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Can Sauna Use Help You Quit Smoking?

By Saunas.org - Kat | | Addiction & Sobriety, Health Benefits, Hormesis, Neurological Benefits Of Sauna use, Quit Smoking With Sauna Use

It is no mystery that smoking is detrimental to one’s health. Yet many Americans find it difficult to quit the habit and free themselves from nicotine addiction. While there are a plethora of anti-smoking substances that can aid in smoking cessation, is it possible that incorporating regular sauna use into your smoking cessation plan may help people to quit smoking once and for all?

Dopamine Release For Smokers and Non-Smokers With Regular Sauna Use

Addiction to nicotine effects neural receptors in the brain, and when these receptors do not receive their expected hit, deep lows in mood have the potential to cause suicidal ideation, which keeps smokers smoking. The reason for this drop in mood is directly related to the dopamine that is released when nicotine is ingested. 

It is not a stretch to see how something that helps to boost dopamine in the body could help smokers during their recovery. Regular sauna use provides an array of benefits, including a release of dopamine. Therefore, saunas may be just the tool some smokers may need to finally say farewell to smoking forever. 

For non-smokers, it may seem like insanity to smoke given all of the information we have available today regarding the negative effects of smoking. The reality is that addiction to cigarettes involves a complex dependency of neurotransmitters in order for the brain to produce chemicals that allow the smoker to feel ‘pleasure or happiness’. 

The National Institute of Health published an article entitled: “Pharmacology of Nicotine: Addiction, Smoking-Induced Disease, and Therapeutics”, which outlines what happens to the brain for individuals addicted to nicotine (the active ingredient in tobacco that makes it so addictive). This article purports the following to help better understand nicotine addiction and the brain: 

“Nicotine sustains tobacco addiction, a major cause of disability and premature death. Nicotine binds to nicotinic cholinergic receptors, facilitating neurotransmitter release and thereby mediating the complex actions of nicotine in tobacco users. Dopamine, glutamate, and gamma aminobutyric acid release are particularly important in the development of nicotine dependence, and corticotropin-releasing factor appears to contribute to nicotine withdrawal.” (1)

For many individuals understanding the biochemical mechanisms behind nicotine addiction can help to release them from the bondage. When neuro-receptors do not receive their anticipated hit of nicotine, during smoking cessation, smokers trying to be non-smokers become low in dopamine, and can experience emotional turmoil that makes quitting seem impossible.

If it is possible to release dopamine through healthier choices, it may make quitting smoking a little easier. For some newly smoke free individuals, exercise may not be accessible, or it may be difficult to find the motivation to exercise in order to receive the dopamine replacement. 

The complex biochemical changes that occur in a sauna session, may not completely replace the satisfaction of a nicotine craving, however, it will provide dopamine to individuals. 

Ideally, if an individual is weaning themselves off of tobacco use with Nicorette, or other smoking cessation aids, the addition of regular sauna use and its accompanying dopamine level increase in the brain, may tip the scales enough in favor of quitting smoking. 

Detoxification From Years Of Smoking With Sauna Use

  • Nicotine (the addictive drug that produces the effects in the brain that people are looking for)
  • Hydrogen cyanide
  • Formaldehyde
  • Lead
  • Arsenic
  • Ammonia
  • Radioactive elements, such as polonium-210 (see below)
  • Carbon monoxide
  • Tobacco-specific nitro (2)

The plethora of harmful toxins found in cigarettes is alarming to say the least. The good news is that many of these substances can be removed from the body with intensive passive perspiration as experienced in a sauna. Whether you are still smoking, in the process of smoking cessation, or have successfully quit smoking, you CAN remove many of the toxic substances found in cigarette smoke and begin to truly heal your body. 

Regardless of the type of sauna you choose, intensive sweating three times a week for at least twenty minutes can profoundly alter internal pathogens and toxins. Even for long time smokers it is still possible to amplify detoxification from many substances absorbed through smoking by taking a sauna. 

