Hi best friend.
A while back I decided that I wanted to get a gym membership. Not because I don’t have access to a gym but because it’s incredible helpful when a gym has childcare so my little one can play while I get my workout in. I’ve also always loved the feeling of working out at a gym that has showers, saunas, steam rooms and other luxurious things that just make you feel like your work out experience feels like a day at the spa.
It’s a way to multi-task and at the same time put yourself in a high vibration when you are doing something productive for your health and wellness. I also think it is a great idea to put yourself around other like minded people. It’s never easy to make friends as a woman in your 30’s and 40’s so you want to invest your time in places where you can meet women who are going where you are going. As they say, you can always see where a person is going by the 5 people they are most surrounded by.
Anyway, for me, the non-negotiable when I was looking for a gym was a dry sauna that was for women only. I do a lot of prayer and meditation when I am in the sauna and I wanted something private, quiet and clean. I have always been obsessed with the dry sauna for person and spiritual reasons. It’s one of the only places that I feel a true sense of being free of distractions. I am disconnected from my phone, my apple watch and everything in the outside world. I just get to be in the quiet and for some reason, its when I feel the most spiritually connected with my higher self.
I frequently get ideas for podcasts, content, inspiration to call someone or a new recipe to try. It’s like I am just an open channel for what my higher self wants to say.
I’m addicted to the solitude.
So, when I took the Tony Robbins Unleash The Power Within and learned ALL of the wellness benefits of spending time in the sauna, naturally I became obsessed.
Did you know that hot sauna-ing is proven to slow down aging?
Yeah. Me neither.
Sauna bathing, an activity that has been a tradition in Finland for thousands of years and mainly used for the purposes of pleasure and relaxation. Well, emerging evidence suggests that beyond its use for pleasure, sauna bathing may be linked to several health benefits, like speeding up the healing process of headaches, skin disorders and the flu. In addition to that, it helps your cardiovascular system by stimulating the same physical body responses that are produced during a high intensity walk.
So basically, 20 min in the sauna can get your heart rate going in the same way it would a walk workout.
I personally like to do 10 minutes of sauna bathing before a 30-45 min walk and then again 20 minutes after to keep my heart rate up for longer periods of time. This keeps my metabolism fired up and enhances my workouts. I also personally like to do deep stretching after my walk inside of the heat because it loosens my body up even more.
Okay, so now back to the anti-aging benefits….
Studies have shown that “sauna bathing” can slow down aging effects by 15%.
The brain is especially sensitive to cognitive decline from unhealthy dietary patterns & everyday energy metabolism. BUT … heat induced bodily responses serve as a protection for the brain.
The increased heat exposure produces BDNF, a protein that promotes the growth of neurons that support the health & balance of the central nervous system.
This method can also be used to prevent or reduce the symptoms of depression, as 20 minutes in the sauna has been proven to reduce levels of cortisol ( your bodies main stress hormone). Read this article explaining 13 ways that saunas can improve your mental health and wellness.
My personal 5 reasons why you should try sauna bathing:
SPIRITUAL: It helps you reconnect with your higher self which will lead to personal growth and it allows you some solitude for self love and self care.
EMOTIONAL: It will lower your stress hormones and help you to experience less stress and anxiety in the body. It’s also a helpful place to reflect and process emotions.
HEALTH: It will give you a boost in your metabolism by helping support your heart rate as if you were working out longer for an extra fat burn.
WELLNESS: All of the mental health benefits and anti-aging benefits
SKIN: my skin feels so clean, fresh and dewy after you I am in the sauna. I have noticed a significant clearing of my skin and a boost in radiance.
Now here’s my secret to be able to actually do the sauna…because the sauna can be hot and draining.
*The key is to keep yourself seriously hydrated. I make myself an electrolyte water in the peach mango flavor. It literally tricks my body into thinking I am at a spa on vacation. I just feel like I am on a little getaway and I make a whole ritual out of it.
I also use the time to meditate, focus on what I want to manifest AND say affirmations to get myself into a better personal energy.
You know I just love to ROMANTICIZE everything into a nice little ritual. So, why not try it out too?
