The Sauna Throughout The Ages
The sauna has been treasured by man since ancient times, and is still treasured today. What is it that makes the sauna such a timeless pleasure?
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. A sauna bath is not only relaxing but also generates profuse sweating. 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.
The word sauna simply means a traditional Finnish bath. In ancient times, saunas were small dwellings dug in the bottom of hills and slopes to keep people warm in winter. 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.
As time passed, the sauna evolved and began to feature a metal woodstove along 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. 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. 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.
As previously noted, a sauna is a wonderful and effective way to relieve stress. It accomplishes this in two basic ways. Not only do they help you relax from simply spending time relaxing within, but they also help your body relax physically. 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.
In Finland home sauna bathing is practiced regularly as Finns regard saunas as the natural and superior method to cleanse the mind and rejuvenate the spirit. There was a time in history when members of a Finnish family would bather together in their sauna at home. Another interesting fact about the Finns is that many 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.
