
Harnessing Infrared Saunas For Healing Depression

Co-Founder, Sunlighten™
Connie Zack
Full Transcript
Introduction and Sauna Background 0:00
Courtney, it's always such a pleasure to chat with you. I love it how you always do your at your interviews in one of your saunas and I mean I'm obsessed. I've been one of these sauna fans, you know that up before our first sauna from you Courtney back in 2012. Oh my goodness. I think you just started the company. We got into this one little one. And since I mean, I've now got that beautiful big one that you can lie down in, and it's just one of my favorite things to do every single day, whether it's a quick one in the morning to get me going or whether it's a longer one in the evening just to chill and relax after a busy day.
That soreness are just amazing and you are the face of sunlight and sauna. And we've been working together for years and you knowledge of soreness and the and just how fantastic they all are, it's just amazing. And so I'm so excited to have you on and have you on this doctor's talks. Because people hear a lot about soreness, but you really are an expert in helping us understand the differences and how the how you tune in particular works and everything. So welcome to Doctors Talks. Thank you so much. Actually.
It's so great to see you again. So great to be with you and to chat about, you know, infrared and and heat therapy and, you know, help people, you know, in any way that we can. Well, thank you so much. And I know there's been quite a lot of research the last time we spoke there. There were some more studies coming out. And you have a lot on your site about that, but let's just start by you telling the my listeners and viewers on the doctors talks about basically what, how you got into this and why you so why sunlight and soreness or medical grade and so different to standard soreness.
And then we can dive into the technicalities of what it does and the different types of soreness in those kinds of things. Sure. So I'll start with how I got into such a such a crazy, crazy story. It's really great. Story. And it's such a story and passion and and persistence and belief. So my brother was really ill. He was extremely ill with chronic fatigue and trying everything the best he could, but with no success. I went to so many doctors and it was finally his dentists that really said the light and put him on the right path and his dentist said, Jason, I think that your fillings, your mercury amalgam fillings are leaking into your body and I think it's causing heavy metal toxicity.
And that's what's making you so incredibly sick. And he was he was debilitated, actually. He'd like to get out of that. He looked like a different color.
How Infrared Sauna Therapy Began 2:25
He just it was it was horrible to watch somebody love like go through something. He was so young and couldn't work, couldn't do anything. It was horrible. And so but that that insight from the dentist was amazing because he said, not only do I think of having metal toxicity, but I've been doing research and this is this is 20 plus years ago, I think I've been doing research and I read about a weight link called infrared. And it's a technology that if you get enough of that into your body, it can help remove heavy metals and it's like some serious toxins.
And so I was like, I think you should try it. And that's what happened. And it's so hard to believe that, like, that was the beginning of the rest of my life, you know, because the the rest is, is all about sunlight. But I when he, he did research that was really only really one product on the market that, you know, it was an infrared sauna because the dentist said you need to sweat and to get this stuff out. And so that's what he did, changed his life, put him back on the road to recovery. I was working at Procter and Gamble, the pharmaceutical division, because I was so passionate about helping people, and I really felt, you know, in my mystical medicine that I was doing my part and helping people be healthier.
Working within Crohn's and Colitis Foundation and different types of associations, and as well as helping to bring clients to market. But what I learned is the products I was bringing to market were just Band-Aids. Right? And they weren't really going to the root cause. And they were also there were helping people, but they were also changing other things that people, you know, so if they help one thing, they would offset something else because of the way that that medicine works with your different organs and so, you know, and when I saw my brother change his life safely, naturally, in the comfort of his own home without medicine and, you know, without a ton of doctors, I was like, oh my gosh, there's something to this.
So I started doing research on infrared that daily that I found there was already a ton of research done, all this many years ago. It just wasn't prevalent. It just wasn't right to the forefront. And that was what I'd committed the rest of my life to doing is bringing that research, doing some additional research, helping to develop the most effective and efficient products, and really, truly caring about everything that goes into the products. Which is your second question. But just like what you know, what is sunlight?
Why is it, you know, a special product? And we have just really dedicated our purpose to helping people feel better, do more of what they love to do or the people they love to do it with and live their fullest life possible. As a result of the products we bring to market. And that's but, you know, to chat about today and how how do we how do we do that? How do we have people that I'm so about the quality of your life? I think, you know, longevity is such a big thing right now and it's important to want to live longer.
But my goodness, I want to live longer and feel great. Exactly. So and that's one of the benefits of infrared. And we can talk about, you know, all the different elements that just in a high level it really makes you when you're done, you feel better, you feel great. And that is what I mean. You can't really ask much more. That and the matter. Is. Doing something. It is it's so true. I mean I've been a lifelong for years been I do sunlight and soreness. And prior to that the soreness. But there was nothing since.
