Infrared Sauna for the Soul

Like every other Los Angeles resident, my life is Go-Go-Go. … Go. 

You know how it is. 

After a long set of meetings earlier this week, I was tense, I was sore, and I was stressed. So I ran to the beach for a quick surf. I needed a breather. But because I was still lost somewhere in that long string of go’s, I didn’t pause to check the tide, I didn’t pause to feel where I was at in the day. Heck, I hardly paused long enough to remember my board. My tense body and mind were in no state to flow with those waves. It just took a particularly violent bashing from the tide to tell me so, and to remind me that I was missing an integral element of the California lifestyle I had moved here for.

With cracked skin, stiff joints, kinks in back, and buckets of sand wedged in the most unfortunate places, I trudged up the beach and tried to get back to the tasks waiting for me. But nothing. worked.  My mind was foggy, I creaked when I moved, and I realized just how unhealthy I felt. I wished there was something that could just melt the discomfort away… something that could reset me for the rest of the week - mind, body, and spirit.  

Well, let me just go ahead and tell you: I FOUND IT. A miracle worker. A health revolution. A Far Infrared Sauna at Gentle Wellness Center. As soon as I stepped into the space, I closed the door to outside chaos, and opened a door inside myself for forty-five minutes of lasting bliss and healing.

Before I continue, I know what you’re thinking. YES, it’s hot outside. So why go sweat in a box when you’re forced to break a sweat walking from the car to the front door? 

Because Infrared heat is a different kind of heat than this summer swelter, and a different kind of heat than any sticky gym sauna. The temperatures in infrared saunas are actually much lower than the temperatures of a traditional sauna. But because of the penetrative nature of infrared rays, the body is gently heated from the core and a more efficient perspiration is induced. In other words, the infrared rays heat your body from the inside out rather than simply heating the air. 

So, it’s not the kind of heat that makes you dizzy, nauseated, or itchy-in-your-clothes-all-you can-think-about-is-cold-shower uncomfortable. It’s the kind of heat that increases circulation and helps cleanse the tissues, relax muscles and nerves, and enhance oxygenation and detoxification. Infrared rays help smooth cellulite, relieve pain, and regenerate the body systems from their core. 

Even better, the rays are absorbed so welcomingly because infrared energy wavelengths are extremely similar to the wavelengths naturally emitted by our own bodies. This factor combine with the lower temperatures makes it easier to stay in for longer amounts of time comfortably. Which is something I certainly wanted to do at the saunas in Gentle Wellness Center with their private bamboo rooms, plush towels and pillows, Himalayan salts, light music… need I say more? 

 I was reminded of the California lifestyle as I left with a clear, calm mind. It’s not go-go-go. It’s go- relax and rejuvenate– go. That middle part is the part that makes all the go’s actually move forward. The part that gives us mental and physical clarity to forge on with the waves, in surf and in life. Thank you, Gentle Wellness Center, for reminding me.