Most people would be healthier if they traded their gym membership and workout time for near infrared sauna sessions in their home.
It's a near even trade for cost between the membership and the sauna, and the sauna may take less time overall since there is no travel or active warm-up involved in sauna use. I know it is anathema to our workout culture to say that health comes through rest, but I am both saying it and living it.
It is not my goal to discredit exercise in this post, but merely to point out a simple switch of time and finances that most people could make to the benefit of their health.
My RECENT Experience with a Near Infrared Sauna
I'm going to be real here. Healing is a journey. I am on that journey every day with my clients. While I have been healing my body naturally for some time now, I spent many years before wearing myself out and running down my body and health. It took time for me to become depleted, and I know and accept that it will take time for me to heal.
Even though healing takes time, I have had noticeable and nothing short of amazing health gains while on a complete nutritional balancing program. These tangible improvements keep me motivated to continue to pursue natural healing for my remaining health concerns.
I continue to struggle with a skin disorder called seborrheic dermatitis. Most people are familiar with it in infants as cradle cap. For me, it presents as an incredibly itchy scalp with flakes. It is also present in my ear canals. During times of acute stress, it flares and creeps down my forehead and into my eyebrows. I try to hide it, but with my dark hair, that is difficult if it is flaring. Sometimes the itchiness is so constant I'm on edge until I get a shower for a few hours of relief. I trust that as my body continues to balance, this skin disorder will completely heal, but until then, the near infrared sauna is my ticket to controlling my symptoms.
My acute stress recently was an unexpected and lengthy period of solo parenting. I am no stranger to solo parenting. In the last 10 years of courtship and marriage, my husband and I have spent approximately 7 of them living in different countries or states. We were a dual military couple for 9 years until I got out of the Navy last year. He is still serving, so now as a military spouse, I still spend approximately 70% of each year solo parenting. But this time, I was not mentally or emotionally prepared for the separation.
My skin condition flared and spread rapidly. When he left, I decided to "treat" myself by letting go of my nightly sauna time. Going to bed with my girls between 7 and 8, and reading in bed until 9 seemed like a great way to relax and take one thing out of my schedule. Well, it turned out by experiencing acute stress and stopping my sauna routine temporarily, I set the conditions for a rapid and acute return of my skin condition. Within a week, it was throughout my scalp, on my forehead and spreading rapidly. It was as bad as ever.
I remembered that I have this amazing little canvas hut in my bedroom that "magically" improves skin conditions. On a Monday, I took two 30 minute sauna sessions, one in the morning and one right before bed. The next day, I went to the grocery store with my girls and was stopped by someone gushing about how radiant my skin was -- ONE DAY after my skin was so red and inflamed I could barely go 5 minutes without wanting to scratch my scalp and forehead right off.
I used the sauna for 50 minutes that Tuesday and felt like my condition was back to manageable. In two days, the sauna turned my red, itchy, flaky face and scalp into a clear and radiant luster that even strangers at the grocery store noticed.
Now I know that "treating" myself isn't stopping caring for my health. I have long known that a treat is not food. But it's also not letting go of the healthy choices that make me feel best. A treat is taking time to take care of myself. If I fill myself up with my faith, my healing lifestyle and rest, then I can continue to pour into my children, friends, and clients the very best that I have to offer -- all with radiant skin ;)
benefits of regular near infrared sauna use (1) (2)
Up front, I need to say that some of these benefits can come from any type of sauna, but many are unique to the near infrared light sauna. Because of this, I only recommend near infrared light saunas to my clients.
- Healthier skin due to greater blood flow and less congestion
- Heavy metal elimination through sweating rather than forcing the metals out through the kidneys and liver
- Enhanced circulation due to increased blood flow, vascular dilation, and raised heart rate
- Tissue oxidation as the blood flows to the surface more
- Lowered blood pressure
- More elastic arteries
- Relief from physical symptoms including arthritis, allergies, skin conditions and chemical sensitivity
- Decongestion of internal organs by forcing blood to the skin to dissipate heat
- Reduction of chronic infections through fever therapy which kills bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses that cannot survive in a warmer environment
- Reduction of tumors and other abnormal cells through fever therapy
- Inhibition of the sympathetic nervous system which enables the body to relax, heal and regenerate much faster
- Near infrared light is helpful for wound healing and cellular regeneration and is an antioxidant nutrient itself which activates cells, supports metabolic processes and decouples toxins from water molecules.
