The Health Bliss

The sauna has been prized by man since ancient times, and is still treasured today.  Let's explore the reasons why saunas continue to have such a strong presence.

The purpose of a sauna is to provide wet or dry heat sessions that promote both relaxation and perspiration.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 world that developed in ancient Finland and means a traditional Finnish bath. The first known saunas were essentially the lowest points dug in a slope in the ground mainly used as dwellings during winters. At the time the sauna included a fireside where stones were heated to very high temperatures. Afterwards, water was thrown on to the hot stones thus producing steam and heat.The heat would be so strong that often people would undress when this was done.

Eventually the sauna was improved with the addition of a metal woodstove and chimney.Air temperature was typically set between 70 and 80 degrees Celsius but on occasion exceeded as much as 90 degrees Celsius. Spraying water onto the hot rocks helped perfect this experience by adding a soft steam.

Often the Finns would use a 'vihta', a bundle of birch branches with fresh leaves, to gently swat themselves and other bathers to improve the experience. The vihta was used by bathers to gently swipe the skin in order to stimulate the pores, enhance cell production and improve blood circulation. Another benefit of the vihta was that it gave off a very pleasant scent that stimulated relaxation in the same manner that many of today’s aromatherapy products work. In fact, the vihta is still used by some individuals in the sauna.

Saunas provide stress relief in two ways. One obvious way is psychological; the heat and steam have a highly relaxing effect. 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.

The opening of the pores also makes it easier to remove toxins from the body. Toxins travel through your sweat glands and are released with your perspiration. As noted earlier, a sauna creates a high amount of perspiration and therefore is excellent for detoxification

The Finns keep the rich history of the home sauna alive today by making it a part of their daily ritual. In Finland, saunas are considered to be a natural and effective way of refreshing both the mind and spirit. 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.

Finnish migration to other parts of the world aided in the dissemination of information about saunas, how they were made and used and their many benefits. This enabled individuals from other cultures to learn about saunas and use them, and it paved the way for future advancements such as electric sauna stoves and far infrared saunas, which became very popular. Today, the sauna is recognized and enjoyed globally, and continues to be enhanced both aesthetically and functionally.