Are you feeling run down? Unhealthy? Stressed? Is winter already starting to get you down? If your answer to these questions is yes, then we can recommend the perfect way for you to warm up, relax and get back on form. It's called ganbanyoku, which is translated as "stone bathing" (even though there is no water involved), and it has become increasingly popular in Sapporo, both for it's health-giving properties and for its ability to make you feel super relaxed.

Ganbanyoku involves lying on a large heated block of black graphite silica. The silica is special because not only is it rare - in Japan, it is only found in Kaminokuni in Southern Hokkaido, it also emanates far infrared rays and negative ions. Negative ions are a type of antioxidant present in nature that are reported to react with and break down toxins in the bloodstream. Far infrared rays are absorbed by cells throughout the body and cause blood vessels to dilate, which is said to improve blood circulation, speed up the metabolism and help to eliminate wastes. Adherents of ganbanyoku laud its benefits. Indeed, the combination of negative ions and far infrared rays released in ganbanyoku is purported to benefit the skin, aid dieting, alleviate back and shoulder pains, lower blood pressure, boost the immune system and help reduce the effects of pollen allergies, diabetes, constipation, menstrual disorders, rheumatism and arthritis. It is also said to aid cancer prevention.

Recently I decided to try ganbanyoku out for myself. I headed out on the subway to Shin Sapporo to the ganbanyoku salon Ion Veil. This facility opened in December 2004, and is owned by Mr. Seichi Maruyama. Mr Maruyama is a firm believer in the benefits of ganbanyoku. He was introduced to the idea two years ago when, as an architect, he was responsible for designing several ganbanyoku facilities. At the time he was diabetic and had suffered from a blood clot in his brain. However, once he started visiting ganbanyoku, his blood sugar level dropped from 270 to 115 (anything over 180 is dangerous) and he noticed his health improve dramatically. He went on to open Ion Veil, his own ganbanyoku salon, and it has been so well received that he recently opened his second salon in Nopporo.

Ion Veil has a relaxing South-east Asian resort ambience, with dark wood paneling, soft lighting and tasteful decorations from Thailand, Bali and Vietnam. When you arrive, you pay the entrance fee (650 yen per hour and 250 yen for each additional half hour extension) and you can either bring your own cotton clothes and towels, or you can save yourself the hassle and pay an extra 300 yen for a rental towel, handtowel, and a Japanese-style cotton pyjama which is worn while you lie on the hot rock.

In the changing rooms, I took a shower. I was told that it's best to take one before, rather than after because the perspiration caused by ganbanyoku is different from the sticky perspiration you get when you exercise because it is secreted from the hair and apocrine glands as opposed to the perspiratory glands. The sweat is good for your skin and shouldn't be wiped away because the far-infrared rays accelerate the formation of collagen, and once the sweat dries, it leaves your skin feeling supple and smooth.

After my shower, I put on my pyjama and headed toward the bathing room. I was reminded to drink a glass of water beforehand to facilitate perspiration. Ion Veil has a mixed bathing room and a women-only room. Since everyone wears a pyjama, there are no real modesty issues, but women who would prefer to be in a same-sex room are easily accommodated. The rooms have four to six slabs of black silica rock embedded in the floor. The lighting is soft, the air is light with beautiful aromatherapeutic smells, and relaxing music plays gently in the background.

To begin with, I lay my towel on top of the rock and then lowered myself onto my stomach and lay there for five minutes using one of the hourglass timers to keep track of the time. I was starting to sweat a lot, and no wonder, the rock was heated to 43.4 degrees Celusius and the humidity in the room was 38 degrees Celsius. Next, I rolled onto my back for ten minutes, using a wicker pillow to rest my head. There were some other bathers, but the room was serenely quiet. Chatting is not allowed, and the only sounds I could hear were the relaxing guitar strummings of the music. I felt very comfortable and snug, and imagined myself to be a giant sun-basking lizard lying on a magnificently warm rock. I banished all thought of walking home in the cold from my mind.

After the time was up, I went out into the lobby for a break and another glass of water. The typical ganbanyoku visit entails repeating two or three times the process of lying on the stomach and then back, and then having a break and a drink. Each time I took a break I found myself keen to get back to my rock. It's funny because I am not a sauna fan, and originally I feared that I wouldn't like ganbanyoku, but it felt unlike a sauna. The atmosphere is far more relaxing and because the heat comes from directly beneath your body, the sensation is different.

After ninety minutes, I felt ready to leave. I waited in the lounge area to cool down a bit before getting changed. I didn't have a shower and I didn't feel sticky at all, on the contrary I felt quite refreshed, and yes, my skin did feel smooth! Even the journey back home in the cold Sapporo night wasn't so bad because I still could feel the warmth within my body. That night I went to bed and had one of the best sleeps I've had in ages. I can truthfully say that I am a ganbanyoku convert and I can't wait to go again!