Sauna benefits
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Relaxation
The warm heat of a sauna relaxes the muscles and nervous system. Tensions melt away. The sauna offers a healthful method to unwind after a difficult day.
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Healing
Spending from 30 minutes up to several hours per day in a sauna is a powerful yet very safe healing modality. The sauna is excellent to add fiery yang energy to the body, decongest the internal organs, assist circulation, heal infections and can help many other body systems as well.
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Health Maintenance
Periodic use of a sauna once a week or so, enhances circulation which nourishes the glands, cleanses the skin and offers many of the benefits of exercise.
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Social Interaction
Baths, saunas and sweat lodges can be community gathering places for families and other groups. The warmth promotes openess and a community spirit.
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Spiritual Development
Native Americans and other groups use sweat lodges for sacred ceremonies. The warmth, athmosphere and shape of the lodge make it excellent for emotional and spiritual reflection.
Dr Lawerence Wilson
Note: Sauna use should not replace an exercise program to keep the heart healthy.
“Hot baths have been used by virtually all indigenous cultures for several thousand years, including the Mayan sweat lodges, Mexican’s temecal, the islamic hammer, the Russian ban, the Japanese mushi-buro, the Native American sweat lodge, as well as Indian Ayuvedic medical literarure.” Dr Lawerence Wilson
Ireland’s bronze age fulacht a fiadh is thought to have been used a communal bathing site, as well as an ancient cooking and brewing site.
More recently in the 1700’s an igloo style stone hut is thought to have been popular and used to treat and prevent illnesses.
But the best known European sauna users are the Finnish, traditionally used as a multi-purpose space but credited for its undeniable healing properties.
