Infrared sauna therapy is one of the latest trends in the holistic wellness world. However, healing through heat has roots dating back thousands of years. A new local business in Darien, Inner Light, offers a space where you can experience infrared sauna therapy in the privacy of your own room with the atmosphere of a high vibe day spa. Benefits of infrared sauna therapy include detoxification, relaxation, boosted circulation, lowered inflammation, pain relief, skin regeneration and improved mood.
Historical Methodology, Updated Technology
Since antiquity, heat has been used for healing in cultures across the globe, including the Ancient Greeks, Russians, Scandinavians and Native North Americans. Traditional heat methods, like sweat lodges and regular saunas, heat the body, through the skin, from the outside in, at temperatures as high as 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Infrared saunas are a newer technology utilizing this ancient healing method. Infrared light, an invisible wavelength that is naturally emitted by the sun, penetrates the epidermis to heat you from the inside out. Due to its effectiveness, infrared saunas can create a deep healing sweat at lower temperatures.
The Inner Light Experience
Inner Light, opened last summer in Darien, is a space for wellness and healing. The front shop features products based around self-care – skincare, body care, journals, books. Inner Light feels like a luxury day spa but exclusively features infrared sauna therapy. Each of the three private rooms boasts its own infrared sauna from Sunlighten Saunas, the top manufacturer on the market. Luxe towels and robes, herbal iced teas from Bellocq in a relaxation area, and a tablet in each sauna with Spotify, Netflix, Hulu and more are part of the experience at Inner Light.
Whether you’re suffering from a chronic illness, recovering from an injury, or looking to boost your overall health and wellness, infrared therapy can compliment your healing regimen. Infrared boosts the parasympathetic nervous system, helping your body rest and decreasing cortisol, the stress hormone, and increases endorphins.
Infrared Light Benefits
Inner Light’s saunas are full-spectrum, meaning that you reap the benefits of all three types of infrared light:
- Far-infrared light is the longest wavelength and penetrates the body most deeply – up to three inches – and raises your core body temperature to create a productive, detoxifying sweat. Far-infrared boosts your heart rate and circulation in the body, which has been linked to healing cardiovascular issues and decreasing blood pressure.
- Mid-infrared light has similar benefits to far, and together they stimulate blood flow and simulate a cardiovascular workout equal to a brisk walk or light jog. Additional benefits of far- and mid-infrared rays include pain relief, detoxing heavy metals, decreasing inflammation, weight loss, and relaxation.
- Near-infrared light, the shortest wavelength, benefits the skin by increasing cell regeneration and collagen production. It has been used in spas and for wound healing for scars.
Beyond the scientific benefits of infrared light, the simple act of taking time for healing will lower your stress levels and benefit you mind and body. Self-care is the practice of taking time and space to tend to one’s needs in order to rest, energize, and connect to the Self, from the physical level down to the soul level. Inner Light is a space for you to heal yourself, whether you are dealing with a chronic illness or to seeking to improve your wellbeing. Click here to learn more about infrared sauna therapy and Inner Light’s pricing and packages.
