Laurel Judd on Breast Implant Illness

Laurel Judd has spent much of the last two decades working as a Licensed Clinical Therapist, with the last nine of those years, at Fort Campbell, treating the service members that have given so much in the name of our country. In November 2021, she changed directions and opened Sauna and Soak Lounge in Sango, a wellness destination with state-of-the-art, full-spectrum infrared saunas, cold plunge + floatation therapy.

Her reasons for shifting away from traditional counseling and towards holistic healing, (infrared sauna, cold plunge + floatation therapy), come from both the desire to continue serving the military community and the impact it’s had on her own life. Laurel’s husband is a Green Beret and she grew up in a military family, so her heart will always be with service members and their families.

Several years ago, Laurel began having mysterious symptoms that weren’t traceable back to any specific illness. After many visits with doctors, she realized what it was: Breast Implant Illness. She was also diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder called Hashimoto’s, which attacks the thyroid. After two years of unsuccessful doctors’ visits, medications and seven iron infusions, it ultimately was another Special Forces wife that figured out the cause of her mysterious ailments and suggested that she have her implants properly removed.

In November of 2019, Laurel finally had her breast implants properly removed. She was then advised to use an infrared sauna to detox all of the heavy metals in her body, as a result of the implants, but at the time, there weren’t any in the Clarksville area. Pure Sweat + Float Studio in Belle Meade was the closest location with infrared saunas at that time. Laurel began driving to Belle Meade to use the infrared saunas and by the fourth session, she felt significantly better. After a year of using the infrared saunas 3x/week, she was able to stop using her thyroid medication and 3 years later, her Hashimoto’s was in full remission. She experienced so much healing at Pure Sweat + Float Studio, that she wanted to open one in Clarksville.

Laurel’s mission for opening Sauna & Soak Lounge still stands: To provide the cleanest, safest most luxurious and attractive space for healing, while bringing the community together. The infrared saunas, cold plunges and float therapy all assist with Detoxifying + De-stressing the mind, body and spirit. All of these modalities have significant research to support this. The use of an infrared sauna at least 3x/week decreases morbidity rates by 40%. Floating also benefits the mind, body, and spirit. The physical benefits of floating come from the magnesium concentration: the water’s magnesium inhibits ACTH, a hormone that drives your adrenal glands to release the stress hormone cortisol. 

Magnesium also improves sleep quality, which contributes to feeling less stressed. In a study published by the Journal of Applied Physiology, people who floated eight times over a two-week period saw their cortisol levels decrease by 21.6 percent. That amount of salt also allows for a weightless floating experience. It’s the only time you don’t have pressure on your joints. It also forces you to detach from all outside stimulus. Cold plunge + Contrast Therapy (infrared sauna + cold plunge) is our newest modality with such incredible results. Cold plunge helps decrease anxiety, depression, burns calories, combats cravings, helps with insomnia and so much more.

Laurel also made sure to curate a completely relaxing, spa-like environment with candlelight ambience, meditative music, and calming colors. We try to hold candlelight events at the studio quarterly, to bring the community together to educate and provide a space for connection.

Laurel hopes that by offering this alternative therapy locally, that more will opt for these therapies over or in addition to medications, which can sometimes do more harm than good. It’s about teaching the Clarksville community how to relax, detox, educate, connect with self and learn to detach from outside stimulus. Her goal is to heal the community and provide a safe space for anyone to experience the benefit of the services, products and connect with others.

Bii info: healingbreastimplantillness.com