December 2018 - Saunas.org

What Happens in a Sauna?

By Saunas.org Team | December 16, 2018December 10, 2021 | Health Benefits, Infrared Sauna

The spotlight turns on, and two dancers move gracefully, in total synchronicity with each other and the music as they glide across the floor. The onlookers are mesmerized by the performance and the beauty of the movement. The relationship between human physiology and infrared wavelengths is nothing less than a beautiful dance performance between two partners perfectly matched.

So, what is this transformation and what is actually happening inside the body as it responds to the infrared wavelengths during a sauna session?

Behind The Curtain: Light Waves And The Skin

Light waves, like the waves of the ocean, vary significantly from one another depending upon the origin of their source: They differ in shape, depth, height, movement pattern and perceived color. Our skin is receptive to different light waves in varying capacities. For example, the close neighbor of the ultraviolet light, the blue light, will infiltrate the epidermis only slightly (about 2.3 mm) on the far end of the light spectrum. Near, mid and far-infrared light waves penetrate the skin at a much deeper level (ranging from 20-100 mm), moving beyond the epidermis, the dermis, and into the subcutaneous layer and therefore into the soft tissue of the body. This ability to penetrate deep into the body has miraculous effects on the molecular structure of the human form (1).

The infrared waves are energetic and create more movement than the visible light spectrum. The faster pace movement of infrared light is like an electric drill compared to a manual hand drill. Within seconds the electric drill can produce what would take the hand drill hours because of its fast circular movements.

Broad-spectrum infrared move in symbiotic waves to penetrate beyond the initial epidermis membrane, thus creating a cascade of health benefits during and after each sauna session.

The First Five Minutes: Cellular Transformation

Infrared sauna use can help improve blood circulation.

ATP Production Increase
Oxygenation Of the Blood
Improved Circulation

Unveiling the many transformative benefits derived from the relationship between human physiology and infrared wavelengths begins the moment you step into the light bath of an infrared sauna session. Immediate exposure to the near, mid and far-infrared wavelengths ignites a long train of responses.

Here is how it happens: As you sit comfortably bathing in the warm, richly textured infrared light, you will not begin to sweat immediately, though, just below the surface of your skin many biochemical changes occur.

The conscious experience within the first five minutes of saturating yourself in the infrared sauna feels relaxing and anticipation rises as you watch your pours in expectation of the bubbling sweat to emerge.

The human physical body is comprised of 50 trillion cells, and each cell in the body has what could be considered an ‘energy plant’: the mitochondria, where ATP (Adenosine Tri-Phosphate) occurs. The mitochondria are very sensitive to all light and are particularly sensitive to deeply penetrating rays of infrared. As soon as the body is exposed to infrared light, ATP production is exponentially stimulated (2).

As ATP production occurs in response to the infrared light exposure, nitric acid is released, hyper-oxygenating the hemoglobin. The freshly oxygenated blood cells begin to flow throughout the body like a fast-moving river (3).

Inflammation in the body occurs due to a lack of oxygen in the injured area. Within minutes of entering into your sauna, ATP production increases the oxygen in the blood, creating a better and faster flowing circulation of the blood throughout the body, reducing inflammation in injured areas (4).

Relaxation and a sense of wellbeing are the primary perceived experiences of increased ATP production resulting from exposure to infrared light waves in your body.

5-17 Minutes: The Heat Dance Begins

Neurons in the human body being effected by the use of an infrared sauna

Detoxification
Caloric Burn
Human Growth Hormones Increase Production
Neurogenesis
Augmented Collagen Production
Circulation Improves
Cardiovascular System Engages
Endorphins Release
Serotonin Levels Normalize

Infusion of infrared light into the body’s network is just the beginning; as the temperature increases in the enclosed cabin structure of an infrared sauna, a myriad of physiological responses to the heat begin to unfold. The body’s response mechanism to controlled augmented external heat is the source of many health benefits.
Increased exposure to heat induces vasodilation, the expansion of blood capillaries that powerfully augments blood flow. As blood flow increases, it causes the cardiovascular system to engage, and the heart rate rises to keep up with vasodilation. At this stage of your infrared sauna session, the body begins to harvest all of the benefits of vigorous exercise as you passively sit in relaxation (5).

