Saunas-Ancient Times To The Modern World
The sauna has been appreciated by man since ancient times, and is still prized today. Let’s explore the reasons why saunas continue to have such a strong presence.
Saunas are designed to provide either moist or dry heat. This takes place in a small room where bathers remove their clothing and assume a comfortable position while the hot temperature (greater than 80 °C) penetrates their pores. Saunas are very relaxing, and tend to make users sweat. The detoxification has not only physical benefits, such as an improved immune system, but also psychological benefits, including a reduction in stress.
Sauna is an ancient Finnish word that describes the traditional Finnish bath. Stones were heated to very high temperatures and water was poured over them in order to create heat and moisture in the form of steam.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. 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.
Historically, the Finns used a vihta, a bundle of birch branches with small fresh leaves. They would bind the branches together and use it to gently swat themselves and other bathers. 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. When the sauna heats your skin, it helps to detoxify your body by making it sweat out more harmful toxins than you would have without its aid. Removing these chemicals helps your body fight stress and feel healthier
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
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. 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.
