What is a float?

This is a question I’m often asked when I tell people I’m headed to TFC. One thing they know right away, based on the glittery, excited look in my eyes, is that it’s something I’ve been needing. Having time to be with oneself is not something we get often in today’s busy world. Whether it’s work, family, or just getting sucked into the never-ending doom scroll of social media, our time is constantly in demand. Personally, I’m very used to the constant go-go-go of trying to make some money, trying to keep on top of my health and #adulting. This makes it so easy to forget to take this time for ourselves.

When should I float?

This is often the second question I get, but it’s also one of my favourites. The first thing I always tell them is they should do a float after a really busy and overwhelming period. For me, as a music teacher of six years, that was always within a couple of days of putting on a school concert. The constant demand and barrage of questions would leave my nervous system feeling maxed out, until I get into the tank. Once I shut that tank door, there’s nobody looking for me, nobody asking questions, and I can finally feel stillness again.

Aren’t you afraid of what you’ll think about?

This, my friend, is the big question: when the world is silent, where will my brain go? For some, the prospect of finally being able to hear one’s thoughts is really scary. Grief, sadness, anger, regret, pain are all emotions we tend to run from because it’s easier to run from them instead of spending time with them. I recently went through a difficult breakup, and I’ve noticed that while I’m still able to go out and do things I like (and usually still enjoy them), once I slow down, my brain immediately goes right back to the pain, almost like I have a song stuck in my head. Usually, my next step is to try to find something to distract myself. According to my ND, instead of distracting ourselves from feeling these emotions, it’s often better to feel these feelings and allow our brain to write the end of the song, instead of letting it loop over and over again.

So what’s the skinny? Let the float be whatever you need it to be. In the tank, I’ve smiled, I’ve cried, I’ve giggled, and I’ve fully fallen asleep, but it’s a short period of time in the week that I get to spend entirely with myself without distractions. Even if it’s scary and uncomfortable, it’s not going to last forever (a float is just 75 minutes ).