A vapor bath is a hot-water steam bath wherein medicinal plants are added to a large pot of hot water and allowed to steep, that is, release their natural ingredients into water, while a person stays inside a small room or chamber with the hot water, absorbing and breathing in the infused vapors. One can think of a vapor bath as relaxing in a therapeutic herbal sauna, as it provides many of the same benefits as a traditional sauna, in addition to the benefits of healing herbs.
Vapor baths have a number of therapeutic effects, both on their own an in combination with other healing modalities such as Icaros chanting and ayahuasca ceremonies.
Exposure to warm water and vapors is a universally recognized means of relaxing the body, which allows for relaxing the mind. The warm environment softens muscle tissue and dilates blood vessels, allowing blood flow and oxygen to more easily reach throughout the body. Vapor inhalation has been shown to improve relaxation, improve cardiovascular health1 and even improve quality of sleep.2
The addition of carefully selected plants can bring additional benefits to the soak water. The plant Piñon Colorado (Jatropha gossypiifolia), for example, may be used to expel negative energy from the body. Indeed, the plant has been known historically for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Even its name, jatropha, is derived from the Greek words jatros, meaning doctor, and trophe, meaning food.
Vapor baths are one of several traditional healing modalities used by native peoples of the Amazon. During an ayahuasca retreat, attendees may take one or more vapor baths with ingredients specifically selected by the curandero according to the individual’s circumstances and intentions.
1 Wang PC, Song QC, Chen CY, Su TC. Cardiovascular physiological effects of balneotherapy: focused on seasonal differences. Hypertens Res. 2023 Jul;46(7):1650-1661. doi: 10.1038/s41440-023-01248-4. Epub 2023 Mar 29. PMID: 36991066; PMCID: PMC10052248.
2 Ichiba T, Kakiuchi K, Suzuki M, Uchiyama M. Warm Steam Inhalation before Bedtime Improved Sleep Quality in Adult Men. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019 Aug 25;2019:2453483. doi: 10.1155/2019/2453483. PMID: 31534462; PMCID: PMC6732600.
