Standing on the subway platform, waiting for the F train in 100-degree weather, I began sweating my figurative balls off — and not just because of the heat.
It was also nerves. I was on my way to Higher Dose, an infrared sauna in the East Village, and the reason I was nervous was because I hate feeling overheated. I could barely stand the subway platform for five minutes; how would I handle an infrared sauna for 30?
But after hearing about all the benefits that spending time in an infrared sauna can have, I decided to try it anyway and see if it would convert me into a spa-goer.
First off, you're probably wondering (as I was) what an infrared sauna is, and how it's different from any other sauna.
"Infrared saunas heat your core body temperature," Higher Dose co-founder Lauren Berlingeri told me, versus a traditional sauna which heats the air. Infrared saunas only heat to about 150 degrees Fahrenheit, while traditional saunas heat up to around 180 or 190 degrees.
"It's a less aggressive way to heat the body," she said, and it results in the release of toxins from the body, and serotonin — the feel-good chemical — from the brain.
Higher Dose is on the lower level of The Alchemist's Kitchen, an herbal remedies shop on the Lower East Side of Manhattan (fitting, no?).
When I arrived for my appointment, a chic, silver-haired woman came out from behind the front desk (which looked more like a bar) and checked me in.
"You're going to love it," she said as she handed me a glass of water. "My first time I could only stay in there for about 20 minutes before it got too intense, but afterward I just wanted a big, juicy veggie burger!"
I chatted with Berlingeri and her fellow co-founder Katie Kaps for a few minutes while I drank water.
This was the first time in a long time I was visiting any sauna, and my first time at an infrared one.
The two told me that in addition to the whole detoxing thing, infrared saunas can help with pain management, poor complexion, and low energy levels.
"See how you feel when you wake up tomorrow morning," Berlingeri said. "It may be the best sleep you've had in a long time."
Each guest gets their own private room, and Berlingeri showed me to mine which, in addition to the sauna, also had a couple of massage beds.
The sauna isn't large, but it's big enough for two people. It sat in the middle of the room like a stage. It even glowed like one.
And speaking of the glow, Berlingeri showed me how to change the color of the light in the booth.
Just because it's an infrared sauna doesn't mean the light has to be red; according to Berlingeri, there are a ton of benefits to chromeotherapy, and it's best to pick the color of light that you think will best help with whatever benefits you're looking to get out of your session.
Blue is for calming, for example, while red is for energizing. I picked something halfway between yellow (fun and creativity) and orange (productivity and optimism).
Berlingeri set the timer for 60 minutes, but told me I didn't have to stay in the sauna the entire time.
She said I should get fully undressed and to "at least stay in long enough for the endorphins."
"Thirty minutes for your first time isn't bad to start with," she said, "and you can always step out for more water and get back in."
She showed me how to hook my phone up to the speakers in case I wanted music, and left me a full pitcher of water and a few towels. Then I was on my own.
I wrapped myself in a towel and climbed in, closing the glass door behind me. Dear lord, it was HOT.
It wasn't unbearably hot though; after about five minutes, I was able to see the sweat start to bead on my forehead.
In the beginning I started by listening to music and staring at the timer counting down, but soon I was able to just relax into the heat. I could see what Berlingeri meant earlier about the endorphins now.
After 20 minutes I was REALLY sweating. Something tickled my foot and I jumped, thinking I let a bug in the sauna. Nope. I was sweating from the tops of my feet.
I killed nearly the entire pitcher of water while I was in the sauna, and after 35 minutes I started to get a bit lightheaded, and climbed out.
Higher Dose doesn't have showers, and according to Berlingeri I wouldn't need one because the sweat you release in the sauna is so clean. She did leave me with a washcloth and said I could use the sink in the corner to bathe off the toxins from my skin, though, and that felt pretty nice.
After the sauna, my skin felt really nice — it wasn't really any clearer of blemishes, but my complexion looked more even.
Later that evening I went to the gym and killed an hour-long workout — and felt like I could have kept going. My energy levels were as high as if I'd just had a cup of coffee.
My knees, which sometimes still ache from a residual running injury, were light and springy. And I felt happy. I felt like Superwoman.
And damn if I didn't have the best sleep of my life that night.