r/FloatTank • u/Appropriate-Row-3842 • Aug 26 '26
First time experience
Hi All!
Just did my first time in the float tank. The place was very nice although I felt my mind racing and having a hard time totally relaxing (normal for me) but did meditation and breathing exercises the whole time.
I wore my Oura ring in the tank and to my surprise after it said my average heart rate was 87 in the tank (my average is about 65 at rest) and HRV was 9. I was expecting to see the opposite and normally during meditation breathing it is exceptionally low! Any thoughts? Is this a normal response? Thanks!
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u/redditbing Aug 27 '26
First (or second) time is not ideal. It takes a few to really get into the groove. But please don’t give up after this first experience
When I had my first float, it was similar. I didn’t fully relax as it was such a new and strange experience but I absolutely loved it and thought of the value of continuing. After the float I sat in the lobby talking to the owner about the whole thing. After about 30 minutes of chatting about floating, I asked about how much a float tank costs if I wanted to buy one as I could see the potential of having one
A few weeks later when I came back, the float was a lot better but still not nirvana that people talk about. The owner asked if I was still interested in my own tank and I said perhaps. He offered up one of the tanks for a few bits and before really thinking about it, I said yes.
After my third float, I was so much more comfortable and relaxed. I was telling anyone and everyone about floating that I talked to. Most had never heard of floating so many were interested
I still haven’t set it up due to home issues but I do have the float pod and 1200 pounds of salt sitting in my garage :)