Relaxing and sweating in a sauna is arguably one of the oldest forms of healing. For thousands of years, many tribes have partaken in some variation of sitting inside a sauna. Heat has always been synonymous with survival and health.

There can be no argument about the positive impact of heat on physical and mental health. We need to ask ourselves how we can heat every part of our body evenly, i.e., saturate our entire body with heat and sustain that heat throughout the day. We must be able to regulate our bodies’ temperature regardless of the temperature, whether it be winter or summer.

If You Want To Start Healing, You Need Heat.

We can get heat from: 

1. Long or Several Short Posture Walks
2. Plenty of Food
3. Sunlight and Vitamin D Lamps, 
4. Red Light Therapy
5. Warm Liquids 
6. Bonfires
7. Thyroid Supplementation
8. Long Hot Baths (Our Favorite) Or an Infrared Sauna
9. Natural Organic Wool & Alpaca

All of these tools need to be in your toolbox. In fact, we believe that the more heat you incorporate (especially with a sauna) in your routine, the better you will perform, recover and feel overall on a daily basis.

How Do We Get Heat, Especially During the Colder Months?

As “Money” Mayweather once said, “You can’t cook with cold grease.” Our long walks are essential when it’s cold outside, and we make it a priority to move with intent, purpose, and awareness to create deep circulation, lots of heat, lymphatic drainage, enhanced mobility, and an overall sense of connectedness. We recommend starting with a daily trigger-point session in a warm/hot room and perhaps performing a corrective exercise before taking a long walk (should be done daily). You can also do a sauna session before your walk.

Wherever you are living, you should adapt to your environment, not just “survive” indoors, especially if you want to truly feel warm and circulated. Feeling cold means your metabolism, circulation, healing, energy, and recovery are vastly slowing down. Blood is going away from less important areas of your body and is pooling in more vital areas such as your organs. Adapting to our environment is essential for optimal health and mitigating unnecessary stress. For most people, simply going outside during the winter months, or even at all, is the most challenging part of adapting to their environment. 

Our adaptation process should begin inside, with little bits of exposure here and there to the elements outdoors. While the focus is more on cold weather, even heat needs adjusting to. Simply being outdoors is important, even if just to be exposed to the harmonic frequencies, the outdoor air, temperature, and the sunlight in the eyes and on the skin (especially early in the morning, mid-day, and before sunset).

One of our favorite easy hacks in the winter is simply sitting in the Relax Sauna for about 20-30 minutes (start with less time) in the morning when we wake up. Even if we go to Church after fasting, our body remains much warmer for at least 4-5 hours. During this time we continue throwing “logs” on throughout the day with food, liquids, trigger-point, and movement for circulation and recovery from stress. Saunas are great even for warmer climates as it helps the body regulate and cool down more efficiently.

In the winter it’s also important to utilize a Vitamin D Lamp, (Like Here From Sperti), a GembaRed infrared light device (Here), and one of our favorites: desiccated or fresh raw thyroid and/or adrenal glandular. All of these tools combined in the morning will greatly improve your circulation, metabolic rate, and of course overall bodily heat dispersion.

Sometimes specific parts of our body are cold because the fascia is so firmly bound together that it is incredibly difficult for blood to adequately flood and hydrate those areas of fascia that are dormant, tight, and dry. It becomes a spider web of dysfunctional, contorted, and glued bundles of fascia. This is why trigger-pointing and movement (Walking and Exercise) are so essential to avoiding the winter blues rather than sitting inside trying to “stay warm” and surviving. We want to be able to adapt and thrive in our immediate environment.

History of Saunas

“Sauna” is a present-day term used to specify any heating system designed to create generous amounts of sweating. It is the only word in the English dictionary with its roots in the Finnish language. “Sauna” (pronounced: saw-na) means “bathhouse” or “wooden room” in Finnish. Many languages have borrowed this word to describe assembled units of heating. Heat therapy is not unique to Finland. However, some say Finland has had a tradition of using saunas in their culture that dates as far back as 7000 BC. Finland currently has an average of one sauna per household (out of a population of 5 million, there are 3 million saunas).

Saunas in the past were not like their modern counterparts. Old bathhouses were placed in the ground to protect people from the cold. Let’s discuss which nation took the credit for inventing this healing practice. Many people believe saunas originated from Finland, but some people suggest the notion dates back to the dawn of time or even the “stone age”. Many people also believe this tradition began in northern Europe around 2,000 BC. Quickly after, it became a fundamental part of cultural life in Finland, Latvia, Estonia, and Russia. 

Some theorists claim that the first steam baths were placed in the ground or some type of cave. These natural forms of shelter were then wrapped with animal skins and had a fire burning under a pile of stones. Once the fire was extinguished, the heated area continued to warm the cave during the night. People and/or animals could relax in the steam rising from the rocks after pouring water over them. 

