First time in a sauna

Some time ago I was talking to a workmate of mine - a German native and a long time resident of the UK. What I learned from him is that in areas where the sauna is not a longtime tradition, some people are obsessed with the rules on how to use the sauna. 

There is only one guideline - listen to your senses! 

You can enjoy the sauna alone or invite friends. If you do have people over, the sauna is as much a place of cleansing, as it is a place for socialization.

Seven simple steps to using a sauna

1. Take a shower and let the exciting new experience begin.

2. Take a towel to sit on and enter the sauna room. A temperature of 90 Celsius (195 F) is very nice in the sauna. Choose a bench level to suit your taste. The uppermost level is the hottest, but you are free sit on a lower level if you like.

3. Throw water onto the special stove and the rocks to increase the moisture level. It will give you a nice buzz for a brief moment, before cooling down again. Repeat. The dash of extra humidity is what is causing it. If you accidentally overdo leil in a dash - no harm done usually. Just be mindful of your breathing and bend down a bit, until the perceived heat wave dispenses (within tens of seconds).

4. Once you are through with your first round, either take a shower, go outside to cool down, go swim or do any combination of these. Chat with friends or have some snacks. Drinking fluids is good. 

5. Go back to the sauna to enjoy the warmth, before coming out again. I normally repeat the cycle 2-3 times. Find the balance that suits you at that moment.

6. Before finishing off the experience cool down before hitting the showers for the final time. The perspiration will continue for several minutes, nullifying your cleansing effort, if you directly go to take the final shower. 

7. Put your clothes on, relax and reflect on the enjoyable experience you just had. See you soon!

 

Next time, maybe you will want to enjoy some extra accessories that are used in the sauna - let it be a viht, honey, menthol droplets in the leili water, body lotions or a range from other available items. Also, massage is very effective after the sauna. 

The sauna howto section , acts as a follow up to this article, looking at the bigger factors that are of help.