Category: Weight Loss Exercise

I went on my first float yesterday. It was great and was something that, believe it or not, I have thought about for 20 or more years but finally got to do for the first time today.

I have mentioned to my wife for years about the wish that I had to one day find a sensory deprivation tank and take a shot at seeing what the experience was all about. Lucky for me Float tanks have been becoming a lot more popular over the last couple of years and a place called Ascension Float Center opened up here in my small suburban town of Airdrie.

Not sure if you have ever seen the movie Altered States. it’s a movie from 1980 starring William Hurt who plays a psychologist interested in altered states of consciousness.

In the movie the character takes an herb called Ayahuasca (actually an herb that can be very dangerous to take and has again become popular) which when used before going into a sensory deprivation tank causes the character to regress to becoming a caveman.

Not sure how well this film ages as I haven’t seen it in many years but apparently the story stuck with me, you know kids and experimenting, I never did either though.

So anyway, fast forwarding to now, as a guy that is responsible and married with a couple of kids I am still really interested in the idea of what happens to your mind when you take away all of your senses including gravity.

The float tank is absolutely dark, you wear ear plugs, and most importantly you lie in water that is the same temperature as your skin – 95.8 degrees in the one that I tried – and has 1100 pounds of Epson Salts so you really do float half submerged in the water which is as close to losing any sense of gravity as you can get.

And to be clear, no, I made sure I was under the influence of absolutely nothing before going into the tank.

How Did I Prepare For My First Float

A couple of days before I went to the float center my wife gave me a gift of my first float and I went does to the center with my wife and son Jaiden as he wanted to try it first. We got a bit of a tour of the location and how things worked and then left Jaiden to try it out. Sadly he was not impressed at all.

What happened with Jaiden is that he had some cuts on his hands and any cuts get really irritated in the very salty water. Also poor Jaiden wasn’t ready for the experience of trying to have a very quiet mind so he got bored, he grabbed his phone and took pictures, he surfed Snapchat, and well, he just got bored.

I wasn’t at all dissuaded, remember I’ve been waiting 20 years to try this out.

So a couple days passed, I researched as much as I could, and then on Sunday, my birthday, I went and got into the tank for the first time.

I prepared in a few ways. I found lots of stories and articles and most didn’t really give much info on how to prepare except for a few things about the effects of floating over time. Great stuff but there were just a few things that I caught about how I should prepare for that first float.

• I made sure not to drink coffee,
• I made sure I had a couple good nights sleep, and
• I stayed away from eating and drinking for a couple of hours before I went to the float center.

And then actually when I got to the float place really I found out that there is no real preparation needed and having no expectations makes the process a whole lot better.

What Are The Benefits Of Floating?

There are some amazing benefits of using a float tank. With the calmness there is a drop in Cortisol (the stress hormone), and an increase in Dopamine and Serotonin (pleasure and happiness hormones).

Also the fact that the tank is so full of Epson Salts means that you will absorb some of this magnesium in through your skin which is also very good for you.

Physically the relaxation of muscles is really good for other issues as well.

There are studies showing that float tanks will allow the muscles to relax which reduces inflammation as well as helping break down lactic acid in your muscles from working out. As you can imagine, without the pressure on muscles and joints this also allows stress to come off of those joints and even for a little while this helps relax all muscles.

My First Float Tank Experience

So finally on Sunday was the day. I had my wife drive me down and drop me off and then Rian gave me a real  tour of the place to prepare and orient me with the center. There are three float tanks, a bathroom, a quiet and fairly dark sitting area, and a refresh center with water and tea.

I quickly realized that “going for a float” was more than just the time in the tank.

First I made sure to pee, having an empty bladder is one less thing to think about in the tank. Then there is a prefloat shower to make sure you are completely clean. Then I put in some earplugs. This keeps the water and sound out.

