Rae La Soul

Last week was a heavy one. Not in a disastrous kind of way, but just in a demanding one, and I knew I needed some relief. I’ve always been guilty of holding on to things that I should have given to the wind a long time ago. From time to time, it;s a struggle to appropriately manage my stress. Often, I would conceal it, which does more harm than good. I needed to let all of it go and just float off somewhere.

And I did — I tried Floatation Therapy.

It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” – Lena Horne

Floatation/Flotation therapy has it’s advantages — which I knew my mental and physical would definitely benefit from. It is suggested that floatation therapy can reduce stress, relieve anxiety, aid in pain management and relief, promote relaxation, increase circulation, improve sleep patterns, etc. You can read more about the benefits over at Wellness Mama and the Huffington Post.

I scheduled a same-day appointment with Fleauxt, which was convenient for me. (Look at God!) I took a shower and shampooed my hair before entering the tub. It was filled with warm water and about 850 lbs of epsom salt. I stepped in not knowing what to expect exactly. I just knew I needed some relief for all the stress the week had caused.

I turned the lights off and just allowed my body to embrace it’s buoyancy. I was floating, just like I so desperately needed to do.

It was quiet. There was nothing to hear but my thoughts and my heartbeat. I heard my heartbeat. My Heart. Beat. My purpose. I heard how my life continued to go on. I felt the stress subside. I felt the weight being lifted off my shoulders. I became lighter and lighter as time passed. I kept a mental note on how long I had been floating. Then I lost track of it.

My thoughts shifted. I automatically thought of all of the things that happened this week that made me happy. That made me feel good. My body wanted to cry from the happy thoughts, but I just couldn’t. I literally couldn’t. I was frozen. Stuck in this state only to dwell on the good. For a whole hour.

And then the lights came on.

I was startled for a second because I had forgotten where I was. I had forgotten I was laying in a tub of water in a confinded space. But while my eyes were closed, that space felt so vast.

I struggled to catch my balance after exiting the tub to take my final shower. I felt like I had overdosed on a myriad of all the pain medication I’ve had to take over the course of my life. I felt so light. So airy. Blissful. I was in a complete state of euphoric bliss.

I was allowed as much time as I needed to sit in the chill area and just relax and reflect on my float experience. I sat at the table to add a few thoughts to the client journal. I don’t even remember what I wrote. My mind was still in the vast space.

I was lucid enough to drive home. I made it to my bed and just laid there for a moment trying to hold on to every piece of the vast space that I had experienced. I still felt weightless. Lifted. I reflected on how amazing it felt to be granted with the liberty to turn off my mind and my thoughts and just be. It was freeing. Mental freedom is dope.

If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.” — Amit Ray, Om Chanting and Meditation

How often do we try to hold on to things? Especially those things that we know are so cumbersome and detrimental to our overall well-being? How often do we waste so much time worrying about tomorrow, and when tomorrow arrives, and everything is fine?

For me, too often.

Consequently, I made a promise to myself to invest more into self-care techniques to prevent mental strains and to eliminate as much self-inflicted stress and anxiety as effectively as I can. And truthfully, floatation therapy gave me a good start.