The Psychedelic State achieved by floatation tank?!

Some people state, in the first few floats many people get very positive mental and physical benefits. These benefits can be seen here.

As I continued to tear layer upon layer, deeper and deeper into meditation in the tank, I was able to reach the feeling of ego-death, without the use of psychedelic drugs. I have indeed experimented with LSD and Mescaline, which have definitely changed my view on the world and how it works. I was able to analyze the patterns that were stunting my spiritual and physical growth, and gently letting them go with positive self-hypnosis.

Positivity flooded my head and many visual colours seemed to swirl around in many shapes and forms. At one stage I had a vision of looking at myself dissolving, a truly profound experience filled with love and compassion. This is the deepest I have ever gone in meditation and I owe it to the float tank, which prevents all distractions from the outer world.

I had some pretty powerful memories of my childhood come up which also led me to the lessons my parents have given me, it’s almost like my parents were chosen for me to learn from. I was in essence trying to shatter previous belief systems and truly dig deep to feel comfortable in my own skin. I felt an overwhelming connection to all beings, I can see the cycles and programs that people are utilizing in their mind, the majority of it is fear based.

We must learn to open our hearts and give love and compassion to all beings, because we all deserve liberation from the tricks our mind plays on us.

Much love JKS

Floatation # 6 ; Unedited thought spill.

Float # 6

I decided to take a pad and pen with me to my 6th float! Which was a standard 90 minutes. Here is what was written in ink directly after I got out. It is very profound but it is untamed.

Everything is beautiful, everything can be achieved. Nothing is impossible. I have now experienced absolutely nothing in the depths of infinite knowledge. Turning focus inside instead of outside peels away the layers of confusion.

I have finally met my true self, the one who is infinite in the cosmos. If only we could learn to turn our focus inside, we would see infinite beauty and infinite compassion. The ego creates misery and craving but your true-self is free and immersed in true love. I am love.

Reflections of myself dissolving into my core essence, is something so incredibly profound. Stripping away layers of illusionary tales my mind creates, I can be purely present without distraction. This is an incredible tool to use and should be used to find true love. Anything external is so temporary but internally you are eternal in this moment. I owe a great deal to Meditation and the art mindfulness, it has enabled me to find my true-self.

Your true-self cannot be found in your partner, husband or wife. In our society we are consistently trying to find the missing piece in another person or thing. This is an ego trick, you already HAVE everything, YOU are it.

It was definitely an incredible experience to say the least. Some incredible things can come to your mind after the float, it is best to capture them!

Check out the Floathouse Victoria’s Facebook page or their Website.

Here are some posts that are related to floating.

Benefits of Anti-gravity in the floatation tank

The art of letting go

Benefits of Sensory Deprivation via Isolation tank (Float tank)

Much Love JKS

3 Benefits of achieving anti-gravity in the flotation tank.

After much experimentation at the Floathouse Victoria, I have experienced the benefits of not having to worry about gravity for 90 minutes. Our bodies are constantly dealing with the effects of gravity, rigid postures can be made even worse by its effects.

Chronic muscular tension

Our body is consistently dealing with gravity, if we’re overweight this can get even more intense. Floating enables the body to get a “rest” from gravity, reducing stabilizing muscles used to battle gravity, we can release knots of tension in common areas such as lower back, neck and hips.

Increase blood flow

Floating allows the heart to function more efficiently, slowing heart rate and reducing blood pressure. Blood can be circulated to areas which have suffered by cardiovascular-constriction, caused by smoking and clogging of arterial walls from poor diet. Circulation flow aids in the repair of our tissues, creating a better waste management system for our bodies.

Aids in joint pain

I suffer from a condition called Gout it can be crippling, floating helps keep my kidneys healthy to flush my excess Uric acid which builds in my joints. Floating helps chronic pain such as bursitis, arthritis, tendonitis and traumatic or structural pains like bruises,sprains and muscle strain.

If you’re interested in giving a float a go check out this introduction video from Floathouse Victoria.

Check out my first float experience here

book your float in Victoria here

Much love JKS

Pain and what your mind does to make it worse.

Everyone has had a situation where they feel pain in their body. For instance I had a longboarding accident, read about it here. I suffered a pretty badly bruised elbow, hip and knee to my right side and what I’ve noticed the most is the bruising of the ribs it makes getting out of bed a mission but other than that I can’t feel it during my everyday routine. You ask why I haven’t taken painkillers? so I don’t feel it when I get up and move around, I chose not too because it can be a little challenge for my mind. I reckon pain gets worse because we think “Wow that hurts” then we will add to it by thinking “Thats painful, this sux” we are stacking these thoughts up so the pain intensifies. Same could be said about anxious thoughts we stack ,stack and stack until it’s unbearable and we are miserable.

