Steam, Soothe, Glow: The Power of Sauna Rituals

I wasn’t planning on turning my bedroom into a spa. But after days of non-stop walking (hiking 15k steps and walking 16k steps around San Francisco the next day), tennis conditioning in the summer heat, and pushing through my calorie deficits, my body waved a white flag at me. Fever. Fatigue. Sore throat. My body politely tapped out, and it was not cute.

My body needed some warmth (no, not the warmth from tennis conditioning), a healing warmth both emotionally and physically. I was going through so much ache, and after my cold shower in attempt to reduce any inflammation, I started to crave something to contrast the coolness. On surface level, I had an idea of what saunas could do: calms the body and mind. That was it though. I didn’t understand why so many health influencers and doctors recommended it. I mean… it’s just steam? But of course, I was so desperate for a remedy, so I turned inward. And inward turned into steam.

The Entry Point: Healing in the Heat

I brewed a makeshift yet traditional asian herbal sauna, channeling my Viet girl energy into the pot and praying it will soothe all the pain I am going through. I didn’t have the proper herbs for it, just a few freshly plucked lemon tree leaves. With a thin white blanket draped like a tent over my shoulders, I was no longer in my room anymore. As I inhaled the steam to calm my dry throat and focused on detoxing through sweat, I felt not only relaxed but centered.

I repeated the ritual the next day. And now, just two days after the onset of my fever, I’m nearly fully healed. Pretty close, if not already. What I thought was “just steam” turned out to be so much more, and call me dramatic, but it just saved me. Beneath the warmth and ritual, something was happening on a neurological level. Sauna bathing doesn’t just comfort and detox the body (which provides a plethora of benefits), but it also rewires the mind. Whether its a gym sauna, a spa sauna, or a DIY one like mine, it’s definitely worth multiple tries.

What Even Is a Sauna?

At its core, a sauna is intentional heat exposure. Depending on where you are in the wold, the vibe and benefits shift slightly:

1. Japanese Onsens: Mineral-rich hot springs found throughout Japan, usually nestled in nature. Think geothermal warmth and slow silence. They can be found at ryokans, hotels, bath houses, and varies from indoor to outdoor.

2. Korean Jjimjilbang: Communal bathhouses filled with herbal steam rooms, clay dome saunas, and hot stone floors. You’ll often leave with brighter skin, a boiled egg with ramen, and a stronger bond with your mom (if you did not bring your mom, you probably made a new friend).

3. Chinese Medicinal Steaming: Centuries-old tradition using herbs like mugwort, ginger, and mint. It is often used postpartum or during illness, and the steam is believed to draw toxins out through the skin balance inner chi.

4. Vietnamese Herbal Steam: A home remedy passed down through generations (like in my family), especially when sick. Fresh herbs like lemongrass, ginger, and guava leaves are boiled and inhaled under a tented towel. It is believed to clear the lungs, opens pores, and offers emotional clarity.

5. Finnish Saunas: The original ritual. Dry heat, high temperatures, and the calming scent of birch wood.

6. Gym Saunas: Most fitness centers offer dry heat saunas or infrared cabins post-workout, and they are amazing for recovery, muscle soreness, and mental decompression.

7. Shower Saunas: Crank up the heat, close the door, add some essential oil (I recommend eucalyptus). Yout bathroom can really become an oasis.

8. Infrared Blankets: This one’s a great investment if you want to sauna every day effortlessly. These high-tech blankets use far-infrared light to gently raise your core temperature.

   
   

image from Pinterest

Heat Up = Glow-Up: Benefits You’ll Actually Feel

Believe it or not, this simple concept of sweating under steam and intentional heat can change your body on a cellular level. It does so in ways that align with physical glow up goals like improved circulation, recovery, and even skintone.

Detox Through the Skin: Sweating

Sweating is your skin’s way of exhaling. Though it won’t remove all toxins like some wellness trends claim, it does help expel trace heavy metals, micro-pollutants, and metabolic waste, especially when paired with plenty of hydration! Sweating clears internal “traffic,” easing the load on your liver and gut. No wonder I felt so much better. When your body’s not overwhelmed, everything else such as digestion, skin health, and even mood improves naturally.

Lymphatic Drainage & Debloat Magic

Think of your lymphatic system as the body’s secret drainage network. I’ve spoken about this before on my previous blog regarding ice rituals and how that also reduces lymph build-up. It flushes out fluid, waste, and inflammation. But it doesn’t have a pump like your heart does.

So what gets it moving? Body movement (yeah I know…), cold, heat, breath, sweat. Sauna sessions create a very gentle push, helping lymph circulate and drain. The result?

