Harnessing The Power Of Infrared Saunas For Energy And Vitality

Introduction to Sauna and Mitochondria 0:00

Welcome back to the conversation. Today I have a special guest with me. Kendra Gensemer. Hi, Kendra. Welcome. Hi. So glad to be here. Today we're going to talk all about sauna and why this is important to mitochondria energy and healing your body. Really excited to have you here. Sauna is one of those, you know, and a treatment modalities that I wish everyone had in their home and everyone had access to. So we're going to talk about why this is so important. The good news is everyone can have access to sauna.

Well, let me introduce you to our audience before we get started today. You're the education expert and consultant for the scientific advisory board at Sunlight in which is the world's leading manufacturer of infrared, saunas and light therapy. That's impressive. Thank you, Laura. I'm. This is my favorite thing to talk about. So it is a privilege to be here and. And do that with you. I didn't really know anything about infrared when I started working here. I had been using an infrared sauna to exercise in because I knew I liked heat.

It made me feel really good. And then I came to work here. And so I sort of approach to everything with a prove it to me mentality and was driven to understand what this invisible thing really does for the body and in the body. So I embarked on reading every piece of research I could find. I fell in love with a couple milestone research papers by the world's foremost expert in infrared light, Dr. Michael Hamblin. He we and then I got to be involved in getting him to join our advisory board. And so he has taught me a lot.

It is a privilege to learn about this very real thing that we get to recreate from nature that does so many wonderful things for our body. I'm so glad that you said that you were a skeptic to start with, because I think a lot of people wonder about this. Is it really helping me? Is this something that will really support? So. Let's let's unpack this for our listeners and our viewers. Let's explain what sauna is and what infrared is. Because what you have is a combination of sauna and infrared.

What Infrared Sauna Is and How It Works 2:25

And then we'll talk about why this is important for energy production, why this is important even as we age, it gets becomes more and more important to support these pathways in our body. So why don't you start by telling us what is sauna and what is infrared? Let's get those two things together because you're you're saunas are special. They're infrared. Saunas. They are special. And everyone kind of associates. A traditional sauna with the Finnish culture is probably the most well known, where you get into a really, really hot environment, a room or a barrel, and oftentimes it's hot, steamy.

It's known for super high temperatures that make you really uncomfortable. And you can only be in them for a little bit of time before you have to get out and then you leave feeling somewhat drained and ready for a nap. Well, infrared saunas are taking that idea and that concept of a warm environment. But the source of heat is something very special, which in an in a traditional sauna, it's heating the air around you. And your thermal regulatory system is being activated to to regulate your body temperature and an infrared sauna.

The infrared wavelengths that are being emitted from the heaters are actually coming like from sunlight. The best rays of the sun that help plants grow. Those are coming into your body. And that's where the skeptic in me really, really did not understand how that can happen. So the science explains infrared has three different wavelengths near mid and far. It's part of a spectrum of light that actually we're using every day. We're using it right now on these compute hours and our cell phones harness electromagnetic energy and those invisible wavelengths our bodies are actually like solar panels.

And we have the cells that are called chroma fores, meaning light bearers, cells that are thirsty for light energy. And so when these very specific wavelengths come into our bodies, they're reaching those cells that drink them in and it activates wonderful things for our entire body system. So it's not just our thermal regulatory system trying to keep our temperature down. It's also doing things for every system in the body that then gives you energy and makes you not feel drained, but it's more full of life and vital.

That is amazing. So tell me such an easy way to understand it. And I love how you said, you know, this is this is a spectrum of light that is outside. If you go out in the sun, you get this same spectrum of light. So why is infrared sauna better for energy than traditional sauna? I mean, this is a hotly debated topic, traditional versus infrared. And you've got your traditional camp over here. You just go into a, you know, hot, either dry or wet heat and sweat it out versus this infrared. So why what's the difference there?

And why would you say that infrared is even potentially a better or superior form of using sauna? RENO Laura, we we do think it's very special. And for some people who are looking for that intense experience that pushes themselves. A traditional sauna might be a great choice. If you want a really, really sweat.

Infrared vs Traditional Sauna Benefits 6:35

We actually created a sauna to meet people where they are. One of our is does reach higher temperature like that and creates a more intense experience. And we have a unique blend of wavelengths that does that. And then we also have Sunnies that do not have to get as hot for you to benefit. You get the benefits of the light, energy and heat at the lower temperatures which many people depending on your heat acclimation how used to your how you how used to heat your body is is is a form of heat acclimation and if you so the people who want that super hot experience maybe have a greater tolerance for heat and need a higher temperature to evoke a sweat.

