home sauna

Any moment of relaxation is a break from reality and the intense, always-busy world that we live in. Saunas are known to help people relax, and with many healthy benefits, using them daily can be good for both your mind and body. However, getting your daily sauna session in is not always easy, especially when you’re driving to your local gym to find a sauna. Today, not every gym has a sauna, so for some people it may be difficult to find a place that even has a sauna available to use. These are all reasons why having your own sauna is great and may be a good choice for you and your family!

Just steps outside your own home you could step into a warm relaxation zone where, after a peaceful 15 or 20 minutes, you’ll leave feeling renewed and refreshed. Your sauna is a place where you can gather with friends, family, or just take some time for yourself to relax.

Owning your own sauna means you get to choose the exact sauna that works best for you and your needs. With saunas seating up to six people, you’ll have plenty of room to sit and zone out during your sauna session. You can choose accessories or add-ons for your sauna such as these sauna scents. These allow you to enhance your sauna experience, making it your own and right for you. You’ll never have to worry about what to wear during your sauna session, because it’s just you and the relaxing heat. That means you can wear these convenient and comfortable sauna and spa wraps to give yourself the relaxing and at-home feeling only your own sauna can provide.

Although saunas are known to be very sterile areas, having your own sauna allows you to know who’s been in it and how often you feel it should be cleaned. You can use it at your own convenience, as it will always be just steps outside your door or just down the hall.

Saunas are very beneficial for your muscles and joints after an intense workout or even a long day in the office. The heat allows your muscles to loosen up and relax. No need to stop at the gym or try and squeeze it in, in the morning. With your sauna at home, you can step inside whenever it is convenient for you.

The choices are truly unlimited when it comes to owning your own home sauna. From colors, to types of wood, to size, to accessories, you have the ability to really make it your own. By the time you add in the price of gas, and a membership so that you can use the sauna, it will be more time and money spent than if you have your own. You can easily grab some snacks, beverages and even the rest of the family, and enjoy a sauna session and time together.

Making your sauna yours and right for you and your family is only going to increase your relaxation and enjoyment of your sauna. Whether it’s indoors, outdoors, for two people or for four people, relaxation in your very own sauna really is the BEST thing ever!

There are countless amenities to outfit the modern bath.  From shower rooms to saunas, the only limitations are your imagination and your budget.

Saunas in particular are making their way into master bathroom suites – not just for the luxury aspect, but also for the myriad health benefits including:

• Improved blood circulation

• Natural detoxification of the body’s tissues

• Relaxation for the body and mind

While an installed home sauna may not suit the space you have to work with, an outdoor sauna can instead prove a very viable alternative.

Our favorite things about installing a backyard sauna?

1. The first one is the most obvious: you can enjoy a refreshing sauna day or evening without leaving the comfort of your home.

2. During the cooler (or depending on where you live!) the snowy months, there’s nothing like relishing the great outdoors from the comfort of a cozy sauna.

3. As the perfect companion to your pool – you can enjoy a refreshing sauna and then swim your laps for an invigorating start to your day, or to wind down from a stressful one.

4. You can take it with you! Outdoor saunas are typically portable so if you move to another home or decide to re-landscape or re-design your yard – the sauna can sit wherever it makes sense in relation to your house or your pool.

5. They’re decorative. Today’s saunas are not simply a big, ugly box that could easily be mistaken for a storage shed. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes (including custom) with optional features for the interior as well as decorative doors.

With an outdoor sauna you will have the ability to indulge in the benefits of a sauna and make it an essential part of your wellness and fitness regimen.

As a rule, “sweat” tends to have a bad connotation. Perhaps that’s because we take so many measures against it. We use deodorant, blast air conditioners to keep from perspiring, pat our bodies dry with thick terrycloth towels, and even don active wear that wicks sweat away from our skin.

But an “intentional” sweat is a key part of a healthy regimen. Incorporating a good sauna session will provide numerous benefits.

Our Top Five Favorite Things About Saunas:

1. They offer a very effective means of eliminating toxins from the body. We are exposed to more toxins than any of us are aware. (If we focused too much on them we would likely never leave the house!) However, because the skin is porous, it affords the perfect “medium” to literally transport toxins.

