My First Float Tank Experience

You ever thought of what it would be like if you could just escape from everything.  I mean everything.  Like to the point of nothingness.

Stepping into the float tank over at Dream Float Hawaii gave me the opportunity and environment to allow me go to that point but it was totally in my control.

According to Dream Float Hawaii’s page it mentions:

“There are a wide range of benefits and uses for floating.  Everyone floats for their own personal reasons, but here are some common themes that encompass mind, body, and spirit.”

Some of the benefits are:

• Pain Management
• Athletic Performance
• Sleep Management
• Pregnancy
• Stress & Anxiety
• Creativity
• Personal Growth

I heard of floating, also known as sensory deprivation, first from listening to Joe Rogan’s podcast.  I’m pretty sure that’s how majority of the people out there have been introduced to it.  It sounded interesting but it also was a bit weird for me.  But the more I heard about it, the more I wanted to try it.

Then finally I began asking people if they ever experienced floating before.  One of the people I coach, Kapono, looked me dead in the eyes and said, “It’s fucking unbelievable.  I think you’d enjoy it.”

He then continued on talking about how after a session he’d be super at ease for up over a week.  Knowing about the high stress his job demands, that was saying a lot and it was enough to nudge me to head out on my search for a float tank in Hawaii.

Enter Dream Float Hawaii…

I shared on my Instagram Stories that I was looking for a Floating place in Hawaii.  On the same day, Dream Float Hawaii messaged me with a “Yooooo!!” and I immediately began working on scheduling my first appointment.

The float tank I experienced at Dream Float HI was quite large compared to the ones I’ve seen on the internet.  Honestly, I doesn’t matter because it’s going to be pitch black in there anyways but it did matter as well because I didn’t feel like I was going into a coffin.  More like a tomb.

During my first session of floating, I experienced all sorts of emotions.  At first I was processing the darkness and the fact that I could easily float in 10 inch deep water with over a thousand pounds of salt inside.  So that debunked my thinking of I could drown.  In fact, at the end of my session I unknowingly reached to wipe my face and got extremely salty water in my eyes.  That stuff would wake you right up alone.

Anyways…

As I laid there I went from having my eyes closed to then thinking, “Why do I have my eyes closed? It’s completely dark”

I opened my eyes and it looked no different.  Then I noticed the beat of my heart echoing in the tank to the wind my eye lashes made when I open and closed them.  I was headed towards nothingness, the void.

At one point my body felt upright and slightly swayed side to side.  I even began seeing a purple orb pulse in front of me going from big to small and back to big again.

How would I explain my experience? I’m still processing it.

One thing I would say is that if you are slightly interested or even curious about floating, then I highly suggest you give a try and Geoff over at Dream Float Hawaii is the perfect one to guide you through the practice.

But to learn more about the whole experience and what floating is about, here’s my interview session with Geoff Sato right after my first session of floating.

I hope you take the time to listen to this episode and connect with Dream Float Hawaii over on Instagram (@DreamFloatHI) or reach out to Geoff if you have any questions.

Feel free to subscribe to the show via iTunes or Stitcher by clicking on any of the buttons.  If possible, I’d really appreciate a review over on iTunes.  It will greatly help the podcast.

Mahalo and Aloha

Daniel Aipa aka “Kū”