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Floatation Tank Therapy

The concept of floatation therapy was built on the idea of minimizing external stimuli or at the least to reduce it to a minimum which in turn tone down auto-brain responses to them.

These external stimuli are mainly sight, sound, temperature, smell or even gravity. What actually happens when these external stimulations are curbed is that the brain enters into a state of relaxation more easily.

Now whilst, it is easy to understand how external stimuli such as light, sound, and smell could be easily blocked, the effects of temperature and gravity are involving a little bit of trickery.

Floatation Tank

Gravity is reduced using the salinity of the Epsom salt concentrated water which renders it highly buoyant and the solution is also heated up to skin temperature, thus when the subjects are placed on the water they float easily and the temperature of the water or solution makes it difficult for their brains to tell the difference between which part of their anatomy is above water and which parts are below the waterline.

Each session typically last for about 90 minutes in these sensory deprivation tanks which cause brainwaves to tone down to lower frequencies to levels of brainwaves that occur during deep meditation leading to an Altered State of Consciousness or ASC. ASC is basically a qualitative alteration of general brain function patterns causing floaters to experience an entirely different state of consciousness which changes mental and emotional constructs.

Floatation Tank

This scenario has been found to be an effective treatment for a variety of illnesses and thought to be especially beneficial to women who are expecting. Medical professionals have come to a consensus that time spent in floatation tanks actually enhances the subject’s moods, lower blood pressure, decrease pressure on joints and other body parts (especially the spine) and also eases symptoms that are directly associated with anxiety and depression which commonly affect expecting mothers.

Floatation therapy is generally regarded as being safe for women during the 2nd and 3rd trimester however consulting a professional doctor prior to trying floatation therapy is critical towards the health of the mother and baby.

This is generally because there are very few studies available on that subject matter and most of these ‘positive implications of floatation therapy for pregnant women’ have been mostly based on empirical evidence.

Floatation Tank Therapy

Based on these gathered data from research that were designed for other objectives (objectives not related to pregnancies), floating would and should have a positive impact on the health of pregnant women simply because for one, it relieves stress (stress is disruptive to health during pregnancies) and secondly it gives pregnant women relief from the constant pressure acted on the extra weight they carry by gravity. Thus, it is logical to assume that since high-stress levels impedes foetus development and relieves the pressure due to the access ‘weight’ both mother and child would benefit from this.

Besides that, floatation therapy has a significant impact on sleep quality and improved sleep quality during pregnancy would certainly be an added plus point simply because good sleep promotes better health and when the mother feels rested and good, so do the babies growing in them.

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