Through just being mindful and aware of the pain but not giving it additional power you increase your pain threshold. I have also been tattooed for long 12 hour sessions on my arm and sessions on my back for 4-5 hours you have to learn how to modulate pain. Before I left to go to Canada I had a swarming of thoughts in my mind and I was trying to get my back done every week for 13 weeks. By the last 3 sessions I was exhausted and the pain was unbearable but only because my mind was elsewhere busy processing leaving all my friends and family. I ended up using a fantastic topical cream for the last few sessions so we could maximize coverage. So if I was in a strong frame of mind I reckon my pain tolerance would have been much better!. Every thing that happens to you should be learnt from.

Maybe by taking pain medication we are missing the lesson of what our body is trying to tell us? Maybe we are supposed to experience not only pleasure but pain? For instance when you get headaches do you just pop some pills and let the pills numb it out? Or do you think your body is sending you a message to chill out a bit and take time for yourself. Pain medication has its merits for broken bones and trauma but for everyday use it is distracting you from the lessons you need to learn. Maybe it’s making you weaker to deal with the struggles of life? Maybe your depression and anxiety medication is doing the same? I’m only writing this to make you think about what you do to alleviate emotional and physical pain.

Practise some mindfulness techniques such as meditation, floating, yoga, tai chi and qi gong. See how they discipline your mind through awareness.

Think before you pick up those headache pills and listen to what your body is telling you.

Thanks for reading!

Much love JKS

The Great Stream – thoughts to ponder.

When we live this life are we in constant fear of what’s going to come next? Or have you developed the ability to let go and let the stream take you. With the latter the art of letting go can indeed help with the dealings of sickness and death.

Do you feel rigid in your beliefs and would not budge your opinion on any matter you hold close to you? then you should become aware of this because mentally when we stay rigid we have a hard time coping with change (Sickness, Death etc). When the nature of all things are ever changing having a stubborn mind not capable of change is equivalent to driving a car with no shock absorbers, the car (You or I) gets thrown off equilibrium by the bumpy (Thoughts) road without absorption. So it is important to train our minds that change is necessary in the grand scheme of things. It’s time to tune into what we are truly here for.

There are so many people I know who suffer from stress and anxiety based illness’s. What if you could learn to train your mind to absorb major life events (Family Death or illness) and continue on being strong and healthy.

Christchurch Earthquake

I come from a place called Christchurch New Zealand, We had a strong earthquake that struck on February 22nd 2011 at 12:51pm buildings were weakened by a 7.1 in september the year before with it’s aftershocks. So naturally many buildings fell with people in or around them. Thousands of people were injured and 185 people died from many countries. We all possibly lost someone that day I know I did and I expressed my sadness in writing a guitar piece for him. I struggled with the loss of my friend and my city, I did not have much of a shock absorber in place (Mindfulness practice) apart from my guitar and my ability to express myself through music.

Essentially I started making an effort to learn how to train my mind because it was extremely up and down and unpredictable. I also started to learn that we are all going to go at some stage so why worry about the future and the past? What we have now is all that matters I’m breathing, Walking, eating, playing, training, reading and hearing the beautiful sounds of music. That is what matters, what is happening right now in this present moment.

I will close with a quote from Alan W. Watts:

“We seem to be like flies caught in honey. Because life is sweet we do not want to give it up, and yet the more we become involved in it, the more we are trapped, limited, and frustrated. We love it and hate it at the same time. We fall in love with people and possessions only to be tortured by anxiety for them. The conflict is not only between ourselves and the surrounding universe; it is between ourselves and ourselves. For intractable nature is both around and within us. The exasperating “life” which is at once lovable and perishable, pleasant and painful, a blessing and a curse, is also the life of our own bodies.”

From the book The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety

Thanks for reading this 🙂 Remember to share with friends and like the post!

The Floathouse Victoria, The art of letting go

I have had my first ever experience floating at this wonderful facility.

I had heard about Floatation tanks from a good friend and thought it would be an awesome asset to enhance the practise of vipassana meditation. It definitely did surpass every expectation I had on it. The important thing is that every experience is individual so trying to tell someone that you will feel this and that and see that is wrong because you will go in expecting something to happen. Every time you float it’s different, it’s the same as reading a book at one stage of your life and then reading it again later it has a different perspective, because in nature everything is constantly changing even ourselves.