It is possible to heal the body almost completely from smoking, and detoxifying the body of harmful substances can go a long way to speeding this process up. If you are trying to quit smoking, then you may find that using a sauna will help to motivate you to continue on your way as you detoxify the body and day by day move toward greater levels of health. 

According to the American Cancer Society, many tobacco alternatives contain many harmful substances that will need to be removed from the body. (2) If you are using a tobacco-based smoking cessation aid to help you quit smoking, sauna use will be helpful in removing these additional toxins from the body.

Can Relaxing Help You Quit Smoking?

A major roadblock for smokers trying to quit is that they have relied on cigarettes to cushion the emotional challenges of stressful life events. Many smokers will light up as work stress increases, or after a challenging commute home in traffic. 

Work stress, relational stress, or any challenging life events can all lead to increased smoking. If smokers have a way to ‘turn down’ the stress that comes from outside stimulus, the quitting process will become easier. 

Regular sauna use helps to regulate the autonomic nervous system, the part of the body responsible for feeling ‘stress’ or ‘relaxation’. Even though smoking can feel like a release for smokers, it actually elevates heart rate and blood pressure rather than calming the nervous system down. (3)

Smoking causes more stress on the body, even if it feels to the smoker as if stress has been removed. By providing smokers, or individuals looking to quit smoking, an alternative to smoking for ways to find relaxation it can make the quitting process seem more attainable.

Smoking cessation is challenging because the brain is programmed to crave a nicotine hit on the neuroreceptors, while the body and emotions are adapted to using smoking as a means of dealing with the stresses and challenges of life. Sauna therapy can be an extremely helpful tool to anyone that wants to quit smoking, and is an excellent means of detoxification from years of smoking. 

Sources Cited:

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2946180/
  2. https://www.cancer.org/healthy/cancer-causes/tobacco-and-cancer/carcinogens-found-in-tobacco-products.html
  3. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/quitting-smoking

Can You Practice Yoga In Your Sauna?

By Saunas.org - Kat | | Health Benefits, Heat Shock Proteins, Hormesis, Infrared Sauna, Yoga In Your Sauna

Yoga has become very popular over the past few decades and purports many health benefits. One of the main benefits of yoga is that it is a practice you can take anywhere with you – some prefer an outdoor practice, while others like to visit heated studios. For many, practicing yoga in a heated room provides deeper postures, and studies suggest that performing yoga in a heated room has many benefits to overall health. As a sauna company we receive calls from yogis all the time wondering if they can practice yoga in a sauna, and the answer is YES!

Until recently, it has not been easy to find a sauna that would facilitate your yoga practice. Many saunas are simply too small or have fixed benches that prevent any modifications to make the area large enough to partake in any physical practice. Our company, which was founded by two yogis, is proud to offer two sauna models with removable benches to provide you with ample space to practice yoga. Both the Lotus Haven and Lotus Temple saunas make it possible to have your very own heated yoga studio at home. 

A study published by the National Library of Medicine: National Center For Biotechnical Information, in March of 2021, revealed positive results in the change of biomarkers in individuals performing yoga in a heated environments, including ‘Hot Yoga’ or Bikram style yoga*. These results included improved range of motion, reduced systemic inflammation, cardiovascular fitness enhancement, and positive changes in body composition. (1)

*** For the purposes of this article we will be using the terminology of ‘heated yoga’ as opposed to ‘Hot Yoga’, the syntax of which was attempted to be patented by the individual Bikram to refer to a very specific sequence of  26 yoga postures, while the patent was eventually denied, for the sake of clarity, this article will use the expression ‘heated yoga’ in lieu of ‘hot yoga. (2)

The coupling of yoga and sauna therapy seems to be a match made in heaven in terms of human physiology. Whether you intend to practice a more physical style of yoga or simply breathe with awareness while in the sauna, this pairing is something that can be done from the safety and sanctity of your own home.

What Are Some of the Benefits of Heated Yoga Combined With Infrared Light?