I mean I tell everyone about your soreness even even the of we have a condo in Miami and I've actually gone to the condo condo board and said, listen, we've got to get at infrared sauna in the gym. This is like so they, they, they even they, they very interested. I'm saying these are the benefits compared to the sauna that you already got there. So can you share with everyone. Just it's confusing for people because there's you can go on Amazon Nancy all the different types. Can you just take us through what what is an infrared sauna.
Infrared vs Traditional Sauna Heat 6:29
Talk about the different the different. Obviously the the light spectrum and how it works and what it does, all the different programs. And you know, they talk about the concept and then we can talk about how you put that into into your specific programs or however you find it, the easiest to explain. And then we can link it maybe to the benefits. What would you explain? I know you know the so well you did better than I can. So. Oh you're so sweet. So I'll start with this. Everybody's familiar with traditional heat.
You know, everybody knows what it feels like. And so we'll I'll start with how does Emperor differ from traditional heat like walking outside and infrared comes. The energy comes from the sun. More than 50% of the sun's wavelengths are, and the infrared is a trap. And the analogy I like to explain is when you walk outside on a cloudy day and all of a sudden the sun peeks out from that cloud and you feel those rays of sunlight into your body, that you actually feel it into your body. That is infrared.
That is the power of infrared. That feeling of, oh God, thank you, son, I'm so glad you're out. That yeah, that red energy and so embrace feels different than traditional heat because it is absorbed into your body, it's absorbed into your cells, it's absorbed into your water molecules. And so it starts to work inside your body versus traditional heat. It heats the air outside and you're hot because the air is hot. Right? So that's sort of the functional difference. Other differences are infrared.
This is my one of my favorite differences is it combines the power heat and light energy. So we are in the business of energy medicine because infrared spectrum, which is really for mainly three wavelengths. Well we'll talk about for that then that range from heat all the way to invisible light and then visible light. And each part of that that provides magnificent transformative healing benefits to your body, that actually your body not I mean, it it needs to hand. The other analogy is, is of the way infrared works.
The body is in similar to the photosynthesis process of plants. Right. You have to, light in order to function. And light energy is needed. Our bodies are active solar panels, and in order to activate our cells or mitochondria, our energy levels are ATP. You know that like to in order to change our cellular dysfunction, you know, we have to we had to make a change. A part of how you make a change is through heat and light energy. And one of the best ways to do that is through infrared. So that is a very high level.
But how is it different? I do want to mention another important, important point is that infrared operates, that the energy and the healing transformation is delivered at a lower temperature and you still get hot and you still want, but the experience is a different experience. It's very enjoyable. It's like this wonderful light, that ceiling, when the sun comes out, it's like that wonderful, like blanket around you that you just feel like a great big hug. That's what it feels like. Versus a lot of times with traditional size, which are still great, any type of heat is great, but it's a different experience because you're, you're hot, like right away.
And sometimes you're you're like fighting it to stay in there or, or you're hard to breathe or, you know, some people don't, don't like that experience. And infrared provides just a more enjoyable an experience. And you can stay along, which is important because you want you want to receive as much energy into your body as possible to get all of the amazing benefits. And that's what's so great about this. You don't have to have it if you don't, because you can adjust the temperature. So if you don't like it too hot and you actually recommend to not put it on the full temperature, that up to 75 to rather keep it around, I think. But, you know, depending on which program you're doing because you don't have to the traditional sauna, you can just you go to go in there extreme heat to switch right here.
You could sit and you don't even have to be really you're going to sweat, but you don't have to be uncomfortable, right? It's still it's still doing something. So that psychological thing. Oh, I didn't sweat. It didn't work. That doesn't apply with an infrared sauna. Right. And so it's so right. And it's such a great, great point because people think that your extreme is that's seal like there's a shift now to like we're in a lot of talks and I love the talks about we don't need to be extreme to to be healthy.
We don't exactly go into these like massive pendulum sweat. You know. Exactly. You know, we can do a little bit and and still be, you know, really healthy and that's one of the values. And it's such a huge value of so much. It's it's great it you get in I mean that's my, my, you know way. And I'm always recommending that people do it is get in and turn it on and get in and that way and that energy is at its longest heart when you turn it on. So it's super smooth and it's much easier to go into your cells when it's super smooth and just your body's just like, just bring it in, you know?
And then the more it gets into your body, it gets into your cells, it gets into your water molecules, it starts to flow. You want the molecules start to dance, they start to move around. And you just kind of pictured that increased flow. So you know how you exercise like you feel so much more.
Mental Clarity, Relaxation, and Recovery 12:22
You feel better, you feel active and your skin looks better because you're exercising. You're you're moving your body, you're increasing your oxygen, your blood flow. And so same thing that happens with temperature is it starts to move everything around, your blood starts to flow and a much faster rate. So as a result of that oxygen starts to fog, you start to get more oxygen. Your brain, you start to get, you know, everything moving around better. You look better, you feel better because it's like exercise without physically moving.
