SomaWave Therapy at Float North
If you have trouble sleeping, try 30 minutes of SomaWave Therapy which implements “sound wave technology to experience deep relaxation, unwind muscle tension, and calm the mind”. Float North in Portland, OR offers float, massage, and SomaWave therapy.
When I visited to try SomaWave therapy, I had two treatment options. The first is called “Relaxation” which has a steady rise and fall of “low-frequency sine waves to bring the body into deep relaxation and the brain to release mood-lifting neurochemicals”. Pretty cool option.
The other one is called “Slide” which “starts at a higher intensity and gently brings you down”. The “relaxation of muscle tissue, a dilation of blood vessels, and an opening of the lymphatic pathways ... increase the body’s ability to heal”. Also pretty cool.
I chose the “Slide” program to guide my sympathetic nervous system, which was already stressed from being late to my appointment. I advise this option for those with trouble sleeping because, by the end of my session, I was ready to nap like a cat.
It was different than the vibrating cocoon at FloatWell, here I lay under a weighted blanket on a massage table that is installed with transducers that emits pulsating sine waves. The cocoon vibration was at a constant rate, the SomaWave vibration was like ocean waves gliding under me.
In the structured cocoon, I had space around me. Under the weighted blanket, I lay still, gently breathing with my eyes closed in the darkened room. 20 minutes in, I moved my hands to my stomach, feeling wrapped and well cared for.
As the pulse gradually slowed down, so did my energy, heart rate, and nerves. I felt I could fall asleep on the table or if I’d booked a float after, I would have fallen asleep in the tank which has only happened twice.
When my session ended, I paid attention to what my body had learned. I hung out in the ready room, still vibrating as I took notes.
My energy was active in a sustainable way, I felt calm and “normal”, not too excited, and not too stressed. The physical effects were similar to improved posture and breath fluidity.
My emotional state was better than a traditional therapy session, it wasn’t much of a relief as it was a state in which I felt I could take care of myself first and then others.
I talked with Cat, one of the float facilitators, about how I often give more of my energy to others, a situation, or even the public, depleting myself before the day is done.
She shared that our circadian rhythm is not just when we’re asleep but activated at all times and needs moments of relaxation to restore itself.
My experience with SomaWave at Float North helped maintained my dynamic personality in a relaxed state. I look forward to another session to continue parasympathetic nervous system training.
July 10, 2022
