Steam Shower and Spa Resource

Never enough wisdom gained, never enough questions asked...

    It is not enough to say words such as moderation, relaxation, tension, release, anxiety, fear, or any other feelings without assigning age and culture transcending ideas and philosophy whilst exercising this "new age" lifestyle wherein we utilize technology to seek out perfect health. 
    As stated in many blog entries the ancients of may civilizations and sometimes not so civilized cultures have stumbled onto the paradoxical calming-power of water; it's ability to invigorate as well as subdue anxiety riddled minds and bodies.  We should then be led to seek out a philosophy which values equally both sides of this element- it's ability to inflame and it's ability to extinguish the muscle and neuro-activity of our bodies.   
    If we were to attempt to orient ourselves with such a philosophy we may immediately recall the relationship of the Yin and Yang of Taoist application.  This is not the first time we have spoken of this unnameable power which resides and pulsates to great or destructive effect through our systems. 
      And I now leave this one open to your curiosity and look forward to responses having to do with your experiences with the dualistic ability of water to soothe and incense, to calm and invigorate.  Please send your health questions, concerns and testimonies with this philosophy in mind to briano@mybath.biz and share with the rest of the My Bath family how it is that you find solace in and are placated by your home steam shower. 

Rest In Peace Louis... September 16th 1963 - May 23rd 2007

     Sadly the My Bath family has said goodbye to a friend and sometime associate of our company, Louis Ray Bailey Jr.  who was struck and killed in a traffic accident early morning the 23rd of May 2007.  Louis was known to many of the merchants in our area as the "flower man" as he happily pedaled the area on his bicycle selling the friendly floral  bouquets which he put together and designed himself in order to make his own way.  Michael Crutcher, whom I'd never have guessed to be a flower type almost always had one of Louis' creations in the office. 
    Louis Ray Jr. as his sister Tiffany refers to him is happy that he had found a family in the business owners and populace  of North Kansas City, Missouri. Though troubled as we all are by his passing.  There are few things which make the passing of a friend or loved one easy on anyone, though most of our community has rested easy picturing him smiling, riding his bicycle down the street on his way across the ASB bridge.  He had, for a very long time wanted to acquire a three wheel bicycle with a carriage on it.  And, it was this bicycle which he was struck and killed on. 
    The day previous to his passing i had circumvented him on the street on my way home from the office and as per usual he was grinning from ear to ear as he rode his favorite possession through his community.  Smile on Louis.  You're not forgotten, nor will you be; your memory is in fact growing.  One of the last plants purchased from you Louis, has recently began to flourish in our office.  We will tend it with care and preserve this piece of life you shared with us.  Rest in Peace and please once again... do not lose that ability to see the bright side in every situation, it is a comfort to think you may be somewhere still smiling.  Thank you for all you did for those of us in the North Kansas City community and for being a part of our lives.
    Louis is survived by an entire community of friends both north and south of the Missouri river in Kansas City which includes a bicycle shop, bicycle club, a grooming salon, a bath company- and all the persons therein.  But of course we were just a secondary family to him.  He is survived in blood relation by his grandmother Margaret Frasier 86 years of age, Peggy Goza 62 years of age, his daughter Rhiannon Embree 19 years of age whom he named after a Fleetwood Mac song, Kristie Wallace 38 years of age, Sister Tiffany Watkins 37 years of age, Sister Krystal Pitts 33 years of age as well as two nieces and four nephews. 
    Louis, i think it a great testament to one's character- especially a last testament -to have so many people speak highly of you, your work ethic, and your positive attitude in life who knew you for such a short period of time.  You are missed, you will be missed, and we will cultivate your memory in the community which you loved so much, and which loved you in turn.  Thank you for enriching our community Louis, we are forever indebted to you. 
                                                                                    Sincerely,
                                                                                    The My Bath Staff   

Far Infrared Saunas: Fibromyalgia... same first letter, coincidence? I think not...

  I have written before on the topic of Fibromyalgia. I left out a piece of information unintentionally, as I had not come across it yet, or did not catch its presence in any of the scientific journals I read as I was struggling to understand this enigmatic and widely disruptive syndrome. Ready? There is currently no medication approved to specifically treat Fibromyalgia. This would be where, if I wished to be a campy blogger, I’d insert some sort of emoticon that shows eyes bulging out of its head- in case the reason I am bringing this up is not entirely clear; Fibromyalgia is an amalgamation of “several different disorders all sharing common symptoms”- according to the Merck Manual of Medical Information. As I think we have all agreed, while not down playing the painful and disruptive impact of this diagnosis it is a blanket or umbrella diagnosis, under which and entire bevy of seemingly unrelated and undiagnosed symptoms are coalesced to form one huge all encompassing diagnosis, Fibromyalgia.  