Your body is called passive cardio mask, the air conditioning. So it's amazing. And one of the things that's fascinating about the infrared versus your traditional sauna, I mean, I'm you're going to you're going to explain it better than I am because Schroder they just stimulate the conversation. Let it go. It's two times more effective in that it's going into the cells. And you've stressed this. So I'm so much more radiant I'm so glad you have about it's energy going into your body and enhance your bodily function.
And you know explain the mind body connection. That's my work. The mind is energy. And it goes into your brain, in your body. And good mindsets are going to bring good, healthy energy right down to the cellular level and toxic thinking. Whatever. Same thing here. You the infrared sauna. It is actually putting just good energy to supplement and to help you with your mindset. So it's it's it's a accelerator. You know, it's accentuating and and emphasizing amplifying that to people, amplifying the effect of helping you with your mindset.
That's what has an impact on depression and anxiety. I mean, you explain this way better than me, but that's so cool that it actually it's going it's not just outside, it's inside. It's going down to keep the water molecules, the brand, the viscera. The other traditional sources don't get it right a lot. It's a lot of the stuff hangs around the factory and or viscera. So can you talk a little bit about, you know, explain it better than I've done it for you. You explain the way better than I do. So you're you're not.
But but knowing you did a perfect job. I like you created a visual that I love it. Which is it? Which is, you know, when it starts to move everything throughout your body. And one of my favorite things on a side note about the I Emperor and works with body is in an impact every single bodily system. So everything is impacted with the infrared energy. And so you just kind of picture it's coming into your body, it's going into your cells and starting to move everything around. And then it gets up to your brain, you know.
And and so important is you know, depression, anxiety, dementia, like all the different mental health condition, that movement and that increase flow into the brain is so powerful because you literally feel as though you know, you're like lifting up all that mind chatter and just mental fog and all that sort of just blockage, you know, starts to move around and release and you feel lighter, you know, you feel happier. And, you know, Leanne Ryan, who's a great book, she's like just says two things that I love.
She talks about how when she goes in her son, like sometimes she feels as though like the world is crashing around her. She goes into her sunlight and and she, like, is able to come out feeling as though everything is great. And then the other thing she says is, you know, it's like my little happiness in a box, and I love that. That's so that that is so true because you can't go in feeling overwhelmed by the day that's going. Yeah. And just maybe things that are happening in your life, we've all got something going on all the time at different levels and scales and so on.
But going in that soon, it's at pause time. It is. I love the happiness in a box. It's a pause and a pull. It's not just suck. It's not just it's going to say psychological. It's psychological. But the is, it's it's doing energy, mind, heat, infrared, light. This is all stuff that works together. And, you know, you think capsular an element of that that accentuates it. And you do you come out feeling energized. You come out feeling happy. It's true. It really does make a difference. Yeah. I find my breathing.
I don't know if you never noticed your breathing, but Iceland, my breathing changes, which is really interesting that like, I'll go in and I'm just like, you know, I need to learn. Hey, it's like all the time. And I go in and, and, you know, my, my, my shoulders change and my breath changes. And when, like, these changes I'm feeling is where I start to feel that the mental aspect, the benefit starts to, you know, take over because I'm not in this fight or flight state anymore. You know, I am I my breath is is better, I am, I am like, you know, breathing calmly and then my head clears up.
It's amazing how many things I have saw that's amazing on my child. I just been able to call like have had this wonderful peacefulness, you know, transformation from going in a lot of times. Here's the best part everyone. You don't have to do it forever. You don't have to do it for 40 minutes. That's great. You can like that's awesome. But if you're looking for like a mental a quick reset, if sometimes I go in there for ten, 15 minutes, a man and you'll say, I'm like, okay, great, I can breathe.
I'll also my head is now I'm thinking I'm out of that, you know, that crazy state and as I'm into more relaxed state and so my head is able to think clear because you can't think clear when you're in that state of anxiety or, you know, trying to do too much. It's just, you know, I don't know all the science, you know, much better than I do about that, than I just know my personal experience. And in any situation, you know, when I need to start to change my brand that I to calm, then I'm like, okay, I think.
And that's, you know, it's it's a great it's a great benefit. That's beautiful. And there is so much science behind that. I mean, that energy, the fact that it's going inside that the difference with the, the traditional and the infrared, it's the heat is fantastic. But this is a this is a it's a therapeutic session. It's literally like a therapeutic session the way I see it. And you know, that it's because it's the energy light going into your brain and body into the cells, right down to that level, pulling up the toxins on a physical level.
