About Ganbanyoku


Examples of Ganbanyoku Around The World

What’s Ganbanyoku

Ganbanyoku is a kind of thermal relaxation therapy that originated in Japan. Ganbanyoku rooms come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, themes and configurations but all share a common function. They all employ stone beds made of volcanic rock with strong therapeutic properties. When heated the rocks emit far infrared heat and negative ions which have been found to be highly beneficial to our health and wellbeing.

At the end of a typical ganbanyoku session you will feel relaxed and refreshed. Externally you will also notice a difference, your skin will glow, feeling smooth and rejuvenated. In addition to the health benefits, it has a well documented impact on mental state: relieving stress, alleviating anxiety and improving mood (see report from the US National Center for Biotechnology Information).

Ganbanyoku are unique, therapeutically proven, aesthetically pleasing, simple to operate and cost effective.

How it Works

A ganbanyoku facility has one or more beds made from volcanic rock. The room temperature is maintained around 40°C with low humidity. The rock beds are warmed to about 48°C, causing them to emit far infrared heat and generate negative ions.

The user, wearing special ganbanyoku clothes and using a towel sheet, lies directly on the rock bed, rotating occasionally to ensure total coverage front and back.

The far infrared heat penetrates deep beneath the skin surface, it stimulates water molecules and triggers a process called vibrational resonance. Toxins are flushed out of fat cells; blood circulation improves and metabolism increases. As the body warms up, sweat glands perspire profusely cleansing the body. The process causes the sebaceous glands to secrete copious amounts of sebum that helps restore, condition and protect the skin.

The profusion of negative ions amplifies the healing effect and helps reduce stress by inducing a heightened sense of relaxation. Negative ions are odourless, tasteless, and invisible molecules that we inhale in abundance in certain environments. Think mountains, waterfalls, and beaches. Once they reach our bloodstream, negative ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of the mood chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost energy.

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Benefits of Ganbanyoku

Improves Circulation

FIR emitted from the heated stones penetrates to the cellular level. In a process called cell resonance, cells are forced to dilate which in turn promotes blood circulation without raising blood pressure.

Pain Relief

A by product of improved circulation, blood and oxygen flow is improved helping to alleviate joint and muscular pain. In Japan ganbanyoku is highly regarded by sports physiotherapists for treating sporting injuries and muscle fatigue.

Digestion

The combination of far infrared heat and improved circulation has positive impact on digestion helping relieve constipation and abnormal bowel movements.

Weight Loss

The process of increasing metabolism and boosting circulation burns calories. A single session of ganbanyoku is equivalent to about 20 minutes of jogging. Simply lie down, relax and burn away those calories.

Increased Metabolism

Regular sessions can improve basic metabolic rate, this is closely linked with and beneficial to circulation, digestion and other bodily functions.

Helps reduce Swelling

The process of boosting circulation and raising your metabolism in a zero stress environment works to relieve swelling and promote healing particularly for sufferers of odema.

Skin Treatment

Ganbanyoku promotes high quality, odourless sweat. This combines with sebum to act like a natural moisturizer leaving your skin feeling soft and smooth. Additionally, regular sessions, helps maintain a healthy skin cell turnover and promotes collagen and elastin production.

Detox

Ganbanyoku causes the body to sweat profusely helping to expunge harmful metals and other toxins that become trapped in fat cells. Different to a sauna (which uses hot humid air to warm you from the outside), ganbanyoku uses deep penetrating far infrared heat to warm you from the inside triggering a process called vibrational resonance. Toxins are flushed out of fat cells; blood circulation improves and metabolism increases. This has been found to be highly effective in removing metabolic waste.

Mood Enhancement

Ganbanyoku works on many levels to reduce stress, relieve anxiety and relax the body. The FIR heat works to tweak your circulation, metabolic rate and autonomic nervous system which has a powerful healing effect. This is enhanced by the presence of negative ions which reduces stress, inducing a heightened sense of relaxation. At the end of a session you will feel calm, refreshed and composed.

How To Use Ganbanyoku

Process

Ganbanyoku therapy is meant to be relaxing, soothing and refreshing. It uses far infrared (FIR) and negative ions generated from heated volcanic rocks to achieve this. Since it is a thermal therapy there are some simple guidelines you should follow:

  • Ensue you are well hydrated before entering the ganbanyoku
  • Spread your towel and lay face down or face up as you like. It is good to rotate occasionally for all round exposure.
  • Cool down and rehydrate.
  • Repeat as often as is comfortable to do so.