  • Increased Range of Motion
  • Detoxification (Through Intense Perspiration)
  • Improved Cardiovascular Function 
  • Weight Loss or Body Mass Composition Changes
  • Relaxation
  • Faster Muscle Recovery
  • Improved Mitochondrial Function (which may directly improve chronic conditions resulting from mitochondrial malfunction). (3)

Heated yoga combines the cascade of benefits that are supported by both the practices of sauna bathing and yoga. While only a few yoga studios have made the change to infrared light as a heating source, it has not caught on fully in all regions, with many studios still reliant on electric heaters. 

By using an infrared sauna for your heated yoga practice you are able to capitalize on the benefits of heat, as well as those of infrared light. In your sauna as you practice yoga along with a stabilized elongated breath, you will be engaging different muscle groups, and the body will be cooling itself through perspiration. This process creates a cascade of internal biochemical changes: Essential biomarkers demonstrate an amplification of the oxygenation of the body’s intra and inter cellular environment. (3)

Infrared light corresponds to photoreceptors that are embedded within a microscopic membrane that surrounds the mitochondria of each cell, and this very unique relationship helps to positively affect mitochondrial metabolism. (3)

The National Library of Medicine published an article on the effects of far infrared light (FIR) on mitochondrial metabolism on rodents that was published in March of 2021: 

“Far-infrared rays enhance mitochondrial biogenesis…(3)” This article describes the impactful results of infrared light exposure on rodents, and its potential clinical application for humans:

“These results suggest that FIR may hold therapeutic potential for improving glucose metabolism and mitochondrial function in metabolic diseases associated with insufficient glucose supply, such as type 2 diabetes.” (3)

By practicing yoga in an infrared sauna, an individual is able to obtain the benefits of infrared light and heat exposure.  The exact type of yoga you choose to practice in your sauna is a personal choice: Hatha, Yin, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Kundalini, as well as various pranayama or breathing practices, does not appear to be a significant factor in the improvement of health benefits reaped. Go ahead and practice whatever type of yoga best suits your body! (Please note: holotropic breathing is NOT recommended while in a sauna or any heated environment).

Improved circulation while doing yoga in a heated environment also provides a multitude of rewards. As the body begins to heat up from the sauna, the cardiovascular system is engaged in order to self regulate internal body temperature, resulting in an increased pulse as blood is pumped through the chambers of the heart at a faster rate. In conjunction with postures that open the body up, circulation already propelled by increased heat is able to flow like a river, without blockage moving through the body to ultimately decrease acute and chronic inflammation. (4)

Furthermore, by using an infrared sauna to heat up the environment of your yoga practice, an individual may also improve the condition of certain chronic diseases. The same study published in 2021 referred to earlier in this article explains the effect that infrared light has on mitochondria succinctly here:

“Mitochondria are cellular organelles present in high numbers in the brain, liver, heart, and muscles. They use glucose and fatty acids to synthesize ATP as an energy source for cellular function. Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in cardiovascular disease, aging, metabolic disease, cancer, and degenerative diseases. (3)

The marriage of yoga and infrared sauna therapy is symbiotically beneficial for those with the appropriate fitness levels. Even if the physical postures of yoga are not available to individuals due to injury or disease, there is still great merit in focused, elongated breathing while in the sauna to benefit from the heat and light.

Why Practice Heated Yoga in the Privacy of Your Own Home?

  • Avoid potential bacterial infection 
  • Practice on your own schedule
  • No commute
  • Post practice procedures may be more relaxing
  • A plethora of guided yoga practices can be listened to over the Bluetooth speakers

Practicing yoga at a studio can provide many benefits including hands-on instruction, comradery, discipline, and structure. If you plan to practice heated yoga there are, unfortunately, several risks associated with doing this in a public setting. 

Despite efforts to keep the space clean, many heated yoga studios may still be a cesspool of infection. With so many bodies sweating in a shared, steamy room, heated yoga studios have reported issues with ringworm, foot fungus, and other pathogens that bloom and spread readily in warm moist environments. 

With so many instructional audio classes available for beginners or the seasoned practitioner, heated yoga can safely be done in your home sauna. Side step the potential bacterial infections that may be associated with some heated yoga studios by practicing heated yoga in your at home sauna. 