Calories are burned quickly and easily after ten minutes in the sauna. Extending the length of your infrared sauna to as much as fifty minutes a session will encourage further caloric burning to upwards of 600-1000 calories a session depending on the individual (6). (Please note, that it takes several sessions to build heat tolerance in the body, it is not advised to sit in the sauna for as long as 50 minutes until after several weeks of an adjustment period to heat exposure).

Stimulation of the secretion of Human Growth Hormone begins after around twelve minutes of infrared sauna use, depending on the individual. Human Growth Hormone is an anabolic hormone that simultaneously increases lean muscle mass and decreases fatty tissue in the body (7).

Augment neurogenesis (the manufacturing of new brain cells) during your infrared sauna therapy session. Exposure to heat stress or heat shock in a controlled environment will increase neurotrophic factors to create an effect that provokes the brain stem cells to produce new neurons. The interaction of increased heat with the brain directly causes an increase in brain cell production during the sauna session (8).

Enhance collagen production and rejuvenate your skin. Collagen production in the body responds specifically to the introduction of near-infrared light. Without doing anything, collagen is produced at exponentially higher rates generating a youthful full-bodied glow to the skin (9).

Activation of the sweat glands occurs at different times for different individuals during an infrared sauna session. Generally, one can expect to begin sweating somewhere between five and ten minutes into the sauna. The rising external temperatures of the sauna induce perspiration in an effort to stabilize the internal heat of the body. As perspiration rises up out of the sweat glands to release water on to the skin’s surface, a multitude of substances are carried inside the water and are released from the body. Many of the substances released through perspiration include toxins that negatively affect the body (10).

Increased heart rate, improved circulation, and copious sweating will also stimulate an endorphin release similar to what is experienced during vigorous exercise. With the release of endorphins, a sense of calm and wellbeing is experienced in the emotional body (11).

Enhanced mood will occur before the 15-minute mark in your sauna as the brain’s natural mood stabilizer, serotonin, finds balance with exposure to near, mid and far-infrared light waves (12).

As little as 15-minutes is all the time that is needed for the body’s physiology to undergo a massive transformation. The response to both infrared wavelengths and thermal therapy encourages the body to optimize its natural mechanisms.

The human form is a miraculous organic machine; the encouragement received from time in an infrared sauna will create a cascade of physiological changes that have an effect on all parts of the human experience: Infrared light therapy is a holistic and inclusive experience that orchestrates a multitude of positive physiological changes.

17-50 minutes: Assimilation Of Transformation

Infrared sauna use brings a relaxation of the human body comparable to meditation

Transference from sympathetic dominance to parasympathetic dominance
Detoxification
Enhanced Circulation
Cardiovascular Engagement
Continued Physiological Transformation

Basking in the warmth of an infrared sauna session beyond the 15-minute mark will coax the body into profound states of deep relaxation. Heat therapy works directly with the autonomic nervous system: Broad-spectrum infrared sessions provide a gateway to easily slip out of sympathetic dominance (fight or flight) into parasympathetic dominance (states of relaxation) where healing and rejuvenation occur. The transference out of sympathetic dominance is vital for adrenal gland health, which is responsible for the excretion of cortisol during stressful states. Longer exposure to thermal therapy enables the body to remain in a relaxed state for longer periods after emerging from the sauna.

Spending too much time in fight or flight can cause serious health disorders by overtaxing the adrenal glands, as well as other portions of the endocrine system. Once a person is in sympathetic dominance, the transference out can be difficult. Infrared sauna sessions invite the body out of these states of survival back to relaxation where the adrenal glands do not have to work to excrete cortisol and adrenaline. Longer sauna sessions will solidify the body into states of relaxation, releasing exhausted adrenal glands from duty (13). Remaining in the sauna for longer than 15-minutes, provided the individual is acclimatized to heat exposure, saturates the body in all of the magnificent benefits of relaxation.

Longer exposure to the infrared wavelengths continues to increase ATP production, therefore, further oxygenating the bloodstream and accelerating human growth hormone production.

Naturally, collagen production is heightened with longer exposure to the near-infrared waves, as is wound healing and clarification of the skin’s appearance.

The decision to stay longer in an infrared sauna session expounds the physiological benefits and transformative effects. Consult with your health care professional to ensure that it is safe for you to participate in longer sessions.

