2 Dead, Several Hospitalized at New-Age Sweat Lodge

[Squishy0405]

Two people are dead and several others remain hospitalized after becoming mysteriously ill in a sauna-like sweat lodge at an Arizona resort.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,563162,00.html

[stalker]

I've been to Sedona and surrounding areas. A "sweatbox" is the last place I'd choose to go. I'd be heading straight for the icebox.

The resort offers a wide range of treatments ... (snip) ... healing carried out by harnessing the consciousness of a dolphin

I don't know about you, but that's definitely my favourite form of healing.

[kitap]

Originally Posted by stalker

I've been to Sedona and surrounding areas. A "sweatbox" is the last place I'd choose to go. I'd be heading straight for the icebox.

This is October; it's not so hot now. Tucson tends to be hotter than Sedona and it was about 80 here in Tucson yesterday.

[Stoneage Dinosaur]

Originally Posted by stalker

I don't know about you, but that's definitely my favourite form of healing.

Not many dolphins round here. Last week I had to make do with harnessing the healing power of a stoat.

[stalker]

Originally Posted by Stoneage Dinosaur

Not many dolphins round here. Last week I had to make do with harnessing the healing power of a stoat.

Ouch. I bet it hardly healed you at all

Originally Posted by kitap

This is October; it's not so hot now. Tucson tends to be hotter than Sedona and it was about 80 here in Tucson yesterday.

That's still too hot for me to be heading to a sauna. Anything above about 70 has me wishing I could lock myself in a freezer. To be fair though, I'm not the best example. 5 minutes in a sauna or a hot bath with any outside temperature has me feeling ill!

[kitap]

Originally Posted by stalker

That's still too hot for me to be heading to a sauna. Anything above about 70 has me wishing I could lock myself in a freezer. To be fair though, I'm not the best example. 5 minutes in a sauna or a hot bath with any outside temperature has me feeling ill!

According to weather.com it was 72 in Sedona yesterday. Nice fall day.

[Insensible Crier]

Actually the cooler it was outside will increase the chance for problems. The hitting of cooler air after stepping outside a sauna or tent can put the body into a sort of shock and put them at higher risk for heat stroke and/or heat exhaustion. That's why people were feeling weak and dizzy once they left the tent. I've been in a much smaller sweat box and after about ten minutes, we couldn't take it anymore and had to get out. Are these people nuts? I wouldn't steam my food for two hours.

And I just want to say I wish I had half the money that people throw away on this crap. Vortex experiences?

[kitap]

Originally Posted by Insensible Crier

Actually the cooler it was outside will increase the chance for problems. The hitting of cooler air after stepping outside a sauna or tent can put the body into a sort of shock and put them at higher risk for heat stroke and/or heat exhaustion. That's why people were feeling weak and dizzy once they left the tent. I've been in a much smaller sweat box and after about ten minutes, we couldn't take it anymore and had to get out. Are these people nuts? I wouldn't steam my food for two hours.

And I just want to say I wish I had half the money that people throw away on this crap. Vortex experiences?

Sedona is a real hippy-dippy place. It's got gorgeous scenery, but it's also the home of all these New Agers.

[Ana Ng]

I was looking into this for work early this morning, the man who ran the thing (which cost over $9K) deleted some posts to Twitter about the whole thing, it was kinda weird. And sketchy.

[bjohn13]

I guess I interpreted the headline a bit differently. The only reason I clicked on this thread was because it appeared to me as if a new-age sweat lodge was being used as a hospital.

[Flyer22]

Originally Posted by stalker

I've been to Sedona and surrounding areas. A "sweatbox" is the last place I'd choose to go. I'd be heading straight for the icebox.

Or you could just visit Colorado Springs. Right now it's 20 degrees, with a windchill of 11 and snow/freezing drizzle. Half the city has black ice.

[Latiam]

I vote sick building syndrome. Who knew it was infectious?

[lyra_silvertongue]

The guy leading the retreat has appeared on Oprah as one of "the teachers of The Secret."
http://jamesray.com/resources/oprah.php

[stalker]

Originally Posted by Flyer22

Or you could just visit Colorado Springs. Right now it's 20 degrees, with a windchill of 11 and snow/freezing drizzle. Half the city has black ice.

Sounds perfect
I've never been to Colorado Springs but I have snowboarded over in Breckenridge. Some great open pistes out there.
An indication of my internal heating is that I never had to wear anything more than a t-shirt under my salopettes and jacket even though it got under 10 degrees at times. I actually had to have my vents and jacket open to let the heat out!

[Canuckistan]

A woman hospitalized after spending time in a sauna-like "sweatbox" has died, bringing the total fatalities to three, authorities said late Saturday.

In addition to the deaths, 18 others were injured at the October 8 event at Angel Valley Retreat Center near Sedona, Arizona.

Participants spent up to two hours inside the sweatbox, a dome-like structure covered with tarps and blankets, the sheriff's office said. Hot rocks and water are used to create steam in the enclosed environment.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/18/ari...ath/index.html

[hoitoider]

Nitpick: A true 'sauna' is dry heat. The rocks are heated up, but there's no water involved. There's no way you could spend 2 hours straight in a sauna. You would be severely dehydrated way before that.

The custom is normally to spend about 10-15 minutes in the sauna (that's at least 190 degrees F. or so), then take a cold shower. Then repeat the process one or two more times.

[RCIAG]

That whole thing just sounds wrong.

Isn't he the guy that was on Oprah with that whole "Secret" thing? You gotta be suspect of a man whose name is suspiciously close to "James Earl Ray."

I don't know a ton about sweat lodges, but I've never pictured it as some giant room that would hold 30+ people. I always thought it was a small intimate space because what you're supposed to be doing is personal & intimate.

Seriously, what is it about AZ that attracts the new age crowd? The desert climate? The Grand Canyon? What?

[Tootsie Plunkette]

If I wanted to die by spending too much time in an ultra hot, wet environment, I'd choose the Naica Caves, not some goofy tent made out of tarps and junk.

[RCIAG]

I'd just spend a few hours outside in my yard in Aug. Although the skeeter population would be MUCH higher than in any sweatlodge so you'd get a good bleeding along with sweating out all those nasty toxins!

[UEL]

Originally Posted by hoitoider

Nitpick: A true 'sauna' is dry heat. The rocks are heated up, but there's no water involved.

The Finns had water in their sauna when I was there in '04. It was quite common in all the saunas I was in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauna

Wikipedia says that saunas are either dry or hot. The etymology derives from Finland, the throwing of water onto the stones.