- Stress reduction through combined relaxation and healing of stressors
- Cellulite reduction by releasing toxins, improving metabolism (your oxidation rate), and reducing body fat. Cellulite is fat coupled with toxins in a person with compromised connective tissue. Nutritional balancing helps with all three of these issues in various ways beyond what a sauna can do alone.
- Better sleep
Here is what ancestral health expert, avid researcher and author of Mark's Daily Apple, Mark Sisson has to say about saunas. Each of his claims is supported by scientific research. You can find the links in his original article if you would like to read more.
“Exposure to extreme heat increases something called heat shock proteins, or HSPs. HSPs have a range of beneficial hormetic effects on our detoxification capacity. They trigger compensatory adaptations and activate antioxidant defenses in the blood of healthy volunteers. They even increase regeneration of the body’s main detoxifying organ—the liver—after it’s been damaged.
As for that sweating claim, sweat contains contains bioaccumulated toxins. BPA shows up in sweat, for example, even when it doesn’t show up in the blood or urine. Sweat also contains certain phthalate compounds and their metabolites, none of which we want. Sweat also contains arsenic and lead in people exposed to high levels of the metals. Sweating may even improve the function of another important detoxification organ—the kidney—by restoring nitrogen excretion in people with kidney disease. In one study, police officers with chronic illnesses caused by exposure to high levels of meth lab chemicals experienced major improvements after sauna therapy.”
Most people interested in natural health avoid plastics or at least seek out BPA-free options for their kids and themselves. Reducing toxic exposure is the first step in detoxification, but what about the toxins that are already in your body?
Near infrared energy is uniquely capable of helping your body eliminate toxins that are simply not handled by usual elimination routes like the liver and kidneys. Sweat is the only way to remove certain carcinogenic PCBs, dioxins, phthalates, and volatile organic hydrocarbons. (4) Sweating in the sauna is perhaps more beneficial than sweating through exercise. In the sauna, the body is relaxed and able to use available energy for detoxification rather than for muscle contraction.
Sauna protocol in Nutritional Balancing
Disclaimer: Nothing in this article is meant to diagnose, treat, prescribe or cure any disease or health condition. You should always consult a doctor or other practitioner knowledgeable in sauna use before beginning a sauna therapy program. Never spend more than 20 minutes in a near infrared sauna unless you are on a complete nutritional balancing program based on a properly preformed and interpreted hair mineral analysis. The sauna is a powerful healing tool that should be used alongside additional supportive measures like a proper diet and supplementation.
Because of the sum of all of the above benefits, sauna therapy is recommended for every single client on a nutritional balancing program, including children. Adults in a four lows pattern need it for as little as 20 minutes a day. All others will derive the greatest benefits from 50-60 minutes of daily use. This can be done in two 20-30 minute sessions or one longer session.
Children under age 5 benefit from a single red heat lamb shined on their chest/tummy daily. Both my girls sit in the open sauna with one bulb illuminated before bed. They enjoy the calming benefits while I rub their feet or read them a story.
How To obtain or build a near infrared SAUNA
Here are several options for obtaining a near infrared sauna for home use from least expensive to most expensive.
1. You can build your own sauna through free plans on Dr. Wilson's website (5).
Cost: Materials and labor
2. You can purchase a sauna from us by contacting us through our company Healing Hut Saunas (www.healinghutsaunas.com).
We have improved the aesthetic of the light panel since building this first sauna and slightly changed the exterior look. Please visit www.healinghutsaunas.com for the most up to date pictures and pricing.
Cost: $1,500 + free shipping.
You won't find a comparable product at this price point out there!
3. You can purchase a sauna from SaunaSpace.
Cost: Approximately $3,000.
References
(1) Dr. Lawrence Wilson. "Sauna Therapy," drlwilson.com/articles/sauna_therapy.htm.
(2) Dr. Lawrence Wilson. "The Benefits of Near Infrared Energy" drlwilson.com/articles/SAUNALITE%20NIR%20BENEFITS.htm.
(3) Mark Sisson. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-augment-and-support-your-natural-detox-capacities/
(4) Rogers Sherry A., MD. "Reversing the Neurodegeneration from Ubiquitous Environmental Endocrine Disruptors." https://treefarmtapes.com/products/reversing-the-neurodegeneration-from-ubiquitous-environmental-endocrine-disruptors-a-key-to-healing-the-patient-2-tape-set
(5) Dr. Lawrence Wilson. "Infrared Lamp Sauna Plans." http://www.drlwilson.com/SAUNAS/SAUNA%20PLANS.htm