A therapeutic massage and the infrared sauna are two different forms of self-care that have similar, complimentary benefits. A massage is designed to relieve stress, relax the nervous system, and ease muscle tension. The near, mid, and far infrared lights in an infrared sauna penetrate the tissue of the body, providing those same benefits. Together these two healing modalities work synergistically to enhance and maximize the benefits of each.
I don’t think we need to go too much into depth about the effects of even minor chronic stress, because I’m sure you are already aware that it can be responsible for a host of physical, emotional, and mental illnesses. So, finding ways to decrease and manage our stress has benefits beyond words.
How do Infrared Saunas partnered with Massage Therapy help with stress?
Infrared Saunas
Infrared sauna use has been shown to release happy chemicals such as serotonin. Serotonin is responsible for regulating your mood, concentration, happiness, and anxiety levels.
Endorphins like serotonin are our body’s “feel-good chemicals”. The word stems from the words endogenous (meaning within the body) and morphine (meaning used for the treatment of pain). Put together, Endorphin has a meaning of “natural pain reliever”.
Infrared saunas help the body burn up to 400 calories by increasing the heart rate to cool down the body. This releases endorphins and gives a similar feeling of having a “runners high” or a great workout.
Massage Therapy
Both Massage Therapy and Infrared saunas help lower blood pressure and cortisol production. When we are stressed, the body releases the hormone cortisol. This hormone can increase blood pressure and blood glucose levels, and cause excess fat, particularly in the mid-section, irritability, headaches, and sleep problems. Needless to say, cortisol is not our friend and something we want to try to minimize.
Massage therapy has a positive impact on mind-body health for many reasons. It has been shown to reduce stress hormones by 30%. Massage activates the parasympathetic nervous system which is the body’s rest and digest mode and the opposite of the fight or flight mode which is present when the sympathetic nervous system is activated (under stress).
When receiving a massage, the body is relaxed. The body has the ability to influence the mind which causes the brain to calm and essentially slow its thinking. Anything we can do to slow thinking has powerful benefits for mental and physical health as it in turn relaxes the body as well. Massage reduces stressors by making you more mindful of the present moment.
We believe the best wellness results are achieved by combining an infrared sauna session with a therapeutic massage, which is why all massages include a complimentary private infrared sauna session before or after your treatment.
Taking a Holistic Approach
Here at citron, we believe in taking a holistic approach to mind-body wellness. Webster's dictionary defines holistic as relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts. Combining the infrared sauna with a therapeutic massage is a great first step toward improving your health and well-being.
Some additional areas to look at in your life that will contribute to your overall stress level and mental, emotional, and physical well-being include eating a healthy nutritious diet, regular exercise, self-care like a daily skincare routine and a facial, a clean and organized home environment, a fulfilling career and financial wellness (like creating a budget), satisfaction in your relationships and social life, finding ways to be creative, and infusing your days with joy.
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