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The sauna is revered far and wide for the good feelings it gives its users, but a relaxing, reinvigorating sauna bath can do far more than simply clear the cluttered mind and elevate the burdened spirit. Indeed, the benefits to the body are absolutely amazing.

Reacting naturally to the heat of a sauna bath, surface blood vessels expand, bringing an abundant flow of blood to the skin. The hot skin quickly warms the blood, carrying the heat deeper into the body. Through perspiration, acid and waste residues are extracted from the blood, boosting the kidneys’ capabilities to filter out impurities.

After a few sessions in the sauna, pores that have been closed for far too long may open up, expelling old cosmetics, blackheads and acne-producing bacteria. Dead skin cells may loosen up, allowing for them to be washed off later. Teenagers will like how the sauna helps to keep their skin cleaner and clearer, and adults will appreciate looking and feeling healthier and more youthful.

Greater blood flow benefits the body’s muscles through the reduction of lactic acid. Athletes often use the sauna to relax their sore, tense and tired muscles and alleviate stiffness in their joints. Increased circulation also promotes the healing of skin cuts, as the stronger blood flow brings more red and white blood cells to the areas where they are needed.

Not to be ignored are the sauna’s proven abilities to help relieve tension headaches, backaches, colds, sinus congestion, arthritis, rheumatism, minor respiratory ailments, and sleeping difficulties.

Once appropriately acquainted with the sauna and adequately educated in its operation, sauna enthusiasts typically develop their own styles, rituals and methods of enjoying the sauna. There are many guidelines but few, if any, fixed rules to deriving the most pleasure and fulfillment from a sauna, as everyone is free to blaze their own trail to sauna satisfaction.

As well, the same road need not be traveled each time a sauna fan embarks on the journey, for there may be occasions when the bather desires a sauna session that is less relaxing and more invigorating or vice versa.

So much of sauna enjoyment comes down to matters of preference and choice, yet most sauna aficionados agree on the fundamentals:

Since a sauna bath can affect the cardiovascular system in a similar way as jogging, playing tennis or engaging in a vigorous exercise program can, bathers should behave responsibly.

Never take more heat than is comfortable, and never push the limits of endurance.

Although saunas are known to relax pregnant women, mothers-to-be are encouraged to discuss sauna use with their doctors. Anyone with a chronic illness like diabetes or epilepsy, a serious circulatory or heart problem, or a skin or respiratory ailment should also seek advice on sauna bathing from a qualified health professional.

People with high blood pressure who are accustomed to regular sauna baths are usually directed to continue sauna use but in moderation.

For obvious health and safety reasons, people under heavy drug or alcohol influence should absolutely avoid the sauna.

Consider the following steps on your road to finding fulfillment in the sauna:

1. Give the sauna sufficient time to do its work; a sauna bath that is unhurried is far more beneficial than one that is rushed. One to 2-1/2 hours should be just right for reaching the acme of relaxation.

2. After eating a large meal, always wait a minimum of one hour before using the sauna. Some people find a sauna session early in the morning to be quite invigorating and a terrific way to start the day. Other folks believe evening is the best time to sauna bathe, as it can help prepare your mind and body for bed.

3. Preheat the sauna to the temperature you desire by setting the thermostat. Many traditional sauna aficionados enjoy the heat at about 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 degrees Celsius), the midpoint of the popular sauna temperature range of 170 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit (77 to 88 degrees Celsius).

4. Bathers not accustomed to sauna heat should begin at a lower temperature of about 160 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius) and allow their capacity for enjoying higher temperatures to develop.

5. Wear as little as possible, preferably nothing at all. A loose towel can be used if necessary. Take off any watches, jewelry and eyeglasses that would become irritatingly hot.

6. Many sauna bathers begin with a brief warm shower to wash off body oils and dirt.

7. Relax on the top level of the sauna for 10 to 15 minutes. (If you prefer a moderate heat, choose the lower level.) Many bathers spend about half of their time in the sauna resting in a recumbent, or reclining, position. When you are reclining, raise your feet above head level by using permanent footrests installed on the wall, or place a portable footrest beneath your ankles. Portable headrests and backrests are ideal for helping sauna bathers reach greater levels of comfort and enjoyment.

The sauna’s dry heat will increase your blood circulation and ultimately bring your body to the perspiration point, but don’t expect to perspire heavily during your first session in the sauna.

Don’t stay in the sauna for more than 30 minutes, as any exposure beyond that can be not only uncomfortable but also unsafe. Remember, the sauna is not a test of toughness.

