More than a moment of calm at balance Flaotrooms
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of having a lovely self care treat when I was kindly invited to Balance Floatrooms to experience some floatation therapy by trying out one of their floatation tanks.
What I discovered most when I started practicing mindfulness was how unkind we can all be to both ourselves in expecting so much from ourselves mentally and physically without allowing ourselves the rest we need. As we all now know… self care is never selfish… it’s crucial but it’s not always easy. When we start to accept that doing nothing for a time is in fact doing something… it’s called resting…it can help us loose the guilt it often brings with it… the guilt we can give ourselves! Taking small moments just to check in with our breath during a busy day is in fact a little power nap for the mind and a regular meditation practice is like taking our minds to a spa.
As for the our bodies…the busy 21st century we live in can make us feel guilty for sitting down unless we’re either plugged into a laptop, our phones or learning a foreign language!
If you find it difficult to allow your body and mind to rest and have yet to start a meditation practice a good way to dip your toe into allowing your body to just be and float is to experience some floatation therapy. I’d heard a lot about the benefits of floatation tanks but had yet to try one out so I was looking forward to the experience. If you’re not already familiar with flotation tanks, they are basically tanks that are filled with skin-temperature water and epsom salt (magnesium) to allow your body to effortlessly float on the surface of the water so you feel weightless.
Just before I immersed myself into the purple light of the floatation tank. The colours can be changed or you can lie in complete darkness - it’s up to you. You can also see the shower behind me in this pic and also how spotlessly clean the place is!
“The energy used to fight the constant battle against gravity is now redistributed and increases blood flow and supports regulation of both the lymphatic and digestive system. The newfound source of vitality facilitates your natural detoxification systems and helps your body break down excess lactic acid and other toxins produced as a result of inflammation.
In addition, the reduced stimuli within the float tank allows your peripheral nervous system to transition into a parasympathetic state and achieve homeostasis through deep rest and relaxation.”
Balance Floatrooms
Combined with the excitement of having an hour to myself there was also a small bit of fear that it may not be a pleasurable experience due to my tinnitus. You see you never know with Tinnitus or what to expect as it might flare up in a confined space and end up ruining the experience - but that’s where mindfulness helps as it reminds us of how our thoughts are just that - thoughts - and to try to stay present and experience it moment by moment.
My first impression as I walked through the doors of Balance was the very warm welcome I received from the owner Patrick. As there are just two flotation tanks there (each in a separate rooms for privacy) there was also another person booked in for the same time as me so Patrick explained the process and the benefits of flotation therapy and what to expect in our experience.
some of The Benefits of Flotation Therapy
Floatation therapy is said to benefit sleep quality, stress and anxiety, chronic pain and muscle recovery and it can also be of great benefit during pregnancy and like I so frequently say about meditation - it it is also said that it can help with creativity and focus (as you are free from other distractions). On top of all these benefits, the one that excited me the most was that one hour in a flotation tank (the amount of time of each treatment) is the equivalent to 4 hours of deep sleep - now we all want that don’t we?!!
One of the other things I noticed before I even entered the tank itself was how immaculately clean the place was - especially as I visited during a pandemic - you tend to take more notice of these things and Patrick left noting to chance with the level of hygiene I witnessed during my visit. Apart from each tank being emptied and cleaned after each visit, everything else was also spotless and there was even a make-up room to go to afterwards where you had everything necessary to get yourself together again to face the world after you’d had your shower when you’ve finished your treatment. There are also inspirational quotes on all the doors - so I definitely felt at home! The showers themselves are in the room with the tank itself so again - this proves for a comfortable experience.
Once Patrick explains everything and shows you to the tank you lock the door and the experience begins. As I can be a little claustrophobic I decided to use the yoga block Patrick supplied to leave the tank open a bit but I think the next time I would shut it completely as recommended. As I have titanium rods fused to my spine it did take me a couple of minutes to totally relax and allow my body to just float but that’s where my meditation practice helped as I reminded myself that it was just my resistance to letting my body go so as I settled in I began to feel weightless and it felt like heaven. For those of you who also meditate regularly do you know those times when you have said “that meditation was so relaxing” - especially a good body scan when your entire body and mind have completely relaxed? Well this felt like one of those times.
