Light is certainly an under-appreciated powerhouse for healing. No more so than the infrared spectrum. With varying wavelengths of Near, mid and far, each helping to support the body in various ways from detoxification (from both water-soluble and fat-soluble toxicity), increasing energy production (by the support of the mitochondria), a strong support for our immune system, support for blood flow and circulation (by the increase production of nitric oxide) and many many more.

I have been experimenting with infrared saunas, red light therapy and structured light for 20 years or so. I find it to be one of my favourite tools in my tool belt to support the health of my mind and body. I also find it to be a wonderful contrast to the heavy exposure of blue light that so many of us are bombarded with through computer screens and devices. It is a non-invasive powerhouse for inducing heat or fever in the body, which leads to many benefits including the activation of heat shock proteins and interferons.

As the famous Greek physician Parmenides said:

Here are some of the reported benefits of infrared saunas:

Detoxification - Todays worlds places a toxic load on our bodies, from environmental toxicants to stress and anxiety that create inflammation and other symptoms. Infrared sauna’s fundamental benefit is the ability to sweat out toxic substances naturally.

Immunity - Adding in infrared sauna use to your wellness routine can support all your goals with benefits for circulation, immunity, stress relief, weight loss and sleep.

Muscle Recovery - Proper muscle recovery impacts your ability to keep doing what you love. Infrared sauna therapy penetrates muscles deeper, increases blood flow and helps the body recover faster.

Heart Health - Good circulation is critical to your overall health so regular infrared sauna therapy, as part of a healthy lifestyle can be good for your heart.

Anti-Aging and Skin Health - infrared saunas can help reduce wrinkles and crows feet, while improving overall skin tone, softness, smoothness, elasticity, clarity and firmness.

Improve Sleep - Getting a good nights sleep is essential to feeling your best. Infrared sauna therapy helps the body in so many ways that can help improve sleep and gives you back the energy to thrive.

Relaxation and Mental Health - Sometimes getting through the day takes everything you’ve got. Stress impacts not just the mind but also the body. Infrared sauna therapy provides full-body benefits of relaxation and stress reduction.

In this week's episode of the Cura podcast, we are covering mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This form of therapy has been more and more in the headlines because it has allowed hyperbaric oxygen to become readily available with the creation of the 1.3 atm and the 1.5 atm chambers. With these mild hyperbaric oxygen chambers it removes a lot of the complications of the high pressured chambers as well as the expense. Making it possible for almost anyone to enjoy the benefits of the increased oxygen saturation in the areas of the body where it is most needed.

For myself, I have only recently become a convert to this form of therapy. In this case I seemed to fall into the same trap that many people find themselves, where if we don't know enough about something or haven't experienced it for ourselves then we tend to be down on it. I think this is probably something all of us have experienced at some point.

For many years I have used what is known as EWOT training, or exercising with oxygen therapy. This form of training has a very similar action to hyperbaric oxygen but does require vigorous exercise to gain the benefits while breathing close to pure oxygen for short periods of time. When I was able to try the mild hyperbaric oxygen chambers for myself I realised how important they were for athletic recovery and for those that did not want to exercise or in many cases were actually struggling to be able to move. So the simplicity of being able to lie down or sit in a chamber that is filled with oxygen under pressure, that then allows a significant increase in oxygen saturation into the areas of the body that are most inflamed, and most starved of oxygen while you simple rest or read a book seems like a win win situation.

As I have mentioned before I have found that the best forms of healing modalities are those that are not invasive to the body. Modalities that are simple to use and very kind. There are many benefits of using hyperbaric oxygen and I personally find it a wonderful complement to the ozone therapy.

I hope you find this episode interesting.

In this episode of the Cura podcast, I speak with Gemma about ozone therapy, more specifically about the HOCATT, which is a very powerful ozone sauna. This particular sauna makes use of many different healing modalities within a single session. I have personally used one for close to 3 years and I have been amazed at the power it has for healing the body, but most importantly of just how non-invasive it is.

I have been a big fan of ozone therapy and have used it in almost every way possible for about 20 years. This has included such techniques as intravenous, a method that was taught to me by two separate doctors. I have been very grateful for intravenous ozone as it has made significant improvements in some health issues that I was struggling to overcome in my early twenties. This method can be very safe if you are under the guidance of an experienced ozone doctor or health care practitioner. However, I do not believe that anything that invasive is necessary, with the exception of life threatening circumstances. This is why I was so excited to find this particular ozone sauna. From my experience, it is as powerful as intravenous ozone, without ever having to be invasive to the body.

I have many concerns about the company that makes this particular product, but the device is very profound in its healing ability. So, in this episode, Gemma and I speak in detail about the different modalities that are offered within this unit and how it can be supportive for individual health, to restore vitality and to really help the body to clear out toxicity with relative grace and ease.

There is a lot of fear around ozone and ozone therapy. Most of it is unnecessary and can make people shy away from its simple and clean way to super oxygenate the body. I hope this episode will help you have a better understanding of ozone therapy and what it might be able to offer, as an alternative support to restore balance and help us to thrive in a significantly toxic world.