging to an empath who needs solitude and quiet to function.

Until we are able to leave this place and move forward into something much more aligned with our true desires for peace, we have had to learn how to CREATE a bit of what we need with what we’ve got to work with for now.

I have been introduced to the very BEST way to peace and solitude within the past few months.

Enter the isolation tank.

Also known as a sensory deprivation tank, and also floating, or float therapy.

Hands down one of the coolest experiences. Today I had what I believe was my fifth session, and am I ever hooked!

To explain it simply-it’s a dark chamber like room filled with about 12 inches of magnesium salt and over 800 pounds of sea salt. One lays (or FLOATS) in this chamber in complete darkness, with the water temperature the exact temp of your body, while wearing ear plugs.

That’s right. No noise. No light. No sense of time. No senses- period. Hard to tell where your body and the healing water meet. Being almost completely deprived of all the sense is a very strange and amazing experience. I compare it to what I would believe floating in space would feel like.

This ninety minute period of time is quickly becoming my new way to completely unwind and truly learn to let go. It is one of the only times I get all week that is truly peaceful and perfectly quiet.

This solitude and retreat is MEDICINE for my soul.

I know people have written and talked about these deprivation tanks for year now, and I can see why. Some say they have clarity on issues they are dealing with in life, others just fall into deep, wonderful sleep. Some sort out emotional traumas and others find healing they are looking for from illness or detachment from the heaviness life can often bring.

What brought me to the tank today was my desire for listening to my body and what it needed to be healthy. I set my intention going into the tank to be still and just be open.

I expected some words or images to surface to shed insight or illuminate the path I was to take, however today I guess what I needed was deep DEEP relaxation where I let it all go, and that is exactly what I got.

Letting go is a topic for another post, however I am reminded of it every time I step foot in the chamber. I liken it to shedding an old skin entering, and emerging a new being upon re-entering the world again.

All I know is that was the best ninety minutes all week this far.

Part of true healing is not about doing, it is about being.

My next visit might hold a completely different message for me, but today it was exactly what was needed.

FEEL GOOD MOMENT OF THE DAY: digging salt out of my ears hours after my float session, reminding me of the beauty of the day, and encouraging me to stay in the place of ‘let go’ just a bit longer still.

What’s your feel good moment?

Comment below I’d love to hear!