8. Shower again, or take a cool refreshing swim. Weather permitting, hardy types might opt for an icy dip or a roll in freshly fallen snow. For some people, sudden temperature changes can be vitalizing. Exposure to extreme cold, however, must be followed by an adequate soak in the sauna heat to avoid contracting a cold.

9. Rest for 10 to 15 minutes to allow your body to cool down slowly, and then repeat the cycle of heat, shower and rest.

10. When you’re back in the sauna, throw on several scoops of water with the sauna dipper to make steam and to increase the humidity in the room. Raising the humidity level from a low five to eight percent to a more comfortable 15 percent will allow your skin to stay completely wet with perspiration. You should create a heat and humidity combination that will afford you the most enjoyment. Some bathers like it exceedingly dry, and some prefer it to be very humid. You must ascertain for yourself what your personal preferences are.

11. The birch whisk (or vihta or vasta, as it is called in Finland) can now be used to stimulate blood circulation on the skin. Whisking the whole body should cause very heavy perspiration.

12. Once your body is warm, your skin pores will open. When that happens, it’s time to vigorously scrub your entire body clean. If you’re sharing your sauna bath with a companion, be considerate and offer to scrub his or her back. He or she may just return the favor.

13. Experienced sauna bathers know that the final cleansing of the skin and pores occurs in the heat of the sauna session that follows a vigorous scrubbing.

14. Take a warm shower, and then, being careful not to chill your body, take a cooler shower to close the pores of your skin. Avoid extreme cold and drafts until your body temperature has normalized.

15. Allow your body to dry without toweling it. Take at least 20 minutes to relax and cool down before you get dressed. If you are at home, feel free to go right to bed and enjoy a deep, refreshing sleep.

16. Many sauna enthusiasts like to eat a light snack after a sauna session. Accompanied by a refreshing cool beverage, small salty sausages or crackers can be a tasty treat and will help the body replace the water and salt it lost during the session.

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by Pertti Olavi Jalasjaa

Just like everybody knows how it feels to be happy or sad, everybody knows how it feels to be stressed. People face stress at home, at work, at school – anywhere opportunities to react to internal or external stimulation exist.

That stimulation can come from a disagreement with a spouse, a conflict with a co-worker, criticism from a teacher, bad news from a doctor, and so on. And the stimulation need not be negative; people often become stressed when they start new jobs or enter into new relationships. Even a big, surprise win at the casino can cause stress.

A little stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Stress during a job interview can help you give the best answers to the people asking the tough questions. Stress on a date can help ensure that your love interest sees you at your best behavior. Stress is, after all, the body’s way of rising to a challenge and preparing you to meet a demanding situation or undertake a difficult task with focus, strength, stamina and/or heightened alertness. Managed well, stress can actually benefit a person by enhancing his or her ability to perform under pressure.

Of course, if mismanaged, stress can have devastating effects on the human body.

When you are stressed, your brain alerts your adrenal glands to produce more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and release them into your bloodstream. These hormones speed up your heart and breathing rates, blood pressure, and metabolism. These hormones are not harmful in moderate amounts, but cortisol is secreted excessively in response to chronic stress and is extremely toxic in these larger amounts.

“Cortisol actually kills and disables your brain cells,” says Dr. Al Sears, founder and director of The Wellness Research Foundation. “Over your lifespan, cortisol ruins your brain’s biochemical integrity. Chronic exposure to cortisol causes the mental haziness, forgetfulness and confusion that is associated with aging.”

People under stress may also be at higher risk of developing coronary heart disease. Stress causes arteries to constrict and blood to become stickier, increase the probability of an artery-clogging blood clot. As well, people who regularly experience sudden increases in blood pressure caused by stress may, over time, develop injuries in the inner lining of their blood vessels.

Studies suggest that chronic stress may increase a person’s chances for developing infections, having strokes, experiencing flare ups of multiple sclerosis, and suffering gastrointestinal problems like peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease. Chronic stress has also been linked to the development of insulin resistance, a key factor in diabetes. And ask anybody who has ever suffered from headaches, insomnia, skin disorders or sexual dysfunction if they believe that stress was at least partly to blame for their woes, and then construct your own conclusions about how damaging stress can be to one’s health and well being.

If you think you have a serious condition that has been caused or made worse by certain stressors in your life, you should discuss your concerns with a qualified physician. If, however, you’d like to improve the quality of your life by learning how to better cope with stress, many options exist. Perhaps your first focus should be on discovering the remarkable benefits of relaxation.

Relaxation decreases blood pressure, respiration and pulse rates, releases muscle tension, and eases emotional strains. In their quests for greater relaxation, some people choose biofeedback while others opt for massage therapy. Some folks meditate, and others perform deep breathing exercises. Many people use a combination of different methods, techniques and aids.

