Far-infrared sauna therapy

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Nov, 2002 by Lawrence Wilson

When finished, take a shower, warm or cool but not hot. Avoid using soap if possible as you will be clean. Soap leaves a film and clogs the pores. Wash off the sweat with a skin brush or loofa. Brush all over, even face and hair. Painful at first, it soon feels wonderful. Brushing enhances the cleansing effect. Shampoo and conditioner are used only if needed. Most contain chemicals toxic to the body. Also skip most lotions and creams. These also contain harmful chemicals.

After the sauna drink two glasses of water. Sit or lie down for at least 10 minutes. These simple steps allow your body to reap the full benefit of the sauna experience. As you become healthier, you will sweat more easily. Also, to heat up the sauna will take longer. The body dissipates heat more efficiently and fewer cellular toxins are there to be removed.

An Integrated Health Program

Results are much better when saunas are part of an integrated program. Add to your diet extra sea salt or kelp granules to replace minerals lost through sweating. Eat natural foods grown on mineral-rich soil. Rest and sleep enough, and exercise a little each day. Breathe deeply clean, fresh air. Reduce your exposure to toxic chemicals. Create and maintain a positive environment. Stay happy and bright regardless of what others may say or do.

Constructing a Sauna at Home

Materials. You will need four 250-watt, red infrared bulbs, four flush-mount bulb sockets, fifteen feet of heavy lamp cord, a medium-heavy duty male wall plug and 8 wood screws with which to fasten the sockets, Also recommended are an on-off switch and a thermometer.

If placing the unit in a bathroom or closet, you will also need a piece of 1/2" plywood, 40" high and 15" wide. The plywood with bulbs will be placed in a bathroom or closet at least 4' long, 3' wide and 6' high.

If you are building an enclosure, it can be of wood, glass or cardboard. No special materials or construction are required because the temperature stays mild. Build the unit at least 4' by 3' by 6' high. The heat may dissipate if the space is too large. Siding made of cedar or fir is a popular option. The tongue-and-groove siding slides into a frame and no nails are needed. Walls can be built as modules, then screwed together.

Plywood will also work, since the enclosure stays relatively cool. Some sauna companies use glass for at least one wall. Glass reflects far infrared energy and avoids a claustrophobic feeling, though single-pane glass is a poor insulator. Less expensive enclosure options are cardboard boxes or blankets, Tape or staple together two refrigerator boxes. To use blankets, build a frame of wood, and hang blankets over the frame.

Construction. For the one-person sauna, mount the sockets on the plywood or enclosure wall in a diamond shape. The bottom socket is in the center, 12" from the bottom. Two sockets are 28" from the bottom of the plywood and 10" apart. The top socket is centered and 36" from the bottom. This should form a narrow diamond shape.

Large sockets sold as fixtures can only be wired from the back. Drilling the holes will be more work. You may find smaller flush mount sockets that can be wired from the front. Wire the sockets together in parallel so one bad bulb won't disable the unit.