Sources:

SAD & Infrared Sauna

By Saunas.org Team | December 10, 2018December 10, 2021 | Health Benefits, Infrared Sauna

As we shift into winter, cold weather and shorter days become the norm for the citizens of the northern hemisphere. These dark, dreary conditions can play a role in seasonal depression, which is rising among the population.

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.)?

Norman E. Rosenthal officially used the expression: Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) along with his peers at the National Institute For Mental Health in 1984 to describe states of major clinical depression experienced seasonally, typically affecting residents of the northern hemisphere where strong seasonal shifts occur both in temperature and exposure to sunlight (1).

Diminished exposure to sunlight creates chemical changes in the body and brain – less sunlight leads to less absorption of vitamin D through the skin and eyes. Increased darkness may have damaging effects on neurotransmitters in the brain, impeding the release of chemicals that allow us to feel happy, including serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins (2). Further, the shortened days of winter interrupts the natural circadian rhythm of the body.

Scientific researchers have postulated several theories about the direct cause of S.A.D. without providing any conclusive evidence. If, however, you have ever experienced short days, long nights, grey skies and cold whipping winds, then you already know the devastating effects that plummeting temperatures and lack of light can have on your body and mind.

The Human Body and Nature

The vibrancy of warm summer days, blossoming flowers and green foliage ignite the resonance of joy within. As human beings, our external environment inextricably encompasses us.

Many of us head to work in the dark, sit inside office buildings or schools all day, returning home in the dark, with little to no sun exposure or the pleasures of outdoor recreation, hence why the percentage of individuals suffering from seasonal depression is so high.

Thankfully, with light therapy, there is no need to become victim to the external fluctuation of seasons. You can bask in the warm glow of the broad spectrum of the infrared sauna during the coldest, greyest days of the year and inspire your spirit, heal your body and generate healthy brain chemistry while enjoying states of deep relaxation.

The Role of Increased Dopamine

While the heat alone of an infrared sauna is enjoyable, the body’s physiological response to the rise of internal temperatures causes the cardiovascular system to engage as if were actively participating in exercise. Therefore, the same positive effects of vigorous exercise that increase the release of dopamine hormones also occurs during infrared sauna therapy. However, unlike exercise, the body remains in a relaxed state during your sauna session. In as little as 15 minutes of an infrared sauna session, three times as much dopamine is released compared to that of a moderate run. Elevated levels of dopamine in the body are responsible for some portions of states of euphoria! Naturally, feelings of euphoria are a welcome change to anyone suffering from S.A.D. (3).

A Natural High: The Endorphin Rush

Peaceful states of relaxation permeate the body during thermal therapy; additionally, as the autonomic nervous system calms itself in the heat, beta-endorphins, a natural opioid, are released into the body’s chemical make-up. As endorphins flush through the body a natural ‘high’ is created. The increased endorphins in the body serve to counteract depression experienced in patients suffering from S.A.D. From despair to euphoric high in the midst of the winter blues is the perfect antidote to states of seasonal depression (4). Even as mood is increased, the body is also engaging its natural healing mechanisms, thereby creating a perfect recipe to feel balanced emotionally even when daylight and sun exposure are minimal.

Balance Serotonin Production With Infrared Light

Woman enjoying time outside after the stress releiving benefits of the infrared sauna

Emerge from the deep low of the mid-winter blues with normalized serotonin production that occurs during and after your infrared sauna session. Serotonin is often attributed to the body and brain’s ability to stabilize mood and create an internal atmosphere of joy, relaxation, and increased focus(5).

The shorter days, coupled with less exposure to sunlight, can stunt the release of serotonin in the body. Exposure to the broad spectrum of infrared light along with chromotherapy may generate states of security, comfort, and satisfaction within. Additionally, neurotransmitters respond positively to the light spectrum found in the infrared sauna, making serotonin uptake more efficient. Serotonin is a precursor to melatonin, a necessary hormone needed to balance circadian rhythm, and sleep patterns may be improved with regular infrared sauna use(6).

A Gaze Inward

Introspective tendencies are heightened during the cold winter months. Many mammals hibernate while they wait for warmer weather. While full hibernation is not an option for people, the winter months provide an excellent opportunity to turn inward. Your time in the infrared sauna will create a warm space where states of meditation can easily be reached as the autonomic nervous system relaxes.

