In my last blog post, I answered some of the questions people ask about floating. One question I addressed is the hesitancy to spend 90 minutes with one’s own thoughts in a tank. What will I think about? Where will my mind go?

I just finished my monthly float (currently writing this in the sauna lol) and I’m here to tell you that you never really know what your brain is going to do. Going in to the float, I was initially nervous, but also at peace with where I expected my mind would go: grief for my breakup, anxiety for the coming weeks, concern for the state of the world, thinking about what I’m going to eat tomorrow, etc. 

Would my brain be abuzz with fretting, or will I be able to let these thoughts and feelings flow so I can do some good emotional processing?

Well turns out LOL I was wrong on all accounts. 

After my massage with Venus, I showered, turned off all the lights (brave, I know), and got into the tank. Instead of the buzzing and noise, what I found in the tank was a total mental quiet I didn’t expect. I was surprised by how quickly I was able to slip into a quiet meditative state for probably about the first half of my float. At one point, I invited those less-appealing feelings in, to see if they had anything to say that I could reflect on, but there was nothing. Just quiet. I was gifted with permission to breathe and rest, taking a well-deserved break from the vibration that follows me much of the time. 

If I’m being totally honest, I’m a bit annoyed that my brain didn’t want to process much during the dedicated time of my float. While this is disappointing, it reminded me that sometimes the body and mind know what we need more than we do. When the body and mind start to feel like they’ve been run through, they will often find a way to put on the brakes (sometimes whether we like it or not). While not what I was expecting, I’m so glad I was able to take the time during my float to rest in the way that I needed. 

So what’s to learn from this experience? I think the lesson is this: trust yourself. Trust that your brain will look out for you. Trust that your body will let you rest. Trust yourself, enough that you can achieve what your heart desires (I’m still working on this last one).

PS: I was totally thinking at a few points about what I was going to eat after my float and thankfully Lindsay came in clutch with a Made with Local bar.

Joseph Goodwin