The Ultimate Guide to Floating Tips for Beginners

1. The Ultimate Guide to Floating Tips for Beginners

2. If you’re interested in how to achieve the most during your first float, check out these  tips.  These are some general tips that most float centers recommend as well as some personal tips that our staff have adopted over the years from our own experience. Make sure a towel is easily accessible from within the tank because you will get salt in your eyes. There’s nothing worse than scratching an annoying itch on your face only to get burning salt water in your eyes! Its best do go in the tank with a dry face to avoid the need to wipe your face. Don’t think about time. Worrying your session is about to end or wondering how long you’ve been in only subtracts from the experience. The music that plays at the end of your session is sure to take you out of “the zone”. If you think you will have a problem letting go, please ask for a longer session. Sometime 60 minutes is not enough for some people. ​Floating for the first time will not be anything like you can imagine. That’s okay, because it’s impossible to go in with no expectations. Just remember, one thing you can expect for sure is that you will leave the tank feeling relaxed.

3. First time floaters are known to have a difficult time finding a comfortable position for their head.  Most people are used to sleeping with a pillow so floating with only the water supporting your head is new.  Do avoid straining your neck, you must relax your head and let the water support your head. Turn off your phone.  Not just on vibrate but totally turn it off.  Even the light coming on from a text message or the vibration is enough to get you mind going about who is calling or why. ​​Don't worry about falling asleep.  It is totally safe.  You may not have a mental experience but you will definitely have a very relaxing physical experience due to your body not having and resistance and truly letting go. Don’t drink anything for at least two hours and try to use the bathroom before floating. You don’t want a full bladder ripping you away from “the zone,” so make sure to go in empty. And the air temperature in the float room will feel cold once you get out of the tank.  You will also let out warm air from the tank by going to the bathroom midways through.

4. Focus on breathing. Just like meditation, focusing on breathing really helped me relax. If you have no experience with meditation or breathing exercises, simply think of a birthday party or wedding and try to remember as many details as possible and let you mind drift away. Eventually you will forget your in a float pod and "let go". Use Vaseline to cover cuts. We also offer waterproof bandaids.  Probably a good idea to avoid shaving prior to floating. Don't forget to put your earplugs in before getting in the float pod. When first entering the tank you will disturb the water and you will need to center your body to avoid drifting in the tank.  Drifting will cause you to ping off the walls and in some cases will give you a sense of spinning.  To avoid this simply touch the sides of the tank with your hands and feet until your body is centered.  This can take up to a minute or two depending on how much you disturbed the water. Avoid floating after a big meal or when you haven't eaten at all. ​Don’t try to do anything in the tank, don’t force something to happen, don’t expect something to happen; this is the exact opposite direction from where you may want to go while in the tank. You will not fall asleep necessarily, just be present. Repetition of a focus word such as “peace”, “relax”, or “let go” spoken in your mind in unison with your exhalation can help at first, but the message here is to just let go of conscious control.