floatyfloaty

This picture isn't quite right, but it turns out that pictures of sleeping elephants and dead elephants are pretty indistinguishable. And this encapsulates sleeping elephants and floating at the same time.

When my daughter was in the throes of not sleeping, I went and did a flotation session in one of those sensory deprivation tanks. Apparently the relaxed state you go into is equal to hours of deep sleep. I think I sent Axel first, and he loved it. As is his wont, he switched off straight away, and had a blissful hour to himself.

You go in to a little room, shower, cover any raw bits of yourself with the pot of vaseline provided (actually, I hope it was something more hygienic than a pot) and climb into a plastic pod, and bravely shut the door after you. You lie back in salinated warm water and drift around, drift away. It's meant to be good for everything from back pain to weightloss. When your hour is coming to an end, soothing music starts playing.

My inlaws gave me a generous present of a three session voucher after I did my one, and sadly by the time I'd got round to going, the company had sold out to another, which I could never track down. I feel so guilty about wasting their voucher, and sorry to have missed the opportunity.

Mostly because (well, ok, I'm a bit strung out these days for a start), unlike the uber relaxed husband (who falls asleep in seconds), I tend to be too in my head. As you might imagine.

I liked the experience fine, but I spent a lot of time actively thinking about stuff. Like the water lever rising and the door being stuck (of course), or there being someone in the room outside. Or the fact that I wasn't relaxing fast enough, how much time was left, you know the way. Not that I was in there biting my nails, more just a lack of letting go. Worrying about the fact that I'm not relaxing.

I do it when I'm having sex too...

So I would have liked a bit more practice. Does anyone know where the business that used to be in the Beacon Court sold to?

But the real point is something I think is great. I did a brief bit of TM once, and the Maharishi's suggestion about coming across stressful or distressing thoughts as you meditate is a lovely one. He compares the experience to walking through a herd of sleeping elephants. You don't run up and poke them with a stick and wake them up. You see them there and you walk around them carefully and move on out of the herd into a clearer space. Gently.

I love that analogy.

Tomorrow, some more about elephants, I hope.