How to Take a Sauna Bath
Saunas have provided relaxation and therapy for aching bodies for thousands of years and are so popular in some parts of the world that no home is complete without one. Yet the prospect of sweating profusely in a hot chamber can be a little intimidating to those unfamiliar with saunas. With a little preparation and an awareness of how to heat up and cool down your body, however, saunas can provide even novices a relaxing experience. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- 2 or 3 full-sized towels
- Warm water in a container for making steam
- Birch branch ("vihta") or loofah
- Change of clothes
- Water or another liquid for drinking
Instructions
-
-
1
Disrobe and enter the sauna, lying down on the lower bench at first, wrapped in a towel if that is comfortable. A sauna's lower bench isn't as hot as its upper one and, thus, a good place to get your body acclimated. Temperatures at the lower bench are at the lower end of the temperature range inside a sauna, which is 155 degrees to 195 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees to 90 degrees Celsius), but that's still plenty hot enough to get your sweat glands into action.
-
2
Sweat for a while. Move to the upper bench when you are comfortable there. In a "wet" sauna, pour warm water on the hot rocks inside the sauna, which are located in an open container. The rocks should make a hissing sound and an effect known as "löyly"--"an almost invisible envelope of heat," as the Home Sauna Center puts it. "Dry" saunas, which are heated by infrared emitters, don't have rocks on which to pour water.
-
-
3
An optional step is to hit yourself gently with a birch branch, known as a "vihta," to stimulate the skin. It's also possible to use a loofah or other scrubbing item to achieve the same effect.
-
4
Cool down outside the sauna. Some sauna fanatics dunk themselves in ice-cold water tanks, and in winter some Scandinavians are known to go outside for a jump in an icy pond or river, but cooling down needn't be so extreme. Pouring cool water over yourself from a small bucket or other container is a good way to cool your body, though you will keep sweating for a few minutes even after cooling down.
-
5
Most sauna aficionados repeat the process after the first cooling down by returning to the sauna, sweating, making the hot rocks hiss with water, using the vihta and then cooling down once more. Some people repeat the steps several times. But the important thing is to use the sauna to feel relaxed and renewed, not as an endurance test, so you can quit after as many cycles as you want.
-
6
After you are finished heating and cooling yourself, take a shower or otherwise wash with cool water. Air dry if there's time, or use a towel. Try to allow enough time to rest for a few minutes before getting dressed, and rehydrate yourself with water or another drink.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Remove watches, jewelry and other metal from your body, since they heat up too.
If you decide to wear clothing in the sauna--nakedness isn't mandatory--wear loose-fitting clothing.
It's best not to eat a heavy meal before you go into a sauna.
Don't drink alcohol and use the sauna at the same time.
If you feel light-headed or dizzy, leave the sauna.
Don't go straight from intense exercise into a sauna; give your body time to rest first.
If you're inexperienced at taking a sauna, don't overdo it--15 or 20 minutes should be enough the first few times.