Again, like meditation or going on retreats I’ve often been asked - do you not get bored? Or “Oh I couldn’t just lie there doing nothing” all I say is - try it and see because it’s never doing nothing - you’re lying there giving your body and mind the care and attention and nourishment it needs to do the best job it can on a daily basis. This is not just benificial if you’re an athlete or a professional sports person - our bodies don’t need to be pushed to their limited to be rewarded with time out - our bodies do so much for us daily - they deserve to be rewarded for all they do - as do our minds!
After the experience I did notice that my tinnitus felt a little softer than normal - a bit like it does after I cycle when the wind sounds adjust it - and my entire body felt so relaxed and as for sleep - lets just say that I ‘floated off’ and slept like a baby!
For further information or to treat yourself to floatation therapy visit www.balancefloatrooms.ie
The ‘Silent’ Effects of Tinnitus Highlighted on the Big Screen
I finally just got round to going to see the much talked about movie of the moment “A Star is Born” last night. While I knew before I went that alcohol and drug addiction would be key to the storyline I was also surprised to see another topic even closer to home also highlighted - a condition I have lived with for 4 years now… The ‘silent’ illness called tinnitus.
I finally just got round to going to see the much talked about movie of the moment “A Star is Born” last night. While I knew before I went that alcohol and drug addiction would be key to the storyline I was also surprised to see another topic even closer to home also highlighted - a condition I have lived with for 4 years now… The ‘silent’ illness called tinnitus.
Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga star in “A Star is Born” Image © Warner Brothers
I am by no means a movie critic and I also don’t want to spoil the movie for those of you who have yet to see it , however, the movie is based on the story of musician Jackson Maine (played by Bradley Cooper) who discovers − and falls in love with − struggling artist Ally (Lady Gaga). When she meets Jackson in a bar she has just about given up on her dream to make it as a singer but he manages to coax her to fulfill her dream by inviting her on stage at one of his concerts. However, after their romance blossoms and Ally's career takes off it is soon discovered that Jackson is battling an addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol and is also affected mentally by tinnitus and hearing loss since childhood.
According to www.audiology-worldnews.com “The drugs that he is addicted to have been prescribed to help with his tinnitus, which periodically brings him close to anxiety attacks and temper tantrums. Maine's manager and otolaryngologist urge him to wear in-ear monitors, − custom-moulded ear plugs that block sound and allow musicians to hear their voices and instruments over loud audiences and speakers − but he refuses. Over the course of the film, the tinnitus gets worse, and Maine fails to manage it appropriately.”
David Stockdale, CEO of the British Tinnitus Association said of the depiction: "Tinnitus features in a Star is Born throughout - from when the lead character, Jackson Maine comes off stage in the first scene and hears ringing. Jackson dismisses using hearing protection - feeling it impedes his live performance. He doesn't look to address his tinnitus and hearing loss - which he has from childhood. The film gives a harrowing, raw account of the very real impact tinnitus can have."
The ‘SILENT’ Illness
The thing with suffering with something like tinnitus and hearing loss is it is can be so difficult for anyone who doesn’t suffer with it to understand, as like any other invisible illness if someone sees you ‘looking well’ they can often presume you are ‘doing well’. It is so hard to describe the feeling of not being able to escape from the sound. That is why for me personally my meditation and mindfulness practices have helped me daily to acknowledge the sound and try to teach myself to allow it to just be. Some days are more difficult than others but once again the beauty of mindful practice is you begin to understand that every day is different and how you are feeling in one moment - no matter how bad that is or how loud the noise is in that very moment - it will change again in another. Okay, it won’t stop or go away but you might feel differently.
Mindfulness helps me deal with the constant ringing and also hearing loss daily
“It is so hard to describe the feeling of not being able to escape from the sound. That is why for me personally my meditation and mindfulness practices have helped me daily to acknowledge the sound and try to teach myself to allow it to just be.”
