
INCREASE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM WITH FLOTATION THERAPY TO FIGHT AGAINST THE PANDEMIC

Uddalok ghosh
Uddalok Ghosh is the creator of SATORU, which is World's biggest and
Kolkata's first Sensory Deprivation Tank for alternate therapy.
A pandemic with seemingly no end in sight, social isolation, and lockdown-induced stress has left increasing numbers of people with various psychological issues. Surveys suggest that the effects of the safety measures for regulating the pandemic have put people in distress and the number of cases reported of psychological disturbance as well as the disease has been alarmingly high. A collateral damage for eradicating a pandemic that has been touted to bring in the "new normal".
This phenomenon of pandemic induced distress has brought into question the concept of inter-reliance between psychological health and immunity. The immune system like so many other systems in the body is prone to the adverse effects of stress. Psychological stress weakens the immune system's ability to respond to harmful organisms, leaving us more vulnerable to infection. Recovery is also liable to be slower since the immune system is suppressed in favor of dealing with such stress.
Moreover, when the mind is under the influence of stress, the fight-or-flight reaction is in bloom, over-exposing the body to cortisol and other stress hormones. The cells of the immune system (and other body systems) are unable to respond normally and produce levels of inflammation which increases the risk of further health issues. This has also paved the way for reliance on reckless strategies to cope with such levels of stress during the lockdown.
However, there are measures to keep one's psychological as well as physical health in check by using different methods for regulating stress and maintaining good health, thereby inducing a healthy immune system. Here are some key ones.
* A healthy diet consisting of foods that regulate the pH levels in the body suggesting the consumption of alkaline diet as opposed to an acidic diet.
Keeping stress under control through exercise, yoga, meditation, and therapies like sensory deprivation.
* Good quality sleep/rest which will ensure production of key immune cells – insomnia is an enemy of immunity.
* Aversion to harmful addictive substances like drugs and alcohol prevents compromise of immunity.
Sensory deprivation/float therapy is an effective mode of regulating stress and ensuring good quality of sleep as well as rest. One of the benefits includes lowering cortisol levels which help in reducing stress thereby keeping the immune system in its normal functionality. This therapy is also one of the safest ways of reducing pain-related issues as opposed to a massage or physical therapy(considering the social/physical distancing norm). Floating can be a healthy regime here to stay and thrive in the up and coming new normal.
Some research suggests that the effects of floating can also help the body's innate and adaptive immune response system to normalize (if it's under distress) indicating an improvement in recovery. The main purpose of the innate immune response is to immediately prevent the spread and movement of foreign pathogens throughout the body. Stress can cause these responses to be in error thereby affecting the body's vulnerability. The effects of the irregularity in the adaptive immune response causes autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. In this way, the effects of float therapy attend to the source of the problem and not just the symptoms of the problem. Research-based on its benefits suggests that float sessions in collaboration with other methods can ensure the permanent recovery of certain diseases.
