I have been an avid experimenter in alternative wellness therapies for years. So anyways, a couple of weekends ago, by coincidence of scheduling, I ended up booking a bunch of wellness therapies back to back. Some of the activities, such as the myofascial release workshop, blew my mind, and made me wanting more.Other things, like the sensory deprivation tank, were kind of, meh. Anyways, here are my reviews:
Myofascial Release Workshop - A+
My local yoga studio held a myofascial release workshop conducted by expert, Wendy Figone. Myofascial release is the new trendy thing. Fascia is basically connective tissue such as collagen and elastin. It is what encases our muscles. It's the silver skin that sheathes the chicken drumsticks and beef cuts that we buy from the supermarket. Unlike the muscle pain that we get from working out, myofascial pain is chronic - it is that recurring knot in your shoulder that just won't go away. The purpose behind myofascial release is to lengthen and stretch the fascia, thereby alleviating the chronic tension and pain in one's body. Unlike traditional massage therapy, myofascial release is said to alleviate chronic pain permanently.
As a footnote, I have had chronic neck and shoulder pain for years, so I have always been fascinated by body work in general (here is my
review of Thai Massage, for example). I was extra interested in how this workshop could alleviate my neck pain, and improve my poor posture.
The workshop incorporated a variety of fun toys, which included not only the more co mmon foam roller, but more exotic toys such as "still point inducers", yoga bolsters, yoga bricks and tennis balls.
During the workshop, I felt achey points melt away much more quickly than if I had tried to massage these spots on my own. I also felt somewhat teary eyed in sections. I was later told by the teacher that many people feel an emotional release after experiencing myofascial release therapy. By the end, I felt so relaxed that I actually snoozed at the end of the class. I was actually embarrassed to find myself waking up while still lying supine when everyone else had already sat up to listen to the teacher give her final comments.
My major takeaways from this class was that myofascial release should feel good, not painful in order for the therapy to more effectively take effect. I learned to use many pillows and bolsters to help relax into a pose and to alleviate pressure from the trigger point itself. I also learned to "jiggle" and to do deep diaphragmatic breathing in order to help release the fascia.
SPX Core Workout - A-
I have been practicing Mat Pilates for years. After a long break in my practice, I have been going back to Pilates, and even tried Reformer Pilates for the first time (here is my review of my
first reformer class in Chicago). SPX Core is a popular LA offshoot of reformer pilates which is less mindful, less skillful, but is more hard core. Unlike traditional Pilates, which emphasizes muscular control and is low-cardio, SPX emphasizes engaging all of your muscles at once, and is an intense cardio workout. I am always dripping sweat all over the machine, and always sore for 2 days afterwards. SPX does have it's own fans. Michelle Obama is said to be a fan, and Sophia Vergara has her own machine, and is said to practice 4X a week.
In the end, even though I enjoy traditional reformer Pilates a lot more and find it a lot more mentally stimulating, I think mixing it up with SPX would whip you into shape faster. If you complain about not working out hard enough with Pilates, SPX might be your thing.
Sensory Deprivation Tank - B-
I have always been fascinated since childhood by altered states of consciousness, whether drug-induced or otherwise. I had heard that immersing in a sensory deprivation tank was a great, safe way to enter an altered mind-state. There is quite a lot of literature surrounding floating in a sensory deprivation tank. The literature suggests that flaoting helps people enter a meditative state more easily. Some people have even reported hallucinatung or lucidly dreamed while in such a tank. Having been curious for years, when a LivingSocial coupon was offered to float in a sensory deprivation tank for an hour, I jumped on the opportunity.
Anyways, the idea behind a sensory deprivation tank, also known as a floatation tank or isolation tank, is to isolate one self from bodily sensations so that all you are left with is your mind. A participant floats quietly inside of a dark metal chamber which is filled with a 1' deep bath of water mixed with a half ton of epsom salt. The water bath is kept at a constant 93 degrees Fahrenheit to emulate the body's core temperature, to aid in isolating one self from bodily sensations.
The floatation spa owner was quite friendly and gave me the lowdown on what to expect. Participants must shower thoroughly before entering the pod, as the water did not get changed out frequently. You enter the pod fully naked except for ear plugs. She advised letting go, and spoke about how the ultimate goal was to enter a sleep-state where one experiences delta-wave brain activity. Some people who enter this state can also experience lucid dreaming. I was told that the experience was also quite conducive to creativity, and that often times artists and writers come to her spa specifically to get past blocks, and to feel inspired after their floatation session.
Unfortunately, I did not experience any of these altered mind-states. I did not find the tank to be isolating at all. I had some small abrasions on my skin, and like pouring salt into a wound, these abrasions kept feeling irritated while lying in the salt bath. Also, floating on top of water is really not that comfortable. My neck tended to overextend backwards, which was slightly uncomfortable. I was advised to lift my arms up to help counter this effect, but this position too got a bit uncomfortable. Also, even though I do seated meditation off and on and readily get into states of relaxation and even bliss when doing so, I found it quite difficult to quiet my mind in the tank. By the end, the novelty had worn off and I was beginning to think it was torture to lie in that tank and keeping still while awake. However, once I got out of the tank, and commenced my after-bath shower, I finally noticed the impact of floating. I felt stoned. I was so relaxed, that I felt like I as floating on a cloud. As I sat on the sofa at the floatation spa afterwards, sipping my complimentary cup of tea, my head kept nodding off. I was also deeply inspired to be creative. I wanted to race home and work on writing my novel. I don't know if it was the floating itself that caused this frenzied creative state, or if it was just the novelty of the experience.
Anyways, I was told by the spa owner that floating does get better as one practice. It is rare for the first time practitioner to relax deeply enough to enter that delta-wave state that floaters aspire to. Even though the experience was slightly disappointing, I would totally repeat it again, if just for the relaxed feeling and feeling of creativity that I got afterwards.
