stress & floatation

Whether it's a short-term frustration like a traffic jam or a major life event like divorce or job loss, psychological stress can affect our bodies in so many ways.

The good news is there is a natural alternative. Here’s how float therapy can help reduce your everyday chronic stress. As Swedish Government and German doctors are now starting to prescribe floats instead of drugs for stress and relaxation.

Floatation has been clinically proven that it helps decrease cortisol levels, a hormone released in the bloodstream during stressful situations.

Stress, Muscle loss and fat gain; Brain fog & low sex drive; Fatigue and Depression are just some of the symptoms of chronically high cortisol levels.

Many studies have proven that floating regularly can reduce cortisol levels and decrease blood pressure, as well as improve overall mood.

In a very recent scientific study, participants floated 8 times over the course of 2 weeks. Their serum cortisol decreased by 21.6%. Participants also showed a 50.5% decrease in cortisol variability – they handled stressful situations better, without a spike in cortisol.

A float tank provides a weightless environment that when combined with pitch darkness and silence, creates sensory reduction which helps slowing down the brain which results in releasing theta waves, and acts like when a brain is in deep meditation, this meditative state can be very powerful in calming the mind and body and de-stressing for those with anxiety and depression. It causes the brain to release a flood of endorphins, also called feel good chemicals – which is good for lifting the mood and feel peaceful.

According Dr. Justin Feinstein, the world’s leading float therapy researcher, “the level of relaxation achieved in a float tank is similar to what would be achieved with anti-anxiety drugs or meditation.”

Research has shown that magnesium plays a key role in the treatment of depression and anxiety and depression, as it becomes easily depleted during times of stress.

The float tanks contain over 500kgs of Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate). While floating the human skin absorbs the magnesium and can the cells would use it immediately.

magnesium is well known to help balance calcium levels in the body, reduce stress, balance hormones, normalize blood pressure, reduce risk of cancer and other diseases and much more.

You may read further about Theodor Martin, Floatasian Float Spa Co-Founder, and his own personal Experience in beating Anxiety and Depression with Floatation.

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3. Eliciting the relaxation response with the help of flotation-rest (restricted environmental stimulation technique) in patients with stress-related ailments, International Journal of Stress Management, May 2006.

4. Psychotherapeutic Treatment in Combination with Relaxation in a Flotation Tank: Effects on “Burn-Out Syndrome”, The Qualitative Report, September 2010.

5. Psychology Explaining the Effects of Stimulus Restriction: Testing the Dynamic Hemispheric Asymmetry Hypothesis By: Suedfeld, P.; Steel, G. Daniel; Wallbaum, Alistair B.C.; Bluck, Susan; Livesey, Nigel; Capozzi, Lorian Journal of Environmental Psychology (1994) 14, 87-100, 1994

6. Effects of Flotation REST on Plasma Cortisol in Rheumatoid Arthritis By: McCormick B.A., Shafransky D.R., Fine T.H. & Turner J.W. Jr. 6th International REST Conference. San Francisco, 1997

7. Effects of Rational Emotive Therapy and REST on Social Anxiety. By: O'Toole P. & Barabasz M. Washington State University, Pullman, WA,1997

8. Treatment of Psychosomatic Illnesses Through Mental Training and Floatations in Oxygenated Magnesium Sulfate Saturated Baths By: Dr. Suchurbruck, Dr. Berman & Tapprich J., 6th International REST Conference. San Francisco, 1997

9. Plasma Catecholamine Activity During Flotation REST By: Turner J.W. Jr., Fine T. & Hamad N.M. 6th International REST Conference.San Francisco , 1997

10. Flotation therapy in treatment of patients with primary hypertension. By: Hu Pei-Cheng, Wang RR, Shang ZH , Clinical Psychology Journal (China) 2000; 14: 414-416 , 2000

11. Case studies on fibromyalgia and burn-out depression using psychotherapy in combination with flotation-REST: Personality development and increased well-being. By: Åsenlöf, K., Olsson, S., Bood, S. Å., & Norlander, T. "Imagination, Cognition and Personality", 2007

12. Bending and mending the neurosignature. Frameworks of influence by flotation-REST (Restricted environmental stimulation technique) upon wellbeing in patients with stress related ailments By: Bood, S. Å. "Doctoral dissertation, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden. ISSN 1403-8099.", 2007

13. Floating Effective for Stress and Pain, Research Suggests By: Bood, S.A. Science Daily (Nov. 6, 2007) , 2007

14. Flotation REST in Applied Psychophysiology By: Fine, Thomas H., M.A. and Borrie, Roderick, Ph.D.

15. Effects of Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy on Cortisol, Pain, and Indices of inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritics By: Fine, T.H.; McCormick, B.A.; Shefransky, D.O.; and Turner, J.W. PhD. Medical College of Ohio, Department of Psychiatry and Department of Physiology.