Some people may watch this movie and not pay too much attention to the tinnitus part unless they either know someone with tinnitus or suffer with it themselves but it is great to see a movie of this magnitude bring attention to this ‘silent’ illness (that’s in actual fact far from silent to the tinnitus sufferer!) so that people suffering with it don’t feel alone.
The American Tinnitus Association (ATA) have also been raising awareness of the condition and the extreme impact tinnitus can have on people. In seeking to depict Maine’s condition as realistically as possible, Cooper cast his own doctor, Dr. William Slattery, president of the House Ear Clinic, to play his doctor in the movie. In their press release, the ATA say that Cooper portrays with exacting detail and mirrors the reality of someone struggling with tinnitus.
I was also delighted to read that the American Tinnitus Association have also been raising awareness of the condition and the extreme impact it can have on people and also to discover other articles that had been written about the tinnitus since the movies release - one which I discovered on the Refinery 26 website with the headline “A Star Is Born Shows How Serious Tinnitus Can Be” written by health writer Cory Stieg. She writes:
“Tinnitus is defined as a perception of sound in the head that's not produced by sound waves, says LaGuinn Sherlock, AuD, a research audiologist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Technically, tinnitus is produced by extra electrical activity in the brain after there's been damage in the ear and auditory system. Damage could be a severe injury to the head and neck, excessive earwax, sinus pressure, or a traumatic brain injury. Often, tinnitus is associated with noise-induced hearing loss, which is why it's common among musicians, explains Christopher Chang, MD, an otolaryngologist in Warrenton, VA. In fact, some studies suggest that between 17-43% of rock musicians have chronic tinnitus.
Simply thinking about an incessant buzzing, beeping, humming, or static noise in your head is annoying enough to make most of us cringe, but tinnitus can affect people's mental health and well-being in a very serious way. "A lot of people with bothersome or intrusive tinnitus are experiencing depression and or anxiety because of the ringing," Dr. Sherlock says. On top of that, "some people who are already depressed or anxious are more likely to react to having ringing in the ears than if they were not already depressed or anxious." An estimated 48-78% of people with severe tinnitus also have depression, anxiety, or other behavioral disorders, according to the American Tinnitus Association. In some cases, these associated conditions can lead to suicidal ideation, according to the Hearing Health Foundation.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for tinnitus, so people have to simply manage symptoms. To keep tinnitus from getting worse, the best thing patients can do is protect their hearing by wearing hearing aids, or noise-maskers, Dr. Sherlock says. Sometimes, people with tinnitus are prescribed antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications — like Xanax and Valium — to alleviate some of the emotional effects of the condition, but psychiatric medications are typically not considered the best first approach for treatment, she says. "Such prescription medications are addictive and have gone out of favor; such medications are no longer considered appropriate in the treatment of tinnitus," Dr. Chang says.
David Stockdale, CEO of the British Tinnitus Association have also spoken about the movie and said: "The film gives a harrowing, raw account of the very real impact tinnitus can have."
48%-78% of people with severe tinnitus suffering with depression, anxiety or other behavioral disorders (American Tinnitus Association - see above) is a very high statistic so I hope people to continue to be informed about tinnitus and the effects it can have. I also hope that others who suffer may also find help in living with theirs like I have from the MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) Programme, and by introducing mindfulness into my life. While those difficult days are still there - and today happens to be one of them - I will still do my best to think of it as my internal alarm bell which has allowed me to pause, move a bit slower, connect with myself a bit more and be more present in my life. I guess it also led me here - to start MoMe - and also given me the courage to speak publicly about my journey and to write - here on this blog - and share my journey with you. So in a way - even though it has taken the external sound away from going into my left ear, and there is no escaping the ringing that never stops form inside my head, on bad days like today I guess I can still feel some gratitude for all the more things it has allowed me to see.
If you are or know someone affected by Tinnitus and or hearing loss Deaf Hear provide excellent support and can be contacted on Tel: +353 (0)1 8175700 and also have offices nationwide
If you are suffering alone with tinnitus and finding it particularly difficult at the moment please talk to someone or call:
Samaritans on 116 123 or
SMS: 087 260 9090
Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week