 So, back to what I wanted to focus on: The Medical Community’s admission that there is no drug currently available and approved SPECIFICALLY for the treatment of Fibromyalgia. The hallmark of western medicine is pharmaceutical innovation, experimentation, regulation, and (fearing I’m robbing Dr. Seuse of some of his rhymes) a bunch of other scientific and intelligent words ending in “‘ations.” Here’s what we do know about Fibromyalgia and its resulting pain. It is, as stated the collection of a multitude of disorders all sharing certain symptoms. These symptoms can be relieved by medicines- everything from NSAID (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs) to Opiates (those drugs which target and interfere with pain transmission through blocking any of a variety of opiate receptors in the brain- while being drugs at the most risk for dependence, in the absence of the liver killing acetaminophen they are the most inexpensive to manufacture, as they come from nature and seem to be well suited to working exactly in the manner our body is designed to deal with pain and discomfort.) Weird huh? They’re also the most heavily controlled. For good reason. Also all manner of Anti-depressants have been applied in the allied effort to thwart this enigmatic disorder of phantom and/or elusive symptoms which now come together to become an even more frustrating disorder. 

 

 Infrared waves from the Far Infrared Saunas distributed exclusively and featured in the My Bath line of products, which may be viewed in more variance- as there are FIR Saunas for almost every number of people and type of lifestyle as well as sizes which may need to be met by everyone’s differing space requirements in their households –at www.mybath.biz emit Infrared waves which not only soothe with gentle heat, but also penetrate and manipulate the soft tissues affected as well as stimulate the Hypothalamus.  

 

 Pain relief is to be had by the heat and sauna environment alone; consider it the ONE. Then we add the TWO- of the one, two punch combination –the stimulation of the Hypothalamus which manufactures and releases natural pain killing and mood controlling chemicals into the blood stream and thereby eliminates some of the most debilitating and life altering symptoms of Fibromyalgia. Chronic localized pain in around 20 different areas of the body (imagine the surprise again please.) As the waves penetrate the skin harmlessly and stimulate the release of the necessary chemicals all the while soothing with a mild heating sensation, the Fibromyalgia sufferer utilizing Far infrared technology experiences pain relief without the ingestion of any of a number of unapproved, prescribed on a hunch from a doctor who’s hands are actually bound by the lack of understanding when it comes to this disorder. So, what do you say we allow the doctors some space to figure the pharmacology of this one while we draw on the naturally occurring and finely harnessed Far Infrared waves with which there seems to be a symbiotic pain/pain relieving relationship? 

"Why?" only nails on a chalk board if uttered by anyone under the age of seven!

I fear I am bordering on being annoying with reiterating that we, collectively in the name of health and exploitation of technology in pursuit thereof are swallowing information being communicated dangerously in the vague omni-applicable vocabulary of science without asking simple child like questions. I have now, in a writing lull of 4 days, while reading about the science of the My Bath product line and butting my head against one of my first and since being taken on, ever present subjects FIR (Far Infrared Technology) discovered so many- if not out right wrong, at least –wrongly applied and ascribed theories. And, in the interest of figuring out where this information is coming from about this mysterious and unbelievably beneficial technology, Far infrared Technology I find myself scouring the sacred texts of the great physicists who have written and theorized at great length on these electromagnetic waves, Einstein, Feynman- you name them, I’ve tried to digest them and be able to exegetically deliver to you what I can learn from the masters. I find myself much like an eager student of comparative mythology, religion and literature would finish a Joseph Campbell book and then quickly scour the index and look to see who he read to gain his insight and then would find them selves reading everything from the Bhagavad Gita to anything penned by James Joyce. In this sense I am in pursuit of a better understanding of Far Infrared Technology.  

While I was trying to find the offending authors and figure exactly where the information came from I realized I am chasing ghosts. It is not as though I will read a Feyman passage and realize, “hey, they just cut and pasted this for thirty pages to gain content.” Nor would it do me any good to recognize and reveal such a trick; it is a most sincere hope that my readers appreciate the content and the research that goes into regurgitating it in the manner in which I understand and process the information myself. So, I am left to educate and share what I am learning and have already learned about this technology.

