THE SAUNA
SAUNA PICTURE
The surface of our planet is cold, but beneath the surface, (like many people) it is molten hot!
On the surface we find seven tenths of the area covered with water. Since water is a molecule made of two gasses (hydrogen and oxygen) it is very light and consequently stays above the heavier molecules.
However, frequently, the water seeps into crevices in the Earth’s Crust and flows down into the hot areas where it is heated and forced back up to the surface.
Throughout the planet, these Hot Water Springs are found. They are especially common where there is volcanic activity, such as in the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Wherever Hot Springs are found, we find humans bathing in them.
JAPANESE SNOW MONKEYS ENJOYING A HOT BATH (Are you in this picture?)
Throughout known history, humans have sought hot water to sit in it.
PEOPLE (AND ANIMALS) LIKE HEAT
In those parts of the world where hot springs are not found, people have made baths in which hot water was employed.
The Roman Baths are famous throughout Europe. Thousands of people would go to these baths to sit in the hot waters.
In the Middle East and Asia, similar baths were constructed. The Steam Baths of Turkey are also famous.
NO WATER – NOT A PROBLEM
In the North of Europe and the North of Asia, there were few hot springs. The people of these areas, especially the Scandinavians, built huts in which fires covered with stones, were constructed.
These Saunas have been copied throughout the world.
HEAT IS WANTED
We can see that people take great pleasure in sitting in heat. The heat may be dry, such as in a sauna, or steam, such as in a steam bath, or liquid such as a hot bath.
The important fact is that people will expend great energy and time to create heat and to warm their bodies.
WHY HEAT?
The question arises: Why do people want to heat their bodies?
In our bodies two processes are constantly occurring:
1. Molecules of energy are being created so that we can move.
2. Molecules that are dangerous are being expelled through our lungs, liver and kidneys.
Molecules that are involved in the creation of energy are called nutrients, but also include oxygen.
Molecules that are dangerous are called Waste Products, and include CO2, Urea and Ammonia.
PICTURE OF THE HUMAN BLOOD CIRCULATION
BLOOD CIRCULATION
Our blood circulation carries the oxygen and nutrients to the cells for use, and also carries the waste products away for excretion from the body.
If these two processes do not occur, we die.
Whatever we do to increase the efficiency of these two processes make us feel better. If we eat, exercise, or rest, we feel better; that is, we have a pleasant sensations about our bodies. If we sit in hot water or hot air, we also feel better.
In some way, the heat is helping us to perform the two basic functions of life.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE HEAT OUR BODIES?
If you sit in a Sauna, after a few minutes, you will notice that your veins are swelling with blood. Our bodies obey a general law called: Homeostasis.
Our bodies perform best under certain temperatures and levels of acidity or pH. If our body senses heat on the skin, blood is shunted from the internal areas of the body to skin, where it will be cooled. The skin cools the blood through the process of sweating.
The sweat, which is primarily water, evaporates on the skin. Evaporation requires heat. The heat is taken from the skin and moved into the molecules of water. This process cools the skin and therefore, the blood.
The blood that goes to the skin also goes to the lungs, liver and kidneys as well. In doing so, it carries the Waste Products out of the body. As this is done, we subconsciously recognize it and feel more pleasant. But, there is more.
CIRCULATION OF BLOOD
We understand that blood is the carrier of nutrients to our cells and the carrier of waste products away from our cells. In order to move the blood to and from the cells, we have two pumps:
THE HEART
The heart pumps blood to the cells, through a system of vessels, called Arteries. This blood carries the oxygen and nutrients necessary for the creation of energy molecules.
THE MUSCLE PUMP
All of our muscles, when they contract, push the blood back to the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys, through a system of vessels called Veins and Lymphatic’s. (Most people are unaware that the muscles of their body are pumping blood as well as moving parts of their body.)
This blood carries the Waste Products that must be excreted from the body. The Heart and the Muscle Pump are equal in force, since they both push the same quantity of blood.
AT THE CELLULAR LEVEL
We can see at the macroscopic or large level, that heat has increased our circulation.
But, at the cellular level, another process is developing. Heat is a form of energy which can be seen as the movement of molecules. When we have a solution, which is a mixture of one group of molecules (solute) dissolved in another group of molecules (solvent), and this solution is heated, a unique process takes place: All the molecules move faster and for farther distances. This process is known as DIFFUSION.
Thus, although we have our Heart pumping blood to the cells, and our Muscle Pump pumping blood away from the cells, we still must rely on diffusion to make the molecular journey in the Micro-Sea between our cells. Without diffusion there could be no life!
When we heat our bodies, the rate of Diffusion increases. With increased heat we have increased diffusion and increased cellular metabolic activity.
In essence, increased metabolic activity means more healthier cells. As humans, we sub-consciously recognize this improvement in the metabolic activity of our cells and feel more pleasant.
SUMMARY
Heat provides our body with increased circulation and increased diffusion. The combination results in healthier cells and healthier bodies. Humans have known this for thousands of years..
That is why they love to sit in the heat.