Many people believe that saunas were used as washrooms, living places, kitchens, and hospitals. Saunas began to develop as a unique tradition that was considered sacred. Even birth and death were celebrated within these sauna rooms away from the harsh elements of the outdoors. Despite the similarities between European saunas, Native American sweat lodges, and Chinese bathhouses, archeologists have discovered substantial amounts of evidence that demonstrates ancient civilizations used saunas through a variety of names.

Northern Europe carried these ancient traditions. Saunas became a dwelling place for many, later birthing more across the Islamic world and East Asia. Despite bathhouses being a part of daily life, the tradition ended suddenly, though not entirely. Many believe this was due to science, “reason”, or assuming that it was some form of superstitious bathing method from the old world.

After the industrial revolution in northern Europe, people began to add chimneys to their saunas, which allowed them to heat wood faster and create longer-lasting effects after people entered. Wood fires may seem to be the “authentic saunas” but smoke-filled saunas without chimneys are still fairly popular.

The first actual electric sauna appeared in Finland and quickly became the replacement for its wood-fired counterpart. It was an inferior form of heat, but could easily be commercialized and brought to gyms, spas, hotels, etc. In the first half of the 20th century, the first saunas were brought over by Finnish and Swedish immigrants, and sauna usage began to explode across the United States.

As mentioned before at the beginning of this article, many tribes and cultures have used heat for therapeutic purposes and relaxation. Finnish, Greek, Roman, Turkish bathhouses, Egypt, Russia, Laos, Korea, and many more took part in this tradition.

What is Infrared Light Energy?

There are 3 forms of infrared:

1. Near-Infrared 
   1. Best for wound healing, cell health, and oxygenation of tissues.
2. Mid Infrared
   1. Improves circulation, weight loss, and pain relief. 
3. Far Infrared
   1. Supports detoxification and balances blood pressure.

The Relax Sauna happens to be one of our favorites, not only for its efficacy but also due to its reasonable price point. Several other brands could be considered superior and do offer all 3 forms of infrared, including Near, Mid & Far Infrared wavelengths, but the reason we chose the Relax sauna is that it is very convenient, portable, easy to clean, and roughly 3-5x less the price than some of these walk-in sauna units. It also has actually been shown to increase body temperature more efficiently than a larger walk-in sauna.

The Relax Sauna uses far-infrared as a form of energy, or rather a type of light, which is contained within both the Sun and all living creatures. We cannot see this form of light with the naked eye, but it can be felt as heat on the skin. More specifically, far infrared is a form of infrared light with a wavelength of 15 micrometers to 1 mm. Along with several other types of light, infrared is most commonly produced and absorbed through sunlight. Our goal is to absorb this light regularly so we can experience a multitude of healing benefits. 

Quite a few studies are being conducted every year on the efficacy of infrared being used for healing. Even back in 1989, studies showed the healing effects of far infrared exposure as an effective treatment for insomnia. You may have heard of the use of infrared lamps in bathrooms. In fact, I believe my father installed quite a few in his day (I used one as a kid). Far infrared creates heat similar to these lamps but is far more effective and efficient because it can penetrate the skin at a much deeper level. This allows the light to be absorbed by your muscle and tissues much more effectively. This is why far infrared is used inside baby incubators in hospitals and by farmers for hatching chicken eggs. It is the same energy that turtle eggs absorb from the Sun while in the sand on a beach. 

Benefits of Far Infrared Energy

Far infrared benefits go beyond just heat, though. Heat alone has many well-known benefits, but when you use a far infrared sauna, you get the added benefits of:

1. Increased circulation and core temperature
2. Improved blood pressure, cardiovascular and heart health
3. Enhanced mitochondrial energy production
4. Increased muscular relaxation, recovery and reduces soreness
5. Increased Collagen and Elastin Production from the skin
6. Improved metabolic rate and release of heavy metals stored in the body’s fat cells
7. Softened and mobilized lymphatic system
8. Arthritis & Fibromyalgia improvement
9. Autism, Cancer and Lyme Disease improvement
10. Better quality sleep
11. Drug-free pain relief
12. Aid of fevers for healing

Far infrared saunas function by producing a certain bandwidth of energy that resonates with the water and living cells of the body whereas near-infrared does not resonate with our living cells or the water within our body. Near-infrared does heat the skin, but it does not penetrate nearly as much as far-infrared. They can both be beneficial when used together, but there is far more data showing the efficacy and thorough detoxification of our cells when we resonate with Far Infrared Energy. 

If you would like to dive down deeper into Far Infrared Medical Facts and Research Data, click on the link here.

What About the Skeptics’ Concerns and Issues?

Some people are concerned about the EMF levels being emitted by the Relax sauna. This was one of our concerns, but luckily the owners of the relax sauna have taken the time to rigorously test and interview several specialists who explain the concerns being perpetuated by many skeptics. 

