Happy Wellness Wednesday, friends! Hope your week is going well! I am excited to be sharing about Infrared Saunas with you today! It’s been something that I have been using for a while now and it has so many great benefits.
When I was in the throws of my Lyme Disease treatment, I was in desperate need of ways to help my body detox. If you are going through this treatment now, or any kind of treatment where you are killing off pathogens, you know how horrible toxic die-off can make you feel! I was doing many different forms of detoxing like ionic foot baths, massage, dry brushing, binders, supplements, cleanses, hydrotherapy, epsom salt baths, etc. When we heard about the infrared sauna, though, it sounded like a whole new level of detoxing I had yet to experience!
My husband Ryan is actually the one who was particularly adamant about purchasing an infrared sauna for our home. We have a friend with Lyme Disease who swears by it and he really thought having it at the house was our best bet. But, before we bought it, we wanted to try it out first! So, I made an appointment at Three Rivers Thermography to try it out.
I was a bit nervous because I do get claustrophobic and tend to get faint in high temperatures. But, I was pleasantly surprised. The thing about far infrared saunas is that they use infrared panels to heat your body directly instead of heating the air around you. So, you don’t get that suffocating feeling you might get in an ordinary sauna. The infrared lamps use electromagnetic radiation, unlike traditional saunas. This allows your body to get all of the benefits of sweating it out in a sauna at a lower temperature. Plus, the heat goes deeper into your tissues than your average sauna, too! So, I didn’t feel like I was gasping for air at all, or I like I couldn’t withstand the heat as I have in the past with other saunas (and even epsom salt baths)!
So, we decided to purchase one for at home use. We did some research on our own, and had some suggestions from friends. One of them was High Tech Health International. They had amazing reviews and their customer service was really helpful! We decided to purchase their Transcend Two Person Sauna. We even got a great deal on it during one of their sales. This model has plenty of room for two people to sit and relax together or for one person to sprawl out. It was the best choice for us! They have larger and smaller models you can purchase as well.
The saunas by High Tech Health are made of Poplar wood which is great because it does not splinter the way cedar models can. It is also environmentally friendly and sustainable! These are all great things you would want to keep in mind when purchasing a sauna.
It was very easy to put together, too! You just follow the directions and it snaps right up! You can set it to the temperature you like from outside of the sauna and inside, too. There’s built in speakers, a timer, and chromotherapy lights, too! So, you can switch the lighting inside to stimulate the mind, body, and senses! Pretty cool!
Benefits of Far Infrared Sauna Use:
We all know that a good sweat does great things for the body. But, you might not know that sweating in a far infrared sauna has even more benefits for you, like:
- Detoxification (heavy metals, mold, fungus, environmental toxins, and chemicals which can be the cause behind what’s making and KEEPING you sick, for so many chronic health conditions like Alzheimers, CFS, Fibromyalgia, and autoimmune disease, etc)
- Weight Loss
- Improved Skin Clarity and Tightness
- Immune System Stimulation
- Relief from Joint and Muscle Pain (very helpful for those of us with chronic conditions like RA, Lyme, CFS, Fibromyalgia, etc)
- Increased Blood Circulation
- Better Quality of Sleep
- Stress Relief
- Cardiovascular Health Improvement
As you can see, the far infrared saunas have a lot of benefits for those of us with chronic conditions. It has certainly helped me a lot. But, it’s an excellent thing to start doing even if you are not chronically ill! It will no doubt decrease your chances of an illness happening to you. Think of all of the pollution and toxicity we come into contact with daily. You might not realize it, but our bodies do not handle this much toxicity well on their own. Especially the older we get. These toxins can build up in our organs and tissues and cause a host of problems. Plus, toxins also feed pathogens that are present in the body. They are the main reason why we get sick and how we stay sick. So, I’d highly recommend making it part of your weekly routine whether you’re sick or not.
As for me, I like to use the sauna about three days a week. I would do more if I could, but this is the amount that currently fits into my lifestyle and what feels best for my body. It’s perfectly safe to do on a regular basis. It’s a very safe practice, but if you are under medical care, just run it past your doctor so they know that it’s part of your protocol.
I started low and slow, as they recommend you do. The first week I began at 100 degrees for ten minutes, then gradually built up my time and temperature to 150 degrees for thirty minutes. When you are finished in the sauna, (be sure to get up slowly, don’t push your body too hard) it’s best to hit the shower right away if you can so that the toxins you just sweated out don’t re-absorb through your skin again. You also want to be sure to drink a ton of water and take some minerals (I do 600mg of Magnesium and 300mg of Potassium). If you notice that you are feeling anxious, weak, or light-headed, it’s most likely because you need to replenish those minerals. You do lose some when you are detoxing in any way, so be sure to keep feeding your body those essential minerals!
If you can’t afford a sauna for your home, you can find them at a lot of wellness centers. I know there are several places here in Pittsburgh. Three Rivers Thermography is a great one! I’d highly recommend using their facilities. If you aren’t in the Pittsburgh area, just google Infrared Saunas near me and you should be able to find one pretty easily.
If you have any questions about how infrared saunas work or how they can help your detoxing routine, I would love to help you! Please leave a comment below or send me a message đŸ™‚ Have a happy, healthy rest of your week!
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