A new wellness center opened in my neighborhood, and they offer an infrared sauna with chromotherapy. I was intrigued because the word sauna conjured up memories of sitting in a wooden structure, pouring water over hot lava rocks and sweating for about 15 minutes before quickly exiting. An infrared sauna is a wooden structure and you do sweat, but the heat is generated differently making it easier to stay in it longer. A traditional sauna uses steam to heat the air around you, whereas an infrared sauna uses infrared lamps that use electromagnetic radiation to warm your body directly. The heat penetrates human tissue to heat the body and not the air around the body allowing for a more intense sweat at a lower temperature. This allows the user to stay in the sauna longer fulling reaping the benefits of the experience.
The benefits of an infrared sauna are like those of a traditional sauna and include:
- Relaxation
- Detoxification
- Improved sleep
- Relief from sore muscles, joint pain or arthritis pain
- Improved circulation
I’ve experienced all these benefits firsthand, but I absolutely love how relaxed and refreshed I feel when I’m finished with my session. There are risks of becoming dehydrated and its important to drink a lot of water during and after the session. Also, if you have health concerns or are on medication, you may want to talk to your doctor before scheduling a session.
Another difference that I noticed in the infrared sauna is there are two lights in the ceiling that either cycle through a series of colors very similar to a rainbow or can be set to a specific color for the session. This was a new experience, so I did some research to understand what this was all about. It turns out that this color therapy is known as Chromotherapy.
The teaching of chromotherapy has been around since ancient times and focuses on the use of the visible spectrum or color light to heal physical, mental and spiritual energy imbalances that can lead to disease. Chromotherapy and the chakras go hand in hand. Each color has a certain vibration and each of the energy centers in the body is governed by a color. These energy centers regulate the body’s functions and it’s believed that blocked energy in a chakra can lead to disease. If you’re interested in learning more on the 7 chakras, read our previous post called, “An Introduction to the 7 Chakras”.
I found it fascinating to learn about the benefits that each color can reap.
Red provides energy and stimulation. It is a natural energizer that increases blood circulation, activates metabolism, relieve joint pain and can boost the immune system to fight colds and the flu.
Orange is a warm color that is soothing to the senses, rejuvenates the body and invigorates the mind. Orange can heal bone fractures and sore ligaments, eases digestive issues, treats asthma, boosts the immune system, treats sinus issues and repair inflammation in the kidneys.
Yellow has a detoxifying and cleansing effect on the body to purify the skin and strengthen the immune system. It also inspires mental stimulation, happiness, curiosity and awareness to our surroundings.
Green brings balance and harmony to the mind, body and soul. It allows for relaxation and renewal to cleanse and purify. Green is thought of to be a universally healing color that allows us to feel connected to Mother Earth.
Blue is synonymous with deep relaxation by calming the breath and heart rate. Blue light can improve sleep, lower blood pressure, help relieve headaches, treat eye problems and reduce overall joint pain.
Purple/Violet is the color that allows us to tap into our intuition and is one of the most powerful mentally stimulating colors of the light spectrum. Purple can activate dreams, help us tap into our creativity and imagination, bring spiritual insights, spurs healing and renewal. It also helps the body with detoxification and can relieve muscle and arthritis pain.
Pink is known as our inner child and is effective at cleansing the body and mind of negative thoughts. Pink can reduce emotional stress, aid in emotional healing and restore youth. It also strengthens the veins and arteries while eliminating impurities in the blood steam.
White is known as the perfect color because it is all colors in perfect balance and harmony. White provides energy and is effective at reducing the impact of seasonal affective disorder. It also stimulates the production of serotonin, regulates sleep and the nervous system.
As I mentioned, when you’re in the sauna you can either choose that the lights cycle through the full spectrum or you can pause on a specific color to assist your body in using its energy to heal. Our bodies need the sun’s light to live and chromotherapy breaks that light into the color spectrum. We are meant to be in alignment, and this is another wellness tool that we can use to heal our physical, mental and spiritual energy to live our best life.
Reference Materials:
Christa John, “What is Chromotheraphy?”, https://www.sweatboxsb.com/blog/2018/october/what-is-chromotherapy-/
A Brief Overview of Chromotherapy Colors, https://www.sunlighten.com/products/chromotherapy#color-explained