 

       Anyone with any question about FIR or any other technology which we offer through the My Bath line of products is encouraged to post a comment and question and/or contact me personally at briano@mybath.biz and I will research for the problems or symptoms of which you are curious and will share in a tailored Blog Entry just for you and all other affected. One thing I will not cease to reiterate is that there is no silver bullet. There is not pill to swallow which will make you health all by it’s self. There is no treatment which can change your health. Please do not take what I am writing and trying to share with you as THE source of information. I want to stoke a fire in you to take an active role in your health and research more on all these products, their technology, their supporting science and how they may help you enjoy and prosper through a long and healthy life. I will always say, if you believe that you have serious health problems or you are looking at starting any therapy which involves alternative treatments, please, if you’ve doubts or concerns seek out professional medical advice. I am not a doctor. I can only seek out and share information.

 

I think we must, regardless of age, in the face of confusing or vague terminology dealing with alienating sciences utter a- normally reserved for toddlers –monosyllabic question… “Why?”

Salt with that? Embracing Osmosis...

    Draw a warm bath, not like a Mike Meyers character on Saturday Night Live! actually draw the water from the beautiful silver water jets, perhaps enjoy a nice acupressure massage as you fill the tub if you own a bath which allows for such therapy/luxury, if not, look into one.  Trust me, worth it's weight in doctor's bills.  As you draw this bath, lets make a twist on the conventional therapeutic and relaxing bath and add a margarita garnish (non-drinkers, please scratch the previous few words and move on in the article- and count me among your ranks... I don't drink either) pour some salt into the bath and enjoy a bit of Hydro-science.  Allow me to refresh your memory and whisk you back to the beginning of your dealings with science and water.  And a really cool Ozzy Osborne Album- scream it out Zack Wylde!  Osmosis.  Sorry Ozzy, i like your spelling better, but in the interest of Hydro-science...

Osmosis: 1, the tendency of a fluid, usually water, to pass through a semipermeable membrane (your skin!!!) into a solution where the solvent concentration is higher, thus equalizing the concentrations of materials on either side of the membrane... 

   The dirt: elevate the level of salt in the water surrounding your skin and your skin will make an attempt to equal the balance though Osmosis.  We have already learned and embraced the idea that sweating and any secretions through the skin hasten  the detoxification process.  This will be no different in that aspect.  As the fluid leaves your skin it will start to detoxify your skin and thereby your body.  And it all starts with a dab of salt...  Send salt bath specific questions in the form of comments to this or other blog entries and I will research and respond for you.

     Thank you to my boss and best friend of too many years to count without aging during the counting process for the inspiration for this article.  It occurred to me the other night after a business meeting and dinner as I watched my friend in mid sentence walking into his kitchen dump salt onto his palm and ingest it without wincing!  He needs salt.  He has always had this curious habit and i have always commented on it.  But, he says, "salt is good for you" after each comment.  So good friend, you're right... and this one is for you.  Salt IS good for you.  Eat it, bathe in it... either way.  It's good for you. 

      

Hydration, dehydration and hypernatremia

     Hydration, hydration, hydration... you cannot have enough water, you simply can't.  As long as nutrients and sodium levels in your system stay at a healthy and relative level to the water you ingest and get rid of through diaphoresis (sweating) and urination, this holds true; however, if you ever allow a dip in sodium or nutrients and you let the H2o follow suit and become dehydrated you may come to experience Hypernatremia.

     Hypernatremia: breaking down the words inside the word "hyper" over or "above" or "too much" as those who are hypertensive have "high" blood pressure.  Natrium (Sodium.)  Put the two together in one word and we have the meaning "too much sodium."  Hypernatremia.  When you fall victim to dehydration you also, through urine, sweat, and salavitory excretion lose some sodium with your water.  But, mostly you lose water and leave sodium intact in your system.  Which results in too high a level of sodium.  In it's least dangerous presentation it can present dangerously like dehydration, muscle cramps and everything which you would associate with dehydration. 

   Mild to Severe Hypernatremia and it's symptoms result from brain dysfunction which can lead to confusion, seizures, as well as muscle twitching and further on to coma and death if there is no clear fluid intervention.  Most importantly, if you think you are suffering from Hypernatremia you should slowly rehydrate yourself.  Don't just overload your system with water and expect everything to simply be okay all over again.  You could risk permanent brain damage if you rehydrate too rapidly.

