Why Sweat is Sweet (A City Sweats Review)
It’s February in Seattle, and while we have had some uncharacteristically warm days lately we also had a sad stretch of depressing gray skies and constant rain. It was in the wake of the Super Bowl loss and what has otherwise been a difficult 2015. So I jumped at the opportunity to try Seattle’s own urban sweat lodge City Sweats. Warmth? Detox? Mood-lifting? Yes Please!!
I went on to their easy to navigate website, and after reviewing the services I booked the Infrared Sauna Cabin. The other one that intrigued me was the Infrared Lymphatic Drainage Treatment. I looove saunas people, I really do. There was a period where I would regularly work out with some of my best gal pals and we would finish with a sauna session. You feel relaxed and invigorated when it’s all over. Steam rooms are another story. I like to breathe thank you, but dry heat is where it’s at! But the phrase “sweat lodge” did give me pause. Would I be in some small oven-like structure like this one I saw at a spa in Cabo? I’m a tall girl and am squatting next to this thing!
As soon as I walked in the clean and welcoming reception area I was greeted by a refreshingly friendly staff member who gave me an enormous glass bottle of water to start drinking followed by a cayenne pepper shot of some sort.
I was given a tour of the rooms; including the lymphatic drainage treatment that is next on my list to try. For that treatment you can even watch Netflix etc while you are detoxifying!
My infrared cabin was nice and roomy. It was a sauna inside another area where you could disrobe without having to go to another room. They provided a towel if you choose to use inside the sauna, and of course they encourage you to take your water inside. If you get too hot or light-headed you can step out of the sauna for some relief.
The infrared sauna itself was equipped with an audio station where I could have listened to my music, but honestly I enjoyed the relaxing music they had softly piped through so I stuck with that. A feature I really liked was the remote to change the lighting. You were given a chart with the health benefits listed of each color (called Chromotherapy) and could change the color depending on how you wanted to feel or focus.
Even though you usually sit inside the cabin I will say it’s not the tallest structure. Most of my vertically enhanced family members would have had to duck to get inside, but again you are not standing for very long. It’s wide enough for 2 or 3 people but allowed for me to stretch out nicely all on my own. Which is exactly what I did for nearly the full 45 minutes. It felt easier to stay in longer then a traditional sauna even. You can take your phone in at your own risk which I did for about 5-10 minutes, but then I really wanted to use the time to relax and enjoy the heat. UV Radiation free heat. A redhead’s dream!
Generally I don’t sweat a great deal, but with all the water I drank I definitely got my sweat on! This made the shower afterwards much appreciated. They provided organic products and the needed necessities for heading back into the real world. There was one more stop before that world however, and that was the meditation area. Waiting for me was a spread of fresh fruit, mint tea, and sparkling water. It was just the right finish to a wonderfully replenishing treatment.
I will definitely be returning to City Sweats, and trying out all their other services. For the Emerald City it’s a little oasis among the grey.
Happy Sweating!
~Angie
I received a complimentary service in exchange for my honest opinion. Right now they are offering a complimentary service for any first timer!