Beauty

Is your body asking for rest? The body is tired, and the psycho-emotional state leaves much to be desired. If these symptoms are about you, then it’s time to get acquainted with a new procedure for Ukraine called floating.

What is floating?

The name of this procedure comes from the English word «float», which means «to float on the surface.» Actually, it is this phrase that conveys the exact essence of the procedure. During a floating session, you simply relax while lying on the surface of the water. And in order to understand exactly how floating differs from staying in a regular bath, let’s turn to the history of the procedure.

History

The first scientist who decided to try out the principles of floating, as a procedure that helps our body and mind to completely relax, was the American neurophysiologist John Lilly. In 1952, he first began to conduct experiments on immersing the human body in a state of weightlessness. By “weightlessness” was meant a pool where a person plunged in a special breathing mask. The essence of the immersion was to check what exactly would happen to the human psyche and physics if all annoying sensations — sounds, visual pictures, gravity, etc. — were removed from his environment.

Prior to the experiments of John Lilly, many scientists argued that irritants are the key to human life, and if they are destroyed, a person will either go crazy or die. However, after the first dives into the pool, the scientist proved that a person not only does not die, but also begins to understand and feel himself much deeper, while fully relaxing.

These experiments inspired John Lilly so much that, with the help of colleagues, already in 1972 he designed and built the first float tank. And from that moment on, floating has become available to everyone who wants to relax, unwind and know themselves.

In Ukraine, floating became available only recently, when the Yoga and Floating Studio — Studio Alpha — presented the first float chamber in Kyiv.

What is a float chamber?

The main condition for successful floating is the presence of a float chamber. This proposal should not be taken with irony. After all, a simple bathroom will not provide you with all the conditions necessary for the procedure.

So, the float chamber is a closed chamber, which is completely isolated from external sources of sound and light. The bottom of the chamber is hidden under water (the depth is from 15 to 25 cm), in which a large amount of Epsom salts (up to 500 kg) is dissolved. Due to this, the density of water increases significantly, and complete immersion is excluded — the human body is kept on the surface. The temperature of the air and water in the chamber is close to the temperature of the human body (34-35 degrees), which further contributes to the feeling of «anti-gravity».

Indications for floating

Floating affects the human body in a complex way, causing relaxation at all levels of perception. Therefore, the main indications for this procedure include:

• Nervous and psychological disorders, stress, depression
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• Pain in the muscles
• The recovery period after injuries and serious physical exertion
• Increased tension of the musculoskeletal system (including during pregnancy)
• Prevention of skin aging
• Elimination of toxins
• Cellulite prevention

Also, a floating session will not interfere with those who just want to be alone with themselves and enjoy the “floating in zero gravity”.

Contraindications

There are no direct contraindications to floating. But there are some caveats to keep in mind when going for a “relaxation dose.”

1. Water contains a large amount of dissolved salt, so before the procedure, make sure that there are no cuts, inflammations or open wounds on the skin. Otherwise, a strong burning sensation will prevent you from relaxing. For the same reason, you should refrain from shaving or depilation on the eve of the procedure.

2. You should not conduct a floating session without supervision if you suffer from nervous or mental illness. New, unfamiliar conditions in a float tank can cause unexpected reactions in you.

3. You should not conduct floating sessions for people suffering from serious diseases of the cardiovascular system.

4. People under the influence of alcohol or drugs are not allowed into the float chamber.

We wish you health and relaxation!

And with the test of the floating procedure, conducted by the editor-in-chief of the portal HnB.com.ua, you can find here.

Author Natalia Kay

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