The Unexpected Mental Health Benefits I’m Getting From My Infrared Sauna

About a year ago, I started the most luxurious aspect of my current well-being routine: regularly sitting in a Sunlighten mPulse 3in1Ⓡ Smart Sauna. It took one session to realize that this sauna isn’t like the others.

The mPulse is the world's first and only dynamic sauna that empowers you to customize each wavelength to optimize the specific health benefit you want. As it turns out, having access to all three wavelengths is a game changer for reaping benefits.

Initially, I was excited to get in on the physical benefits of the sauna. My body was in serious need of some R&R, and there’s nothing better than the detox of a good sweat or the cardio-esque buzz of high temps. After just a few weeks, I was feeling physical benefits like less pain and more flexibility. But then something surprising happened. As my sauna ritual continued, my stress levels were markedly decreasing. 

Everytime I stepped out of the mPulse, I was in an instant good mood. I felt reset with a sense of calm and rejuvenation. But I also noticed a difference in my stress response—how I’d respond to a day full of meetings or a traffic jam. I had newfound mental resilience where, in the face of conflict, I had more patience and trust to respond mindfully.

Not at all. Sauna bathing is a form of hormesis1. This scientific term refers to the way our body responds and adapts to self-imposed challenges (like the sauna, ice baths, or intermittent fasting). Through intentional exposure, our systems actually improve their tolerance to more severe challenges.

A pivotal study3 in 2016 found that hyperthermia (or, elevating core body temperature) can relieve symptoms of depression. In this study, participants' core body temperatures were elevated using intense infrared heat. When compared to the placebo group, these participants experienced significantly reduced depressive symptoms within one week, lasting for the 6-week follow-up period.

There’s also the fact that sauna bathing is inherently mindful. It’s a window of time where we get to sit, be still, and connect with our bodies which, in this world, is pretty rare. Even spiritual teacher Elena Brower uses her mPulse 3-4 times a week as a part of her self-healing routine.