We sat down with Alex Tyson, second-generation business owner and founder of iHealth Sauna. Find out what an infrared sauna is, how it can benefit your health and much more.
What is the origin of iHealth Saunas?
iHealth Saunas begun out of a passion to help people look after themselves. After discovering the power of infrared sauna by working for another sauna company, iHealth Sauna founders Peter and Miriam Tyson designed and created their own sauna so to be able to deliver the quality and customer service they felt was needed in an otherwise profit-driven, non-customer centric industry.
Generally speaking, what is a sauna and how can it benefit your health?
Generally speaking, a sauna is a hot room where you sweat, although the infrared sauna is so much more than that. It is a place people go to address physiological issues such as inflammatory conditions, sleep problems and high toxic loads within the body. It is also a place people go to sit by themselves, meditate and have some alone time.
What is infrared? How does it work?
Infrared is a safe wavelength of light (or energy) which we feel as heat. Infrared works by heating the body directly, warming us safely to create a cardiovascular workout on the body whilst removing heavy metals and toxins. Infrared is different to steam or hot rocks sauna in that it heats the body at a lower more comfortable temperature whereas a steam sauna heats the air at a much hotter and often more uncomfortable temperature.
How has the vision of iHealth Saunas changed over time?
Initially, the vision of iHealth Saunas was to create the highest quality sauna on the market at an affordable price. We still pursue the highest quality timbers and finished product however, we also offer a range of information and health education. iHealth understands that people looking into infrared sauna ultimately want to live a more healthy life. When sauna use is combined with making better food choices, exercising more and focussing on sleep, we find people’s health goes from 5/10 to 8/10 very quickly. This is why we offer educational masterclasses, written health info and a booklet for clients on how to best use their sauna to help them learn and understand the broader modalities we can consider to be healthy.
Why are you so passionate about saunas and the remedies they provide?
The infrared sauna addresses a broad array of health modalities. The main reasons people choose to use a sauna is to reduce pain, lose weight, sleep better and detox, however, we often hear things like “I’m just eating better since owning my iHealth Sauna” or “now I have my sauna, I’m making more time to go for morning walks… I never used to do that.”
We find that the sauna is the catalyst or the momentum builder for people to make other positive changes in their health and wellness. This is why we’re so passionate about providing health education and information on top of the amazing saunas we offer. Because once someone has an iHealth Sauna in their home, they are energised to do more. It’s that initial 1 per cent change that leads to massive change over time. I have experienced this in my own life and many others and it’s beautiful to watch.
What does health mean to you?
Health is my top priority in my life; it’s what I value the most. I had this weird growing up where I met sick people and heard their stories regularly, so I have seen what living in poor health can take away from people. It’s my mission to help people out of that state or, even better, prevent it altogether. The old clichés go something like this”your health is your wealth” or “if you have all the money and love in the world but you’re sick, you can’t enjoy it”. Yet, we use these throwaway lines but don’t action them. Health is my life; everything flows from being in a state of good health.
Where do you source your materials?
Our timber is sourced from sustainably forested timber in Canada and our electronics are sourced from Hong Kong. We manufacture and assemble our sauna in China. We have an incredible relationship with our suppliers and through working with most of them for over a decade now, provide a product with a quality second to the no-other sauna on the market.
What are your three top tips for inviting more health and wellness into your life?
- Whatever health modalities you practice, get them done in the morning before anything else. That way, if nothing else goes right for you that day, you didn’t skip the most important part: you. If we don’t give ourselves what we need, we can’t give it to others.
- Let go of people and workplaces that don’t bring health into your life.
- Don’t overcomplicate it; eat better food, drink more water and move more. You don’t need to be a scientist to be healthy.
What’s next for iHealth Saunas?
To provide a platform to enable our clients to live a continuously healthy life that includes education, products and services. The infrared sauna is the “gateway drug” of health and wellness. Once we start to experience positive change in our health from regular sauna use, we open ourselves up to the world of healing. It’s our mission to facilitate people through this journey and offer guidance and support to help our clients live continuously healthy.
