How Infrared Saunas Support Mental, PhysicalHealth

From:  ebssummit.com, Wellness Articles
By:  Danna Norek

Everyone needs to escape the cold, cruel realities of the real world once in a while. Whether that escape involves massages, working out, or simply meditating, there is no doubt that we NEED these types of escapes. Our life enjoyment would not be where it should.
Infrared saunas have become exactly that type of escape for many people. They are not just an escape into a “perpetual summer,” but they also offer such an array of health and psychological benefits that they are one of the best therapeutic devices out there.
One of the biggest reasons that people invest in an infrared sauna is for the healing, pain-relieving and rejuvenating heat that is emitted. People with consistent muscle or nerve pain find that these aches and pains melt away with the penetrating and therapeutic heat exposure.
For those of us that live in climates where the winters can be cold, long and harsh, infrared saunas also serve as a temporary escape from the bone chilling cold. There’s nothing like stepping into the enveloping warmth and soothing cedar scent of a sauna in the dead of winter. It seems like troubles just melt away when I set foot in our sauna.
When you feel relaxed, it does a great deal for your body. Your blood pressure lowers, your levels of cortisol, the “stress hormone,” go down, and your body returns to a state of zen, like it’s meant to be in all of the time.
Cortisol is an extremely destructive hormone. When you are under a lot of stress and going through periods of increased anxiety, your body releases more of this toxic hormone. It is linked to weight gain, mood imbalances, and even heart troubles. You can see why lowering levels of anxiety and stress are beneficial.
Having a sanctuary of peace in your home is important. Whether that sanctuary is an infrared sauna or some other designated place of relaxation is up to you. However, there are a lot of other considerations that you may want to be aware of when it comes to FIR (Far Infrared) saunas.
FIR saunas use a concept in heating called radiant heat. Instead of heating the environment around an object (in this case YOU), it heats the object (YOU) directly. This means that you can tolerate higher heat for a longer period of time than you could in a regular sauna that uses surrounding heat.
The longer you can stay in, the more you can benefit from the relaxation and detoxification benefits of the sauna, which is why many believe FIR saunas are superior to traditional saunas.
I can tell you from my own personal experience of owning an infrared sauna some of the benefits I’ve enjoyed. I’ve noticed that my back and neck pain have been much more easily managed. The sauna really penetrates my problem areas well, and relieves this pain effectively.
I feel like a new woman when I step out of it, my pain is usually completely dissolved after about thirty minutes. My anxiety and stress are much more easily controlled. If I’ve had a long, hard day at work, I come home and sit in the sauna for a while, and it melts my tension and stress away, enveloping me in a dry, soothing, and therapeutic heat.
My skin looks great, especially when I’m using the sauna regularly. It stays clear from acne, and it takes on a much more youthful appearance after a few sessions in the sauna. I think it must give me some sort of “facial” every time I’m in there, because I notice my skin glows the next day.
I notice that I do not catch colds and flues that are going around at the office when I’m using the sauna regularly. This may have something to do with the sauna’s high temperatures keeping viruses away, but I can’t be sure of any exact science behind it, I just know my experience.
For me, stepping into our infrared sauna is like stepping into a sanctuary of peace and warmth. I am able to listen to classical music, unwind and soak in the therapeutic warmth that leaves me refreshed and pain free.
To have something like that in your own home, well, that to me, is priceless.

Note from Connie, Stevenswood Spa Director:  Stevenswood offers an infrared sauna in our fitness room for complimentary use for our lodging and spa guests.