I only panicked a little

I did my first float yesterday. I had been in conversation with Liquid Floats about partnering with equestrians. We mutually agreed the best place for me to start would be to hop in and try a float myself. Off I went to a flotation therapy spa

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I should start off by saying- I'm amazingly claustrophobic. Didn't-make-it-through-the-pool-section-of-scuba-dive-lessons-because-of-the-mask claustrophobic and was talking myself down a level of anxiety I don't even want to discuss. Let's just say when I was young and played hide-n-seek I always found the best places to hide; I would then panic and give myself up. True story. Don't judge.

I digress... when I told a friend I was going to float in a sensory deprivation chamber like pod thing they looked at me sideways and laughed.

I read this on the Liquid Floats website:

Floating is becoming more popular and accepted by the general public. So what can Floating do for you? The same thing it does for everyone! Relieve physical and mental stress. Much of our energy is used up with our brain and nervous system’s trying to manage gravity and our senses. This is the fundamental benefit of floating: escaping gravity, restricting our senses and allowing our body and mind to let go. In doing so, we are able to boost the activity of every system: our blood circulates faster, our muscle tissue repairs quicker and our brains manufacture endorphins more effectively. Below is a video narrated by Joe Rogan about the growing movement of floating and its effects.

Then I watched this:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeqmKwsvM58&w=560&h=315]

Take a minute to watch this. It's actually pretty interesting and may answer some questions you have.

Mind you, it took me months to agree to try this. Yes, months. I saw pictures and followed on instagram and it was always in the back of my mind. The pictures look something like this:

I would be lying if I said I didn't envision claw marks in the top of that pod from my panic levels. Finally, with the advent of OM Riding, I thought, "Well, hell. This may well be something that works alongside what we are trying to manifest in our restorative approach."

Mild Panic.

Yet with so many changes happening professionally and personally, maybe floating and just breathing through those panicky feelings would help me let go and enjoy it. Maybe I might even become a master diver if I could start to allow those feelings to rise and let them go?! I'm an over achiever, I know.

With slightly terrified excitement, I headed on over. Honestly, it was everything I read about. I felt safe to let go, to wander around in my thoughts, to feel the creep of panic and to let it flow. The closest thing I can liken it to is that semi-conscious state you are in when you take shavasana at the end of a particularly intense yoga practice.

I felt able to just be still and relax. It was pretty incredible. I felt connected, whole and able to let waves of thoughts do their thing. I did get nervous and I did have to check back in to go back to my breath and it was fine. I opted to leave the green light on in the pod and have a little background music, just in case. Next time, I will go without the music... and maybe, just maybe I will go without the light.

After my float was over, I drank tea in the lounge with a friend that had done her first float as well. It was a pretty amazing experience for both of us, and I absolutely think spending some time being still with a cup of tea afterwards was super rewarding.

Did I answer all of my life questions? No, not yet. But I certainly felt some clarity and a sense of calmness about quite a few aspects of my life. I am so grateful for the experience, especially since I can't really do yoga currently. I know for sure I am going back and am hoping to make it a weekly venture.

In addition, one of my goals through OM Riding is to partner with local like-minded companies with the intent to focus on Mind-Body-Horse. Quiet your mind; quiet your riding.

If you guys have any interest, I'm proud to announce that Liquid Floats has joined us in partnership and will be offering a 20% discount to anyone associated with OM Riding

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Book Your Float at Liquid Floats At Check-out Use the Discount Code: OMRiding

Happy Floating!!

I would love to hear your experiences as well! Have you tried it? Do you float regularly? Are you considering it now that you know how much of a pansy I am??