But if you want to feel energy and get mitochondrial stimulation from near infrared that you can only get from an infrared sauna, then a traditional sauna isn't going to give you that. What you're looking for. My answering. Mm hmm. Yeah, that's. That's good. So also what's coming up for me is there's some people there's some people watching this interview right now who have chronic health conditions, a chronic disease. And getting into a traditional sauna at that high level of heat could be actually.

Very detrimental. Very, very difficult and detrimental. So for people who have chronic health conditions or people who are in their older years, I mean, we have a spectrum of people viewing the summit from, you know, thirties and forties all the way up to people in their eighties and nineties looking how to improve their quality of life. It sounds like an infrared sauna could be a lot more gentle for for people who aren't kind of seeking an extreme experience. That's a perfect way to put it. We we call it and an experience that you can enjoy, not endure and still get all get so many benefits of that light energy, interacting with your mitochondria, helping stimulate energy production instead of your body, having to work to maintain a temperature.

Okay. So we have lots of experts on this summit, you know, PhDs and academics talking about how mitochondria work and how mitochondria reproduce and mitochondria biogenesis. And we have great talk on medic stress. And so that's not what this talk is because you've got all that on this summit. We have all those high level academics talking about that. What we want to do here is connect to how sauna can really support all the things you're learning from these speakers on how. To. Solve your chronic health problems. So could you tell us some of the foundational benefits of using an infrared sauna?

Make this applicable to our audience who might want to be getting a sauna and using it for themselves on a regular basis? Who would benefit? There are so many benefits that it is kind of almost unbelievable and I ah that I'll start with one of the most researched is the benefit to the heart in Japan. Infrared sauna therapy is standard treatment for chronic heart disease and it has been for 30 years. So without a doubt we know that the infrared ad light strengthens the cells of the heart. It increases circulation which delivers oxygen and nutrients better to your body.

It temporarily lowers blood pressure. All of those things are foundational, well researched, detoxification action is another key foundational benefit. We know that infrared infrared elicits a freeze up some heavy metals

Health Benefits and Ideal Sauna Temperatures 10:50

and plastics that are permeating the environment. So it's a great way to support all your efforts to detoxify from the chemicals of the modern world. Sleep better, sleep, which also brings more energy. It helps support your immune system so your body will be primed to work and overcome illness, relaxation and mental health. Another big one is anti-aging, longevity, vitality and skin health, muscle recovery and pain relief. We have oh my goodness. So many great stories of people being finding relief from years of pain.

It sounds like pretty much everyone could benefit now. And some questions are coming up for me on, you know, traditional versus infrared. So in terms of I know people want to know how hot does this get? What is considered a low heat, a medium heat, a high heat sauna? And how far could you push the sun as if you really want to go super hot. But what is the spectrum of heat we're talking about here? Well, you could use an infrared sonnet at the lowest level. That would be not even warm. And still, the infrared light is coming into your body and benefiting you.

We have as a room temperature, you're saying you could be in there room temperature and turn on the infrared and. Yes. And I have a my own personal recent experience of using it at a very low setting was having flu symptoms and body aches. And I stayed in there at a very low level and it was still relieving my body aches. I usually like to be in at around 130. I after about 30 minutes between 30 and 40 minutes is an optimal something magic breaks loose and I just start sweating in that last 10 minutes at 130 degrees.

130 is pretty hot. I can remember getting in soreness, trying to get to 150 and being like, Oh, this is really hard. I mean. Yeah, our sensitivities are so different because some people that just doesn't do it for them. So we've got our, our hottest sauna, I believe goes to 165, which is very hot. I've never gotten that hot before. I've never made it that far. 150 is my it's yeah. We recommend 110 to 125 130, 140 anywhere in within that range I would call a great beneficial temperature. Now I think there's kind of a myth out there that, you know, that sauna is are unaffordable.

People can't get access to them. You have to spend, you know, over $10,000 to get a sauna. And really, sunlight has kind of flipped the script on that as far as I know, because you do make saunas that are personal and portable all the way up to large saunas that fit multiple people. So you've got all kinds of options. Can you talk a little bit about that? Yes, we do have a wide range of sizes and capacity. So from a sauna dome, which we call our personal portable sauna, all the way up to a five, four, four person.