There is stillness and quietude during your sauna session. The body enters states of relaxation, creating an optimal time to take an inner inventory of the landscape of your mind and body. While the 50 trillion cells that make up the human form become supple and receptive with exposure to increased heat, the brain becomes more available for re-programming at the subconscious level. Time spent in the infrared sauna can be an excellent opportunity to set goals and intentions for your life.

An Oasis From the Cold

Empower yourself to create the ideal space of warmth and light during the long cold winter months. While it is true we cannot control the external climate; we can create a controlled internal climate through thermal therapy.

As the cold wind blows outside, you can step inside your infrared sauna for warmth, light, and sanctuary. Sink into the heat of the infrared sauna: Sweat and engage your cardiovascular system without exposure to the intimidating weather outside.

An oasis of warmth and light is paramount for anyone suffering from S.A.D. Without this safe harbor, it can feel as if we are thrust into the darkness of the winter without reprieve.

Recharge Your Body And Soul: Cellular Regeneration

Increase cellular regeneration with exposure to broad-spectrum infrared sauna therapy. Lack of exposure to natural sunlight in the winter months leads to vitamin D deficiency, which is often thought to be the cause of S.A.D. Vitamin D is responsible for cellular regeneration. Infrared wavelengths also influence augmented cellular regeneration; this can be an excellent antidote to vitamin D deficits in the body. While exposure to infrared light is not the same as vitamin D, it is an excellent substitute, as it mimics the process of serotonin uptake(7).

Actualize Your Ideal Body

Come to love and appreciate your body with regular infrared sauna therapy: Regular thermal therapy increases lean muscle mass while simultaneously decreasing fatty tissue. Sometimes while in the midst of depressive episodes it can be difficult to find the motivation to engage in exercise. Sitting in a warm sauna engages the cardiovascular system, stimulates circulation and provides many of the same benefits of vigorous exercise. There is no need to thrust oneself into exercise to reap the rewards of a healthy and fit body (8).

After a few months of regular sauna therapy, the body will shed excess weight and you can step into the warm spring weather with your ideal body.

Freedom From S.A.D. With Regular Broad Spectrum Infrared Sauna Therapy

Seasonal Affective Disorder has the potential to be lethal; it is a serious condition for those who suffer from its compelling pull. There are, however, a variety of treatments available. Infrared sauna therapy may be a powerful and effective treatment for S.A.D. that capitalizes on the body’s own naturally occurring mechanisms to provide profound, all-encompassing healing, including: Positive serotonin uptake, stabilized circadian rhythm with more accessible melatonin, higher levels of endorphins and dopamine release, improved cardiovascular function, as well as an opportunity for self-care. If you suffer from seasonal depression there is hope and a way out: Give yourself the gift of warmth, light, deep healing and step out of S.A.D with the help of the infrared light spectrum.

* Seasonal affective disorder is a medical condition. Please see a healthcare professional for full treatment advice. If suicidal thoughts are present please reach out for help immediately.

If you are interested in reading more in-depth research on the subjects of this article, please see the sources below.

Sources:

1) http://www.histmodbiomed.org/witsem/vol51.html
2) https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326649.php#summary
3) https://saunacloud.com/getting-high-naturally-in-an-infrared-sauna/
4) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4429837/
5) https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/what-is-melatonin
6) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4935433/
7) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5505738/
8) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4295591/

Other:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214647416300381
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/493246
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/074873048800300202

The History of Saunas

By Saunas.org Team | December 1, 2018December 10, 2021 | Infrared Sauna

To Sweat Is Human: To Sauna, Divine

The story of human perspiration goes back to the very beginning of our existence. Anthropologists suggest that this unique quality of our skin membrane is the single most significant factor in our evolution and eventual rise to master of the animal kingdom. This unique quality of the human skin membrane, the largest organ in the body, and its ability to perspire altered the projected history of our planet forever.

Human beings have cherished perspiration from the skin membrane since before recorded history by manufacturing units of controlled heat to induce sweating for spiritual, medical and social reasons. Evidence suggests as humans evolved and found homes in all areas of the planet; they built varying systems to intentionally encourage copious sweating.

