For years, I’d heard about the transformative experiences people had in sensory deprivation flotation tanks, but I hadn’t tried it myself until 2023, when my friend Bruce turned me on to a session. My first experience at Go With the Float in East Hampton, Massachusetts, was both enjoyable and slightly challenging. The tension in my body and initial awkwardness—wondering if I could trust the saltwater to fully support me—made it difficult to let go at first. Despite the discomfort, I could feel myself beginning to decompress. With each subsequent visit, letting go became much easier. Having spent many years doing intensive meditation practice, it felt as though these flotation sessions acted as a kind of vehicle, allowing me to descend into profound depths.

Since the COVID pandemic, I’ve been traveling much more, working in various cities across the United States. During August and September of this year, I didn’t have work in other locations aside from a few days in upstate New York, so I spent the past two months in New York City. While talking with a friend about my flotation sessions at Go With the Float, he mentioned that Vessel Floats in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn was offering an infinity package, allowing daily flotation sessions for an entire month. I started on August 1st and completed thirty-nine sessions consecutively. After missing a few days while I was upstate, I resumed upon my return. In total, I’ve done fifty-seven sensory deprivation flotation sessions within a two-month period. I’d love to continue indefinitely, but I’ll be traveling extensively in the foreseeable future, only returning to New York City occasionally for brief periods.

There’s no single therapeutic modality or intervention that can do it all. That’s why I keep myself open to exploring different approaches and integrating the most effective practices and therapeutic interventions to facilitate my healing and continued growth. If you’re truly committed to doing what it takes to heal and evolve, then I encourage you to do the same.

Consistency with flotation sessions, like with any practice or therapeutic intervention, is crucial. If you meditate a time or two, do just one session of deep tissue massage, or work with a gifted healer just once, you’ll experience some benefits, but you’re barely scratching the surface. By returning for flotation sessions so many days in a row, I was able to work through so many more layers, process more of my lived experiences and emotions, and let go of much more stress.

The Transformative Benefits of Flotation Therapy

Flotation sessions offer a multitude of physical and mental benefits by promoting profound relaxation and healing within the body. The high concentration of Epsom salt supports the body, allowing muscles and joints to release tension, while reducing chronic pain, inflammation, and stress. This environment is particularly beneficial for managing chronic conditions like fibromyalgia and arthritis. The magnesium absorbed through the skin aids in muscle recovery, detoxification, and balancing electrolytes, enhancing overall well-being. Flotation therapy also enhances emotional well-being by increasing the production of endorphins and serotonin, further contributing to a sense of relaxation and mental clarity.

Suspended in a bath of saltwater and enveloped in total darkness, the nervous system shifts into a state of deep relaxation, reducing stress hormones like cortisol and inducing a profound sense of calm. As the body releases tension and the mind quiets, both physical and mental stress begin to dissolve, resulting in a deeply restorative sense of relaxation and rejuvenation. The processing of stress and distressing emotions, combined with sorting through our issues and concerns, helps us decompress.

Mentally, flotation sessions help to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress by calming the mind and creating a sense of emotional well-being. The sensory deprivation and deep relaxation facilitate a shift from the typical beta brainwave state, linked to active thinking, into alpha and theta states associated with relaxation, creativity, and problem-solving. This allows the mind to clear away noise, static, and clutter, resulting in increased focus, mental clarity, and inspiration. The heightened states accessed during flotation sessions often bring profound insights, enabling us to approach people, situations, and life with fresh perspectives, ultimately enhancing overall performance.

Moreover, flotation sessions support meditative practices by minimizing external distractions and enabling a deeper state of introspection. The reduction in sensory input helps us to quiet the mind, allowing even those less experienced in meditation to access a profound sense of stillness and clarity.

Whenever I do flotation sessions, just as I do when practicing on my own, I’ll breathe into any feelings or bodily sensations that arise. Breathing into these sensations and allowing them to progress naturally takes me into profoundly deep meditative states, similar to what I experience after two or more hours of meditation..

