I’ve been using a red light panel for a while now — for recovery, skin, and just general wellbeing — so this conversation felt like one I was already invested in.
And if you’ve ever wondered what is red light therapy, or does red light therapy work, you’re not alone. It still sits in that space where people are curious… but also a bit sceptical.
What I liked about this conversation with John Graham Harper is that it brings it back to real life.
Not hype. Not trends. Just… what actually helps.
Why people are turning to red light
One of the things we talked about is how much inflammation we’re dealing with now — from training, stress, poor sleep, just modern life in general.
And for a lot of us, the question becomes:
what can I do before I end up relying on medication or something more invasive?
That’s where red light therapy comes in.
For John, it started the way it does for a lot of people — pushing through pain. Rugby, CrossFit, boxing… just get on with it. Until your body says otherwise.
And that’s the part I think many women in midlife will relate to. There’s a point where you stop overriding your body and start actually listening to it.
When it becomes real (not just a “wellness thing”)
There’s a moment John shares where he was using an old-school heat lamp on his knee.
At first, he thought it was the heat doing the work.
But it wasn’t.
It was the light.
And that’s when things shifted from “this sounds interesting” to “this actually does something.”
That’s been my experience too. You don’t always notice it in a dramatic way… but over time, your body responds.
Less inflammation. Better recovery. Skin improves. Energy feels different.
It’s subtle, but it’s real.
So… does red light therapy work?
This is where it helps to understand it in simple terms.
Red light works at a cellular level. It supports your mitochondria — basically the part of your cells responsible for energy production.
More energy at a cellular level = better repair, better function, better regulation.
That’s why people use it for things like:
– recovery and pain
– inflammation
– skin health
– general wellbeing
It’s not magic. It’s just supporting the body to do what it already knows how to do.
And that’s really my philosophy with health — the body is always trying to heal. Sometimes it just needs the right conditions.
Sleep, light, and your circadian rhythm
This part of the conversation was just as interesting.
If you’re trying to work out how to get better sleep or how to get better quality sleep, light exposure is a big piece of it.
We’re designed to wake with natural light and wind down as it fades.
But most of us are doing the opposite — screens at night, artificial light, and then wondering why our sleep is off.
If you’re looking at how to fix circadian rhythm, some simple shifts can make a difference:
– reducing blue light at night
– using warmer light (or red light) in the evening
– getting natural light early in the day
Nothing extreme. Just working with your biology instead of against it.
It’s not about doing more — it’s about doing it well
One thing I appreciated was the way John talked about dosing.
More isn’t always better.
Short, consistent sessions tend to work better than overdoing it once in a while.
And simple things matter:
– getting the light close to the skin
– being consistent
– using it as part of a routine, not a one-off fix
That’s been my approach too. It’s just something I do regularly — like movement or getting outside.
The bigger picture
We also touched on gut health — the idea of the gut as a “second brain” — and how everything connects.
But what stood out most is this:
Red light therapy isn’t a replacement for the basics.
It works best alongside them.
Sleep. Hydration. Movement. Paying attention to what your body needs.
It’s one tool — a really supportive one — but still part of a bigger picture.
For me, this conversation just reinforced why I’m drawn to this kind of approach.
Less about quick fixes.
More about working with the body, not overriding it.
And trusting that, given the right support, it knows how to heal.