In addition to dodging germs and infection, you will also benefit from the rays of infrared heat. If you are interested in an in-person instruction, perhaps consider a non-heated yoga studio and then bring that learning back home to your sauna. 

Contraindications & Considerations Before Practicing Yoga in Your Sauna

Before engaging in any yoga practice, remember to check in with your healthcare provider, listen to your body, and if you are unsure of how to safely execute a posture, skip it. 

Maintain a high level of hydration if you plan to practice yoga in your sauna. Significant sweating occurs even if one remains still during a sauna session. When yoga postures are added, you will need to be hypervigilant in your hydration practice as you will sweat more. 

Be cognizant to wipe dripping sweat off the body, and keep the floor surface dry and slip free. Be mindful to clean your sauna space after use with non-toxic cleaning products. 

If you are interested in expanding your heated yoga practice into your at home sauna, then be sure to check out saunas.org’s Lotus Temple or Lotus Haven model!

Sources Cited

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7241641/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7241641/
  2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_claims_on_Bikram_Yoga
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7893496/
  4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4609431/

Can Regular Sauna Use Help Achieve and Maintain Sobriety?

By Saunas.org - Kat | | Addiction & Sobriety, Health Benefits, Hormesis, Infrared Sauna, Mood Disorders, Neurological Benefits Of Sauna use

Clinical approaches to treating addiction have evolved significantly over the past decade, and new approaches to reaching and sustaining sobriety have become multilayered.

Sobriety is a complex conversation, and there is no one solution that will fit each individual. Furthermore, substance abuse can range from mild to severe, and therefore, treatments to help maintain sobriety will also range in intensity. 

The research surrounding drug related addictions have expanded over the last few years to include alternative therapies to help overcome addiction and find states of sobriety.

Many drug and alcohol treatment centers have started using saunas as one portion of addiction treatment, and even if admission to a treatment center is not on the agenda for you; you can still benefit from regular sauna use to maintain sobriety and recover from the effects of substance abuse in the body.

Regular sauna use is not a cure-all for addictions, however, it can be helpful as a form of detoxification, providing dopamine release, re-wiring neurological function, and can help heal the body from years of abuse at the cellular level. If you are suffering from serious drug or alcohol abuse it is best to seek professional assistance immediately (Please see a list of resources available to you below).

For those who use alcohol regularly without dependency, sauna use can be a wonderful compliment to the “Sober October” season we find ourselves in. Abstaining from alcohol for a month is seen as a way to reboot your system after the summer and in preparation for the winter holidays. The concept of being sober for a period of time to detoxify the body and cleanse the mind can be a welcome reset and re-evaluation of your patterns and conditioning (and may also help prevent dependency). 

Detoxification From Harmful Toxins After Years Of Substance Abuse

Years of prolonged alcohol abuse can lead to a host of toxic build up in the body. Regardless of an individual’s approach to addiction or the maintenance of sobriety, sauna use will be a helpful tool to heal the body. While on its own, using a sauna to detoxify the body cannot cure addictions, regular sweating can help the body release a build up of harmful pathogens. 

Similar to the purifying actions of the kidneys and liver, sweating is a natural way to detoxify the body. Unfortunately, for many individuals, not only those who have suffered with addiction for many years, toxic build up can place a heavy burden on the internal organs. By engaging the largest organ of the body, the skin, as a means of detoxification, the cumulative effects will be higher than just relying on the kidneys and liver. 

Jonathan Vellinga, MD articulates the mechanism of sauna use as a means of detoxification in the following publication from January 2022:

“Though in many cases of needed detoxification the liver and kidneys will do a better job eliminating toxins than sweat will, heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium were all found to be released in higher levels of post-sauna sweat than in urine, making sauna therapy more effective than other types of heavy-metal detoxification efforts.” (2,3)

Whether you are a casual drinker participating in Sober October, or are recovering from a serious addiction, sauna use may help to heal the body through enhanced detoxification. You may choose to incorporate sauna use as one of many tools to obtain or maintain sobriety.

