The Origins of Infrared Healing
The Origins of Infrared Healing
From Ancient Rituals to Scientific Breakthroughs
The use of heat for healing is as old as humanity itself. Early humans instinctively sought warmth and relief from fires and natural hot springs, harnessing infrared energy long before they understood its science. Objects absorb heat and re-radiate infrared waves, creating a warmth that penetrates deep into the body, promoting relaxation, circulation, and recovery.
Throughout History: Heat-Based Therapies Across Civilizations
Throughout history, heat-based therapies evolved across civilizations, blending practical medicine, spiritual ritual, and community healing:
- Sweat Lodges: Native American tribes built enclosed sweat lodges from saplings and tree bark to induce deep sweating and purification, combining spiritual ceremony with physical cleansing and renewal.
- Ancient Greece: “Give me a fever, and I can cure any disease.” — Hippocrates (c. 400 BCE). The ancient Greeks viewed therapeutic heat and sweat as signs that the body was actively expelling illness and rebalancing itself.
- Roman Thermae (2nd Century BCE): The Romans engineered hypocaust systems— underground channels that circulated warm air beneath floors and through walls—creating some of the first large-scale, architected heat therapy environments.
- Finnish Saunas & Russian Banyas: For over a thousand years, these intense heat baths became cultural cornerstones in Nordic and Slavic regions, pairing high heat with rapid cooling to stimulate circulation, strengthen resilience, and support immune function.
Long before anyone spoke of “infrared,” these traditions were already tapping into the same deep-penetrating warmth that modern science now associates with far infrared energy.
The Discovery of Infrared Light
The NASA Breakthrough
The modern understanding of far infrared therapy (FIR) began in 1800 when astronomer Sir William Herschel discovered infrared radiation. Using a prism to split sunlight into different colors, he found that heat intensified beyond the red spectrum, identifying an invisible yet powerful energy source—far infrared light.
However, modern FIR technology as we know it today was pioneered by NASA in the 1960s. Scientists developed far infrared panels for deep space applications, designed to stimulate circulation and promote tissue repair in astronauts facing muscle atrophy in zero gravity. This discovery laid the foundation for far infrared saunas, therapeutic devices, and medical applications worldwide.
Today, FIR therapy is one of the most researched healing modalities, with over 100,000 published studies highlighting its benefits in pain relief, detoxification, inflammation reduction, circulation improvement, and cellular regeneration.
The Birth of the Relax Sauna: A Breakthrough in Far Infrared Technology
The Japanese Hot Spring Challenge (1980–1985)
In the early 1980s, the Japanese government commissioned an advanced electronics research team in Taiwan to develop a device that could replicate the healing effects of Japan’s famous hot springs.
For centuries, samurai warriors and travelers sought relief in these thermal waters, naturally infused with far infrared energy from magma beneath the Earth’s surface. The goal was to transform electricity into a precise, therapeutic FIR frequency that could mimic this healing environment—a challenge that took over a decade to perfect.
Why Taiwan?
Taiwan is the world leader in semiconductor chip production, responsible for approximately 94% of the world’s semiconductor chips. It was this cutting-edge semiconductor technology that ultimately unlocked the secret to replicating the energy of Japan’s natural hot springs.
The Invention of: Relax Sauna’s Semiconductor Generator (1990s)
After 10 years of research, Dr. Chang and his team of Taiwanese scientists successfully created a proprietary semiconductor chip capable of emitting pure far infrared energy in the optimal healing range of 4–14 microns.
This breakthrough led to the creation of the first Relax Sauna—a compact, portable sauna engineered to deliver the highest quality far infrared therapy available today.
- Exclusive Semiconductor Chip Technology — Converts electricity into far infrared waves that deeply penetrate the body.
- No Near Infrared Emissions — Eliminates the harsher, surface-level heat associated with near-infrared exposure.
- Mimics Natural Hot Spring Energy — Provides cellular-level healing similar to Japan’s legendary thermal waters.
Relax Sauna: The Global Standard in Far Infrared Therapy
Since its launch, the Relax Sauna has dominated the far infrared sauna market, becoming the best-selling, longest-running FIR sauna brand worldwide. With FDA-registered semiconductor technology, Relax Sauna has earned a reputation for unmatched efficiency, rapid heating, and deep detoxification benefits. The company remains at the forefront of infrared wellness, attending over 40 health expos annually, partnering with top biohackers, medical experts, and professional athletes, and continuing to refine the science of far infrared therapy.
From ancient fire pits to cutting-edge semiconductor engineering, the Relax Sauna embodies the evolution of heat therapy—delivering the most powerful and scientifically advanced far infrared experience available today.
Learn More
The Relax Difference
Relax Sauna is the only far infrared generator FDA-registered as a therapeutic device, engineered to emit a concentrated 9.4-micron wavelength—the precise resonance frequency of human water molecules. Each semiconductor microchip produces over 40 mW/cm² of clean, body-specific FIR energy. The result isn’t just heat, it’s targeted resonance that energizes, restores, and harmonizes the entire body from the inside out.
Explore how Relax Sauna’s pure far infrared technology sets a new global standard in therapeutic wellness.
Relax Far Infrared Solutions for Every Lifestyle
From full-body immersion to targeted light therapy, each Relax Sauna product is engineered with the same proprietary semiconductor technology that delivers pure far infrared energy. Explore the complete lineup of solutions designed to support deep relaxation, circulation, detoxification, and whole-body renewal.
See How Far Infrared Supports Real-World Healing
These four clips highlight the real-life impact of far infrared therapy—showing relief, recovery, and rapid physiological responses experienced by everyday users and wellness practitioners.
Doctor Uses Relax Sauna – Wound & Injury Healing, Lyme, Arthritis, Weight Loss, Detox
Spastic Arm Muscle Loosened within Seconds by Far Infrared Lamp
“That radically improved my condition for the better. It enabled me to walk today.”
PJ Shares Table Lamp Healing Progress – “I am so grateful for my far infrared lamp.”
Explore the Relax Far Infrared Line Up
Feel the Momentum
