Future Visions Foundation

The Sauna Experience

What you will need:

1. Swimsuit or cotton underwear
2. At least two towels
3. Water-preferably mineralized
4. Loofa or brush for the shower after the sauna
5. Bathrobe (optional)

About the sauna: This is a far infrared sauna, which appears to be the best type of sauna for detoxification and health benefits.

In an infrared sauna, the air does not get as hot. The infrared light penetrates into your body, 1 ˝ to 3 inches, and warms your tissues. As the tissues warm, you sweat, releasing toxins. The skin is the largest organ of detoxification in the body. Tight clothing, lotions, soaps, antiperspirants, etc, stop proper sweating. Repeated use of the sauna slowly restores the ability of the skin to act as a detox organ.

The warming of your tissues also increases circulation, increases the immune system, enhances metabolism, speeds up healing, strengthens the heart muscle, opens the nasal passages and sinuses, increases skin health, and even burns calories.

The experience is quite pleasant. Steam baths, lava rock saunas, sweat lodges and other methods of promoting sweating can feel rather harsh. Far infrared is not.

What to expect: Plan an hour for your sauna. Begin the process by drinking several glasses of water before you arrive. When you arrive, you will be shown into the dressing room, where you can take a quick, hot shower to open your pores. You will then get into the sauna. Take some water with you, a towel to sit on, and a small towel to wipe sweat. The doctor will determine how much time you should spend in the sauna. No one should spend more than 30 minutes. Sweating begins in about 10 minutes.

When the timer goes off, the attendant will let you know (it is hard to tell when it is done from inside the sauna). Then you will sit and relax for 10 minutes or so, drinking more water. Finish by taking a shower with your loofa or body brush to thoroughly remove all sweat. Do not use lotions of creams after the shower—leave your pores open to breath and continue to eliminate dead cells and toxins.

Do not plan to work or read in the sauna. We even discourage lively conversation with your companion, if you are doing a two person sauna. You can best use your time by sitting quietly, contemplating and relaxing. You may relax with music or poetry.

For most people a sauna once or twice weekly will accomplish a great deal of health improvement.