The Relax Sauna is a very low EMF Sauna. There is less than .5 mg of EMF everywhere where your body sits in the Relax Sauna.

Eliminating EMF is an important focal point when it comes to mitigating stress. However, fear will always be more dangerous, and in today’s world, EMF is everywhere. A great thing to note is that hundreds of doctors who specialize in helping people recover from EMF damage recommend and use the Relax Sauna. Several studies have shown that Far Infrared Energy is the antidote for damage caused by EMF (microwave) exposure and even sunburn.

As you can see with the list of EMF levels on the 20-30 most popular home electrical appliances none of them are safe, according to the WHO. The Relax Sauna is the 3rd and 7th lowest of the 21 most commonly used household appliances, depending on whether you are measuring from 1 inch or 12 inches.

Another concern is from high-dollar sauna companies that claim you need all 3 spectrums of infrared light to benefit from infrared sauna therapy. First off, far-infrared, and plenty of it, is the most important component of an infrared sauna. Many of these primo companies do not offer the same saturation of far infrared light as Relax does. 

It is also worthy to note that the Relax Sauna generates about 99% pure Far Infrared Energy (FIR), and is, therefore, more effective in anti-doting EMF than a wooden sauna that generates only 50-60% FIR energy. (Sources)

The other problem with the claims from these companies is that their wooden saunas are roughly 5,000-8,000 dollars. We have both experienced these “high-grade” saunas from various pristine holistic health clinics and gyms. When we experienced the Relax Sauna for the first time we noticed how much more intense it was, how much hotter we were, and how quickly our core temperature rose. We also noticed how comfortable and easy it was to stay in the Relax Sauna. 

Honestly, our first time using the sauna was so intense that we could only handle 15 minutes. Now we are up to 25-40 minutes per session. If you can, it is beneficial to shower off the sweat several times throughout your session. 

Check out this video from a radionics specialist discussing EMF and the Relax Sauna.

Why do we like the Relax Sauna?

Above are three pictures of various far infrared saunas. The left is an imitation sauna sold on eBay, which generates far-infrared very poorly. The middle contains carbon panels behind the chair, and the right is a wooden sauna that also contains carbon panels.

Carbon panels contain carbon in the fabrics, and when electrically heated up, they emit a mild amount of far-infrared.

There are three main problems with these types of panels/saunas.

1. Carbon panels do not induce fast profuse sweating as the Relax Sauna does.
2. These cloth panels emit small amounts of far infrared compared to the dual 750-watt generators housed in the Relax Sauna.
3. Your upper body may be exposed to far greater amounts of EMF (electrical magnetic frequencies) with these types of panels.

The Relax Sauna emits 9 times more Far Infrared Energy in the 4-14 micron range than any other portable sauna, and 5 times more than any wood-based sauna. This means you are being saturated with greater amounts of healing far infrared energy than any other sauna, which equates to better results. The Relax Sauna increases the body’s core temperature more than any other sauna. Most other saunas are either too weak or simply just heat the “room” or an enclosed space.  

Compared to a traditional sauna, an infrared sauna can feel milder and less hot. The Relax Sauna is roughly seven times more efficient than an overly-hot sauna room (even when compared to infrared saunas) and is more effective at detoxifying the body. This means your core temperature heats up hotter, faster, and stays hot longer. 

In Washington state, a cancer clinic uses the Relax Sauna while administering IV therapy to several of its patients. Surprisingly, they were able to raise the core temperature to 102.8 degrees in one hour. This sauna heats up in only 20 seconds making it very practical. (Link)

It all goes down to experience. We cannot deny the amazing feedback Relax has received. About 90% of the time, their sauna receives a thumbs up in reviews, even from users that have bought and used higher-priced sauna models. 

Pro Tip

We always make sure to shower right after using the sauna. For longer sessions, we wash off the sweat every 10 minutes to make sure we do not reabsorb heavy metals back through the skin.

In Christ,
Nick & Nathan

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3699878/
2. https://saunas.org/
3. https://www.sunrisespecialty.com/
4. https://momentum98.com/files/whitepages1-4-102016.pdf
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18685882/
6. https://www.thermaltherapy.org/ebusSFTM/societyinfo/whatisthermalmedicine.aspx
7. https://www.relaxsaunas.com/emf-levels.html?cmp_id=384178960&adg_id=1143492756757574&kwd=emf&device=c
8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLUJ5cX9Qwc&list=PL5vdTNv8jQkRNVUGAwK8nDYXx9hMhgC7O
9. https://www.relaxsaunas.com/autism-videos.html
10. https://www.relaxsaunas.com/cancer-clinics.html
11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SoQ-BlwsgA
12. https://www.relaxsaunas.com/fever.html
13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qeuLdCjros&t=6s
14. https://www.momentum98.com/fir_medical_facts.pdf

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