Discover the fountain of youth; what's a fundamental way to detoxify? Linda Davis shares the ancient secrets of natural steam therapy.

The skin is our body's largest organ, with an intricate system exquisitely created to eliminate toxins from the body.

Many people, in this sedentary age, simply don't sweat enough, making sweat bathing particularly desirable during these times. Antiperspirants, artificial environments, smog, synthetic clothing, and a physically idle lifestyle all conspire to clog skin pores and inhibit the healthy flow of perspiration.

For thousands of years, people of all cultures have indulged in the soothing warmth of sweat baths. The Romans are well-known for their elaborate baths. The wealthy of 200 B.C. India did not consider their mansions complete unless they included a bathhouse with a steam room. The Muslim hamman, or bathhouse, with its domed, central steam chamber, is still an integral part of life in Muslim countries. And the legendary Turkish bath, which was derived from the hamman, has been popular in Europe for centuries.

Hippocrates, the founder of Western medicine, said more than two thousand years ago, "Give me the power to create a fever, and I shall cure any disease." Although this wisdom reaches far back in time, modern Westerners have surprisingly little awareness of the wide-ranging benefits of steam and sauna bathing.

The artificial fever created by steam bathing works as an immune system stimulant by increasing the number of white blood cells in the body. In addition, as in the case of bodily-induced fever, the raised temperature during the artificial fever reduces the growth rate of most bacteria and viruses, giving the immune system time to mobilize its own forces. Indeed, many regular steam or sauna bathers have experienced that a good, long sweat bath at the early onset of a cold or flu can help ward the disease before it manifests as actual symptoms.

Apart from the immune system-stimulating effects of sweat therapy, many tout it as one of the most effective and painless detoxifying treatments available. Herbalized steam baths, called swedenas, are a vital part of Ayurvedic panchakarma purification. [See article on page 18 & 19 of this issue.] According to classical texts, a swedena should be given while keeping the head cool and the body in a supine position. A swedena clears the shrotas, the channels through which the biological intelligence flows. If impurities clog these channels, the body becomes more susceptible to disease.

As the pores open up and the millions of sweat glands start to excrete, the body rids itself of metabolic and other waste products. Heat speeds up the chemical processes in the body, making steam and sauna bathing one of the simplest and most comfortable ways to rid the body of accumulated toxins. It's high time to bring this fundamental cleansing and healing therapy forward from its ancient roots into our modern lives.

Linda Davis is a massage and body therapist practicing in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, Georgia. She specializes in relaxing and cleansing steam bath treatments using the Steamy Wonder Ayurvedic Sauna. For an appointment, call 404-237-1751 or 404-753-2637.