I don't know about you, but I really don't like cold weather. Unfortunately, this is the time of year when we have to put away the skimpy summer dress and strappy heels in favor of corduroy pants and boots.

Yes, it's fall, and that means the temperature is dipping down towards the freezing mark. So as I contemplated the topic of this week's column, I thought, "What could I do that will warm me, and heal me at the same time?"

I'm a bit leery of the whole concept of saunas. I've only ever had one sauna in my life, and I remember it as a sweaty, humid, steam-blinded experience at a local community centre.

After that sauna, I felt like a disgusting, drippy, pungent noodle. I wasn't fond of the experience.

But Cozy Corner Saunas has lured me with the advertised promise of "infrared saunas... low heat, dry saunas that are enjoyable, relaxing, and extremely therapeutic." So I walked through the door and put myself in the hands of owner Catherine Whittaker.

"The health benefits are so amazing," she says.  "It's really big in Europe, and then it ventured its way out West and now it's slowly making it's way to the East Coast. It's really exciting."

An infrared sauna, I learn, is not like the humid air-bath I had experienced before. "In a traditional sauna," says Whittaker, "you're heating the air and the air is then heating you, which can be very harsh for some people because they have a difficult time breathing and they can't stay in there a long time - they have to cover their faces and they feel claustrophobic."

"This way, they go in, it's like a hot day in Mexico, there's no humidity, and you just sit there and enjoy. It's similar to sitting in the sun and soaking in those rays."

These saunas use infrared rays to heat ceramic rods, and those in turn heat you. The rays are invisible to the human eye - and no, they don't give you a tan. But the heat is therapeutic. The first infrared heating system was developed in Japan by Dr. Tadashi Ishikawa in 1965. Since then, 700,000 infrared systems have been sold in Asia for whole-body treatments. The systems have been in the United States since 1981, and infrared panels have been used in hospital nurseries to warm newborns.

"Toxification is behind a lot of our illnesses, and by getting it out of our systems we can prevent illness or even reverse illness over time," says Whittaker.

Whittaker says regular sessions in an infrared sauna are good for people with injuries, skin problems (such as eczema), arthritis, and chronic pain. Then she mentions that a person can also burn 300 to 600 calories during a half-hour session! That seals the deal - I'm in!!

My decision made, Whittaker shows me the sauna I'll be sitting in. It's a small, enclosed private unit made of aromatic cedar wood. The glass door is covered by a curtain, and inside, there's a bench to lay down on and some towels.

I ask what I should wear. The answer?  Nothing. Whittaker says I'm going to get so sweaty, there's really no point. (Columnist's Note: This is the second time I've been naked for my column. I DO NOT have a nudity fetish.)

Whittaker tells me to drink a lot of water before I get in, and her only other piece of advice is to relax. Then, she leaves me to it.

So, I get into my birthday suit and enter the sauna. Whew! It is hot! But there's no steam, so I take a deep breath to see if I can get enough air. I'm surprised to find out my lungs have no problem drawing it in. So far, so good. The lighting is almost romantic, and built-in speakers are piping in some gentle guitar music blending with the chirping of birds.

I look at the digital temperature monitor - it reads 50 degrees Celsius. (Seems hot, but that's actually half the heat of a traditional sauna.) I'm in for half an hour...so I close my eyes and rest.

After about ten minutes, I notice that I'm starting to sweat already. But that's good, because Whittaker says the sooner you sweat, the better. She says that means you have fewer toxins in your system to get rid of in the first place. I watch as rivulets of sweat start running down body parts I didn't even realize produced sweat. (Since when have you seen your forearms sweat??) I expect to hate it, but I don't. It feels cleansing.

After twenty minutes...my whole body is LITERALLY dripping. I wipe my leg with my hand and sniff the sweat (hey, I cover all the senses!). Instead of smelling like a gym sock, my sweat actually smells like...chili? "That's strange," I think. "It didn't have chili for lunch." This, I decide, is what all those toxins must smell like. It's a bit spicy and not totally unappealing. Hmmm...

This is the kind of heat I like: a dry heat. But I have to admit, after 25 minutes, I opened the door to get a whiff of cool air. I feel like I'm cheating you, dear reader, by taking a respite from the heat. But then I remember that Whittaker warned me I may have to do so, and she says there's nothing wrong with it at all. By the time my half-hour is up, I am drenched - time to get out before I melt completely. I wrap myself in a towel and leave the heat. Now, room temperature feels like a cool ocean breeze. I sit down to dry out a little and drink more water. (I must need it!) Then it's time for a shower, and once I'm clean and clothed again, I feel amazingly refreshed and energetic.

Before you go running to your nearest IR therapy salon, there are people who shouldn't try this: pregnant women, hemophiliacs, and people with multiple sclerosis. Several studies have shown that it is safe for people with heart problems, although Whittaker adds those people should check with their doctors beforehand.

The thing I really like about this treatment is that it is a bargain compared to other spa treatments - Whittaker charges about thirty dollars a session. She says many people go several times a week, and I can see why.