But it's also going inside the cell and it's that's and it's changing neurons throughout the body, the soma cells, the neurons. It's changing how they are vibrating. It's changing how the microtubules are working, all that kind of thing. It's helping. It's creating an environment of. Health. That it's that's why we think more clearly. That's why the the accumulation of thoughts, it's and it's so true. You can be take sick and go in there and you do feel different. And I also I also often find I love to go in there, do some creative work.
You know, that's if I don't have it, I keep then I keep it on quiet. Not too hot and I'll have my phone in there and I'll work on my phone and I get these creative ideas coming and it's this little pause world and you can. So that's another aspect that I always find quite fun. Can you explain the different just in in the last few minutes, if you don't mind explaining the different programs because it works on every system cardiovascular, immune. So maybe just give us a broad picture of what is infrared light doing with our systems and the different programs that you have.
Like if you muscle pain or the rescue, whatever you've got. If you could just explain that. Yes. Okay. So I'll start with the program. So we have six different programs and the program is is to be clear, are all in the impulse, which is sort of behind me.
Sunlighten Programs and Benefits 19:38
What's special about impulses come down to both of your questions. And one answer. It was this about impulses is the only product on the market that delivers the entire inference from in one place. And but it does that. What's even better? It is it doesn't blend at all. It does it all independently. So we have Fort Bragg, we have men infrared. We have near infrared, which is such a beautiful, powerful light energy. And then right next door to near infrared is the visible light, red light. So each one of those wavelengths is packaged independently.
And then what we do and there's tons of tons of benefits which we all spend lots of time today, but lots of benefits, especially on mental health with heat and light. How the line energy and the heat energy working on the brain and the body. And we talked about that. It was with my energy specific just to let everybody know there's 36 clinical studies on just below the line modulator, which is heat, which is an near-infrared and red light. So on treating, you know, different types of mental health conditions.
So those are, tests for different wavelengths. And then what we did back in 2009, we started developing, working with scientists to work on how will we combine those wavelengths, how do we vary the intensity to deliver, to help people, you know, feel better on specific conditions? We we developed a cardio program. We did a weight loss program, an anti-aging program, relaxation, weight loss. And there's a lot more relaxation. No cardio cardio, weight loss, anti-aging. And I'm missing one. So those six programs, are all it's the easy button.
You just press the button and painfully log, etc.. Yes, yes. Yeah, that's probably my my favorite program because there's so much science. And the way we had done the brain behind the scenes, the, the worry about it, but each wavelength reduces the inflammation. It works with the different markers and genes in your body to to reduce inflammation at different levels. I was kind of lying like back when I was in you know, big pharma, you know, you know, that people talked about non-steroidal as all the time and different types of medicines, you know, to treat the body.
And it it's how it's like this whole body non-steroidal but without the medicine with the energy medicine it helps to reduce inflammation at that. And your cell level has to really helps to reduce at the surface level. It helps to reduce it at the joint tissue level and helps to get the toxins out. Detoxification as another program helps to get the toxins out of your body so that your body is lighter and healthier, you know, and not, you know, not so, you know, heavy. And because when you have toxic overload, you also have inflammation and you have pain.
So when you press one of those buttons and if all the work is done for you, you just sit in there and the time ranges between 30 and 45 minutes depending on the science. And you just you get to pick whatever one you want. And it's, it's, it's a great, a great way to bury your sessions. A lot of people, you know, love, you know, 1 or 2 I'll do anti-aging or detox. And a lot of people like to go do the circuit and do general ones. You know, I just pick depending on what's going on. You know, in my life I do a lot of training.
So, I do a lot of on the pain relief or muscle recovery just to be able to get myself and to be and, you know, to train more and feel and not have, you know, inflammation and pain after and after training. So that's that's a quick summary. I try to do that as quick. And it was great. That's great. That's a that's really wonderful that I think the sort of key takeaway point here is that this energy is medicine.
Where to Learn More 23:38
And you got this energy in a box and it's happiness in a box that it's doing this great stuff for one. And it's something that's a it's a really great tool to add to our lifestyle health, one that has immediate benefits. So thank you so much, Connie, for explaining that we can people get hold of you and find out more and learn more about sunlight and sauna. Yeah. Go to Sun lantern.com. So that's the easiest way you can call us at (877) 292-0020. You can go to sunshine.com and do chat. You know, you can go to all of our social media channels and follow us on Instagram and Facebook and all the different channels.
And we have a full staff, a great team. I can't speak highly enough about the company as far and as are the people that are here and how passionate they are about helping people feel better. They're all and experts. They will guide you on. There's many different choices to choose from. They'll guide you on what's the right fit for you. And we just want to you. You just feel better as a result of what we're doing every day. Thank you so much. Well that's fantastic. And we'll have all those details in the, in the links and in the show notes.
And thank you Tony. It's always great talking to you and I look forward to our next conversation. I did it all. So great to see you. Thank you so much. To my pleasure. Thank you.

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