• Less puffiness in the face

• reduces the post-workout bloat (post-workout bloat can occur through the healing process of DOMs) = slimmer-looking limbs

• a light, airy body feeling

• BONUS: combine sauna days with light gua sha or dry brushing to supercharge all of these

Glass Skin Glow = Circulation

As your body warms up, your blood vessels dilate, delivering oxygen-rich blood to the surface of your skin. This rush…

• Creates a natural lit-from-within glow

• Encourages skin cell renewal

• Softens texture and boosts elasticity over time

You don’t leave the sauna red-faced — you leave radiant. Dewy. Awake.

Muscles, Mood, and Metabolism

Feeling sore after a heavy week? Sauna heat penetrates deep into the tissue, relieving tension and boosting recovery. It also gently stimulates your metabolism and hormonal balance by:

• Increasing growth hormone naturally (hello, toned recovery)

• Reducing cortisol, your stress hormone

• Enhancing insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control

✧ Translation: You’ll feel leaner, calmer, and more “in flow” — not just fit, but feminine-strong.

Immune + Heart Support

Regular sauna rituals (2–4x a week) are linked to major long-term benefits:

• Reduced risk of respiratory infections (including colds and pneumonia)

• Better cardiovascular health through lowered blood pressure

• Improved heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of stress resilience and rest quality

image from Pinterest

Sauna + Your Brain: The Psychology of Heat

Saunas are not just another mind and soul therapy gimmick. Sauna bathing has also shown promising effects on mental health, particularly in reducing symptoms of depression.

Multiple studies have found that regular sauna exposure (especially infrared or traditional hot-cold cycles) can help lower symptoms of mild to moderate depression, and even support long-term emotional resilience. This happens for a few key reasons:

✿ Endorphin ElevationSaunas naturally increase the release of β-endorphins, the same feel-good hormones we experience after a workout or during emotional breakthroughs. They create a chemical shift — from tension to tenderness.

✿ Reduced Inflammation, Reduced DepressionEmerging research links chronic inflammation to depression. Saunas help reduce inflammation markers in the body, possibly easing that underlying biological stress.

✿ Deep Nervous System RegulationAlternating between hot and cold stimulates the vagus nerve, helping to regulate your parasympathetic nervous system — your rest-and-restore mode. When this system is activated consistently, it becomes easier to exit fight-or-flight patterns and enter a state of calm.

✿ Better Sleep = Better MoodA relaxed body is a sleepy one. Sauna use has been shown to improve sleep quality, especially when done in the evening — and as anyone navigating low moods knows, sleep is sacred for mental recovery.

The Science of “Totonou”: Sauna as Neural Recalibration

In a 2023 study published in PLOS One, Chang et al. explored the neural basis of the “totonou” state, a Japanese word often used to describe the euphoric mental clarity and peace that follows a hot-cold sauna cycle. Participants alternated between a hot sauna (85–90°C), cold bath (16°C), and a rest period, repeated in three rounds.

from @japancreativecentre on instagram

What happened neurologically?

• β-Endorphins spiked — the same feel-good chemicals released during exercise and emotional catharsis.

• Salivary amylase (a stress marker) significantly decreased, showing reduced physiological stress.

• EEG scans revealed increased theta and alpha wave activity — brainwave patterns linked to calmness, creativity, and meditative states.

• Participants also showed measurable improvements in cognitive processing, particularly in attention (P300 amplitude) and sensory regulation (MMN responses).

In simple terms? Sauna use triggered a cognitive reset. The participants weren’t just relaxed — their minds became clearer, more present, and more efficient at processing the world.

Oh, and let’s not forget the rise in β-endorphins — those feel-good chemicals that also spike after a good workout. No wonder sauna users report that soft euphoric “totonou” state.

Bonus: I journal afterward. There’s something about heat that loosens your thoughts and makes reflection easier.

Conclusion

I wasn’t planning on turning my bedroom into a spa…but maybe I needed to. Maybe healing was supposed to look like lemon leaves in a pot, a blanket tent, and steam curling onto my skin. I’m no longer suffering from my two day long fever, and it was only two days long thanks to my sauna creation.

Whether it’s a herbal steam, a gym sauna, or an opportunity to experience a Japanese onsen…if your body’s been whispering (or screaming), if your mind feels heavy, or your soul a bit brittle, turn to steam. Maybe what you need isn’t more effort. Maybe, like me, you just need a little heat.

Written by Seon Reverie Editor-in-Chief: Liz

Citations:Chang, M., Ibaraki, T., Naruse, Y., & Imamura, Y. (2023). A study on neural changes induced by sauna bathing: Neural basis of the “totonou” state. PLOS ONE, 18(11), e0294137. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0294137