Turning Up The Heat with Crystal and Annabella Callipari of CYL Sauna Studios
WRITTEN BY ANNIE BLOJ // CULTURE & STYLE EDITOR
PHOTOGRAPHED BY ESTHER LEE LEACH
MAKEUP: CHANTY VARGAS FOR LIVE LOVE LASH
HAIR: MACKENZIE DAVIS FOR KENZE HAIR STUDIO
Crystal Callipari at CYL Sauna Studios Cherry Creek
With the new year approaching, we once again look to find different, exciting ways to maintain our health and well-being. While fitness and eating clean are at the core of working towards our best selves, recent developments in the wellness space have shown that other therapies can make positive changes that support our journeys. Enter Infrared Saunas- known for their vast benefits; they have become essential additions to anyone looking to improve their health. CYL Sauna Studios, with Cherry Creek and Boulder locations, is here to walk you through this experience for optimum results.
Annie Bloj: Crystal, how did infrared saunas come into your life?
Crystal Callipari: As a mother, I was frustrated with the number of medications my son had to take and the lack of improvement he experienced for his severe asthma and allergies. My husband was constantly sore from working out and had high blood pressure so he was always taking meds too. I went on a quest to find a holistic treatment that would give them relief and that is when infrared sauna therapy came into our lives.
Through regular sessions, they both experienced significant relief of their symptoms. They also noticed that their weight went down due to the caloric burn achieved during each 30-minute session and their daily stress levels reduced. Seeing these amazing results and realizing that so many people in our community could benefit from infrared sauna, I jumped at the opportunity to bring CYL Sauna Studio to the Front Range.
AB: What inspired you to open up CYL Sauna Studios in Boulder and now Cherry Creek?
CC: I wanted to pick vibrant Colorado locations where people love to live, work and play. The majority of people in Boulder and Cherry Creek tend to be physically active, are interested in their wellness and open to new methods of therapy. Both communities are also known for being supportive of local businesses, which is so awesome, and is what we have in fact experienced since opening. We are planning on expanding to other locations in 2021, focusing primarily south of town.
AB: What would you suggest to someone interested in trying out the Infrared Sauna experience?
CC: Well, of course I would suggest that they come try it! We offer an initial 30 minute session for just $30 so it is quite affordable. If they are tired of being sore after their workouts due to the buildup of lactic acid in their muscles, we will give them relief! Or, if they are stressed out (we all are these days) and are looking for a boost in their immunity, we can help! A vast majority of our clients also tell us that they never slept better than they experienced after trying infrared sauna, even after their very first session. Finally, I would tell them to come nourished and well hydrated because they are going to sweat more than they likely have ever experienced in their lives in just 30 minutes.
Annabella Callipari
AB: You and your daughter, Annabella are a “dynamic duo”- working side by side at CYL Sauna Studio; have you always wanted to work together?
CC: Annabella and I are extremely close and, in some ways, we have always “worked together”. From a very young age, she was a nationally competitive ice dancer so we were constantly traveling around the country going to ice skating competitions, which brought us very close. As she entered her twenties, we decided to work on CYL together, along with her big brother who manages our Boulder location. She brings an incredible level of enthusiasm and drive in everything she does for CYL. She is also very fashion conscious, so she has taken the lead on bringing new athleisure clothing to the studio, which has been incredibly popular with our clients!
AB: Annabella, what are the benefits of adding an infrared sauna to your routine, and how it differs from a traditional sauna?
Annabella Callipari: As both a full-time college student (CU Boulder) and an active partner in our business, I have a very busy and stressful schedule but having infrared sauna as part of my routine makes it all quite manageable. I find that just a few sessions per week are all that it takes to keep my stress quite manageable and to vastly improve my nightly sleep. I also use each 30-40 minute session to unplug from the electronic and academic world so I can re-center and reflect on what I am thankful for. I don’t get to the gym as often as I like so I do use infrared sauna along with a proper diet to maintain my figure. These are common themes for our clients, in addition to using the therapy to reduce pain and soreness from working out and other physical conditions.
Our experience is very different from traditional saunas. We offer clients a lay down experience in a personal “pod” within their own private suite, not a group sauna room like you would find in a gym where everyone sits around on hard tiles wearing towels. Our clients rest comfortably on a thick memory foam infrared pad with a dome that they pull up around them, leaving their head outside the pod to enjoy cool room temperature air. Unlike traditional saunas that can be somewhat claustrophobic and oppressive, we provide a very relaxed, comfortable, and luxury spa environment. Our standard session is 30 minutes where most people remain in traditional saunas for much less time.
As for the differences in the effect of infrared vs traditional sauna, they are night and day. A traditional sauna heats the air around the client, so the sweat they achieve is topical (on the surface). Infrared sauna, which uses proven safe invisible light (heat) at a temperature up to 150 degrees, penetrates deep into the body to pull out toxins that are stored deep in muscles as well as to improve overall circulation. Infrared sauna has been proven to help boost immunity too because it essentially causes the body to experience a fake fever, which as people know, is how the body activates the immune system to kill viruses.
BENEFITS OF INFARED SAUNA
Stress reduction - Helps balance cortisol levels which reduces stress.
Immunity boost - Increasing the internal temperature makes the body a less hospitable host for pathogens & helps produce white blood cells.
Detoxification - Pulls toxins from the body at a cellular level.
Workout recovery - Reduces the buildup of lactic acid so clients can workout harder and get back to the gym faster with less pain
Pain relief - Such as for arthritis, lyme disease, fibromyalgia, & sport related injuries. Alleviates inflammation & swelling.
Improved circulation - Improves systolic and diastolic pressures & improves blood vessel function.
Weight loss - Reduces inches by increasing heart & metabolic rate.
Skin rejuvenation - Help with cell turn over and collagen production which reduces fine lines.
CYL Sauna Studio Cherry Creek: @cylsaunastudio_cherrycreek
CYL Sauna Studio Boulder: @cylsaunastudio_boulder
Writer: Annie Bloj: @theblojreport
Photographer: Esther Lee Leach; @estherleleach
Hair: Mackenzie Davis: @kenzehair_studio
Makeup: Chanty Vargas for Live Love Lash: @chanty_livelovelash