Collectively, human beings are bonded throughout time and space by our desire to maximize the function of perspiration, to find commune with a higher power, and to optimize our health. While units of controlled heat designed to induce sweating have varied from culture to culture and have naturally evolved over thousands of years, they have remained fundamentally the same in their purpose.

Perspiration Defines Human Kind

The human body is an exquisite machine, honed over millions of years of evolution. Many believe the human status as alpha primates results from being an upright species with larger brain size, but there is a key element in the human evolution that often goes overlooked: the skin membrane. A slight variance in the human genome, causing mostly naked skin, differentiates us from our closest relative, the chimpanzee.

Professor Nina Jablonski, of Pennsylvania State University, studies the evolution of human skin; she suggests that the human sweat glands are singularly responsible for making human beings the superior hunter. The unique property of sweating enabled the first human hunters to cool their body as they chased their prey. Four-legged creatures cool their bodies through panting and as the animals begin to gallop their internal organs slam against the diaphragm. This means four-legged animals cannot cool their bodies through panting as they run. Eventually, the hunted prey will overheat and die, while its human predator, who is able to regulate internal heat through sweating, will achieve victory and ultimately a steady food supply.

The integrated network of human sweat glands and a mostly naked and furless skin membrane catapults human evolution to the next level. As human beings spread out from the motherland of Africa to occupy the vast lands of planet Earth, they begin to develop technologies to enhance the natural perspiration occurring in the body, creating optimal health, purification, and spiritual communion.

Sauna: The Etymology

Sauna is a contemporary term used to describe any heating system intended to create profuse sweating. Sauna is the only word in the English dictionary with its roots in the Finnish language. ‘Sauna’ (pronounced: saw-na) means bathhouse in Finnish. Many languages have borrowed the Finnish word, Sauna, to describe manufactured units of heating. While Finland is by no means the only country to use heat therapy, it does have a tradition that has been a landmark of their culture as far back as 7000 BC.

The colloquial use of the term sauna in English does not specifically refer to the heating structures used in Finland, but rather the general structure that intends to heat the body and produce intense sweating.

Stoking the Fire: The First Saunas

As humans developed the ability to make fire at will, the first ‘Saunas’ were built. Fire not only allowed our ancestors to cook their food, but it also brought with it the means to intentionally heat the body. The first Saunas built in Africa were developed to rid the body of infectious disease. While rudimentary in their structures, the methodology was effective.

Tribal medicine leaders dug holes in the ground, roughly the size of a grave, to comfortably fit the human body. A fire was built inside the hole, as the fire turned to hot coals, poles were laid over the opening of the area to create a bed-like structure. The patient suffering from infectious disease was placed on the bed of poles elevated three feet above the hot coals and kept there until profuse sweating occurred. The purification process through perspiration was successful at ridding patients of many diseases.

Far from the upscale saunas found in spas of developed countries today, the design of the first heat therapy developed in East Africa had the same intention. Clearly, human beings have used the specific technology at their disposal to create heat structures with the motivation of inducing profuse sweating, to cure disease, and optimize health.

The Finnish Sauna

To explore the history of Saunas one must gaze upon the great Finnish tradition of sauna use thought to date back as far as 7000 BC. For residents of Finland, a sauna is not a luxury but rather a necessity. There is on average one sauna per household (There are 3 million saunas in Finland serving a population of 5 million). Most dry heat saunas found in developed countries today are based on the modern construction of the Finish archetype.

Before the prevalent allopathic medical system, almost all Finnish babies were born in the sauna. A sauna is even located in the Finnish Parliament House. From birth to important political decisions, saunas are the canvas upon which the Finnish story has been painted.

The earliest known sauna structures date back 2000 years and were dug into the earth and lined with stone. The structure of saunas in Finland has evolved substantially over thousands of years. Traditionally, stones are heated up in the fire and water is poured on them to create steam and heat.

Saunas are heated with hot stones, wood stoves, hot embers, and electricity. Typically the structures are made of wood, as trees are in great abundance in the Baltic States. The Savusauna, or smoke sauna, takes place inside an unventilated space. A fire is stoked and once the flames burn out, smoke is released from the room and individuals can step inside to enjoy the emanating heat. Finnish sauna connoisseurs consider this version of the sauna to be the most effective.

Sauna therapy is the cornerstone of Finnish culture. The country’s reverence for its health benefits, tradition and community support have made it among the world leaders in sauna therapy.

