How to Make a Home Dry Sauna

Create your own sauna in your bathroom.

Dry saunas, according to Eco Mall, not only relax your muscles, but can also improve your immune system. The intense heat in a dry sauna induces a fever-like state that kills potentially harmful viruses and bacteria before they make you sick. Sweating in a dry sauna also cleanses your pores and rids your body of toxins. Unlike a steam room, or “wet” sauna, dry saunas do not use water to distribute heat -- they are simply highly heated rooms. Knowing this, you can quickly create your own dry sauna at home.

Things You'll Need

• Yoga mat
• Fluffy towel
• Bolster pillow
• Small sauna heater
• Thermometer
• Egg timer
• Soap
• Washcloth

Instructions

1. Set up your dry sauna in a small room in your home. Small rooms heat much faster than large ones. Your bathroom is ideal, but if your bathroom is too small for comfortable reclining, choose a room very close to the bathroom.

2. Spread a yoga mat out on the floor and cover it with a soft, fluffy towel. Lay a bolster pillow at one end. This is the reclining spot for your dry sauna.

3. Place a small sauna heater in the room. Sauna heaters provide much more heat than an average space heater. They are available at most home improvement stores or online. If your heater makes noise, it must not be noise you find annoying or distracting.

4. Turn on the heater and place a thermometer in the room. The dry sauna is ready when the room reaches about 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Set an egg timer for about 15 minutes. Lie down on the towel and mat and let your thoughts float. The room should be warm enough that you sweat easily and freely.

6. Shower in cool (not cold) water when your time is up. The water should feel cool to you, even if you have the water temperature set relatively high. Wash yourself off with your regular soap to remove the toxins from the surface of your skin.

Tips & Warnings

• If your space is large enough, set up a lounge chair or a thick bench pad for extra comfort.

• Set an alarm clock to play music from your favorite CD if an egg timer is too disruptive.

• Consult your doctor before using a dry sauna.

• If you feel nauseated or lightheaded, leave the sauna immediately.

• Never stay inside a sauna for more than 20 minutes.

References

• Eco Mall: Sweat Your Way to Radiant Health
• Sauna Talk: Sauna Heaters
• The Home Sauna Center: Directions for Using a Sauna