2. In the same way the human body naturally develops a fever to increase metabolism in an effort to ward off viruses; similarly, a sauna session can improve blood circulation and help bring oxygen to tissues. It also helps to clear nasal passages and drain clogged sinuses.

3. Infrared saunas in particular are especially effective at removing toxins from the body. Their dry and warming energy heats deep tissues and enhances the metabolic processes.

4. Drinking plenty of water to replenish lost fluids is part of a healthy regime, but a great “side effect” of incorporating consistent sauna sessions is embracing the importance of water throughout the day.

5. There are also reported benefits for those suffering from arthritis and muscle strain.

If you’ve never tried a sauna before, you will likely find it an activity you’ll wish to incorporate into a consistent regimen. Similar to the feeling of a runner’s high or the tranquility and “destressification” realized after a nice, long swim….the relaxation and detoxification you’ll feel will have you wanting to find more time to fit additional sauna sessions into your week.

Saunas are everywhere, easily accessible to most people. You can find them in gyms, spas, community centers, and in private homes. There's no denying the amazing benefits of using a sauna, but are there reasons to prefer a private home sauna over a public sauna? Of course!

1. You Can Wear Whatever You Want

photo by Hurmine Kurz via Flickr

A gym, spa, or even a sauna business that rents private time in a sauna will have rules about acceptable levels of clothing. Some will require you to wear swimsuits, or will require only a towel. Some may insist on nudity. In your own home sauna, you can wear whatever you like--within reason, of course. Wearing too much could lead to overheating and is not advised.

2. You Know How Clean the Sauna Is

photo by Todtanis via Wikipedia

A gym sauna could see hundreds of people move through it in a day. Even upscale spas could have dozens of people moving through the sauna. You have no idea when it was last cleaned, or whether the previous users cleaned themselves properly before using it. You don't know what they might have done while in the sauna. And regardless of the sauna's cleanliness and the cleanliness of its patrons, you're still going to be exposed to bacteria, hair and skin cells left behind. In your home sauna, you know exactly how clean the sauna is, and you know exactly who has been in it and what they've been doing. Any stray hairs are yours, and you aren't exposed to random germs.

3. Home Saunas are so Darn Convenient

You don't need to get dressed and leave the house to use your home sauna. You don't need to brave weather, crowds, or traffic. You can use it any time of day for any length of time. Saunas are a great way to relieve cold symptoms, but who wants to leave the house when they're sick? Added bonus: you don't expose anyone else to your cold germs, your morning breath, your bed head, or your make-up free face.

4. You Don't Have to Pay Any Fees

Yes, there is an initial cost for the purchase of the sauna, and there are ongoing maintenance and operation costs. However, you don't have to worry about maintaining your gym or spa membership in order to access the sauna. You don't have to pay a high fee to use the spa for just a few minutes. You don't have to pay additional robe or towel fees. If you figure the cost of a home spa over a ten-year period versus the cost of maintaining a gym or spa membership over that time, plus gas or public transit costs, you may find that a home sauna saves you money.

5. You are in Control of the Heat and the Loyly

Gym and spa saunas, and sauna businesses that rent time in private saunas, set the heat and humidity of the sauna to suit the largest number of people. These levels may be too low or too high for your comfort or preference. In a home sauna, you can set the temperature however you like, make adjustments to suit your mood or comfort. Most importantly, you can be the master of your own loyly!

6. You Can Customize Your Sauna Experience

photo by Clarkston SCAMP via Flickr

Public-use saunas have to strive to please the largest number of people possible and maintain a consistent experience, so they typically standardize the sauna environment they offer. In a home sauna, you are free to add chromatherapy gels to the sauna lights, to add fragrances to the air or water, pipe in your favorite music, or add headrests and massage benches.

7. You are Guaranteed the Privacy You Desire

photo by Jorge Royan via Wikipedia

Maybe you're a little shy, or you are uncomfortable around half-naked strangers. Perhaps you don't enjoy co-ed saunas. In your own home sauna, you are assured of absolute privacy or, if you'd rather, you can pick and choose your company by inviting over exactly the friends you'd like to hang out with.