   A tip and a simple thing to keep in mind which got me through six years of service in the Army, three of them in the Infantry walking everywhere i went and two of them in Iraq, one of the hottest places I can imagine exists: if you are thirsty it is too late.  You have lost a slow battle of dehydration.  I myself carry or find water everywhere I go.  I am one of the people who is probably made fun of for carrying a water bottle everywhere.  I do not waste money and buy bottled water everywhere.  I simply refill the water bottle when it is empty- tap water will do.  And using our rule of moderation you should simply sip your way to never ending proper hydration.  Just in case, we learn the meanings and symptoms of words like Hypernatremia...

The depth of knowledge and beauty...

My dear readership,

     In an effort to stay up to date and current on health topics and to keep myself, my writings, my thoughts and the My Bath Blog relevant, I went to the Internet to look for, not only top searches, but also to look in the items/subjects offered on all first pages to be offered up for free searching- I feel too often like we are trafficking a "hot" commodity in the form of health information, as it seems taboo in the way that it is not open to the public so much as it should be.

     I do not expect to search at length of such things as Hydrology, Hydroscience, Hydrotherapy or the like  and have the pages just unfold before me yielding their secrets, as they are YOUNG-old sciences.  Which is to say, even Steam Inhalation is somewhat in its infancy in western science. 

     However, I do wish to see "HEALTH" not "beauty" being advertised and having HEALTH information disseminated to a culture which is wrought with body image disorders, anxiety problems, and all different sorts of psychological problems, which, perhaps if beauty took a back seat to health then we could find health information and we might begin to see healthy people and unhealthy people, not a beautiful person and an ugly person.  Got news for ya... the Model that smokes, or does drugs, or drinks, or eats too much sugar and is taking advantage of her youthful metabolism (Oh, we'll all have a great gut chuckle when it bottoms out, right...) is about as ugly as they get.  The ugliness on the inside, the toxins, The hidden residual effects and deposits being ingested, absorbed and retained is sort of like beauty's little whip-lash, waiting to strike those who sought and found comfort on the level of their skin alone. 

    I come full circle for I am disappointed not in the models or the lifestyles of those who choose unhealthy ones, but rather in the fact that what is available for the top searches reflects the public's interest in the knowledge as well as the people who hoard such knowledge.  Which means we are not reaching enough people with the message that they should care about their health.  That there should be so many searches going out for items to bring into your house like infrared Saunas, Steam Showers, whirlpool tubs that the icon to be clicked on will be located right next to the latest of all the "cool toy" technology which is always posted, or the sports stats (if you relish the stories of sports field glory and those who provide you with dazzling reasons to read about them, forget not that they are athletes and by nature they are healthy and I'm willing to bet they would be just as interested in your readership of anything which would improve the quality and longevity of your life.)  Please, you must search for the knowledge on health, you must.  And if you don't want to type it into the search engines please post a comment/question on the My Bath blog, which i update and write for about 6 days a week.  I will water your curiosity and I will research as you direct me with your questions.  I'm simply asking that you ask them... and get this beauty crap off the front page of all of our reading materials.  It can be in there, that's fine, but lets give health its due.  Deal?

Proactive

    I believe there is a trite saying- or two or three or a few amalgamations of the one or two or three -somewhere about being offensive and/or defensive in your approach to life, a game with a ball of some sort, relationships, business, the list goes on and on- and somehow though it's time, culture, and universally transcendental wisdom imparting qualities so do sayings such as these which we term proverbs, allegory, whatever you wish to call them... trite being somewhere in the top five of the adjectives slung at and landing accurately on such sayings.  As, I've just devoted a paragraph to it... sorry, I'm an enabler.

   Proactive is the word for the day.  There are those in the world who are reactive: doctor's appointment, bad news, alternatives offered, and life style changes result.  Then there are my favorite types of personalities the Proactive types, the ones who are "go getters" or alpha personalities.  And these people will never need to see a Dermatologist, or watch a horrible television "paid programming" propaganda slinging commercial and hefty duty medical jargon coming out of the mouths of the flavors-of-the-month-popular-people with reasonable price tags hanging off their adorable faces which are supported by their personal trained sculpted bodies- "which you too may have in X amount of weeks."  Before you waste money on that, I know of a young family member who swears pigs could fly- perhaps you'd rather feed a healthy imagination and a youthful innocent interest in science instead of bogus-absolutely-no-way-in "pigs will fly first-" anti science-pro-line-someone's pockets with your money capitalist endeavors!  Or not, I can be zealous and passionate in my ideas sometimes.  I won't apologize, officially; its done with the best of intentions.

