Everything you need to know about Finnish saunas

This article was created by National Geographic Traveler (UK).

In a small, enclosed room, people sit side by side on wooden benches. If you throw water on a hot stone, scorching steam will come out and the temperature will rise up to 80 degrees Celsius. This is sauna bathing, a ritual thought to date back to 7,000 BC in Finland, a practice that is fundamental to local culture and woven into every corner of society. In Finland, no one disputes the power of louryu, the name given to the steam rising from a sauna stove.

In fact, there are approximately 3 million saunas in a country of 5.5 million people. By the 1980s, when urbanization was at its peak and 70% of Finns moved to cities, most people had their own sauna in their apartment or home. On the other hand, public saunas are popular all over the country. It’s a place to gather with family and friends, or just to spend time, sit, relax, and work up a sweat.

Bringing ancient wisdom to the modern world

The long and storied history of saunas begins in the forests of Finland. There, holes in the ground were filled with heated stones to provide warmth during the country’s harsh winters. The remains of these pits have been found dating back to the Stone Age, but over time they moved above ground and became the most sacred places in the home, where women gave birth and the dead were purified for burial. Ta.

But they were also places where people could just be. This concept that the sauna is a place to forget the stresses of everyday life is unique to Finnish culture. Historically, a weekly sauna day was seen as separating the working week from the weekend, and although there are no longer strict rules regarding “sauna days,” heated cabins still have therapeutic benefits. It is widely seen that there is.

Almost 90% of Finns now use a sauna at least once a week, and many claim that saunas are the key to well-being. After all, Finland has been at the top of the World Happiness Report for the past six years. In fact, a sauna is a meditation, a time to keep your phone safe, disconnect from the increasingly digital world, and just focus on the present moment.

Physically, saunas have always been thought to improve health. An old Finnish proverb goes: “If tar (an antiseptic made from pine sap), vodka, or sauna do not help, the disease is fatal.” And today, science can provide: Some kind of backup. Soaking in heat and steam has been shown to improve metabolism, blood circulation, and cardiovascular function, while also helping with weight loss and, for some, skin-related issues such as eczema and inflammation. It may be helpful.

Sweat like a local

To get the most out of your Finnish sauna experience, it’s important to know the local customs. The popularity of social “saunas” briefly dipped as people started incorporating private saunas into their homes, but they are now gaining popularity again, with saunas in Loyri in Helsinki and Bodom in the nearby city of Espoo. Some bars like this even have saunas installed. You can work up a sweat while drinking local sati beer. Saunas are once again places to spend quality time with loved ones, have deep and candid chats, meet strangers, and even conclude business deals.

Nudity is very normal. Historically, this was to keep the sauna as clean and pure as possible, and even today Finns prefer to go to the sauna naked. To take off one’s clothes symbolically means to get out of everyday roles and duties and become completely equal to the person next to you. That being said, you’re unlikely to get any weird looks if you wear a swimsuit. After all, saunas are meant to make everyone feel the most relaxed, no matter what they look like, so don’t expect a long list of rules to follow.

Also, do not expect that the air will be filled with aromatic scents and pleasant music. Finnish saunas are famous for their simplicity. A quiet, unchanging place where the sounds and smells remain the same no matter where you are. There may be no music, but it’s common to see bundles of birch twigs, known as vihta, used for unique massages. It has been suggested that patting or brushing your body can increase blood circulation, making your skin soft and supple.

When it gets too hot, Finns may alternate between soaking in the sauna with cold water and lightly rolling around in the snow. This may sound a bit far-fetched, as winter temperatures can drop as low as -45 degrees Celsius in some regions, but it has been reported that this sudden change in temperature can significantly strengthen the immune system.

Saunas are well known in many cultures, from Sweden and Estonia to Turkey and Japan. But the Finnish approach is old, unique and sacred, and there’s something about it that shouldn’t be overlooked.