Sauna Ritual
I have many rituals. First thing every morning, I pray. I then journal. And then I read the scriptures. This ritual gives me a springboard for the rest of my day. Many times I add meditation. As a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation, I’m aware of the many benefits of this part of my ritual.
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Taking these actions every day gives them the characteristic of habits. But they are so ingrained into my psyche that no matter what else I have going on, the first three always get done. They have become as natural as brushing my teeth. Those habits now form my morning ritual.
Another set of rituals that have become a part of my life is getting into the infrared sauna, quarterly colonics, and massages.
Many habits and practices can become rituals in your life. Maybe you already have traditions passed down within your family or culture.
However, I’m going to write some short blog posts that will give you some information on different habits you can add to your life. These habits performed consistently will become part of your daily, monthly, or yearly ritual. They may also be what makes the difference in how you maintain good health and longevity.
Note that I’m not giving medical advice. I’m not a doctor. I’m sharing my rituals with you. Please check with your healthcare advisor if you plan to incorporate any of these practices in your life. The best decision is an informed one. Please do your due diligence before trying any health-related techniques I may share with you.
Things to Know
Studies show that regular use of an infrared sauna can have positive benefits on blood pressure. However, there are some care and cautions related to the use of saunas. Harvard Health suggests the following precautions when using a sauna:
- check with your health care professional, especially if you have a lifestyle disease such as high blood pressure
- keep the time you spend to 15 – 20 minutes
- cool down gradually
- drink lots of water
- leave the sauna if you are not feeling well
I use the sauna for 60 minutes at a time because I’ve used it consistently for over ten years. I get a sense of well-being when I feel all the sweat pouring out of me. I take medications for high blood pressure. To me, regular sauna use helps to have those chemicals go somewhere else except my kidneys. So that is my main reason for using a sauna. My suggestion is to use a sauna as part of a ritual. That is, incorporate other healthy habits such as clean eating and regular exercise.
Sauna is a heat stress. Heat stress has been shown to activate autophagy. This is a process by which the body cleans out damaged cells. To learn more about autophagy and how it affects longevity start with this article. Also listen to this video.
This series of posts will give you an idea of what healthy practices you may include in your rituals. The posts will also have a healthy dose (pun intended) of curated sources where you can learn more about a particular habit. I hope it helps you to create or deepen the healthy practices you have incorporated into your lifestyle.
If you want to learn more in-depth details about the benefits of using a sauna, Dr. Rhonda Patrick writes a lot about it. The below video also talks about sauna use and its effect on certain diseases.
What are your daily, weekly or annual rituals? Please share it. Maybe you can write about the next blog post here. Let me know. Thanks.
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