It’s really easy to “over commit” ourselves - just having our phone on is an implied commitment to all our contacts that we’re reachable. Because of this, “unplugging” every now and again has become a necessity, just to keep our sanity. In my naturopathic medical practice I love to teach short meditations to get quick results, however many patients have trouble building a meditation habit when they go home. I’m not immune to this either, my own meditative practice took a back seat to all the stresses of the past year. I started a new business, our first child came into our lives, and we bought a new place to make room for our growing family... All good stresses, but it’s been a lot to process.
In June, my wife and I had finished most of our home preparations and prenatal parenting classes for our new baby girl. Finally we were at the point where we were just waiting for labor. I knew I needed to get back to meditating, but every time I tried, I came up with more things to do. Some colleagues and patients recommended I check out something called “floating.” The concept was simple: cut out sensory input and allow your mind to relax. I reviewed the medical research on floating and decided it was time to take my own medicine. I scheduled a 90-minute float at Float North County, about 15 minutes from my practice in Carlsbad, California.
On the day of my float I was deep into home improvement projects when I realized I should have left 15 minutes earlier. When I merged onto the freeway I noticed a highway patrol in my rearview, and resisted the urge to test the speed limit. I pulled into the parking lot of the Float North County just in time, but it took a few minutes to find a parking spot. I ran into their lobby with the desperation of someone about to miss a connecting flight. The staff was great, and did not seem one bit bothered that I was in the state I was in. I reminded them that my wife was full term, so if she called to come interrupt my float immediately. It sounded like I wasn’t their first expectant dad to make that request.
The room with my float tank was clean, and dimly lit. I showered, which helped calm me down a bit. I opened the small door to my float tank - the air was warm and moist, the water was lit with a relaxing blue light. I stepped into the pool of salt water, and laid down. I floated in total darkness, and total silence - well, kind of.
I floated effortlessly, but the fantastic-ness of this feeling was quickly overshadowed by intense pain from the salt infiltrating that tiny (forgotten) scrape on my leg (to be fair, the staff asked if I had any cuts that needed petroleum jelly to protect them before I got in). I told myself the pain was part of the process, and after a few minutes the pain faded. When I meditate I can get my mind quiet in just a few minutes, but that wasn’t happening here. I couldn’t quit rehearsing what I would do if the call came in that my wife was in labor. Ten or twenty minutes of this passed. I tried some of the breathing exercises I teach my patients - my mind kept racing. I tried to just feel my body relaxing. My muscles softened, but I also noticed the aches and pains that came from my neglected exercise routine. “Ninety minutes of this?” I thought to myself.
Then, suddenly it was like I walked through a door, into a space of peaceful nothingness. I found myself immersed in a sense of curiosity. When thoughts came, they were insightful. I was able to keep my mind from getting wound up on thoughts. This state persisted for an hour or so. I briefly wondered how much longer I had left in my float when some soft music came on to tell me my time was up. Gently, and with deep awareness I got out of my tank and showered again. I walked out into the warm California sun.
Before I arrived, I had expected to leave my float with the kind of mild euphoria massage or acupuncture produces, but it wasn’t like that. Instead I felt like I had done a “spring cleaning” of my mind, and my senses were restored (but not heightened). I noticed the music in my car sounded especially rich, the lyrics felt more meaningful. Traffic wasn’t stressful. I felt I was just where I needed to be at that moment.
When I got home I kept that feeling, and my wife could feel it, too. It was a calmness and awareness that I had known when I had really kept up with my meditation practice. The deep awareness lasted well into the next few days. When my wife went into a labor, I was able to keep focused, and stay present. We left in a hurry, but nothing was forgotten. And then suddenly life shifted again as I became a dad. I foresee many more floats in my future, and will also be recommending this helpful practice to my patients. I hope you too, will give it a try.
Floating in Health,
Michael Stanclift, ND