The Sauna – more than just relaxing
We all know a good sweat from exercise can relieve tension and improve our health, but what about sweating from sauna use? Let’s discuss infrared (dry) saunas and their benefits. Infrared light is not visible to the human eye but can penetrate human tissue. As a result, infrared saunas will heat your core body temperature, improving your circulation and lowering your blood pressure, not unlike the benefits we experience during exercise, and blood flow increases similarly as well. Increased blood flow plus lower blood pressure plus more oxygen to the cells means pain can also be reduced for any chronic conditions that are causing muscle restrictions or spasms.
Heating the body’s core temperature also penetrates the muscles down to the cellular level, so toxins may be released, and the immune system is strengthened as well. Plus the experience is quite relaxing; you will feel refreshed after an infrared sauna session and should experience improved sleep. If you love the health benefits of massage but need a lower cost alternative, infrared sauna use on its own might just be what you are looking for. However, using an infrared sauna use after a massage will provide even more benefits – as you will sweat out the toxins that just got broken up and released to your circulatory system during that wonderful massage.
So many of us seem to be in a chronic state of inflammation these days, as evidenced by the growing number of chronic ailments seen in doctors’ offices and by healing arts practitioners such as massage, naturopathy, and acupuncture. We might not be able to break away from the prevalence of our high-stress lifestyles, but we can certainly help take care of our bodies while we live life to its fullest capacity. After you work hard and play hard, go get a massage and sit in the sauna for a little balance and detoxification. Do something just for you!
Traditional Chinese Medicine tells us we can sweat out potential threats to our health as a first line of defense, and saunas have been used for detoxification purposes in India for thousands of years with ayurveda. Sauna use can definitely aid in that immune defense and also help the body sweat out toxins and inflammation that reside deeper in the tissues. Chronic inflammation is indeed a pervasive problem which is responsible for a host of current health problems, including acne, asthma allergies, food sensitivities and other digestive problems, and various autoimmune disorders. The longer we keep our bodies in this state, the more likely we are to see evidence in our other systems.
Many of us have grown accustomed to living in our inflammatory state and need to break the cycle to achieve good health. Regular massage, cupping therapy or other bodywork, and sauna use can go a long way in resetting ourselves to help our bodies detox, reduce inflammation, and then achieve healing. Could you use a little extra detoxification from heat therapy today?