The Autonomic Nervous System, Sauna Use, and Sobriety

There are numerous reasons far beyond the scope of this article for the appearance of addiction in an individual’s life. Many medical professional’s suggest that heredity plays a large role in whether or not we become addicted to alcohol. While there are others in the arena of addiction treatment, like Dr. Gabor Mate, who suggests that trauma, specifically childhood trauma, is responsible for addiction expression. 

Regardless of the reason or ‘the why’ of anyone who has turned to alcohol to help mitigate anxiety and stress, it is clear through their choices they have experienced enough singular or cumulative trauma to offset the balance of the autonomic nervous system. This is not to say that regular sauna use can completely regulate the nervous system, however, there is formidable research to suggest that the body’s mechanistic response to sauna use does aid in the healing of the autonomic nervous system.

The hormetic effect on the body during a sauna session lasting 15-20 minutes at a relatively intense temperature, applies a slightly positive stress on the body. (4) While this positive stress can be experienced as the apex of intensity just before the beads of sweat accumulate on the brow, it feels uncomfortable, yet sustainable. If an individual can stay in the sauna long enough to move past this discomfort they are eventually led back from states of hyper vigilance into the experience of relaxation.

Anyone who has experienced singular or cumulative trauma will likely require a variety of tools to balance the autonomic nervous system once again. While regular sauna use is by no means the only avenue to attain a balanced nervous system, it may help to heal certain aspects of trauma as experienced in the nervous system. 

Why Use Full Spectrum Red and Infrared Light as a Sobriety Tool?

While traditional saunas, steam rooms, and infrared saunas will all offer profound opportunities for detoxification, hormesis, and relaxation, there are additional benefits derived from the red and near infrared light spectrum related to neurological and cellular health. 

Combining red and near infrared light therapeutically is called photobiomodulation. Years of substance abuse can affect mitochondrial metabolism negatively so that energy is not effectively converted in the body. This may eventually result in a variety of potential autoimmune disorders. By seeking refuge under the influence of red and near infrared light in a sauna it may be possible to positively alter energy conversion in the cells at the epicenter of the mitochondria (5).

Furthermore, infrared light may have a positive effect on neurological regeneration – something much needed for anyone recovering from substance addiction. Studies emerging from the National Institute of Health Suggest that exposure to infrared light may help in the prevention and treatment of dementia. Depending upon the extent of drug dependency there will be more or less damage to neurological pathways and connection. While the data is not yet available, one can deduce a correlation between infrared light treatment for patients with dementia and those recovering from addiction. 

If you are looking to repair cellular metabolism and improve overall brain function as part of your sauna therapy, then perhaps choose a full infrared sauna with color light therapy. 

Addiction Treatment Centers and Saunas

More addiction treatment centers across the country are recognizing the powerful healing effects of sauna use for patients recovering from substance addiction. A variety of mood disorders can accompany addiction. In these cases, particularly with regards to major depression, there is enough data available to support the use of saunas as a portion of the treatment protocol. 

Smarmore Castle in Ireland is one of many leading addiction treatment centers that offer sauna therapy as a portion of the recovery protocol. (7) This center recognizes the multitude of benefits available to their patients recovering from substance abuse when saunas are used as an integral part of sobriety. 

We encourage you to sauna use for whatever form of sobriety you are looking for – from extreme cases of alcohol dependency to those casual drinkers looking to detoxify the body. Addiction is a serious condition and requires a full team of experts to overcome. If you are looking for immediate assistance for yourself or a loved one please read the list of resources below. Always be sure to consult with a medical practitioner before beginning a sauna regime. 

Helpful Resources If You Are Suffering From Addiction:

Sources Cited:

  1. https://drgabormate.com/topics/addiction/
  2. https://www.tcimedicine.com/post/can-saunas-really-help-you-become-healthier
  3. Sears, M. E., Kerr, K. J., & Bray R.I. (2012). Arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury in sweat: A systematic review. Journal of environmental and public health, 2012, 184745. 
  4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20686325/
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7356229/
  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8219492/
  7. https://smarmore-rehab-clinic.com/blog/04/2020/benefits-sauna-therapy-during-addiction-treatment