Sauna Bath

A sauna bath is one of the most soothing, luxurious, mind and body cleansing experiences you have ever had. What is a sauna bath? Well, the history of sauna and what is a sauna bath are inextricably intertwined. So, a bit of history will introduce you to the world of healing heat. In the 19th century Finnish immigrants began homesteading in the USA, building saunas first, and their houses next. Why? Because for centuries the sauna bath had been a deeply ingrained custom in Finland. What is a sauna bath? It was "the" place to get warm, get relaxed, to socialize as a family, and to above all else, open the body's pores as a result of the high heat. Of interest is that sauna baths were also used to care for the sick.

The sauna baths of days gone by were certainly not like the ones on the market now. If you had been asked years ago "What is a sauna bath?" - chances are the answer you'd get would be it was a hole dug into a hill, or it was built of rough-hewn logs. Both these rugged saunas had one thing in common, a stone stove. The stone stove's smoke circulated through the enclosure then was vented through a ceiling vent, or an open door.

The fire built to create the smoke would be doused with water poured over the hot rocks embedded in the fire. This would dramatically raise the humidity in the enclosures. The thing is, with the humidity came soot. Evidently though it was regarded as hygienic. Of course when you check into what is a sauna bath in the twentieth century, you can be assured you won't be getting the soot from a fireplace, but rather pure, clean steam.

And these days there isn't always a birch whisk to stimulate your circulation. The birch whisks, also called vihta or vasta, were used to gently slap your body after it was in a state of full sweat. The idea behind this is that it further stimulated the pores and cells of your body to purge toxins along with the sweat. Once the whisking was done, you could go jump in the lake or even roll in a snow bank. Likely a good idea, as temperatures in saunas can exceed over 200 degrees Fahrenheit (90 degrees Celsius). The general average is around 160 - 180 degrees though. By the way, when these saunas were first in use, soap was not a part of the cleansing equation. At least not soap in the way we think of it today. Commercial soap making in the American colonies began in 1608. However, for many years, soap making stayed an arduous household chore.

As with all things that are beneficial for ones health, the sauna bath eventually evolved to include, among other versions, the electric sauna stove (introduced in the 1950s) and the far infrared, which has become very popular in the last several decades.

What is a sauna bath? A place to rest, relax, commune with your spirit and those around you. It's a fad that has definitely caught on, and if you can't get to one, or have one in your home try experiencing a Finnish sauna virtually. It even comes complete with sauna etiquette. Which by way says you must behave as if you are in a church while indulging. And don't be too surprised if you meet a washing lady at some of the more traditional sauna baths.

Sauna Bath |