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The sauna throughout the ages

by: JohnJohnson
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Saunas have been around since ancient times and are still very popular today. The question often arises as to where saunas originated, how they are used, and why they continue to have such a strong presence.

A sauna is a small room or dwelling specially designed for bathers to experience wet or dry heat sessions. A typical sauna session may be a social gathering in which bathers undress and sit or lie down in temperatures greater than 80 C. A sauna bath is not only relaxing but also generates profuse sweating. In fact, the sauna's popularity can be attributed to its many health benefits such as stress reduction, detoxification of the body, an improved immune system and other positive changes.

Sauna is an ancient Finnish word that describes the 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 temperature would increase so dramatically that people removed their clothing.

Over time the sauna evolved to include a metal woodstove with a 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. Similar to the earlier style sauna, a steam vapor was generated by dousing heated rocks with water. The combination of heat and steam produced extreme perspiration.

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. This practice not only aids in blood circulation, but adds a pleasant birch scent to the sauna.

Saunas provide stress relief 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 throughout Finland as the best, most natural way to cleanse oneself both in body and mind. Then and now, the sauna remains a key component to healthy living in Finland. Families often bathed together in home saunas, and in the past Finnish women often gave birth in saunas.

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.

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The sauna throughout the ages

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