Black Root Recovery: The Multi‑Modality Recovery Sauna Built for Veterans, Athletes, and High Performers #827

9 snips

Dec 10, 2025

Andrew Kavanaugh, a former Marine and contractor, founded Black Root Recovery after witnessing fellow veterans struggle with health issues. He shares how his personal transformation—losing 90 pounds and overcoming sleep apnea—led to the creation of a unique recovery sauna. The sauna combines grounding, infrared, and red-light therapy, aimed at reducing inflammation and enhancing cognitive performance. Andrew discusses the science behind each therapy, as well as the significant benefits he's experienced, including improved sleep and diminished social anxiety.

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ANECDOTE

Reunion Sparked The Sauna Mission

At a Marine reunion Andrew noticed many fellow vets physically declined and one friend later died by suicide.
That loss motivated him to publicly share modalities and create a product to help veterans reclaim health.

ADVICE

Daily Wim Hof Breathing Protocol

Practice Wim Hof: 30 breaths, full exhale hold, then inhale hold, progress to adding calisthenics on inhale holds.
Use it daily as an inexpensive tool to improve wellbeing and resilience.

INSIGHT

PTSD As Brain Inflammation

Andrew frames PTSD as brain inflammation that can be reduced to improve symptoms.
He built a multimodal recovery system specifically to target inflammation in brain and body.

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Former Marine and general contractor Andrew Kavanaugh joins the crew to share the origin story of Black Root Recovery, a company he founded after watching too many of his fellow Marines struggle physically, mentally, and emotionally after returning home. What started as a personal quest to rebuild his health led to a 90-pound weight loss, the elimination of sleep apnea and nightmares, and a profound shift in cognitive clarity and emotional resilience. Andrew combined the modalities that changed his own life (grounding, infrared therapy, red-light therapy, and traditional sauna heat) into a single premium, custom-built recovery system designed to reduce inflammation, support brain health, and help veterans and high performers reclaim their capability.

Andrew breaks down the science and practical application behind each component of the system, including his patented grounding design that connects the user directly to an eight-foot copper ground rod to immediately reduce blood viscosity and "electrical noise" in the body. Paired with deep-penetrating red light panels, infrared heat, and a high-output traditional sauna, his units create a stacked recovery environment that improves circulation, reduces inflammation, accelerates healing, and enhances cognitive performance. Andrew shares how, after three months of daily use, he saw his social anxiety disappear, his brain function sharpen, and his jiu-jitsu endurance skyrocket.

The conversation expands into the broader mission: supporting veterans, giving athletes a competitive performance advantage, and scaling access to recovery tools that have historically been too expensive or too fragmented to deliver real transformation. Andrew discusses future plans to build custom installations for gyms and sports teams, and continue refining the multimodal system. Whether the goal is longevity, recovery, or helping those who have served, this episode reveals why integrated recovery environments may become the next frontier in reducing inflammation, healing trauma, and elevating human potential.

Links:

Anders Varner on Instagram

Doug Larson on Instagram

Coach Travis Mash on Instagram