Admin • 18 December 2024
6 top benefits of using a sauna
At Zest Life we love to sauna and to mix that up with a cold water dip is even better. We all know saunas are not only relaxing but also offer a range of health benefits. Incorporating sauna sessions into your wellness routine can help support physical and mental well-being in many ways. Just remember to stay hydrated and listen to your body while using the sauna!
Here are Laura’s
6 top benefits of using a sauna:
1. Improved Circulation
- How: The heat in a sauna causes your blood vessels to dilate, which improves blood flow and increases circulation.
- Benefit: Better circulation can lead to improved oxygen and nutrient delivery to muscles and organs, helping with recovery, reducing muscle soreness, and promoting overall heart health.
2. Detoxification
- How: The high heat induces sweating, which helps flush toxins and impurities from the body through your skin.
- Benefit: Sweating can help eliminate heavy metals, chemicals, and other toxins, potentially leading to clearer skin and improved overall health.
3. Stress Relief
- How: The warmth of a sauna helps your muscles relax, promotes endorphin release, and encourages a meditative, calm state.
- Benefit: Regular sauna sessions can reduce stress, promote mental relaxation, and help with managing anxiety and tension.
4. Improved Skin Health
- How: The sweating process helps clear pores, removes dead skin cells, and promotes better skin hydration.
- Benefit: Using a sauna regularly can result in smoother, clearer skin and can help with conditions like acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
5. Pain Relief and Muscle Relaxation
- How: The heat of the sauna can relax sore or stiff muscles, ease joint pain, and increase flexibility.
- Benefit: Saunas are commonly used by athletes and people with chronic pain for recovery, as they can reduce muscle tension and inflammation.
6. Boosted Immune Function
- How: The heat in a sauna raises your body temperature, which mimics a fever and can stimulate the immune system.
- Benefit: This “artificial fever” can help enhance the body’s ability to fight off infections and reduce the frequency of colds or other illnesses.
The power of sauna has been known for centuries and for that reason we are excited to bring a sauna session to all of our Anglesey swim retreats in 2025. We are teaming up with a fabulous local company called Sawna Bach who have sauna pods at both beach and lake locations here in North Wales.
Day 1 of your swim retreat will be a swim and sauna experience at Llyn Padarn, one of the most majestic lakes at the foot of snowdon. You will be expertly guided in the water and the private sauna will be right there for you to relax in post or in between swims.
A New Chapter: Yoga, Food & Connection This week marked a beautiful milestone for us. We hosted our very first Yoga & Seasonal Supper Evening and Day Retreat. What a joy it was! Both events were filled with warmth, laughter, movement, and the most wonderful mix of local students, retreat guests, and dear friends. These gatherings felt like more than just events, they were a chance to reconnect, recharge, and simply be. Sharing yoga and nourishing food in a mindful, welcoming space reminded us just how powerful these small moments of togetherness can be. The evening was very mellow, with a relaxed yoga flow with myself followed by a 3 course seasonal meal, where conversation and laughter flowed. Our Day Retreat at The Barn gave our guests time to really settle in. it was an opportunity to show off our wonderful North Wales venue and for us to try out our new business idea. We began with a strong yoga practise to help ground and relax the guests. We walked into the hills, breathed deeply in the fresh air, and even dipped toes into the newly renovated woodland pond, complete with a jetty! It felt like stepping into a secret sanctuary. We also had the pleasure of welcoming chef Kelly Mason, who generously shared some of her favourite cooking tips and seasonal inspiration with us all. And of course, what’s a retreat without something delicious to nibble on? I had the fun job of making energy balls for our guests, and I wanted to share this quick, zesty recipe with you. It’s perfect for busy weekends or a midweek pick-me-up. They're easy, bright, and full of goodness, just like the events themselves. Both events were a great success, and we’ll be offering them every quarter going forward. They’re a beautiful way to honour the changing seasons and to reconnect with yourself, with nature, and with each other.
In late January and early February the young nettle leaves are starting to appear. Nettles are full of vitamins and minerals especially rich in iron and vitamins A and D. They can be cooked in soups as a substitute for spinach, or use raw blitzed for pesto. These nettle oat wraps/crepes are versatile and can […]
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Here at Zest Life we are all about wellness and vitality and as work our way through Winter it can be hard to feel such vitality. This is where we choose to turn the self care that we can implement on a daily basis without too much effort – Skin. As we all know when you […]
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