    Proactive is what you have to be with everything: Proactive in the pursuit of health, Proactive in the search for longevity, proactive in the improvement of your skin and it's appearance.  If that's what you're truly interested in, youthful looking skin at any age- it's in your skin and it's abilities waiting to be exploited by modern bath science and technology (Hydrology, being developed and researched by My Bath)- a dermatological detoxification and/or anything else?  Seek out (pro-actively, in your best interest) the Steam showers, or the Saunas on the My Bath web site, and call Michael Crutcher or Tim Reich or Chris Mowre and see what they have to say about getting started toward a healthy lifestyle.  I know, I'm pushy and I've had to win them over to the mindset also at certain points in our dealings as friends and colleagues, but they will have information in the setting of a dialogue.  It's that, or you may post a comment as always and I can address your concern.  Any of these avenues are great in my book as they are Proactive and I or they are aiding you (being made reactive through your assertiveness) in your pursuit of a healthy lifestyle.   

   Psychologically this is not so much about talking to Michael (though he is a spirited conversationalist,) or about looking at a website(though it is well put together and decorated with cool pictures of our products and some AWESOME-though I may be biased -text to describe them,) so much as these are Proactive gestures in and of themselves which can signify a shift in attitude, and will, if you allow them to and follow them to their altruistic fruition result in a healthy lifestyle.  This is Proactive.  Making the call will be Proactive.  Changing the way you think and feel must be the result of Proactive behavior and ideation to feel the true impact of awesome proactive thoughts.  Anything is possible; to the proactive minded individual, to the My Bathers- the water's warm, jump in and be cleansed. 

"Side Effects may include... but are not limited to:"

     Side effects may include... but are not limited to: good, clean, healthy looking skin- younger looking skin, for those of you looking for it, for those of you not seeking it, I wanted to list it as a possible side effects so that when you wake and look in the glass one morning and see a younger you, you are not alarmed; and you do not clog up the phone lines with complaints of some of the side effects I'm about to further list, such as feeling better, having a better temperament, and having a stronger amount of patience which might even suggest that you would not mind spending ten minutes on hold waiting to talk to Michael Crutcher at the office to ask him why it seems that your back pain which magically showed up a couple of years ago, cost you thousands in doctors visits and prescription medicine and responded to nothing of traditional medicine yet seems to have disappeared with the beginning of treatment in a My Bath Steam Shower and or infrared Sauna.  To which Michael will try to direct you to my weblog and will ask me why I have not covered the "side effects" of the My Bath products... so in this entry I am attempting to cover some of them.  However, as the study and use of Steam Showers has a long and documented history and applicability in health and hygiene going back thousands of years i must say that not all the information on the health benefits of Steam Showers is known by me, but I learn more every day, and as I do, so will you as long as you continue to subscribe to my blog and stay a member of my readership.

   It is a great joy of my job that i do not have to write for a company such as the writers who write these horrible commercials about the health benefits which might be achieved from sleeping pills, anti-aging pills, botox injections, the list goes on and on as long as you can live with their SIDE EFFECTS!  I am thankful that in a steam shower there really only benefits to be had.  We will warn against certain health conditions which should avoid Steam Showers and Saunas, such as those with Hypertension but overwhelmingly the results of a Steam Shower session or an Infrared Sauna session are beneficial and would never be termed a Side Effect.      

    

Rhino Acrylic

Introducing: Rhino Acrylic

 There seems to be a good number of questions regarding the exact nature, names, and qualities of the individual components of the products which are featured and sold exclusively at www.mybath.biz . And rightly so, I think there should be no questions as to where my loyalties, as a person who works in research and communications, rest; I work for and with the curiosity of my readership and by proxy the My Bath Luxury Steam Shower Company. Together we all move toward a better understanding of hydrotherapy and everything which goes into furthering the science of alternative healing- product knowledge and development. I am more keenly educated and well read as well as more interested personally in the Far Infrared Sauna Technology and its promising impact on virtually EVERY health problem facing Americans today, but I agree that as a general rule we must learn about the pieces which make up the products which benefit our lives so greatly.

One query which has been brought to my attention by Chris Mowre, a sales associate at My Bath: how is it that the acrylic, Rhino Acrylic sold by and featured in My Bath Products differs from the acrylic used by competitors? This is a wonderful question and I will address it with this blog entry.

Rhino Acrylic, a polymer like all other acrylic distinguishes itself in the fact that its strength is reinforced with fiberglass as well as insulation to further maintain desired water temperatures… so, not only is Rhino Acrylic stronger, it is also a bit thicker than the average acrylic and also keeps water hotter longer. Please contact Chris Mowre for further information on Rhino Acrylic and other My Bath products.