a body-mind approach to chronic illness
Kuhne steam bath therapy
Kuhne steam bath therapy is an approach to healing that uses hot steam applications followed by cold water sitting baths to detox and heal the body. It can easily be done at home.
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When Louis Kuhne was only 20 years old he developed a very painful form of stomach and lung cancer. Bitterly disappointed with the inability of orthodox medicine to help him, he turned to natural cures in an attempt to find a way to overcome the disease that was devouring him inside.
Not only did he succeed in curing his illness, but he was also able to devote his life to treating the sick. He created a clinic in Leipzig, Germany in 1883, where he cured thousands of people from many different diseases, including cancer, tuberculosis, diphtheria, scarlet fever, rheumatism, migraines, obstinate constipation, paralysis, epilepsy, whooping cough, and more.
one cause
Kuhne realized that although there were many manifestations of disease, there was only one cause for them all. And this cause was the lifelong accumulation of waste matter and toxins in the body, either inherited or acquired, which manifested in various organs.
“If … morbid matter has in a suitable manner been removed from the body, the disease itself disappears.” (Kuhne, The New Science of Healing, p.18)
one cure
Kuhne also determined that if there was only one cause for all disease, then naturally there should only be one cure. This discovery allowed Kuhne to create a unique cure system for all disease manifestations, which consisted chiefly of dietary counseling, the steam bath, and the friction hip bath.
The fact that Kuhne's patients came to his establishment as a last resort, when orthodox medicine had pronounced them incurable, and were subsequently successfully healed by him, is an irrefutable confirmation of the efficiency and viability of his unique cure.
With a tumor before bathing therapy
two and a nalf years later
facial diagnosis
Louis Kuhne
Louis Kuhne's book 'Facial Diagnosis' might seem a bit archaic at first but its an easy and informative read. Kuhne attributes all diseases to the accumulation of foreign matter in the body, mostly from eating unnatural foods. Such deposition of matter starts in the abdomen and slowly makes its way to more distant parts, such as the head and limbs.
Kuhne explains that this accumulation of foreign matter can be seen as swelling or lumps, hardness, skin discoloration, warts, wrinkles, stiffness, hair loss and dental problems. At first I was a bit disapointed that he didn't explain which particular toxins cause which particular blemishes but then I realized that he is using a diffrent type of thinking. Kuhne is a generalist, he is not concerned about giving every disease a particular name. Instead he is making a diagnose in general.
how to do a steam bath at home
Kuhne understood that perspiration was the body’s primary way of ridding the body of accumulated toxins. “The instant the sweat breaks out, the fermenting masses gain a vent, and the tension of the skin and febrile heat both abate.” (Kuhne, The New Science of Healing, p.18)
equipment
You’ll need a large towel, two pots, and a garden or cane chair.
method
Fill the pots with water leaving enough space at the top to prevent spillage.
Boil one pot of water, and as soon as the water boils place it under the chair. Put the other pot on stove to boil.
Sit down on the chair unclothed, and cover yourself with the towel. Let it hang down loosely on either side to prevent any steam from escaping.
As soon as the supply of steam slackens (about 10 minutes), introduce the reserve pot.
Continue for about 15 to 30 minutes. After 10 to 15 minutes, the patient would turn over to steam the chest and abdomen.
head and neck
The steam bath works well as a general steamer but you may want to target specific parts of your body.
You’ll need two towels and a medium size pot. If you are wearing makeup remove it, and if you have long hair secure it.
Add water to the pot, making sure to leave enough space at the top to prevent spillage. If you’d like to, add a handful of herbs. This step is entirely optional.
Place a folded towel on a table and once the water has boiled place the pot on the towel. This will protect the table from any heat damage. If you’re using essential oils, this is the time to add a few drops to the water.
Sit down, drape the second towel over your head and the pot, and hold your face a comfortable distance above the water. Raise or lower your head for more or less heat and lift a corner of the towel to cool off if needed.
Steam your face for 5-10 minutes.
warm towel body steaming
a comfortable way to taget any part of the body
warm towels
You will need two small to medium towels, a pair of rubber gloves, and a pot of hot water.
Soak the towel in the pot of hot water. Make sure that it’s hot but not so hot that you risk burning your skin. I wear one glove on my right hand to wring the towel out and keep my left hand free to test the temperature.
Place the towel on an area of your body where you believe toxins have accumulated. Sit back in a comfortable chair and relax.
Keep the towel on your body until it begins to cool. This could range from 2-5 minutes depending on the season and the size of the towel. If at any time the towel feels uncomfortable remove it. Dip the towel in the pot again if you want to continue for longer.
safety
“Weak persons, such as seriously ill, more especially nervous patients, should never take steam baths … Sun baths are preferred for weak patients, as well as friction sitz baths and hip baths.” (Kuhne, The New Science of Healing)
More than two steam baths weekly should only be taken under the supervision of an expert.
On leaving the steam bath, a cooling-process with water by means of a hipbath is absolutely essential.
commercial steamers
The above methods can be done without the need to buy any equipment. However, if you have extra money to spare, you could buy a home facial steamer or a home sauna. They are not expensive, very easy to use, and produce a strong and steady flow of steam.
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hipbath
The purpose of the hipbath is to close the skin pores and cool the body after the steam bath. Another purpose is to mobilize the foreign matter from areas of the body that remain undisturbed during the steam bath. The resulting nerve stimulation by the cold water was supposed to help eliminate toxins.
After your steam bath quickly wash your whole body in warm water to remove perspiration.
Fill a large flat bucket with just enough cold water so that when you get in it reaches to your thighs and navel. The water should be about 64-77°F (18-25°C). If you don’t have a bucket, a bathtub works just as well.
Sit in the bucket or bathtub and begin rubbing your entire abdomen from the navel downwards and on either side with a coarse cloth.
Continue rubbing until you feel completely cooled.
To ensure that you warm up again once the hipbath is done either do some light exercise or get into a warm bed.
