My amazing assistant, Taylor, and I recently visited a HEAVENLY sweat lodge in LA. It was Taylor’s first time, and she ended up loving it so much that she wanted to spotlight it as the Philosophie Heart of the Week. Read on for what to expect at a sweat lodge + why it’s THE perfect ritual to integrate into your summer cleanse!
When you hear the term “ sweat lodge,” do you become frightened or intrigued (or maybe even both – like I had been)? A few years back, I had seen CNN do a story on a sweat tent that was in the middle of a field. I figured there's no way that it could be as weird as that!
We’re ramping up for our newest Summer 17’ Philosophie Cleanse, so I knew this would be the perfect time for my body to try the West Hollywood way of sweating and release any old energy that was no longer serving me.
Plus, I’ve experienced so many So-Cal staple firsts with Sophie – everything from Pressed Juicery Freeze to Cafe Gratitude to learning how to do a headstand in yoga class. Why not spend some time in a detoxifying sleeping bag while watching the latest episode of Big Little Lies? With all this in mind, I decided to visit an LA-based urban sweat lodge called Shape House with Sophie.
I had butterflies as I walked up, but instantly relaxed as we stepped into the calming and beautiful space. After the adorable girls at the front desk explained the process, we then changed into our “jail clothes” (an oversized long sleeve shirt, even bigger sweats, and sexy mid-calf socks). Sophie turned to me and said, “You don’t really want your skin touching anything–but here, let's take a photo!”
After, I found my 170-degree cocoon and hopped in–I looked like the filling in a burrito! They then handed me a remote and alkaline water, which has anti-disease + anti-aging antioxidants–an essential during the 50-minute detoxifying sweat.
MANY people, Kardashians included, are in love with Shape House. Not only does this sweat session burn anywhere from 800-1,200 calories, it also improves metabolism and digestion, gives your skin that glow, and helps you enter a deeper sleep (I slept like a baby that night).
My skin also felt firmer and tighter post-treatment since I was sweating out toxins and improving the flow of my lymphatic system. Shape House uses FAR infrared sweat technology to provide heat that warms the body from the inside out, which creates a deeply cleansing sweat!
The first 24 minutes were glorious. I was also secretly patting myself on the back for handling this like a champ! Then...I got a bit warm! Nothing that I couldn’t handle though, especially when I had the alkaline water and Reese Witherspoon to pull me through. I took deep yoga breaths and relaxed even more, knowing I was treating my bod to something special! Then, an employee came in with a cold lavender towel for my head, which really kicked the experience up another notch! Right when I thought, “I could probably get out now,” and started puzzling over what to have for lunch, my time was up!
I wobbled to their relaxation room and savored refreshing orange slices (great vitamin C boost!) and a cup of tea to bring me back down to earth. I sat there and thought about how much I loved sweating out the bad stuff to make way for the good stuff!
While Shape House has pretty bathrooms with showers and amenities, they actually recommend trying to wait two hours after your Sweat Session to shower. Your body continues to burn calories and detox as its returns to its normal temperature, and showering cuts that time short. We had to shower directly after since we started our day out there, but I felt thoroughly detoxed.
In a nutshell, I LOVED my experience at Shape House. I felt so clean and light the next few days. I also only wanted to put clean ingredients into my body throughout the weekend, since I had just sweated out all of the “junk.”
If only I had the time to go weekly, I would! They recommend anywhere from once a week to once a month–or whenever you can! Thank you, Shape House, for having the Philosophie team, and for making my first time at a sweat lodge simply blissful.
xo,
Taylor
Have you gone to a sweat lodge before? How was your experience? Let us know on Facebook with #MyPhilosophie!