The Roman and Greek Bathhouse

Roman and Greek Bathhouses paved the way for modern spas today. Heat therapy was integral to these communities in the form of hot spring bath and steam rooms. The bathhouse provided an opportunity to purify the body through intense sweating thus opening up the pores to detoxify the body of pollutants and promoting heightened states of health.

Purification of the body was the original intent behind the Roman and Greek bathhouse, but the ritual evolved into a social meeting place, where political decisions, business deals, and social gatherings occurred.

Governments and private contractors built bathhouses accessible to all social classes. These meccas of heat therapy were found throughout the Roman and Greek empire, from the smallest towns to the largest metropolises. Ancient peoples valued heat therapy as a necessary facet of life.

The Roman and Greek bathhouse was a cornerstone of society and shaped one of the most powerful civilization ever known. The investigation sauna history would not be complete without the reverent honoring of Roman and Greek tradition.

The Turkish Hammam

The Turkish Hammam was a bathhouse created inside ornate buildings and became a safe haven for spiritual and social communion. Their popularity grew during the Ottoman Empire to include the entire Islamic world. These communal bathhouses were segregated by gender. Inside the Haman was celebrated the great freedom of physical nudity.

Participants of the Turkish Hammam began in hot air rooms to initiate deep states of relaxation. Following the hot air room sessions, participates would move into a room of hotter, dryer temperatures, and finally, purify the body with cool water. Similar to modern day spas, massage was available as was specified hair removal and other treatments to purify, relax and beautify the body.

Bathhouses of the Ottoman Empire were an integral aspect of the social community for women. The Turkish Hammam acted as a pillar of society and during their height in popularity if a husband barred his wife from participating in the bathhouse ritual it was grounds for divorce.

Modern Middle Eastern Islamic countries have since drawn away from the norm of this era and women have lost their fundamental right to the Haman. Nevertheless, history demonstrates the great value of ceremonial heat therapy on an entire demographic and culture.

The tradition of spiritual and physical purification of the Turkish Hammam spread into Europe and became a staple during the Victorian Era. The Victorian Turkish bath houses incorporated pools into their buildings so that after intense heat therapy, individuals could plunge themselves into cold bodies of water.

Turkish Hamans have been revered and featured in masterful oil paintings by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres that can be found in the Louvre, Paris today. Bathhouses remain prevalent in Morocco, Turkey, and other Middle Eastern countries, but do not hold the same heightened place in society they once did during the Ottoman Empire.

The Sweat Lodge

This profoundly ceremonious, spiritual tradition has been steeped in the culture of Native Americans, including South, Central, and North America for thousands of years. The Maori of New Zealand and aboriginal people of Australia also celebrate a rich tradition of sweat lodges. The specifics of sweat lodge practices vary from region to region, each offering unique language, songs, instruments, and individual rituals. They all celebrate the offering of perspiration in unison with prayer and ultimate communion with Spirit.

The sweat lodge reflects a paramount expression of devotion for indigenous people for many thousands of years and only in recent history has any written record been made. Led by well-trained elders, sweat lodge ceremonies permit participants to experience the mystical.

Typically dome-shaped, the sweat lodge, despite its name, does not resemble a ski lodge or any other larger concept of a lodge. It is smaller inside (a diameter of about 15 feet) and has the capacity to fit ten to fifteen participants. Sweat lodges are held together with clay, rocks, and grass. The particular construction depends upon the natural environment where it is built. The door is generally short and requires participants to bend over or find all fours to enter.

The sweat lodge is dark inside and hot rocks are imported to the center of the dome lodge. Water is then spilled over the rocks, creating steam to heat up the well-insulated unit.

Once all of the devoted participants are established inside the lodge, an elder of the community leads the ceremony through song and prayer. The darkness, heat, prayer, and music create an environment to unveil the curtain between the physical and spiritual. The expectation is that through physical purification, profound mystical experience transpires.

The sweat lodge recognizes the inextricable connection between spirit and body, while the heat fosters the health of the body through purification and opens the spirit to communion with the divine.

Many Cultures: One Intention

Egypt has a rich tradition of medicinal heat therapy for patients suffering from tumors and infections. Heat therapy was used to treat specific regions of the body as well as the whole body using hot springs and steam rooms.

