Our mission is to empower natural mineral water communities and stewards with research, education, and resources to promote therapeutic uses that enhance health and well-being.
Balneo “to bathe” -ology “study of” Verb (Medieval Latin)
Pronounced: (bal nee OL uh jee)
Balneology is the Science, Art and Culture of therapeutic mineral water use
The Core Pillars of Balneology
DRINKING
Drinking water from a free flowing source of concentrated minerals is beneficial for homeostasis by improving metabolic, digestive and urinary imbalances.
Water hydrates to quench thirst and to balance physical systems for activities like exercise and workouts.
There are many waters from around the world to choose from making this practice an enjoyable exploration in wellness.
SOAKING
Soaking/Bathing in mineral waters is the most recognized form of balneology.
By immersing in mineral waters one can receive multiple beneficial effects for body systems including: circulatory, immune, skeletal, nerves and the skin.
Timing rhythms in and out of the waters, including rest, make this a high quality practice towards wellness.
STEAMS & SAUNAS
Steams are gaseous mineral waters generated from thermal springs taken for inhalation therapy and to promote sweating for releasing toxins. Different mineral compounds effect the upper respiratory system impacting allergies, hearing loss, lung disease (COPD) and asthma which benefit from steams - a practice widely used in Europe.
Wet and dry saunas promote sweating to calm nerves, release impurities and to reinvigorate body systems.
MUDS
Heated muds, otherwise known as peleotherapy provide naturally sourced matured earth from geochemical, biological, and geological processes that consist of clay and other minerals, various microorganisms, gases, and different chemical composites hydrated with mineral waters for therapeutic effects.
A wellness practice from antiquity, the application of muds benefits vascular and neuromuscular systems, balance skin conditions and calm nerves.
Join Our Live Community Zoom Presentations + Q&A
Learn from community experts and share your knowledge in our Q&A sessions every third Wednesday of the month at 11am PST. The live community calls are free to join, so please join our email list to get an invite to them. Please consider supporting us with a membership to receive a password to view our previous presentations archive, so we can continue the conversation together.
Join our BANA community as we swim back In time together for stories of health and rejuvenation from the mineral waters of the 1800s. This presentation covers many topics including the westward push after the Civil War in 1864, which led to the discovery of numerous hot springs in the region. European settlers observed Native Americans using these mineral waters, and pioneers soon began to self-medicate with thermal waters. This led to the prescriptive uses of mineral water in the west, with 21-day treatment regimes becoming popular. More elegant pioneer resorts offered treatments such as needle baths, while drinking the waters for health benefits and the therapeutic uses of mud baths were also common practices. Additionally, the marketing of mineral water therapies played a significant role in promoting these treatments.
Become a member to receive a password for our Live Community Presentation Archive HERE!
Upcoming Live Community Zoom Presentations + Q&A
December 18th, Wednesday at 11am PST
EHTTA European Historic Thermal Towns Association
https://historicthermaltowns.eu/
We will introduce the association and share an upcoming invitation to the thermal congress in 2025. We will also learn more about their time at Saratoga Hot Springs.
Janet Abbott and the Language of Mineral Waters
Insider’s Guide to Spas — November 20, 2024
by Mary Bemis
Janet Abbott is a passionate advocate for the transformative health and wellness benefits of natural mineral waters. As the co-founder of the Balneology Association of North America (BANA), where she serves as Vice President and Director of Mineral Water Language, Janet inspires others to “discover the art of water through mindful, creative practices, as our ancestors have demonstrated throughout history.” She shares how water, with its timeless ability to both energize and soothe, can guide us to find our own balance of strength and serenity.
BANA Best Practices
Balneology is a science, art and culture that embraces the climatology, temperatures and hydrogeology of geothermal locations, and is backed by significant research that proves the health benefits for people who seek the waters for wellness.
Our leadership team brings years of experience to guide the strategic application of the TRIQUETRA which identifies and integrates the Ten Domains, Cultural Best Practices and the BANA Flow Formula at Site-Specific-Sources.
Are You a Hot Spring Owner or Water Steward?
Hot spring owners and water stewards can benefit from joining BANA’s national registry for therapeutic mineral waters to stand united as a community in the face of state and federal guidelines that impact the use of our therapeutic waters. Join our coalition of water sources registered with BANA to proactively address regulations affecting the operation of hot springs across North America.
Access Awards
Chris Devlin, presented the Kathy Clark Access Award to Rose O’Bennick and Becky O’Bennick-Knapp. BANA recognized both for their longstanding stewardship of the healing tribal mineral waters and the economical access to the waters they continue to provide to the public.
Leroy and Rose O’Bennick leased the land from the tribes where both hot springs sit and provided access to the healing waters shortly after the historic Tribal Bath House closed in the 1970’s. After Leroy’s passing in 2015, Rose and her daughter continued to maintain access to both plunges. Both work hard to fill the tubs up in the morning and drain them each night to provide the most pristine soaking experience. People who seek mineral waters for soaking consider the Camas Hot Spring aquifer to be one of the finest waters in the nation. Many also believe it’s the best in the world.
BANA’S National Access Award recognizes therapeutic hot springs whose owners and operators provide affordable public access to “taking the waters”, a phrase that references the different ways thermal mineral waters are used to benefit health and wellbeing. Re-named after Kathy Clark, a long-time hot springs access advocate who passed away in 2022, the Access Award is BANA’s highest recognition given once each year.
As more people recognize the healing qualities of natural thermal mineral water, the need for focused stewardship of this important resource, including the surrounding watershed, becomes an important policy concern. BANA also recognizes the continued efforts of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to preserve and protect the watershed that supports the famous hot mineral water flowing from the Camas Hot Spring Aquifer. Read the article here. 10/27/23
“Spa Cultures already exist and have existed since the beginning of recorded history and now is a time to research, rediscover, relearn, and re-mainstream the arts, sciences and cultures of Balneology into the practices of mindfulness, wellness, health-care and therapies.”
— Dr. Jonathan Paul de Vierville, Director of Spa Cultures, Board Vice President