Then I laid back into the tub, it really is like an 11 inch deep bathtub that is about three feet wide and 7 feet long and is designed to make sure that everything is a good temperature, not cold, not warm, but just skin temperature.

I settled my body and stretched out. Deciding whether to have my arms over my head or by my sides in the dim light and quiet new age music. After about 5 minutes the light went out and I was in darkness with just quiet music. as I settled in my mind got quieter. Finally after another 5 or 10 minutes the music slowly quieted even more and disappeared. It was amazing how quietly I could hear the sounds of the music before it went away.

So now here I was with just my thoughts. All I could hear was my slow heartbeat and my breathing, my breathing stayed with me for the whole time. I found that my muscles were tighter than I realized, I had lots of tight joints that I could crack in the water.

It was a very peaceful experience for me. I joke often that I have three voices in my head all the time and for once my mind was really quiet. I prepared myself so that I wouldn’t fall asleep but in the end I was very conscious but completely lost track of time.

The thing that struck me most was just a feeling of peace. In the life that I lead I tend to not have many long quiet stretches with work, family, and responsibilities always taking more of my time than I should probably allow, but that is a decision that I make myself on a regular basis.

Before I knew it my 90 minutes in the tank were up and I could hear the music come back and a few minutes after that the soft light came on.

Once I got out of the tank I had a bit of a slow shower as my senses came back to me. and then I sat and got dressed again.

One of the things that Rian had told me earlier is that there is no time limit in the lounge area. He says that often people will sit and read or journal. In fact people will journal their thoughts in this different post-float state of mind for an hour and even two hours once.

By the time I got out I had no thoughts that I wanted to journal, heck I didn’t even bring a journal (so prepared ? ).

Then it was time to go. I talked with Rian for a few minutes about how things were for me. He assured me that people have lots of expectations but just like meditation there is no room for expectations, you just let it all happen.

One thing that Rian did encourage though was to do a float 3 times or so within a couple of months so that you can get more out of the experience.

I understand this, as the whole idea of losing all awareness is in it’s own way overwhelming so having the experience, a few times will allow you to become a bit better acquainted with the process and allow you to go deeper into your own thought processes without becoming distracted.

Have you ever tried a float tank? The Sensory deprivation tank is a really cool thing to me and I can’t wait to try it again. There is likely a center near you where you can try it and I really urge you to check this out.

The Chinese have used green tea to treat ailments for several centuries. Nowadays, Western culture is beginning to understand the benefits of green tea.

Recent research has revealed some of the health benefits of using green tea including the possible prevention of arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cataracts and also cancer.

Health Using Green Tea

Besides the disease-fighting benefits, Green Tea also aids loss programs. Studies have shown that drinking green tea helps you burn more calories. So what makes green tea so beneficial?

Green tea is the most popular types of Chinese tea. Many people, consider it as the best drink for hot summers. The main reason for this claim is the fact that green tea is cool and fights off irritation. Many have even claimed that it relieves fever.

The health benefits of Green Tea have been known throughout the world, and are appreciated a lot more these days.

The Chinese have known about these medicinal benefits since ancient times, as they have been using green tea to treat everything from headaches to depression, and a long list of other ailments.

In fact, Green tea is used to improve Cardiovascular fitness, weight loss, increase metabolism, arthritis, infection and even tooth decay.

These benefits are because green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly the said epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is basically an anti-oxidant that has the power to fight and kill cancer cells without harming healthy tissue in the body.

Studies on Green Tea

Today there are numerous scientific researches conducted both in Asia and the West is providing hard evidences for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea.

A good example is the Journal of the National Cancer Institute which published the results of an epidemiological study in 1994, indicating that drinking Green Tea lowers the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly 60%. The University of Purdue just recently reported its findings that a compound in green tea can help fight cancer.

Black tea has 102 mg polyphenols per 100 milliliters (mL), and green tea has 89 mg. both of these are really great.