8. You Control the Silence, or Lack of Silence

Whether you prefer to sweat in silence or enjoy listening to music--or even audiobooks--using a home silence means you control the noise level. No more chatty strangers ruining your zen!

9. You Get a Good Return on Your Investment

A sauna in your home can add value to the property and make it more intriguing if you decide to sell. Many sauna models are designed to be easily assembled and disassembled, so you could also opt to take it with you when you move, thereby ensuring continued and uninterrupted access. However you look at it, a home sauna is a good investment.

10. You Will Be a Healthier Person

The energy and time required to get out of the house and to the gym or spa can deter even the best of us from accessing all the health benefits a sauna offers. If you have one in your home, however, that obstacle is minimized--maybe even obliterated!--and you are more likely to use the sauna regularly. This leads to better health.

With all of the above to consider, are there any reasons why a public sauna might be better than a private sauna? There are! Check back for our next article discussing just that.

• https://blog.almostheaven.net/6-reasons-to-invest-in-a-home-sauna/
• https://www.greatsaunas.com/info/advantages-of-home-sauna.cfm

Natarajasana by Nina Mel, Yoga Teacher courtesy of Kennguru.

Saunas are not the one-use facilities they may appear to be. They provide a great place to sit and relax, but they can also be a great place to exercise. There are many ways to do this, but one of the most popular is doing hot yoga in your home sauna.

What is Hot Yoga?

Hot yoga is a style of yoga exercise performed in hot and humid conditions, feasibly to simulate the climate of yoga's country of origin, India. The heat increases the flexibility of the muscles, which aids in achieving the various yoga poses. There are several different types of hot yoga, including Bikram Yoga, Forrest Yoga, Power Yoga, and Tribalance Yoga. Each type has a slightly different approach and philosophy, but all use varying amounts of heat in the environment.

What Does This Have to Do With Saunas?

Practitioners of Hot Yoga typically attend classes in heated studios with the instructor and other students. However, many people find they are able to replicate the hot, humid conditions necessary for hot yoga in the privacy of their own home saunas. This gives them increased privacy, convenience in when they exercise, and the convenience of not having to leave home. This can be a great option for people with schedules that don't allow time for classes, individuals with disabilities that would be better served by a customized environment, introverts or individuals with social anxiety issues, or parents who'd like to exercise while keeping an eye on the kids.

How to Do Hot Yoga in Your Home Sauna

1. Take some yoga classes. This is really important, and the foundation for moving forward. Yoga poses are very precise, and performing them incorrectly is pointless at best, and a potential for injury at worst. If you cannot attend classes, yoga instructors will sometimes provide private lessons in your home. Once you can comfortably and confidently perform the poses with little to no instruction, you are ready for the next step.
2. Buy a sauna. Or, if you already own one, prepare it for this particular use. You will need plenty of space to spread out and stretch, so a larger sauna is better than a smaller one. Look into options like our pre-built sauna kits--these are easy to customize to fit any space, and are pretty affordable when looking to get maximum space for your dollar. When purchasing the sauna or customizing it for exercise, make sure to consider the amount of floor space available, whether not it has or needs hand rails for your balance, and the placement/type of heater. A traditional stone-heater sauna will let you control the humidity, but many professionals recommend infrared heaters for hot yoga at home.
3. Fine tune the set up. Try it out. Play with different temperature-to-humidity values. Invest in a good yoga mat. Cheaper mats may not be able to stand up to higher temperatures and can become slick with moisture, posing a serious safety hazard. Have your yoga instructor inspect the set up and monitor your first session. They may have ideas for how to utilize other aspects of the sauna, such as the benches and backrests, in your yoga routine. Find your limit for how long and hard you can exercise and respect it, setting a timer if necessary to avoid over-exertion.

Be Safe

If your health is compromised in any way due to pregnancy, illness, or disease, always check with your doctor before taking on a new work out routine or exposing yourself to extreme temperatures and humidity. Hot yoga and sauna use are not for everyone. It's important to respect your own limits. Certain prescription medications are also not compatible with increased temperatures. Always have plenty of water available to avoid dehydration, and if at all possible make sure someone knows where you are when you are using the sauna. Keep your phone right outside the sauna door in case there is a health emergency. Exit the sauna immediately if you begin to feel dizzy or nauseated.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_yoga