Demystifying Sweat Therapy?
We know that Exercise, Meditation, and Group Counseling all have significant therapeutic effects on healing and well-being. Sweat therapy combines these three activities within the context of a primary nature-based experience.
Participants spend between three to four, 15-minute intervals in a sauna. The temperature is about 180° F. I refer to the intervals in the sauna as rounds.
In the first round, I encourage participants to talk about whatever is important to them.
The second round is a silent round and I encourage people to meditate or think about a certain topic related to their identified problem. Relaxing music plays in the background.
In the third round, people often talk about their experience in the silent round and continue to process their problem and discuss potential solutions.
In between each round, there is a 5 to 10-minute break in which people recuperate. They drink water and continue to process.
The basic reason I use a sauna is because the experience helps relieve stress and it helps people relax and open up more. Since it is an intense physical experience that does not require movement, it fits well with group counseling. I incorporate meditation because it promotes insight and creativity.
For more information on sweat therapy procedure, see the Sweat Therapy Treatment Manual at http://psychsymposium.com/20. For more information on how sweat therapy works, see Sweat Therapy Theory at http://psychsymposium.com/55.