One such aid that has been revered as an effective stress-buster for many years is the home sauna.

The list of health benefits associated with proper sauna bathing is an impressive one. Studies indicate that soaking in a hot sauna bath can help improve respiratory function, increase cardiovascular strength, reduce and remove body toxins, strengthen the body’s immune system, relieve headaches, and cleanse and beautify skin. Sauna bathing can also increase blood circulation, relaxing tight, tired or aching muscles by providing them with more oxygen.

If you’re searching for a healthy way to alleviate the stress in your life, consider purchasing a home sauna. Residential saunas are available in a range of styles and sizes, from pre-cut Finnish sauna kits to outdoor barrel saunas and far infrared heat therapy rooms. Many sauna manufacturers can also design and construct saunas to custom specifications.

Given how seriously stress can impair your physical and emotional health, right now is the perfect time to learn how to relax, and inside a hot sauna room, away from the countless demands and distractions in your life, may just be the perfect place to do it.

By Pertti Olavi Jalasjaa

It’s no secret that far infrared or radiant heat saunas offer an impressive array of proven health benefits. Bathing in a far infrared sauna can increase heart rate and blood circulation without raising blood pressure. As well, regular far infrared sauna use can help strengthen the body’s immune system; eliminate heavy metals, toxic chemicals and other waste material; cleanse and nourish the skin; relieve aches and pain; speed the healing of sprains and strains; promote relaxation, and burn calories.

The long list of benefits of far infrared sauna use has already convinced countless people to incorporate radiant heat baths into their usual routines, but now, with the many extra advantages it offers, an invaluable far infrared sauna accessory is persuading even more people to embrace far infrared sauna bathing. Some people call this particular accessory an oxygen ionizer, while others refer to it (as this article will) as a negative ion generator.

An ion, as you may recall from your high school science classes, is an electrically charged atom or group of atoms that has gained or lost an electron. An atom that loses an electron forms a positive ion, and an atom that gains an electron forms a negative ion. In nature, ions are formed in a variety ways. About half are created by radioactive gases, while radioactive substances in the soil, cosmic rays, ultraviolet rays, airflow friction, falling water, and plants produce the other half.

Given their names, it would be understandable for someone to think that negative ions are dangerous and positive ions are beneficial, but the opposite is true. A wealth of information exists that declares air with an abundance of negative ions to be much healthier for humans than air with a high concentration of positive ions. Scientists have discovered that if the air is charged with too few negative ions and too many positive ions, people breathing it are more likely to feel tired and unsettled. More alarming is the fact that negative ion depletion and pos-ion poisoning have been linked to allergies, headaches, insomnia, arthritis, anxiety, and even heart attacks.

Negative ions perform a great service to people. They purify the air by magnetically attaching themselves to airborne particles such as dust, pollen, smoke and dander, weighing those particles down, and causing them to drop from the air. That function of negative ions may explain why so many negative ion generators are marketed as being able to alleviate respiratory diseases and hay fever.

“Generally speaking, negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain, resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy,” says Pierce Howard, author of The Owner’s Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain Research. “They also may protect against germs in the air, resulting in decreased irritation due to inhaling various particles that make you sneeze, cough, or have a throat infection.”

The best natural negative ion generator is said to be lightning, followed by ocean surf and waterfalls. Ion researcher James Karnstedt notes, “Waterfalls have always been the favorite habitat of mystics and artists. The inspiration and romance generated at places like Niagara Falls and Yosemite have a direct relationship to the lowering of serotonin levels in the blood, caused by the waves of negative ions from the spray of these falls.”

Levels of serotonin, a brain chemical commonly associated with depression, can be adjusted by increased exposure to light and by antidepressants. New research, however, indicates that negative ions can also impact serotonin levels and, in turn, help people suffering from mood disorders. A study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine revealed that 58 percent of patients suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) had significant relief of their symptoms after being treated with high-density negative ions.

According to Karnstedt and other sources, researchers have found that negative ions reduce neurosis and anxiety; enhance heart function; decrease pulse rate; speed physical recovery; help revitalize cell metabolism; strengthen bones; sharpen mental functioning; heighten appetite and thirst; promote healthy digestion; relieve asthma, migraines, burns and post-operative pain; stimulate sexual behavior, and help people sleep better. While performing tests on infants, a group of doctors at a hospital in Jerusalem even noticed that the babies didn’t cry as often or as loudly when they were breathing negative ions as they did in normal air.

