The sauna has been prized by man since time immemorial, and is still treasured today. Let’s explore the history of saunas and learn how they work
Saunas are designed to provide either moist or dry heat.A bather, or group of bathers, can gather inside of a sauna to experience temperatures as high as 80 degrees Celcius or more. The opening of the pores and sweating make it possible for impurities to easily be removed from the body. If water is poured on the hot stones, steam is produced which makes the sauna moist. The sauna is loved not only for it’s relaxing properties, but also for improving the immune system and helping detoxify the body.
Sauna is an ancient Finnish word that describes the traditional Finnish bath. The sauna consisted of a fire wherein stones were heated to high temperatures, then doused in water to release steam heat.Because of the extreme heat, individuals would remove their clothes for comfort.
Eventually the home sauna was improved with the addition of a metal woodstove and chimney. Although the temperature was generally set somewhere between 70 and 80 °C, a traditional Finnish sauna could sometimes get as hot as 90 °C. Steam vapor was also generated by spraying water onto the heated stones. The steam vapor and high heat caused bathers to sweat a great deal.
In order to take full advantage of the sauna, the Finns gathered a bundle of bird branches containing tiny, fresh leaves. This was called a vihta. This practice not only aids in blood circulation, but adds a pleasant birch scent to the sauna.
Saunas relieve stress in two ways. One is the natural relaxation you’d experience when spending time in a dry or wet sauna. The other way in which a sauna relieves stress is by releasing chemicals from the body. When your skin heats up during a bath, large quantities of chemicals that cause stress are expelled from the body. Thus, in addition to reducing the amount of chemicals in the body, the sauna bath also slows the formation of chemicals.
Furthermore, your body releases much of the toxins through the pores of your skin while you perspire. As mentioned earlier, the sauna induces sweating that ultimately cleanses the body.
Finns utilize saunas on a regular basis, and saunas are lauded thoughout Finland as the best, most natural way to cleanse oneself both in body and mind. The sauna was and continues to be an essential aspect of daily life. Families in Finland traditionally bathed together in the sauna at home. It is interesting to note that Finnish women used to give birth in the sauna.
When the Finns migrated to the different parts of the globe they shared their knowledge of sauna designs and customs. They taught other cultures about the sauna’s health benefits which helped the sauna to evolve further. Eventually, this led to the development of electric sauna stoves and far infrared saunas which became quite popular. Since then various cultures around the world have been recognizing, adopting and improvising the sauna.
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