Why I got an Almost Heaven Barrel Sauna! My review of the sauna and how I combine CBD and Sauna Therapy.

I always loved going to the sauna. The feeling of sweating out always left me refreshed after a workout. Years later I would delve into the science of heat aclimation and read some of the studies on sauna therapy. The simple fact is that saunas are VERY good for you and do a couple of things. I’ll tell you some of the benefits I enjoy and then why I got an Almost Heaven Watoga Barrel Sauna.

-Sauna use can increase your cardiovascular health. Sauna use has been shown in a study of endurance athletes to increase their cardio. They had a group of runners do their normal training and stack it with 30 minute sauna use post-training. They then performed a 5k run to failure. They did the same routine with no sauna use as a control. When they incorporated sauna use their times were 30% better on average. That is a HUGE increase. I notice the same effects. If I do high intensity sauna use 4-5 days a week at a high temperature (I like 170-190) I see my cardio keep up with less training.

-They help you sweat out which helps you detoxify….sort of. Detoxify is such a tricky word. Our bodies are not filled with toxins. However sauna use can increase white blood cell count which is great for your immune system which is under more stress in todays modern society.

-They can optimize endocrine funciton. In a few studies natural levals of Human Growth Hormone and Testosterone are shown to increase. While they do seem to return to baseline, healthy hormonal spikes are something I love.

OKAY so I was sold and I decided to get my own sauna. I was sick of going to 24hr fitness. It was often dirty and PACKED. I wanted my own space.

I decided to go with an Almost Heaven Barrel Sauna. I went with the Watoga Model. It says on the website that it fits 2 people but really it can fit 3-4 people. It is 6x5 and as you can see below it is a decent size. It shipped within 1 week and arrived in another week. Before it arrived I had an electrician out to make sure that a 220v outlet was easy to install. This is key. You can’t just plug this thing into your wall you need a larger outlet installed. Luckily the wire was close to where I would have the heater plugged in and it only cost me $250 to have him install that. I had him and another handyman BUILD the sauna for me. It arrived on a large pallet and I had the handyman and his partner show up and get to work. It took them about 4-5 hours to build it out. I think it is something I could have done with a few friends but honestly it did not look super easy and I am glad I had professionals do it. The sauna looks absolutely amazing and works GREAT. I put extra insulation on the doors and am getting a rain jacket for the top. I want this thing HOT. It heats up pretty fast but I let it heat up for a good hour because I enjoy the hotter temperatures. The Barrel Sauna design looks great, the Harvia heater works great and I love that I can pour water on the stones to get a rush of steam. This increases the heat a lot and is one of my favorite parts.

It is a key part of my nightime routine. Every evening I have a wind down routine which goes something like this. -2 of our CBD infused Deep Sleep Capsules containing 100mg of CBD, 200mg L-Theanine, and 100mg of Valerian Root.

-Some foam rolling using my rumble roller while the sauna is heating up

-When I am in the sauna I love rubbing some of our 1000mg CBD infused Coconut Oil into my sore areas.

-Movement and stretching after sauna.

-Cold Shower and DEEP SLEEP!

Thats the routine! Any questions on how the sauna is or anything DM us anytime @santacruzmedicinals on instagram or email us santacruzmedicinals@gmail.com

-Brendan