Russia has a legendary history of thermal therapy using saunas born out of the Finnish tradition and steam rooms to promote profuse sweating followed by exposing the body to very cold temperatures.

Japan has used its natural hot springs for centuries to treat health disorders and to promote optimal health.

Indian Ayurvedic medicine has incorporated heat therapy in their healing modalities for thousands of years using a hot stone massage.

Laos is a country steeped in herbal sauna therapy. Every village features at least one sauna. The herbal saunas of Laos are particularly popular among women and are used to aid the healing process after childbirth. These saunas have become a sanctuary for women and a place of social networking and community.

A Jjimjilbang is a Korean bathhouse featuring traditional Korean Kiln saunas. In addition to the hot springs, saunas, and massage, the Jjimjilbangs, Korean for heat, also features therapeutic spaces with heated floors for deep healing. Participants complete their time in the Jjimjibangs by lying on a heated floor to solidify the experience.

Regardless of culture and geographical zoning or time in history, human beings have turned to heat as a therapeutic treatment mechanism to increase health and promote spiritual purification and union.

Collectively, humanity has used the most advanced technology available to create structures that intentionally promote copious sweating.

The First Electrical Sauna: The Birth of the Infrared

The advent of electricity in the late nineteenth century gave birth to the first infrared sauna. John Harvey Kellogg dedicated his life to holistic healing modalities including a well-balanced diet, colonics, regular exercise, and sauna therapy.

Mr. Kellogg recognized the profound healing effects of purification through intense sweating and wanted to improve upon the traditional sauna therapy being used. He turned to the first electrical light bulb and created his ‘Incandescent Light Baths’. Patients entered cabinet-like structures heated with exposed light bulbs that generated profuse sweating.
In addition to the prolific sweating, Kellogg noticed the profound impact of the exposure to light.

After being displayed at the 1893 World Fair in Chicago, Incandescent Light Baths created by Kellogg skyrocketed in popularity and were sold all over the world. The incandescent light bulbs were found to primarily emit infrared light that penetrated deeply into the skin membrane. This penetrative lighting was so effective in its ability to produce excessive sweating, and therefore detoxification protocol, that it became the forefather of the infrared sauna we know today.

The Evolution of the Modern Broad Spectrum Infrared Sauna

The Incandescent Light Baths created by Kellogg did not evolve much from the late nineteenth century until the 1960s when NASA took an interest in the variety of wavelengths created through the infrared. The discovery of the near, mid and far infrared wavelengths catapulted the sauna to its next evolutionary state.

In 1965 a Japanese doctor received the first patent to create a ceramic infrared sauna using far-infrared wavelengths. Until the late 1970s, Japanese doctors were the only known medical practitioners to use far infrared sauna treatment for their patients.

In 1979 the first broad spectrum infrared saunas became available to the public in the United States. In the last twenty years, heating systems have been honed to create optimal infrared wavelengths that promote comfort, safety, and ultimately profuse perspiration.

The Next Evolution

Many companies have capitalized on the incredible healing effects of the broad spectrum infrared sauna; quick to turn a profit, these brands have overlooked the harmful effects of EMF (electromagnetic radiation) exposure, so please be mindful to research each infrared sauna company thoroughly.

Today, infrared saunas successfully create the safest and most effective version of broad spectrum infrared sauna therapy with undetectable EMF emissions.

From dugouts in East Africa to the great bathhouses of the Roman and Greek Empires, the soul filled tradition of the Finnish sauna, the mystical Sweat Lodges of the indigenous peoples and the sanctuary space of the Turkish Hammam during the Ottoman Empire, infrared saunas are the next evolution in the history of heat therapy.

Sources:

1. http://www.globalhistorylab.com/uncategorized/sauna-and-bathing-in-global-history/

2. http://www.lymebook.com/history-of-sauna-therapy

3. https://www.thermaltherapy.org/ebusSFTM/societyinfo/whatisthermalmedicine.aspx

4. https://www.parksandrecbusiness.com/articles/2008/03/04/the-evolution-of-the-sauna

5. https://saunacloud.com/a-guide-to-the-history-of-infrared-saunas/

6. https://www.parksandrecbusiness.com/articles/2008/03/04/the-evolution-of-the-sauna

7. “The Evolution Of Us”, Netflix Documentary