My first experience:

I booked my float through the website and walked into downtown victoria. It was a grey sluggish day and it was wet. I got inside went to the desk and was greeted by the friendly operator. I had already paid for my float online so all I needed to do was go to the washroom (it’s a smart idea and respectful) and sit in the comfy bean bag. They have offerings of different loose leaf teas and lemon water for your comfort. What was going through my head was interesting, I felt skeptical but also very excited at the same time. I was incredibly nervous when I was been told the shower pre wash routine and was given some ear plugs to stop the salt water going deep into my ear canal.

The tank itself had lights that you can turn on and off and an option to turn the beginning and end music off also. I felt the music was fantastic to gently let go of my body. The temperature of the water is at the same as body temperature so eventually you do not feel the water at all, the water has 1200lbs of epsom salts dissolved in it and enables you to float perfectly on your back releasing every muscle in your body.

You float completely naked so there is nothing that can distract you, some people may find this weird but come on spending a little time with yourself alone can be a very profound experience. I got into the tank and laid on my back using my hands to hold the sides of the tank to stabilize the water I just disturbed. I close my eyes turn the lights off and start breathing deeply into my abdomen (It helps also to stabilize the water)I start to have the thoughts of the day float away and I feel this overwhelming feeling of peace and relaxation. I do not want to share too much of what happened to me in the tank as I don’t want to influence your experience or build your expectations.This is something you have to try for yourself. Your sense of time evaporates and all the stresses of the world float away.Your body just dissolves, some people may think “Why the hell would you want that to happen?!” well to answer that question, you owe it to yourself to take a break from the constant barrage that your senses get every day which create patterns of craving and distract you from your true self.

Check out my previous posting on the benefits of floating to get an idea of what it can do for your life. Benefits of Sensory Deprivation Via floating

For me the experience has been incredibly profound. I was going through homesickness and it was pretty unbearable and I couldn’t find an equilibrium, floating definitely centered me and gave me an opportunity to observe my actions through deep introspection. Spotting patterns I was making to prevent progress on my journey here to Canada from New Zealand, I was self sabotaging many aspects of my life until I found my equilibrium again by floating. Give it a go it will indeed help you!

If you’re looking to make a booking here in Victoria go here.

Here are the contact details for Vancouver and Victoria branchs.
I’m definitely looking forward to sharing more of my experiences on floating right here on Mentalphase.com!

Thank you for reading! and thank you to the Floathouse!

Much Love JKS

Benefits of Sensory Deprivation via Isolation tank (Float Tank)

This has been one of the most profound experiences of my life I thought it would be a good idea to write a few benefits of the tank for those who are curious and might be on the verge of trying a float.

Pain Relief:

Floating helps the body stimulate the release of it’s own painkillers (Beta-endorphins) which help relieve:

• Migraine/Tension Headaches
• Low back pain
• Sports related injuries
• Arthritis

I myself have had huge benefits from during training cycles relieving myself from the “niggles” that most lifters have experienced and also Arthritis issues.

Improving Athletic Performance:

Everyone wants to become a more efficient machine when it comes to competitors in Olympic Lifting, Crossfit, Powerlifting and every sport you could imagine.

• The tank enables the increase of physical relaxation which leads to improved performance, greater stamina, speed, strength and coordination.
• Reducing the amount of injuries due to muscular tension and imbalance.
• Speeding recovery from peak output stresses on the body.
• Elevating mental state through increased confidence, concentration and calmness.

I have also noticed less tightness in my quads and calves with also benefits in reducing the “niggle” count.

Addictions and Habits:

Do you suffer from the following addictions/Habits?

• Coffee
• Cigarettes
• Gambling
• Sex (pr0n)
• Drugs
• Alcohol
• Food

Then floating will help unfreeze the belief-attitude-habit structure that we get stuck in consistently. Just becoming highly relaxed in the tank enables you to self-suggest anything you wish to change or visualize anything you want to achieve. Some people have spontaneous weight loss from floating I myself have noticed burning fat a heap easier even without watching diet strictly.

Superlearning:

With the complete relaxation of your mind by blocking out all sensory inputs (Distractions) you are able to reach a “Theta” state which helps the uncriticized acceptance of large amounts of material. This also allows both left and right hemispheres of the brain to synchronize allowing us to use de-conditioning tools to eradicate belief structures that were set up by your parents/grandparents. It is a fantastic idea playing audio in the tank people have learn’t other languages and also self hypnosis works well.

Aids Depression, Fear and Anxiety:

I have been suffering from some intense home-sickness which has symptoms of depression (increased levels of ACTH and Cortisol) the tank has enabled me to relax more and be in the present moment. Sensory deprivation and meditation has helped me rationalize these thought patterns. With the tank I was able to remove my fear of Claustrophobia which stopped me from going into dark and tiny places.

what’s the harm in giving it a go? You may find many positives to the experience!

Share below your experiences with sensory deprivation!