Our sauna arrived on July 1, 2010. This was a service that members were slow to adapt. Nobody set appointments for it, and it was always available when people asked for it.

But who can blame them? It arrived on July 1, in the heat of our summer. People were on vacation, relaxing by the pool. Besides, who wants to think about a sauna when it’s 100+ degrees outside?

Slowly, slowly, however, interest began to increase.

As the weather turned cooler that fall, more members began to ask about it. What did it do? Was it like a rock sauna? How was it any different from lying outside in the middle of August? (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that question.)

And more and more people started doing it. Now, at long last, the sauna has become one of our more popular services, despite our weather.

So, what exactly is our sauna, which is officially called Saunatox? Developed by Therasage, it is a Far Infrared Sauna, which is far different from a traditional rock sauna in the way it works (it requires far less heat than a traditional sauna) and in the way it detoxes the body.

Far Infrared waves are radio waves that can penetrate a mass. With our sauna, the infrared waves, or rays, penetrate two to three inches deep into the body. Since our bodies are mostly made up of water, molecularly, those rays hit the fluids in our body and excite them, creating internal heat and raising the body’s core temperature. As these rays penetrate through the body, and the body’s core temperature rises, the body releases toxins through the pores.

The process is far different from that of a hot rock sauna, where the temperature needs to get to almost 200 degrees F to have the same effect, making the typical rock sauna much less comfortable, so that the user cannot stay as long.   Whether a person does a far infrared sauna or a rock sauna, use of a sauna provides a number of other health benefits. In addition to detoxing the body, it increases circulation by forcing the blood to flow throughout the body. This increased blood flow, in turn, causes more nutrients and oxygen to be delivered to every part of the body. Sauna also is believed to reduce cancer-causing free radicals, reducing the body’s risk of developing cancer. Detoxing also can have the side benefit of helping the user lose weight.

Here are some benefits of our Saunatox.

• Natural pain relief
• Patented even distribution and delivery system of beneficial Far Infrared heat and Negative Ions. Negative ions help balance the body when there are excess positive ions, which are caused by electronic equipment, stress and even intense exercise.
• No electromagnetic radiation
• Safe, long-lasting, deep penetrating therapeutic heat
• AM/FM-CD Player
• Patented Infrared system
• All natural wood
• Non toxic
• Interior reading light
• Antibacterial materials
• All natural Detoxification
• Lower temperature to detox required: 140° versus 200°

So, if you haven’t tried or sauna or have been thinking about trying it, but just haven’t, why not give it a try? If you’re a Spa Member, it’s already included in your membership. If you’re a UV or Mystic member, ask a Spa Consultant about trying it. We’re confident you’ll like it!

Make it a great rest of the week.

~Bill