As a singular treatment, meditation is often hailed as a transformative experience with its extensive physical and mental benefits, including improved sleep and reduced stress and anxiety. But did you know combining it with a home infrared sauna session can elevate its effects, and vice versa? Studies have proven that infrared saunas promote relaxation, pain relief, detoxification, and more, which can enrich and deepen meditation experiences. In this blog, the team at Sun Stream Saunas NZ discuss the benefits of meditation and how to incorporate it into your home infrared sauna routine.
Exploring the Benefits of Meditation
Meditation is primarily designed to promote a state of deep relaxation and mental clarity. Methods vary, including deep breathing techniques, guided visualisations and mindfulness. Depending on the type of meditation chosen, the user can focus on various goals, such as facilitating relaxation or reducing stress. Some even use it to help themselves adapt to certain challenges, such as quitting smoking. Here are a few of its science-backed benefits.
- Improved sleep: Research has proven that regular meditation helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle through calming effects on the body. It encourages lower heart rates and slower breathing, all of which help the body relax and drift off to sleep.
- Emotional regulation: Focused meditation techniques such as mindfulness help you process your thoughts and emotions properly, leading to better emotional regulation. Studies have also found that the practice is linked to reduced symptoms of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
- Pain management: Evidence suggests that meditation stimulates neural pathways that decrease the brain’s sensitivity to pain, and induces the body’s own opioid system to help reduce and manage chronic pain.
- Reducing stress: The very practice of meditation helps the body physically and mentally relax. More than that, however, studies have found that meditation can reduce the inflammatory response stemming from stress. Furthermore, research has shown that the practice can also reduce stress-related conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, and fibromyalgia.
Combined Benefits of Practising Meditation in a Home Infrared Sauna
The benefits of meditation and infrared saunas are highly similar in that they both provide chronic pain management, stress reduction, and improvement to your sleep patterns. However, infrared saunas provide additional benefits that can further enhance these effects, including improved circulation. This helps bring oxygen and essential nutrients to organs, muscles, and tissues, reducing inflammation, relieving pain, and accelerating overall healing. It explains why people experiencing soreness, muscle pains, or fatigue often feel better post treatment. Additionally, infrared saunas stimulate the production of endorphins or the body’s “feel good” chemicals, resulting in an uplifted mood or a more relaxed feeling after a session.
It’s important to note, however, that the effects of meditating in a sauna will vary from person to person – not everyone will experience the same benefits and qualia. It’s crucial to check in with your body and not overdo it, as some might not be able to withstand the heat induced by infrared saunas for extended periods.
How to Meditate in an Infrared Sauna
Follow the following steps for the simplest method of meditating in an infrared sauna:
- Sit or lie down in a comfortable spot
- Take a few deep breaths to help you get into a meditative state – engaging the parasympathetic nervous system, and signalling states of calm and reduced heart rate to the body
- Let go of any thoughts or distractions by focusing on your breath
- If you find your mind wandering, gently refocus on your breath
- Spend some time in this state, allowing your mind and body to relax
For first-timers, it’s best to begin with short meditation sessions. A good starting point would be five to ten minutes, then progressively increasing the duration as you grow more accustomed to the heat. You can also experiment with different time lengths to determine what works best for you.
Tips for Incorporating Meditation Into Your Home Infrared Sauna Routine
- Set the right atmosphere: The right atmosphere will help you enter and stay in a meditative state more effectively. This can be done by reducing the brightness of lights or listening to relaxing sounds such as soft music or nature sounds.
- Experiment with different meditation techniques: Effective meditation techniques vary from person to person. So it’s best to try a variety and find what appeals to you best. Each of these is particular and can target different goals.
- Listen to your body: Always pay attention to how you’re feeling. If you experience the slightest bit of dizziness or lightheadedness, step out and take a break to cool down.
Key Takeaway
Integrating meditation into your infrared sauna routine can be an excellent way to enhance the benefits of both treatments including increased relaxation, reduced stress levels, and improved emotional regulation. However, caution is still essential, especially for beginners. Listen to what your body needs to avoid adverse effects.
For more benefits or ways to enhance the effects of your home infrared saunas, explore our Sun Stream blog. We also offer high-quality home infrared saunas designed to provide maximum comfort and efficiency. Contact us today to know more!