Regular sauna use can add value to anyone’s life. Listed below are a few of the reasons saunas are so vital in maintaining an overall healthy life balance. Of particular interest is the detoxification power of saunas and the removal of toxic chemicals from our systems.
Relaxation. The warm, dry heat of the sauna relaxes the muscles and nervous system. Tensions melt away. The sauna offers a healthful method to unwind after a difficult day.
Health Maintenance. Periodic use enhances circulation, nourishes the glands, cleanses the skin and offers many of the benefits of exercise.
Social Interaction. Baths, saunas and lodges can be community gathering places for families and other groups. The warmth promotes openness and community spirit.
Spiritual Development. Native Americans and other groups use sweat lodges for sacred ceremony. The warmth, atmosphere and shape of the lodge make it excellent for emotional and physical cleansing. Together with others or alone, the sauna is a marvelous place to contemplate, meditate, pray and release fears and negativity. Adding sound, color, aromatherapy and other modalities can enhance the effects of the heat.
Healing. Spending one to four hours a day in sauna therapy is a powerful yet safe healing modality. The sauna is excellent to add energy to the body, decongest internal organs, assist circulation, heal infections and help many other body systems. Medical therapies too often focus on relieving symptoms while ignoring deeper causes which the sauna addresses.
In particular, conventional medicine often overlooks the effects of toxic chemicals and heavy metals on one’s health. Genetics is emphasized, but there is little mention that nutritional deficiencies and toxic agents cause genetic defects.
The following describes toxins the sauna can help remove :
Organic Chemicals. Never before in history have bodies been exposed to such large numbers and amounts of toxic chemicals. From building materials and home furnishings to food additives, solvents and thousands of other products, chemicals are part of the modern lifestyle.
Many harm the body, though the effects are often subtle. They accumulate in the water and air, so no location remains unaffected. Many degrade slowly so their effects are cumulative. Avoiding exposure is all but impossible. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), toxic chemicals are the worst environmental problem in the nation, responsible for up to 80% of cancer deaths.
One class of chemicals, pesticides and herbicides, are among the most toxic substances known to mankind. Several billion pounds are sprayed each year directly on our crops. Besides eating and wearing the residues, they contaminate the air and water supplies for hundreds of years.
Testing for thousands of chemicals is costly when tests even exist, and medicine has little to offer to eliminate them from the body. The diseases they cause have become epidemics. Sauna therapy shines brightly as a simple, effective therapeutic modality to help eliminate chemical toxins from the body.
Toxic metals. According to the United States EPA, toxic metals are the second worst environmental problem. Pesticides may contain lead, copper, arsenic and other metals. Fifty million mercury amalgam fillings are still placed in America each year. Tons of it is dumped into the air from coal-burning power plants and paper-making. Aluminum compounds are routinely added to table salt and municipal drinking water supplies. Arsenic and lead used in pesticides and insecticides find their way into the water and food supplies. In my experience, everyone has excess toxic metals, whether or not they show up on any test.
Some toxic metals replace vital minerals in enzyme binding sites. However, they do not function as well. When they accumulate, they contribute to hundreds of physical and emotional health conditions.
Lead contributes to more than 100 conditions including neuromuscular and bone diseases, fractures, mental retardation, hyperactivity, anemia and others. Some historians believe the Roman Empire fell because lead water pipes slowly poisoned the people and decreased their strength and intelligence. Sources of lead include old paint, inks, pesticides, a few hair dyes, solder and other metal products. During sauna therapy, I have observed lead to have a sickly sweet odor as it is eliminated. Elimination of lead was confirmed with hair mineral testing.
Cadmium contributes to high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, fatigue, arthritis, violence, infections, back pain and other conditions. Common sources are cigarette or marijuana smoke, refined foods and tap water. One may feel tired for a few days if one eliminates a lot of cadmium at one time.
Mercury toxicity is present in almost everyone today. Mercury is found in silver amalgam dental fillings, tuna and swordfish, contact lens solution, vaccines and various other products. Mercury may contribute to hypothyroidism, an impaired immune system, digestive problems such as yeast infections, emotional difficulties, learning disabilities, ADHD and many other conditions. Mercury elimination, if heavy, may be accompanied by a fishy odor during a sauna session.
Aluminum is associated with memory impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. Aluminum is widely used in beverage cans, aluminum foils, antiperspirants, antiacids, and aluminum cookware. Peppermint, spearmint and wintergreen are naturally high in aluminum.
Fluoride contributes to brown staining of the teeth, weakened bones, hip fractures, hypothyroidism, mental impairment, birth defects and cancer. Fluoride compounds are found in pesticides, air pollution, toothpastes, and are added to many water supplies. Foods processed with water including baby foods and juices often contain too much fluoride.
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