Moscow Food Co-op Feeling Alive, Vibrant and Well: Sweating for the Body and Soul
by Jennifer Whitney, from the April 2006 Newsletter
The word sweating immediately makes me think of 7th grade, complete with bad haircut and new bra. Growing up with evening episodes of The Wonder Years also comes to mind. Kevin's worst fears seemed to be embarrassing himself in front of Winnie or scaring her off with his new found body odor. Hence, my worst fears were body odor and humiliation, but fortunately we're not talking about that kind of sweating.
"The heat of a sauna or sweat lodge is a dynamic force," researcher Stephen Colmant said at a 2003 meeting of the American Psychological Association. He and other researchers from Oklahoma State University found evidence that sweat therapy is an effective way to improve mental well-being. They studied the response two groups had to therapy sessions with one group having additional communal sweat therapy treatments. Researchers found the sweat therapy group less aggressive and more willing to share their feelings and support fellow members of their group. Stephen continues, "group sweating has had a central place in societies through-out the world for thousands of years in helping people gain more physical, mental, and spiritual health."
One place where this is truly evident is Finland. The sauna is such an integral part of Finnish life that with a population of only 5.1 million, they have 1.7 million saunas. That’s one for every 3 people! They use them at the end of a hard day of work, to help them persevere through troubling times and it is even common for women to give birth in a sauna. The sauna experience is deemed important to their health and happiness and is also credited for their rugged vitality and endurance.
What is it about sweating that makes it so therapeutic? Our skin is sometimes known as the third kidney because it is estimated as much as 30 percent of our body's waste is released through perspiration. Not only is the waste produced by our own body expelled, but toxins and impurities accumulated over time are as well. Toxins in our system can include things like recreational and prescription drugs, pesticides in our food, and heavy metals and chemicals from our environment.
In his book, Hot Tubs, Saunas, and Steam Baths, Alan E. Sanderfoot states, "Medical science has shown that, like saunas, steam baths are one of the simplest ways to rid the body of toxins and impurities."
Saunas, steam baths, and sweat lodges are similar in that they provide a heated, humid environment in a closed space to induce profuse sweating. The heat source can be heated rocks or a special heater. Sometimes benches are provided and sometimes you sit on the bare earth. Each culture has its own traditions or ceremony for going about sweating, but no one way is the right way. They all can provide an enjoyable, relaxing, cleansing experience for your body.
Sweating can be done alone or in groups, naked or with covering, as often as you like, for as long as is comfortable to you. The important part about sweating is to listen to your body and follow your own rhythm. Feel free to move in and out during the sweat to help regulate your body heat, stopping when you need. During a sweat, a liter of fluid can be lost in just 20 minutes, so drink lots of water or fruit juice to stay hydrated. Don't hesitate to talk with your doctor if you are considering a sweat.
Lahde Forbes' story was related to me through a mutual friend of ours. On a flight home from Alaska, she fell into conversation with a Native American woman sitting next to her. In this woman's culture, if a member of their tribal community is emotionally down or overwhelmed, the community comes together in their sweat lodge for a sweat. The individual's problems are acknowledged and they are surrounded by people they know and love, which then support them through their transition. This story fills me with joy and a hope that we can follow the advice of the president of the Finnish Sauna Society when he suggests that, "The idea is not to have the best sauna on the block, but to get the entire block in the sauna."
(Sources: Hot Tubs, Saunas, and Steam Baths by Alan E. Sanderfoot; an article by Susan Smith Jones, Ph.D . called, Sweat Your Way to Radiant Health located at http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/sauna1.htm; and the Finnish Sauna Society Web site at http://www.sauna.fi/pages/laaksone.htm.)
Jennifer Whitney is happily making plans for the sauna she will soon acquire with the purchase of her first home.
|
Copyright: Copyright on articles and recipes
are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op and the respective authors,
except were otherwise noted.
|
For additions or corrections to this page, please contact the Webmaster.
