Don't starve or stuff yourself with food, and don't do any recreational drugs or alcohol. You'll being showering before and after the float session, and you'll want to use the washroom prior to entering the tank. These were some of the instructions given to me prior to my Float Session. The float tank (a consumer friendly title for sensory deprivation tank) and the shower are located in one room that can be locked and is for your use alone.

The float tank looks like a shuttle pod from Star Trek, and the water inside the tank contains at least ten times the salt content of the Dead Sea. While inside you can lose all sense of time, and may have an out of body experience. Some people fall asleep. I certainly lost all sense of time during my experience; however, I'm not certain if I fell asleep or if I lingered in a state of sleep and wake. That Theta wave brain state that comes prior to deep sleep, and that Float therapy is said to help induce.

Inside the float tank you can spread your arms out, leaving you with about a foot of space between the outer walls. From head to toe you might have about eight or nine feet of space.  I didn't experience any feeling of restrictiveness or claustrophobia.  At its tallest the tank is about four feet high. Stepping in to it sure felt like getting in to a space shuttle of the sorts.

Initially I had to get my body accustomed to being suspended. My arms, legs, and neck were a bit tense. Several times I exercised a toe to head relaxation drill. Feeling out each part of my body, occasionally twitching and moving in order to let go of any apprehension.  I noticed that I was squinting, and soon relaxed my eyelids and brows (Note: making sure that no light enters the tank while you are in it is essential to the full experience, in my opinion). The most difficult part of relaxing was allowing to my head fall back.  For awhile I was experiencing neck strain, but it wasn't an intolerable and growing strain. I forgot about it after awhile.  An alternate position is to raise your arms above your head. There's no need to cup your head with your hands, but the raised arm position helps to straighten out your spine better.  I think I might prefer this position.

During the first 20 minutes I felt subtle shifts in motion. Perhaps this feeling was my equilibrium reacting to what little was left of my bodily senses, and was likely triggered by the currents that my breathing body and heart beat made in the water.  I'd hesitate to call this aspect of the experience vertigo, but it may be unsettling to some.  It was similar to having the spins after a night of heavy drinking, but for a mere fractions of seconds, and without the nausea.

As time passed I began to experience a sort of closing off of the world.  A cranial touchdown. My mind began to expand, because as time passed my conscious mind was becoming more and more isolated. So subtle and natural was the experience that it's hard to articulate with a sense of complete accuracy. None of the experience was intimidating at all.  A few times I wondered if I could last like this for nearly two hours.  I felt a little impatient in the beginning, but I soon realized and accepted that this was my time to do relax, do absolutely nothing, and to most of all, expect nothing.  To expect nothing of the experience is probably the most valuable understanding to have going in to this.  Lose all apprehension and let the experience envelope you. 

One hour and forty five minutes later my bladder told me that it was time to get out. Otherwise the attendant would have likely come in to tell me that my time was up by knocking on the pod.  

Hands down this was the most personal and cathartic experience that I have had.  I've heard that most people don't want to speak too much after their float. I'd have to concur with this sentiment.  I felt extremely centred and effortlessly in tune with my senses.  Complete.  Content.

I hit the bar for some beer and food afterwards. I should have simply gone for a quiet walk, or retired for the night.  My session began shortly after 6pm, and ended at 8pm.  Supposedly the experience is equivalent to several hours of sleep, and I only slept for about 5 hours that night.  Generally speaking, I would assume the most ideal float time for most people would be between 11am and 3pm.  Siesta time! Enjoy!