Saunas Throughout History
The sauna has been prized by man since antiquity, and is still loved today. Let’s explore the reasons why saunas continue to have such a strong presence.
The purpose of a sauna is to provide wet or dry heat sessions that promote both relaxation and perspiration. 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.
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.Because of the extreme heat, individuals would remove their clothes for comfort.
Over time the sauna evolved to include a metal woodstove with a chimney. In traditional Finnish saunas the temperatures within often exceeded 90 degrees Celcius. 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.
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.Many bathers continue to practice this today because the vihta stimulates the pores and cells, therefore improving blood circulation. Also, the pleasant birch scent aides in relaxation.
As previously noted, a sauna is a wonderful and effective way to relieve stress. It accomplishes this in two basic 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
Since the sauna makes you sweat, and the sweat removes toxins, the overall experiences helps to detoxify your body by forcing toxins out through the skin.
Finns utilize home saunas on a regular basis, and saunas are lauded thoughout Finland as the best, most natural way to cleanse oneself both in body and mind. 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.
As more and more Finns moved to other countries, their customs moved with them, including the sauna. Cultures all over the world now enjoy the pleasure of the sauna. Today, many modern saunas have been improved further, from electric saunas to infrared saunas. The popularity of the sauna has only increased, and people from all over the globe now recognize and enjoy the benefits of the sauna.
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