If you are Finnish, you are already very familiar with the sauna. Researchers believe that the direct precursor to the modern sauna was invented in Finland nearly 2,000 years ago. Finnish saunas still utilize the basics of these earlier models and nearly every house in Finland has a personal sauna! It is such an integral part of Finnish culture, that there are more saunas then there are even automobiles. It is traditional to take a sauna on Sunday afternoons with friends or after a long meeting with business partners.
Are you planning to vacation in Finland soon? If the answer is yes, then you need to know the basics of how to sauna! Everyone enjoys taking their sauna in slightly different ways but everyone follows a general pattern. Even if you are not planning to travel to Scandinavia, knowing the sauna steps are good nonetheless. This tradition is quickly gaining converts the world over and you might even enjoy it enough to purchase a sauna for your own home!
1) Shower off first. This process helps cleanse your skin of surface dirt so that the sauna room can stay as clean as possible.
2) Most people who are used to sauna-ing will do so in the nude. If you are uncomfortable with this practice, then you can always wear a towel or a sauna suit. Men and women do not normally take a sauna together so it is considered a non-sexual environment. When you enter the sauna, pick a high bench, lie down, and enjoy the heat!
3) The heat in a sauna can get as high as 200 degrees Fahrenheit so prepare for it to be hot! If you are unaccustomed to these high temperatures, it is fine to stay in the steam room for only a few minutes. Walk out and cool down by taking a dip in the pool or by sitting in the changing room.
4) Once you feel cool, walk back into the sauna and try to last five to ten minutes in this round. You can enter and exit the sauna as many times as you like. The heat can get very high in these rooms so do not push yourself past a comfortable limit.
5) Once you are finished take a longer swim and rinse off in the shower. Then go enjoy a few drinks and some food!
Topic:cool walk, finnish culture, finnish saunas, personal sauna, sauna room, sauna suit, steam room, suit men, sunday afternoons, surface dirt