People who seek the benefits of negative ions but do not have free or easy access to Niagara Falls, the seashore, or frequent lightning storms would be wise to investigate the possibilities presented by a far infrared sauna equipped or accessorized with a negative ion generator. Various far infrared sauna manufacturers and dealers sell certain models of radiant heat saunas with the negative ion generator already included; it is also sold separately as an accessory. Regardless of how you buy your negative ion generator, you should regard your purchase as an inexpensive yet worthy investment in yourself, as the negative ion generator is an instrument that could have a remarkably positive impact on your health and happiness.

For whatever reason, most people feel uncomfortable talking about perspiration. Nevertheless, the word sweat regularly finds its way into casual conversations. For example, it’s not unusual to hear someone remark that he or she “sweated” over an academic assignment, “worked up a sweat” on the tennis courts, or “lost a pint of sweat” while awaiting an important decision. But these are simply colloquial expressions that many of us utilize to make a point about our mental or physical stress or exertion related to a particular undertaking or event. When we use them, we are not specifically addressing our perspiration. After all, to do so, polite society decrees, would be in poor taste.

And yet much could be gained if people felt free to discuss the natural biological process of perspiration without fear of judgment or reproach. Open discourse on the subject could very well lead to greater public understanding of the high value of perspiration and, in turn, put many people on the road to better health.

It would also likely greatly increase public interest in far infrared saunas.

For years, health professionals and health-conscious laymen have been praising far infrared saunas for their astounding ability to make people sweat copiously and comfortably. When we perspire in a far infrared sauna, we help our bodies rid themselves of the countless toxins like mercury, lead, cadmium and other contaminants that have accumulated within us over time. As well, by intensely sweating in a far infrared sauna we benefit our hearts, lungs, kidneys and other organs that are essential to our survival. Far infrared sauna bathing has also been proven to promote pain relief, muscle relaxation, and emotional tranquility.

For people suffering from certain skin diseases, far infrared sauna bathing can be particularly therapeutic. As the far infrared heat induces an increase in blood circulation to the skin, the body’s defence against chronic skin conditions like acne, eczema and psoriasis is considerably bolstered. As well, thorough sweating helps unclog the skin of whatever unhealthy remnants of soap, lotions, deodorants or makeup may be unnecessarily lodged in its pores. Dead skin cells are also effectively flushed away by a good sweat in a far infrared sauna.

Increased blood flow and decreased toxins and foreign material in our skin mean more natural nutrients and fewer reasons for irritations and disease. It all adds up to cleaner, healthier and better-looking skin. Elasticity, texture, tone and color can all noticeably improve after just a few sessions in a far infrared sauna. These benefits are available even if your skin has suffered harsh damage from excessive exposure to the sun.

You don’t have to talk about perspiration if you don’t want to. But, at the very least, it’s time you started thinking seriously about your sweat. If you live a mostly sedentary lifestyle and therefore don’t perspire much on a regular basis, you must take action for the sake of the health of your heart, lungs, skin and other vital organs. Discover the myriad benefits of owning and using a far infrared sauna. Countless experts agree that it’s your best setting for healthy sweating.

by Pertti Olavi Jalasjaa

You’ve wisely avoided sleeping pills, but it seems as if you’ve tried almost everything else to get a better night’s sleep. You’ve reduced your intake of caffeine and alcohol. You’ve made sure you’re in bed at the same time every night. You’ve stopped watching TV or reading right before bedtime. You’ve made your bedroom as quiet and as dark as possible. Despite all your efforts, however, you’re still having difficulty falling or staying asleep.

To make matters worse, you’re now so worried about not being able to sleep well that you just can’t relax.

Maybe the time has come for you to try soaking in a sauna before heading off to bed.

In many circles around the world, the home sauna is held in high esteem for its amazing ability to soothe and relax the human body inside and out. The comforting heat of a sauna works to induce healthy perspiration, assist respiratory function, benefit blood pressure, stimulate endorphins, cleanse skin, and relieve sore, tired muscles. By raising your body temperature in a sauna bath right before bedtime, you compel it to normalize itself afterwards, and it’s this temperature readjustment following the sauna bath that helps to improve the quality of your sleep.

Of course, other effects of the heat bath can certainly contribute to improvements in your sleep. Regular sauna bathers routinely report that soaking in a hot sauna helps them rid their minds of the anxieties, frustrations and worries that may have been plaguing them prior to bathing. And by helping to alleviate any existing physical pain like headaches, muscle strain or joint stiffness, a sauna bath can effectively disarm many of the aggravations that might have impeded truly restful sleep.

Home saunas are available in many styles and sizes. Whether it’s a do-it-yourself sauna kit, a modular sauna unit, a traditional Finnish sauna or a far infrared heat therapy room, the sauna you purchase should have a noticeably positive impact on the quality of your sleep as well as on your physical and mental well-being.

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