Like it or not, the holidays are quickly approaching, and whether you’re looking for a fresh gift idea or need to take some time for yourself to de-stress, detox or rejuvenate tired, sore muscles during this crazy time of year, Pure Sweat + Float Studio has you covered. Infrared sauna and float therapies are among today’s hottest wellness trends, and the Belle Meade-area studio, which recently made its debut, is Nashville’s one-stop shop for both experiences.
Owner Candice Bruder says she’s long loved a good sweat. In fact, the former New Yorker (she lived there for 15 years) who moved to Nashville two years ago, frequented the Russian & Turkish Bathhouse on East 10th street and often dreamed of opening a sweat lodge.
How infrared heat is different:
“Then, I learned about infrared heat, which is very different,” Candice explains. “Infrared is actually medical-grade heat therapy. It is an invisible wavelength of light that can safely penetrate human tissue and target different parts of the body to produce health benefits.”
She discovered float therapy more recently, when a friend suggested it as a means to relieve the stress of commuting from Nashville to New York for her public relations job. She quickly fell in love with submerging herself in a mineral-enhanced water chamber, and that’s when she says the “light bulb went off.”
“I thought, Wow, that would be a great counterpart, a very dynamic combination with the infrared sauna,” Candice says.
She quit her job a couple months later, attended a float industry conference in August of 2016, and was up and running with her two favorite therapies under one roof less than one year later. We sat down with her in the studio’s stylish, serene waiting area, complete with colorful, Moroccan pillows and photos of Iceland waterscapes, to learn more about the two therapies, what they offer and why everyone needs some relaxation and bliss.
Infrared Sauna Therapy at Pure Sweat + Float Studio
As Candice explains, Pure Sweat + Float Studio’s private mPulse sauna cabins combine the full spectrum of near, middle and far infrared wavelengths, and each wavelength serves its own purpose. The far wavelength reaches deepest into your body and aids in detoxification and weight loss — something you might need after that holiday party.
“It breaks up the toxins, and when they are lose and free, they can purge through your sweat,” Candice says. “While you’re detoxifying, you’re also burning hundreds of calories.”
Infrared differs from a traditional steam or hot rock sauna in that the wavelength penetrates within the body instead of heating the air, which heats the surface of the skin. While traditional saunas operate in excess of 200 degrees, Candice’s infrared saunas typically operate at 140 degrees, and, she says, are seven times more effective in shedding toxins.
“People come here with different conditions and find that regular infrared therapy reduces or eliminates their symptoms,” she says. “Whether it’s an illness, chronic migraine, or maybe it’s post surgery and they had a bunch of medication and they want to cleanse their internal ecosystem.”
The mid wavelength targets muscles and joints, reducing inflammation and resulting in pain relief.
“We get everyone from professional athletes to people with severe arthritis to all the tennis players around here who have tennis elbow or other injuries, including myself, who had ACL surgery,” she says.
The near wavelength targets the skin, increasing blood and oxygen flow and promoting skin renewal, cell health, wound healing and collagen. Plus, the full spectrum of infrared technology is clinically proven to reduce blood pressure (if done three times a week), and leaves you with rosy cheeks and glowing skin so you’re in top form in time for the holidays. Candice, who had a baby 11 weeks ago (yes, she’s busy!), says she suffered from water retention after her pregnancy. She “nosedived” into the infrared sauna two days after leaving the hospital and lost 25 pounds that week. While each wavelength operates at 100 percent to penetrate the whole body during a typical session, the Pure Sweat + Float Studio team can adjust the settings in each sauna cabin if you’d like to focus on one particular benefit.
And it gets better — while you sweat, you have several options to help pass the time, if, that is, you don’t want to meditate or unplug. Get a workout with a resistance band or use a foam roller to massage muscles and help release myofascial trigger points. It’s safe to bring your phone in (online shopping, anyone?) or read a book or magazine. Plus, each sauna has a tablet mounted on the wall, so clients can listen to Pandora or catch up on hit shows on the studio’s complimentary Netflix account. In fact, Candice says watching Netflix has become a client favorite.
“I have people who come in here and say, ‘Thank you, I never get to do this at home,’” Candice says. “It feels like a treat for them, and that is so huge. Whatever it may be, everyone needs uninterrupted time for self-care. Our therapies provide a mental, physical and emotional boost. That’s what we call a winning combination.”
Float Therapy
If the holidays tend to crank up your anxiety level, floating might be just what you need to calm those nerves and get you back out there.
“There is the mental relaxation of it, which can help everything from insomnia and anxiety or just give you a relaxing reprieve,” Candice says. “So many people live nonstop, stressful lives. Some people even fall asleep during a float. They had no idea how badly their mind and body needed a rest.”
But, she says, don’t underestimate the physical benefits of floating effortlessly in a pod containing a foot of water and 1,000 pounds of the finest Epsom salt. A healing source for centuries, Epsom salt is composed of magnesium and sulfate, which help reduce pain and inflammation and relieve lactic acid for sore muscles. Professional athletes Steph Curry and Tom Brady, for example, tout floating not only because it allows them to de-stress, but also for its ability to help their sore muscles recover and bounce back after training and games. In fact, Candice says, the New England Patriots have the very same float pods in their training recovery center, and Brady has the same pod in his home.
“It’s what the A-gamers do,” Candice says. “We have Titans players who come during training, and we have athletes who like to come prior to games because they want to clear their minds, visualize and focus. Men also love to float. It’s like their man cave.”
But you certainly don’t have to be a professional athlete to enjoy the benefits. Candice’s clientele includes everyone from fitness studio owners to pregnant women. When she was pregnant, for example, floating relieved her back pain. And, Candice stresses, there’s no right way to float.
“The end goal here is that you feel good,” she says. “It doesn’t matter if the the lid is open or shut, if the light is on or off, or whether you’re playing music or not. It’s really about creating the perfect environment for you during that time to feel really good, blissful and relaxed.”
The float pods are equipped with state-of-the-art filtration systems, and water is re-circulated and filtered through two systems at least three times between floats. Candice says her team also runs additional filtration cycles before opening and closing the studio each day, test the water three times a day and run a meticulous cleaning program.
“One reason I made the financial investment to have this type of equipment is so I could look you in the eye and say, ‘I have the top-of-the-line equipment, the best equipment in the industry, period,’” Candice says. “It will keep me in debt much longer, but it’s for total peace of mind.”
Make your way over to Pure Sweat + Float Studio this holiday season and discover what fits your lifestyle and wellness needs. Keep in mind that all packages are sharable, so split your sweat and float sessions with your husband or best friend. Check out the holiday packages, and give the gift of wellness to everyone on your holiday gift list this year. Finally, be sure to ask about Pure Partnerships, a program that gives regular Pure Sweat + Float Studio clients discounts on other wellness services across town, as well as Pure Blow, their partnership with Blowout Co.
Pure Sweat + Float Studio is located at 6021 Hwy. 100, Nashville, TN 37205. Hours are Monday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Visit puresweatfloatstudio.com to learn more.
This article is sponsored by Pure Sweat + Float Studio.
