Exploring Sauna

Consider yourself sitting in a room where the temperature is close to the boiling point. You feel your body sprout sweat from every spore imaginable and to top it all, there are several naked men in the same room throwing water on heated rocks so that more steam can be created. Then, some of them have these strange sticks with leaves on them and they start hitting each other with them. To a person who has never experienced such a spectacle would probably think that this is some kind of torture; but the people in Finland call it fun. 

I, a South Asian, experienced sauna for the first time when I went to Finland in 2005 for my Masters. I had in the past seen the sauna in movies only and did not have a clue as to what it really was. Sauna is considered a very healthy invention, but during my early days in experiencing sauna, I found the whole atmosphere claustrophobic and hard to breathe in. By trying it again, I started to appreciate it more and more and specially after doing some weight training. 

There are many issues that are a bit strange for a person who has come from one of the hottest parts of the world. First of all, why should anyone sweat on purpose? Secondly, don’t these people have any shame? It is very hard for us South Asians to lose our trunks in public. On the other hand, if you enter the sauna with some kind of shorts on, it is considered impolite in Finland. In fact, some saunas have a “no trunks” sign on the sauna door. As a result, I had to use the sauna alone and if someone did enter, I only left when that guy left. I know that Europeans are quite liberal, but sadly I could not meld in their culture as much as I wanted to.

Sauna isn’t just sitting in a hot room, but it is a continuous, to and fro travel between sauna and outside world. What is really considered a sauna is a cabin which is right next to a lake. Possibly in the middle of winter when the lake is frozen, that is considered the best time to take a sauna. Normally some part of the frozen ice is broken so that there is enough water to swim in. You enter the sauna, superheat yourself, go out and jump in the lake. The amazing thing is that, you do not really feel the water as being cold; in fact, it produces a really nice feeling as your whole blood circulation system kind of boots up. The joy is even greater when you try the same the second time. 

Saunas are actually a social affair and it has many health benefits. It relaxes both your body and mind and should always be taken after a stressful workout. I actually learned of its benefits when I started to go to a gym and did extensive weight training. Even after the gym, if you stretch properly, it is not enough to relax your body. But, if you happen to go to a sauna, your muscles not only relax, but a good shower afterwards makes you fresh. The sticks that I mentioned before are known as vihta or vasta, which is a bundle of fresh birch twigs with leaves. These are slapped on the skin gently as they increase the blood circulation and stimulate the pores on your skin.

The ethics for using a sauna include closing the door as soon as you leave the sauna. Keeping it open for just a little while makes the temperature drop significantly. Apart from that, you are not supposed to blow air on anyone. When you blow, the air feels to be super heated and produces a sensation of burning. And finally, do not make a mess by splashing water all around as it makes the place slippery and might end up injuring a person.

I highly recommend taking a sauna if you ever have a chance to visit Finland. It will not only bring you closer to the Finnish culture but will also do you good health wise. Now that I am back in my home country and the outside temperatures are no less than a natural sauna, I miss that swim in the frozen lake.

Image via Wikipedia