Float therapy may just be the breakthrough you have been looking for in your snowboarding, health, and mindset.

Float Therapy And Snowboarding

I have been using float tanks for the last 4 and a half years and spent over 200 hours in the tank. I can undoubtedly say that floating has had a hugely beneficial impact on my life and snowboarding.

After a full week of teaching and riding it is an incredible feeling to hop in a deprivation tank to unweight my spine, rest, and relax. If you have any bumps, bruises, or aches there is nothing better than getting into that environment to instantly soothe pain and let the body heal. 

Many people feel they can be consumed by an incessant stream of thinking and are overrun by thoughts and emotions. When snowboarding not being able to detach from your thinking can lead to analysis paralysis and leave you in a dangerous situation.

Over-thinking especially when trying new tricks or techniques can pull you out of your riding flow state! When you are caught up in your mind and not freely flowing in the body you can become stiff and tense. These are two of the biggest factors that can negatively impact your performance on a snowboard. The body needs to be soft and fluid so you can freely move how you want and when you want.

Float therapy is now being called 'Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy' or R.E.S.T for short. Floating isn't your average resting on the couch relaxing. It's 'rest' on steroids.

Why A Sensory Deprivation Tank & Float Therapy?

Your senses are under constant bombardment by smartphones, long hours at work, advertisements, traffic, and TV. This overstimulation leaves the brain feeling drained and the body in a state of stress. Using a float tank is an amazing way to reconnect and unlock the power of your mind and body. Embrace the inner stillness during float therapy that is so often taken away from you.

A sensory deprivation tank allows you to free your mind from:

• Gravity
• Sound
• Taste
• Touch
• Vision

Detach from everything in your external environment to go inward and manifest a pure form of sensory relaxation. The water in the tank is about 10 inches deep and is skin temperature so that you can’t feel it on your skin. The tank is loaded with Epsom salts which helping you to weightlessly float.

Float therapy allows you to conserve and refocus huge amounts of mental and physical energy. The body can then heal internally and revive its instinctive ability to self-regulate.  

Benefits of Float Therapy

• Floating allows the mind to become deeply relaxed. Putting the brain in this state for an hour has the same restorative properties as 4 hours of sleep.
• Takes away the pressure of gravity on joints and muscles. Float therapy allows the body to slip into a deep state of relaxation. This reduces blood pressure while increasing endorphins in the brain. It helps with blood flow and the healthy presence of red blood cells. If you are feeling sore and achy from snowboarding this is a gem for pain relief.
• Float Tanks help the body to flush out cortisone (stress hormone), lactic acid, and adrenaline.
• Many athletes use float tanks to help their mental and physical performance in their chosen sport. Evidence supports that float therapy can help prevent and encourage quicker recovery from injuries.
• Improves sleep and eases stress. Can suppress the effects of jet lag and fatigue.
• Stimulates creativity, learning ability, mental clarity/alertness. 
• Deepens your meditation practice and heightens visualization. Visualization is a great skill to use when trying to develop a new skill, trick, or technique on a snowboard. Use the power of the mind to upgrade your performance and riding skills!
• Being in a meditative state in the tank can relieve depression, aid with problem-solving, and accelerate freedom from addictions/phobias.
• Promotes left/right brain synchronicity and shifts brain waves to more productive frequencies.

Healing Epsom Salts

A tank is filled with 700-1000 lbs of Epsom salts that contain magnesium which helps you to heal and weightlessly float. Magnesium has superior medicinal properties and performs many functions in the human body. The float therapy experience and presence of Epsom salts is amazingly healing for the body, especially if you have been on a snowboard for multiple days and are feeling beat up by the mountain.

Power of Magnesium During Float Therapy

• Promotes nerve, enzyme, and muscle function.
• Allows cells to correctly use calcium.
• Lowers blood pressure and sustains the strength of arteries. Prevents blood clots, helping to fight heart disease and strokes.
• Encourages effective use of insulin in the body. Aids in the treatment and severity of diabetes.
• Relieves pain due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Potent in the treatment of sore muscles, asthma, and headaches.

Experiencing nothing really can take you and your snowboarding to the next level. Focus on your breath and allow float therapy to help you discover stillness in the space between each breath. Try it out to heal your body and ease sore muscles from snowboarding. A sensory deprivation tank is wonderful for stress relief, meditation, and biofeedback. Visualize your future success on the snow and dominate all the tricks and runs you want! Tap into your subconscious, be present, and live authentically.  Re-energise, recuperate, and rejuvenate your body for your next snowboarding session so you can slay the slopes in style.