Deep Awareness, Insight, and Healing

Many of us find ourselves overworked and overwhelmed, facing relentless pressures in our daily lives—work demands, relationship struggles, financial stress, and the constant battle against fatigue from not getting enough rest. These challenges compound, leaving us in a heightened state of stress, with our bodies and minds constantly on edge. When we’re caught in this cycle, it becomes difficult to decompress and find the space to process our emotions and experiences. We end up carrying around all this unresolved stress and tension, making it harder to connect with ourselves and others.

To add to it, many of us are flooding our sensory channels by ingesting massive amounts of digital input in the form of music videos, podcasts, documentaries, shorts, reels and TikToks. Our bodies and minds become overwhelmed, trapped in a state of sensory overload where we can’t fully process what we’re experiencing. What we can’t process remains trapped within us indefinitely.

The impressions of our lived experiences and our emotional responses that we haven’t processed accumulate in our bodies, dulling our senses and even having a deadening effect upon us. Over time, the authentic core of who we are gets buried beneath the many layers of unprocessed emotions and stress. As that happens, we begin to lose that inner light, that spark that brings life to our presence.

When we step away from this constant barrage of stimuli and immerse ourselves in a flotation tank, our body and mind finally have the space to decompress. In this state, all the noise, impressions, and trapped emotions begin to surface.

There’s something about being suspended in a bath of saltwater, enveloped in complete darkness, that activates a deeper intelligence within the body-mind. Emotions and memories often rise to the surface during flotation sessions, sometimes revealing experiences we may have forgotten or only vaguely remembered. This provides a valuable opportunity to address unresolved issues. By processing and working through these memories and emotions, we can build greater resilience, enabling us to navigate life’s challenges with more strength and clarity.

Breathing into the feelings and bodily sensations that arise during the flotation sessions, helps me digest the accumulated emotional residue and dissolve layers of built-up stress, facilitating healing and growth. I feel a growing sense of lightness, along with heightened states of awareness and greater self-awareness. I can sense my authentic core emerging, and as this presence strengthens, I gain deeper insight, clarity, and a renewed sense of purpose.

During flotation sessions, I experience a heightened awareness in my torso, especially around my heart and lungs. As I “digest” the stresses and emotions held in this region, it feels as though this part of my body is becoming less dense, almost transparent. My heartbeat echoes vividly throughout my chest, and my breathing—slow and deep—takes on a life of its own, leaving my heart and lungs feeling sensitive, vulnerable, and raw.

I’m often amazed by the surge of creativity that emerges during the flotation sessions and I often gain profound insights. The challenge for me is to write down these insights before they evaporate.

After coming out of a flotation session, it’s essential to take some time to sit quietly and reflect on any insights you’ve gained. I bring a notebook or, in some cases, my laptop to capture any inspiration or ideas that arise. This quiet after-session period allows my mind to process the experience and integrate any insights I’ve gained before jumping back into the busyness of my daily life.

Flotation centers can be found all over the United States and in many countries around the world. Check online to find a flotation center near you. If you happen to be in western Massachusetts, I highly recommend Go With the Float, or Vessel Floats if you’re in New York City.  Making consistent use of this valuable resource will greatly accelerate your healing and growth.

Feel free to reach out to me visit my website at https://benoofana.com/contact/ if you’d like to learn more about the series of intensive meditation practices I’m teaching. These practices will enable you to get so much more out of your sensory deprivation flotation sessions, advancing both your healing and your personal evolution.

©Copyright 2024 Ben Oofana. All Rights Reserved.

When you’re ready, I have 3 ways I can help you to heal your heartache and attract more love into your life and cocreate more meaningful and deeply fulfilling relationships.
1. Click here to grab your free copy of my eBook – The Essentials Of Getting Over Your Breakup And Moving On
2. Watch the master class Three Reasons Your Relationships Are Not Working …And What You Can Do About It.
3. Work with me individually: Are you experiencing chronic health issues that no one has been able to help you with? Are you dealing with persistent emotions that are taking you out of the game of life? Are you in the midst of a breakup, struggling with patterns of abandonment or unrequited love, or facing challenges in your current relationship? Ready to break through existing limitations and unearth the inner resources you need to overcome challenges and realize your true potential? If any of these resonate with you and you’re seeking personalized guidance and support, and would like to work directly with me, email me at ben@benoofana.com. For a faster response, call me at (332) 333-5155.