Sometimes a float session will help me out of a creative slump, other times it will help my wonky joints fall back into place (sometimes all the above). Recently I had one that was entirely different from them all- it was boring.

This had never happened to me before. So I did what I always do- I considered all the possible reasons and worried about it. Then I spoke to a friend who assured me that ‘bad’ floats do indeed happen to good people.

Here are our best tips to get the most from your experience:

1. Don’t rush out after your float. It can take up to half an hour to fully process all the ‘goodness’ that happens during your session.

2. Keep in mind that there are benefits to your float beyond what you can physically feel or take note of. A couple of examples include: lowered cortisol (stress hormone) levels, lowered blood pressure & absorption of magnesium. 
^That may explain why I felt bored & a bit annoyed at the time, and felt blissfully relaxed later

3. If possible, try not to schedule your session before you have to do something you dread (unless you want to invite it into the tank). You will likely feel calmer than your pre-float self, but you might not get that serene meditative experience you were after.

4. Take a minute to reflect on whether there was anything bothering you which needs to be addressed. Being unable to relax in a float tank isn’t super common, and it’s often because your mind is stuck somewhere else.

5. Try not to be too attached to the results, floating tends to deliver exactly what you need, even if you don’t know it (your body is funny like that).

6. Remember to note down what you did before this session so it can be avoided for next time-for example coffee and floating is a major no for a lot of people. It can cause the mind to race, and force you to spend most of your session trying to catch up.

Just like a massage, a meditation session or a yoga class, you won’t get perfect results every time, but just like the humans who love it, floating is a practice that just keeps getting better.

By Jennifer White