asiaSpa India - January-February 2018

asiaSpa India January-February 2018 31

HOW IT WORKS

Initially designed to study a human mind deprived

of external stimuli, floatation tanks, or sensory

deprivation tanks as they’re called, are built to

put you in a state of deep relaxation. The

environment within the tank is crucial to this

process. The tank is filled with water warmed

to around 37°C, and is usually equipped with

an underwater sound system for meditative

music and buttons to adjust the light in the

tank during the float session. The modern

designs are similar to the one perfected by

American neurophysiologist Dr. John C. Lilly,

who was instrumental in developing it. The

It takes a few sessions to feel

the meditative e ect of  oatation

REAL FEEL

It is a sunny afternoon and I am at Delhi’s  rst
 oatation centre, Liquid Sanctuary, run by Chirag
Lalaramani. It is a quaint and elegant space in
Lodhi Colony with two stylish and spacious  oat
rooms. The corridor right outside the rooms has
two huge water  lters that ensure clean water
in the tanks. Chirag gives me a quick tour of the
place and takes me through the drill as the sta
prepares my designated  oat room.

I enter the room and realise that my only
therapist for the day is water. As advised by
Chirag earlier, I take a shower and then step
into the jacuzzi-like tub. I lie with my face
upwards and, in a few seconds, weightlessness
takes over and I’m  oating. Just like that! If
you’re even a little hydrophobic like I am, you’re
going to love it because there’s no way you can
sink, and that is a big relief. The water works
like a big soft cushion and I feel completely at
ease. I am in the nature-themed room which has
a forest painted on the ceiling above the tank
area. I thoroughly enjoy this vision while sounds
of birds chirping soothe my mind. The music
stops after the  rst 10 minutes, as Chirag had
earlier explained me, and then it is just pin-drop
silence. Most of the  rst half is spent doing
nothing but resting. It’s like sleeping with your
eyes wide open.

I wait to see if my senses loosen up further,
as per the common belief, but except for feeling
extremely light and relaxed, nothing much
happens. I think that’s why they say that it takes
time and practice to feel the meditative state
through  oatation. As I waver in the tub, moving
my hands to and fro, I hear the birds chirping
again. And that’s when I know it’s time to get
back to reality. http://www.liquidsanctuary.in

buoyancy loosens your tissues, muscle fibres and

nerve endings slowly and steadily. Once the body

gets in tune with this zero gravity environment,

you float without a worry.

THE BENEFITS

It is believed that floatation is as beneficial as

yoga. While it alleviates body pain, improves

blood circulation and sleep, it also heightens

self-awareness and relieves stress by increasing the

release of endorphins. More than anything else, the

therapy is often recounted as spiritual by those who

regularly experience it, and is a way to achieve a

state of higher consciousness.

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