A still, clear mind is focused and calm. For a lot of patients using steam rooms, they practice meditation and mindfulness while they are inside. Taken from non-Western cultures, meditation has become firmly entrenched in a lot of our culture these days and is considered important to achieving a healthy mental state. For some, it’s almost a necessity to calming depression and anxiety. For others, it’s simply a way to keep balance and achieve harmony.
We don’t necessary always associate meditation and steam rooms but when combined, there are some excellent benefits. In fact, meditation has been shown to go beyond the mental and provide physical benefits in some people, including increasing exercise tolerance, boosting the immune system, lowering cholesterol levels, increasing serotonin production, increasing concentration, and reducing instances of insomnia. The power of the mind is truly something impressive.
It is relatively easy to meditate in a steam room because of how relaxing the atmosphere is. The increased temperature is already causing physical relaxation which naturally promotes introspection and calm. How to meditate in a steam room is to take these feelings and direct them. The hyperawareness and altered state of consciousness in a steam room is not to be ignored. Use it. Sit upright with your back against the steam room wall. Place your hands softly in your lap. Close your eyes, breathe through the mouth, pay attention to the sensation of breath moving from in and out of your body.
For novices, this may be all you can accomplish on your first try. If you’re new to steam rooms, beginners should take things step by step and grow accustomed to the environment as well as meditating in it. If you are able to sit comfortably and focus on your breathing, you may choose to go further by searching out tense muscles in your body and using your focus to relax them. Let everything relax. Clear your mind of any thoughts and worries. If any are coming on, make a conscious effort to move away from them. Let these thoughts slip away. Your brain should feel soft. Focus on the heat and air around you, and on sinking into the universe created.
There are several meditation aids that people may use in steam rooms or saunas to help them. This may not always be possible if it’s a public steam room but if you are private or have one installed in your home, these may work. Soft classical music or instrumental music can induce relaxation without being distracting. Aromas from herbs like sage and cedar, or mugwort, and essential oils like lavender and chamomile all can play a role in bringing you closer to a relaxed state. Lastly, color can influence meditation with blues and purples usually being a preferred choice.
Meditating in a steam room takes practice. A lot of people struggle initially but eventually, it comes around. Emptying the mind can be particularly problematic. You’ll also want to set an alarm for yourself so that you don’t spend too long in a steam room. If you want to heighten the effects of a steam room, meditation is a safe approach to take. It’ll help your physical, mental, and spiritual self strengthen and repair, alongside everything else a steam does for you.