Yeah, we we have a wide range of price options. That's so good. And then in terms of materials, can you talk to us about how your products are manufactured? Because as a detox specialist, I have concerns about re toxin while we're detoxing. But that whole concept of as you're emptying the bucket of toxins, you don't want to pour more toxins in. And unfortunately, you know, we're getting volatile organic compound off gassing from the furniture that we're having in our home, from the mattresses we're sleeping on, from the cookware we're using our kitchen and we don't want to go into a sauna and get hit with toxins while we're in there.

We're really in a vulnerable state. I would say, because your your body is opening up and flushing out. Your pores are open, your skin is pouring out sweat. And that's kind of a vulnerable state because you can toxins can come in just as easily as they can come out. So what is what is sunlight can do to make sure that people are not exposed to toxins? That is a great way to put that, Laura. And it is our top priority sunlight and we do all kinds of protective measures and have external tests done on viruses and we make sure we are sourcing our wood very responsibly and that the materials we put into our sauna are our top priority.

We also do everything we can to mitigate EMFs and electrical concerns so our sun is are very, very safe. And we are we do manufacture them ourselves. We design them, we manufacture them, we control every aspect of the entire process, every detail that is unique to us and something that's a major investment for us. We also wanted to create the best quality sauna, so our wood is extra thick.

Materials, Safety, and Detox Concerns 16:55

They're easy to put together because we've created a special magnet locking system for it, which seals in that it creates a solid seal so there's no escaping or or isn't going in or out. And it's very solid construction. Okay. Take a lot of pride in all of that. Yeah. High quality craftsmanship. And what I'm hearing is there's third party testing on your material to confirm that they're not toxic. That's really important. You know, that's important when companies do that because that is a cost to the company to bring in that kind of third party testing to prove what we say.

We're lucky to have this kind of seal of approval on this product that is saying something. You're standing behind your products in that regard. Absolutely. Yeah, it's a really big deal. So I want to kind of kind of unpack this concept of helping people get into a parasympathetic state. So, you know, before we got in this interview, you were talking about how peaceful and loving it is to be inside of a sauna. And that got me thinking, you know, I spent so much time trying to get people out of a fight or flight response because when that sympathetic nervous system is is ramping up, it's really hard to get into the healing state.

People can't resolve their fatigue. They can't resolve their autoimmune issues. They can't resolve their symptoms and rebalance their body. If they're constantly in this stressful high fight or flight sympathetic process. And so based on how you're explaining this, I'm thinking that getting into a sauna and being in a sauna each day is part of stimulating that parasympathetic and getting people's stress levels to come down and self-care. Can you talk about that? Oh, my goodness. This is that this is our niche.

I like to think of it as the opposite of the Peloton energy, and that is push, push, push, go, go, go, which is great. Go do that and then come get in your infrared sauna and let your body chill out. And it is an incredible whole. It's countercultural, right? Because our culture is a go to push accomplish that. In order to do that and to support that, we have to rest. And there is no more productive or beautiful rest than in an infrared sauna, except maybe when you're asleep in your really wonderful bed.

But I think I like my sauna even better. I love that. I love that. So I would. So in a nutshell, you know, what we're really talking about here is stimulating mitochondria, repair, stimulating mitochondria, biogenesis stimulating mitochondria, energy production. And we're also talking about the benefit of reducing toxins in the body. So assisting heavy metals and toxicants from industrial chemicals and pesticides and herbicides and all of the things that we're exposed to which have lots of talks about that on this summit.

So this is a tool that you can use with your detox protocols. I mean, mold, toxins as well. We even talk about how. Absolutely. Right. Yeah. So Mycotoxins are definitely on the rise. I've seen more in my practice than ever. I've seen more heavy I'm doing heavy metal tests on people. I'm seeing more heavy metals than ever. I can't believe how much you can see. Yes. And it's in surprising places. And we think, oh, I don't smoke. So I'm not going to have cadmium in my system. But it's it's produced by industrial place businesses, companies that are putting it in the air and we're breathing it in the air and.

Oh, yes, I'm so glad you're talking about that with your air people. Yeah. I mean we get most of our heavy metal exposures these days from the air that we breathe. And I mean, that is a whole nother topic about clean air, right? So you need to have clean air to breathe. And so it's going to help us with mitochondria, it's going to help us with detox, it's going to help us get us into parasympathetic healing state. Amazing, isn't. It? Yeah, you can use it for self-care. So when you think of an appliance or something that you need in your home to support your healing journey, this is a really important tool, you know, I'll say that.

