Heat up your self care regimen with some far infrared sauna time

This is the time of year for thoughts of self-renewal. As in detoxifying after all those holiday indulgences.

And the newest trend to get on board? Far infrared saunas. They’re said to be phenomenal for detox (a perennial apres-holiday necessity); are a “passive workout” (basically you sit there and doing nothing but relax and sweat as your heart rate goes up, as it would if you were actually working out); and are said to lower inflammation and blood pressure, and give your immunity levels a good kick in the pants (not a bad idea at all — especially now).

Over the last year, celebs and top athletes have been buying far infrared saunas for their homes like there’s no tomorrow; Selena Gomez, Gwyneth Paltrow and Lady Gaga all sing their praises. Sunlighten (sunlighten.com), which makes many of the industry’s high-end, medical-grade saunas, reports that halfway through 2021, their overall sales nationwide were up above 60%. In the celebs’ wake, serious self-care aficionados have also been buying up the tiny wooden rooms, full of small glowing beams that use light, color and heat to address different needs of the body.

But a handful of spas all over New England — some a few hours’ getaway, and some right in Boston — have also started offering packages that include far infrared sauna treatments. So you don’t have to be Gaga or Gwyneth to give the experience a whirl and see what it does for you.

At AcuBoston in Brookline (acuboston.com), for instance, you can step into a Sunlighten far infrared Signature Sauna starting at $30 for 30 minutes, soaking up high concentrations of infrared waves said to rid yourself of toxins like sodium, alcohol, nicotine and cholesterol. Likewise at Denaro Chiropractic (denarochiropractic.com) in North Reading, where for $35 per 30-minute session you can get a glimpse of all of the above, raising your core body temperature enough to get a deep, detoxifying sweat going.

Over in Jamaica Plain, in addition to housing two Signature saunas, Cloud 9 Float & Wellness (cloud9boston.com) offers treatments in an mPulse 3 in 1 sauna — an efficient way to get far, mid and near infrared light waves, all customized to give you the versions your body needs.

Meanwhile, if getting away is part of your mission but getting on a plane all the way to Beverly Hills isn’t, then book an afternoon at the Cliff House Spa in Cape Neddick, Maine (cliffhousemaine.com). There the customized sessions are $45 apiece for 30-45 minutes, and the heat goes up to 140 degrees to heat your body’s core as the colors beaming down on you slowly change from blue and purple to aqua. Afterward, the spa’s Sanctuary Room offers a view out to the sea’s crashing waves, so mesmerizing it should be enough to relax you well into spring.