Studies of humans and animals show that the antioxidants in black and green teas are highly beneficial to our health, says 82-year-old John Weisburger, PhD, senior researcher at the Institute for Cancer Prevention in Valhalla, N.Y.

“I’ve published more than 500 papers, including a hell of a lot on tea,” says Weisburger, who drinks 10 cups daily. “I was the first American researcher to show that tea modifies the metabolism to detoxify harmful chemicals.”

Green tea, black tea, oolong tea — they all come from the same tea plant, Camellia sinensis. The leaves are simply processed differently, explains Weisburger. Green tea leaves are not fermented; they are withered and steamed. Black tea and oolong tea leaves undergo a crushing and fermenting process.

Studies also revealed that the anti-oxidant EGCG has been effective in lowering cholesterol levels, and hampering the abnormal formation of blood clots.

Catchins are one of the critical elements of Green Tea that makes it so good for you and these are often mentioned as the same thing as Polyphenols. In reality what you are looking for is mostly the Catechins in the Green Tea. A standardized green tea extract contains only about 30% catechins. So 300 milligrams of polyphenols may only contain 90 milligrams of antioxidants, not the 300 milligrams that you expect

The latter benefit takes on added importance for the fact that the formation of abnormal blood clots, medically known as thrombosis, is the main factor that causes stroke and heart attacks, thus making Green Tea very beneficial for one’s health and well being.

Are you thinking that if you knew more about lower back pain causes then you might be able to get rid of the pain that you have and prevent it from making you suffer again?

That may be true, so let’s look at a list of possible lower back pain causes.

Pain in the lower back or lumbar region of the spine (also known as lumbago) is very common. In fact, it affects around 80% of people sooner or later in their lives and is believed to be the cause of more sickness absence from work than any other condition.

Lower Back Pain Causes – Strains and Sprains

One of the most common lower back pain causes is a strain or sprain in the muscles of the back.

This type of back pain is often called non-specific lower back pain and it usually goes away without requiring specific treatment except for pain medication which may be required.

This type of pain will normally resolve within 4 weeks, and often in much less time than that.

If the strain has been caused by a sudden movement, lifting, or other obvious event, it often causes severe and immediate pain that may result in the person having very limited movement for a time.

Rest is essential and anti inflammatory medication may be prescribed to handle the pain.

Lower Back Pain Causes – Herniated Disc

In some cases the cause may not be muscle strain but a herniated disc (also known as a ruptured, bulging or slipped disc).

This occurs when one of the discs that act as cushions between the vertebrae (the bones of the spine) is pushed out of its usual position.

This can compress the spinal cord and the nerves around it, causing pain which is often accompanied by a feeling like an electric shock going down the legs, or numbness in the legs.

Arthritis is another of the common lower back pain causes. Either osteoarthritis of the spine or rheumatoid arthritis can be a direct cause of lower back pain.

People who suffer from arthritis in other joints such as the hips or knees may also have lower back pain because of irregular ways of walking to compensate for the joint problem.

There are some conditions that people may have had since childhood, which only develop into lower back pain causes in later life. These include a difference in the length of the legs, abnormalities of the feet, hips or pelvis, and spondylolisthesis (a slipped vertebra).

I love these guys and their videos on back and neck problems. Entertaining and full of knowledge

Besides this there are many other more unusual lower back pain causes. There may be an infection in the spine or a disease such as spinal stenosis or degenerative disc disease.

This is your opportunity to learn the “world-class” Back Pain relief secrets that only a handful of lucky people even knew existed a short time ago…including the “super-advanced” skill, know-how and techniques. It is called the Miracle Back Pain Cure.

It is important to see your doctor about severe pain, any pain that continues for longer than you expect, or pain that is accompanied by other symptoms.

In particular, if you have difficulty going to the bathroom or numbness in the genital area, this could be a sign of a condition which requires immediate treatment as a medical emergency.

It is always safer to see a doctor than to try to figure out your possible lower back pain causes by yourself.