Sauna

Sauna, traditional steam bath that originated in Finland. The intense heat generated by a sauna causes the body to perspire profusely as a means to cleanse the skin and relax muscles. Other health benefits attributed to sauna use include improved blood circulation, a reduction of tension and stress, and a feeling of well-being. The word sauna comes from the Finnish word savu, which means “smoke.”

The traditional Finnish sauna is constructed of wood and located at the edge of a lake with a roof of grass turf for insulation. Rocks covering a wood-burning stove, fed from outside the sauna, create hot, dry air. Bathers periodically douse the rocks with water, filling the room with a blast of hot steam. This activity creates the simultaneous presence of dry and damp air—a unique feature of the sauna bath. Seating in the sauna is tiered, with maximum heat reaching those seated nearest the ceiling. To speed the process of opening the body's sweat glands and to increase circulation, Finnish sauna bathers may occasionally beat their skin with birch twigs or fragrant branches and leaves. Bathers traditionally shower in a side room before entering the sauna proper, and again after leaving it.

During a sauna session, the rate of blood circulation increases and the pulse quickens. Maximum benefit to the circulation and muscles in the body is believed to occur when the bather is briefly immersed in ice-cold water after exposure to the extreme heat, for example by treading water in a hole cut in a frozen lake. Doing so instantly increases blood pressure, so people with a history of high blood pressure or stroke should be careful about their use of this technique (see Hypertension). Exposure to the chill is believed to cause the body to release endorphins (chemicals that reduce sensitivity to pain), which produce a sense of well-being.

Before the advent of hospitals, the family or communal sauna was favored by Finnish women for giving birth. Today, saunas are found in health clubs and gymnasiums around the world. Most saunas in urban areas use electric heat, rather than heat from wood.

The historian Herodotus describes bathing customs in ancient Greece that resemble the Finnish sauna. The sweat lodges of Native American peoples, including the Pueblo people of southwestern United States, also share similarities with the sauna.