After your session allow yourself to dry naturally, if you use a towel, do not rub, simply dab away any excess moisture. The special ganbanyoku wear will wick away most of the moisture without sticking to your skin.

It is recommended not to shower for at least two hours after and when you do, try not to use soap. This will maximise the effect on your skin. The following day your skin should feel silky smooth and refreshed.

Cautions

  • Do not push yourself, the process is meant to be relaxing not taxing. If at any time you feel uncomfortable or over heated, leave the ganbanyoku and cool down.
  • Do not use if suffering from fever, cold or flu symptoms.
  • Not recommended for people with excessively high blood pressure.
  • Do not use if pregnant.
  • Drink plenty of fluids, this should never be consumed in the ganbanyoku but before and after.
  • Wear suitable ganbanyoku clothing (terry towelling robe or special ganban wear) and always use a bath sheet.
  • Never use the facilities naked, nor lie down on the stone beds without a bath sheet. This is primarily for your comfort but also to maintain good hygiene.
  • Do not push beyond personal limits. Ganbanyoku is not an endurance test, you should be relaxed and should exit if uncomfortable. A typical session may take 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat sessions with appropriate cool down and hydration breaks in between.

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How To Operate

General Operation

Ganbanyoku facilities are simple to operate and maintain. The optimal environmental conditions for a ganbanyoku room are:

  • Room temperature: 36℃ ~ 40℃
  • Room humidity: 40 ~ 55％
  • Ganban stone beds temperature: 45℃ ~ 48℃

The room should be well insulated but with adequate ventilation. To maintain heat, a small room approximately 20m2 (enough for four beds) can be heated with a standard 2kW heater with inbuilt thermostat. Anything larger may require a dry sauna heater.

In a warm room humidity will usually be reasonably low, however a good dehumidifier will help when natural ambient humidity is high.

A stone bed may take 30 minutes to an hour to warm up, the room may take a little longer depending the quality of insulation and ambient temperature at the time.

Customer Care

Clients should feel relaxed and enjoy as they please however they should follow a few simple guidelines to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all users:

  • Ensure users are well hydrated and have access to liquid refreshments, particularly water and or non caffeine herbal tea.
  • Never use the facilities naked, nor lie down on the stone beds without a bath sheet. This is primarily for the user’s comfort but also to maintain good hygiene.
  • Monitor users to ensure they do not over heat or stress themselves. Ganbanyoku is not an endurance process, the user should be relaxed and should exit if uncomfortable. A typical session may take 30 to 45 minutes, however everyone is different and users should not feel pressured to endure beyond their comfort zone. Repeat sessions are highly recommended with appropriate cool down and hydration breaks in between.

Maintenance

Facilities are easy to maintain. Being a dry type facility there should be no build-up of moisture on the rocks. It is recommended to wipe down the rocks on a regular basis particularly after heavy use.

To clean the stone tiles, use a general purpose cleaning agent such as that used for kitchen and bathroom applications. Do not use scourers, bleach or acid based cleaning agents.
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Applications For Ganbanyoku

Massage and Day Spa – cheaper and easier to maintain than a sauna and with better results. Ganbanyoku can be offered as a service on its own or it can integrate well with other day spa services. A typical session may last up to an hour, all that is required is suitable ganbanyoku wear, a towel and some liquid refreshment. Ganbanyoku also works as a great muscle and mood relaxant and works well with any kind of massage service.
Beauty Salon – ganbanyoku has an immediate and clearly visible impact on skin health. A single session will leave a client with clean supple skin and a warm glow. It works as a service by itself or can be a great compliment to other skin care services.
Holistic Medicine – thermal therapies like ganbanyoku (onsen, sauna, hot stone, etc.) have been around for centuries. In the case of ganbanyoku, there are thousands of ganbanyoku in Japan and it is rapidly gaining popularity throughout Asia. It is a low impact, non-invasive therapy that is simple to apply and yet has significant and readily observable benefits.
Physiotherapist/Sports Medicine – Both relaxing and effective in the treatment of muscle and joint pain, ganbanyoku facilities offer a low cost and easy to maintain alternative to your traditional sauna. It is a perfect way to cap off a therapeutic massage.
Hotel and Resort – ganbanyoku come in all shapes and sizes and are aptly suited for theme based designs. They are low maintenance and add an exotic and luxurious touch to tourist resorts and hotels. Highly popular among Northeast Asians, a well appointed ganbanyoku facility will prove a long-term winner for hotel and resort operators catering to visitors from Japan, Korea and China.
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