[ Heat ] A Guided Experience

Every [ Heat ] session is held by Sonia, who holds a Diploma in Infrared Therapy and extensive training in anatomy and physiology, specialising in lymphatic health. She is also a certified Life Coach, Breathwork Facilitator, and Personal Trainer, bringing a multidimensional approach to every experience.

She draws on this depth of knowledge in whole-body wellness and detoxification to curate each session, creating a space where your body can soften and your mind can let go.

Infrared sauna, when used with intention, becomes more than warmth. Research suggests it may support circulation, relaxation, recovery, and help the body’s natural processes of release. By being guided through the process, you receive more than a sauna session — you receive a ritual designed for restoration.

The Ritual of [ Heat ]. Immersed in the Art of Sound.

Rooted in science

Infrared sauna, when used with intention, becomes more than warmth. Studies suggest it can boost circulation, support heart health, help regulate blood pressure, and assist with recovery. Some evidence also indicates benefits for fatigue and inflammation. It also helps the body shift toward a parasympathetic “rest and digest” state, where deeper repair can take place. Guided with care, [ Heat ] is designed to leave you clearer, calmer, and more energised — and that’s exactly what most people report. Clients often describe leaving lighter, deeply relaxed, with renewed energy and a unique sensation of being warmed from the inside out.

Grounded in history

Sauna is among the oldest wellness traditions. In Finland, heat bathing has been central to community life for over 2,000 years and is often described as “the poor man’s pharmacy,” a reflection of the belief that regular sauna use could ease stress, relax muscles, support circulation, and strengthen resilience without the need for costly medicines.

In Ayurveda, Swedana derives from the Sanskrit Sweda, meaning sweat, and has long been prescribed to open the body’s channels, release toxins, and restore balance. Native American sweat lodges use heat as a sacred tool for purification, prayer, and connection.

In more recent history, Japan developed a clinical form of thermal therapy that became known as Waon therapy, meaning “soothing warmth,” to distinguish it from other sauna methods. First studied in patients with chronic heart failure, Waon therapy has since been researched for circulation, hypertension, chronic fatigue, and even some chronic pain conditions. It demonstrates how an ancient ritual of heat has evolved into modern therapy.

Across cultures and centuries, heat has never been solely about wellness. It has carried spiritual, cultural, communal, and healing functions. [ Heat ] is our way of carrying this lineage forward, honouring the wisdom of the past while shaping a sanctuary designed for today’s world.

Immersed in sound healing

Our Clearlight cabin is enhanced with Vibrational Resonance Therapy, where speakers built into the bench send sound waves directly through the body. This creates a gentle cellular massage shown in studies to ease stress and activate the parasympathetic “rest and digest” response.

As a huge lover of music and how sound can heal the body, this was one of the reasons I chose this cabin. Instead of just listening, you feel the sound, allowing the body to soften on every level. You have full control over your music, and I can promise there are no whale sounds or generic spa tracks here. You are the DJ of your sauna experience.

Or, if you’d rather, Sonia choose, we’ve curated sound journeys designed to amplify release, recovery, and relaxation.

The [ Heat ] journey at Umā

Before [ Heat ], Umā offered sauna blanket rituals as part of treatments back in 2021 and early 2022.

“Back then, sessions took place in my living room or in a room I rented once a week. Even then, the intention was clear - to use heat as a deeper layer of healing.”

That treatment was called Sophrosyne, which is a name drawn from Greek philosophy that speaks to harmony, balance, and inner calm.

Bringing [ Heat ] into its own dedicated offering within the ever-growing [ Space ] at Umā has been part of the vision for years, allowing it to become a more prominent and powerful feature of your wellness journey.

Healing with touch, heat, sound, breath and music has always been rooted in the essence of Tranquil Flow®, our signature style - rituals that restore balance, invite clarity, and create harmony. [ Heat ] is the embodiment of that devotion.

Flowing with lymphatic drainage

When [ Heat ] is combined with lymphatic drainage, the two therapies create a rhythm of flow that feels like the collaboration you never knew you needed. Each therapy works in its own way, yet together or consistently on their own, they create a synergy.

Lymphatic drainage, by encouraging lymph flow, stimulates the lymph nodes and vessels to open pathways for waste and excess fluid to be released. This helps reduce puffiness, heaviness, and local fluid retention while relieving pressure in congested tissues.

Infrared heat, on the other hand, works through warmth and circulation. It increases blood flow, elevates detoxification by encouraging sweating and cellular release, and helps release muscular tension. Studies suggest far-infrared therapy can reduce swelling and extracellular water, improve circulation, and ease fatigue.

What makes the combination so powerful is not only their unique strengths but also their shared benefits. Both therapies calm the nervous system, support immune function, and leave you feeling more relaxed and at ease. They reduce swelling and fluid retention, support cleansing, ease inflammation, and activate the parasympathetic “rest and digest” state.

Together, they restore circulation, lift mood, and bring the body back into balance - a collaboration that magnifies the healing potential of each treatment.

To be shared

[ Heat ] was created for both self-care and connection, whether that’s within yourself or with another. Partner, parent, friend, or someone special, you are invited to share this experience in our [ Space ]. Our double cabin invites two people into the ritual together, a moment to pause and exhale side by side. Across cultures, the act of gathering in warmth has always been a way to restore, bond, and find stillness.

In a world that rarely slows down, this is a quiet invitation to share sound, silence, and heat with someone close to you, or to simply deepen your own connection within.

With a spacious cabin and comfortable seating, [ Heat ] holds space for connection without distraction, a modern expression of an ancient ritual, always welcoming two without additional charge. Just let us know when booking if you’ll be bringing a guest. Packages can also be enjoyed together and shared.

References

• Beever R. Far-infrared saunas for treatment of cardiovascular risk factors: summary of published evidence. Can Fam Physician. 2009;55(7):691-696.

• Földi M, Földi E, Kubik S. Textbook of Lymphology: For Physicians and Lymphedema Therapists. Elsevier, 2012.

• Fooks C, Niebuhr O. Effects of Vibroacoustic Stimulation on Psychological, Physiological, and Cognitive Stress. Sensors. 2024;24(18):5924.

• Hamaya R, et al. Non-acute effects of passive heating interventions on cardiovascular disease risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis. EClinicalMedicine. 2025;73:102845.

• International Society of Lymphology. The diagnosis and treatment of peripheral lymphedema: 2020 Consensus Document. Lymphology. 2020;53(1):3-19.

• Kominami K, et al. Blood pressure-lowering effect of repeated Waon therapy in patients with hypertension. Medicine (Baltimore). 2021;100(3):e24177.

• Li K, et al. Far-infrared radiation thermotherapy improves tissue fibrosis in patients with late-stage lymphedema. Lymphat Res Biol. 2018;16(3):262-270.

• Masuda A, et al. Repeated thermal therapy improves outcomes in patients with chronic pain and fatigue syndromes. Psychosom Med. 2005;67(4):643-647.

• Rodrigues J, et al. Passive heat therapy and cardiovascular health: clinical benefits and exercise tolerance. J Appl Physiol. 2025.

• Wen T, et al. Effects of far-infrared rays emitted from loess bio-balls on edema and fluid balance. Biomedicines. 2024;12(10):2392.