Traditional Sauna

How to Bathe in A Traditional Sauna?

Try this first, and once you've tried it out, you can change it to suit your taste:

• Make sure you have enough time. You should never rush a Finnish sauna.
• Before entering the traditional dry sauna, it is polite to take a quick shower. If provided, used a towel to sit on the sauna bench. Traditional sauna temperatures range from 175° to 210°F (80° to 100°C).
• While in the sauna, it is also traditional to whip yourself, or your guest with a bundle of birch branches called "vasta" or "vihta" in Finnish, or rub your skin with a loopfah sponge. This stimulates the blood circulation in the skin, and also fills the sauna with a pleasant, fresh smell of birch leaves. The traditional Finns have done this for thousands of years. We call it exfoliation.
• Limit your time in the traditional dry sauna to 10-15 minutes per session. Drink plenty of water before and after the sauna to replace lost fluids. The sweat glands can secrete up to 30 grams of sweat per minute, or almost one pint per 15 minutes, so dehydration is very real possibility if you are not careful. Fatigue and other indications of dehydration can occur with as little as 1 to 2% loss in body weight.
• When you've warmed yourself up, go cool off for a while. A cool shower or plunge into a nearby lake will top off the enjoyment. If you're really brave in the winter, you can roll in the snow. Or just relax for 10 minutes in regular temperature air to get your body temperature back to normal.
• Return to the heat according to your liking for a second session. Spend as much time in the hot temperature as you feel comfortable.
• Finish by washing yourself, then rising yourself clean. Rest a while and enjoy a refreshing drink.
• Put your clothes on only after the sweating has completely stopped.
• Leave the dry sauna in a tidy condition.
• Avoid alcohol and heavy meals before the sauna. After the sauna, light snacks and refreshing drinks are a perfect conclusion to a most enjoyable treat. Continue this process in a few days and return to the traditional Finnish dry sauna for more enjoyment.

To get the most of the sauna, you will need:

• At least half an hour of time, preferably an hour or more, so you have ample time to relax.
• A large towel to dry yourself

You may also want to consider these:

• A smaller towel to sit on
• A moistening lotion for after the sauna
• A bathrobe to wear while cooling down

The temperature in a sauna is of the order of 60 to 100°C. The air can be relatively dry, or water can be sprinkled over the stones to increase humidity. The air must never be completely dry, however, since it could be harmful to the respiratory system. A cool, refreshing shower during or after the sauna completes your relaxation.

How Long Can I Stay in There?

Enjoying a sauna is a personal thing. You should always listen to your body and do as you feel best. For a first time I would suggest you stay in for a few minutes, depending on the temperature. After cooling down for a few minutes, go into the sauna again and stay a bit longer, maybe five to ten minutes. When you feel like having another break, feel free to do so.

How Many Times a Week Can I Use the Sauna?

If you are reasonably healthy, you can bathe in a sauna as often as you like without worrying about health effects. As with showering, taking saunas very often may dry your skin, so you may want to use a moistening lotion after a sauna.

User Tips ? Add tips