All I'll tell you, all practitioners have a practitioner and all experts mentored somewhere, right? So I have people who taught me what I know and I have practitioners I work with to take care of my health and my family. And I sat down with one of my mentors one day and I said, you know, of all the things, there's so many devices out there that I can get,

Parasympathetic Recovery and Practical Use 21:35

like biohacking type devices that I can, you know, spend my money on. And I said, What's the one thing that you would bring in? And he said, You know what, Sana? You literally said this to me. Sauna is probably one of the most important things you could ever spend your money on in terms of having a what I would call a biohacking or like the word, the concept of bio elevating a little bit more, but a bioavailable. That. You're in, a sauna has so many uses, so before we wrap up here, I would love to know what are any other practical recommendations or tips you would recommend to our viewers?

I mean, we've covered a lot of ground in terms of, you know, the sizing, you know, the different levels of sauna. You can have, what they're made of, what you use them for. Is there any other practical tips you would recommend? You know, I like to imagine my life with the addition of something that I'm I would like to have. Right. And so when you're imagining, can I do this for myself, where would you put it? How would you integrate it into your life? I just think that's a great way to approach a big decision like this. And from my own process of deciding how will I integrate this into my life and it can be a challenge because life is busy.

But getting into a routine and thinking of it as a routine as adding one more layer or stacking a habit that I already had, like loving to get up early in the morning. I've just added in a little sun and time in the morning to and layering that with meditation and getting my mind set for the day and it, it has been so easy to incorporate and I do want to do it. And we hear that over and over again that once people start doing it, it's not a habit that's difficult to create. It's one that they want to add more to.

It is. It is. Well, you've made it easy for people to get access to sauna. So we have you know, you we have a link with your company name, right here on the summit. So on every page of the summit you'll see sunlight. And so go ahead and click that link if you want to learn more. And that's going to take you to the Sunlight website. And when you get on the sunlight and website, tell us what they'll experience there. What should they look for? What should they do to get more information? Well, when you get to our website, go to the get pricing form, fill out the information and our team will reach out to you and help you find the right sauna for you.

We do take a really consultative approach to this. There's a lot to think about, so we love to speak in person and help you find the right site for you. Okay. Excellent. And you also have a special for summit viewers. You have $600 off a summit. All they need to do when they do that consultation is mention the mitochondria summit and then they will get access to that. That's it. They don't need a coupon code. There's absolutely nothing. And they just just use that link. Okay. Right there. And I and I want to share with our audience, too, that this if you're seriously thinking that you want a sauna, it's really important to get on the phone and talk to someone.

There's so much to know about all the different features and options of saunas, which I think is why they just don't have you go and just willy nilly buy one off their website because you might end up. I think it just prevents like returns and frustrations because people think, Oh, I thought I was getting this, but I want this. So you really want to talk it through with someone because of all the different options and features that are available. And I know I mean, I've been on the phone with you guys and I've met you guys so many times at different conferences and it's never pressure, ever.

You guys are there to educate and teach. And if and when it's right, you're there to help fit people into the right sauna. So this is an absolutely no pressure because I know people think like, ooh, I don't want to fill out an application and get on a pushy sales call. And that's never been my experience with sunlight. And it's just all about educating consumers right. And think about other times, it's so frustrating these days to not be able to reach a person. You can reach a person that sunlight and we really care and want to help you.

Do you do I? Again, I've met with you all so many times, and it's it's just been nothing but a supportive experience. It's never been a push like, you know, where are. Yeah, how come you didn't buy this? It's not that. So I'm glad. To hear that. Yeah. You guys are going to help us feel comfortable with what? What we can, what we want to achieve in our health, what will fit in our environment. Because that's the thing, too. You don't want to end up buying something that's too big for your environment and then be unsatisfied with that as well or something that's too small.

And you realized, oh, I really wanted something bigger that I could get into with my spouse or my kids or what have you. Yeah. So this has been so enlightening and so helpful. Thank you so much, Kendra, for sharing this information. And we're really grateful that you came on this summit with us to share information and make it so accessible to people. So thank you so much for your generosity to. Thank you so much for inviting us. Until next time, everyone take good care. Bye now.