When the Finns go to sauna (sow-na as they pronounce it), and they sauna a lot, they take their time. A sauna session can range from an hour to all afternoon. The sauna processs is this: heat up inside the hot room, go outside to cool down, heat up, cool down, heat up and cool down for as long as you have time. Drink water, herbal tea or diluted juice throughout your “rounds on the bench” to stay hydrated.
Prep for the Sauna
Having a full stomach can be uncomfortable in the sauna, so we reccommend eating lightly or not at all for an hour or two before the sauna. Your appetite will diminsh while during sauna because you are focused on the experience of heat and cold. It will awaken after sauna like it does after a workout and the meal after sauna is lovely.
Drinking alcohol before or during the sauna is not recommended. Save it for after.
Rounds on the Bench
The hot room of the sauna has the stove and benches to sit on. The benches are at about 18″ and 36″ inches. Since hot air rises, the temp at the high benches is hotter. You choose to sit where you are comfortable: high or low.
A round in the sauna consists of heating up for about 5 to 15 minutes in the hot room and then stepping outside to cool down. The cool down can be gentle: let the cold winter air cool you down gradually. It can be intense: pour cold water over your head or immerse in a cold plunge pool. You decide which is best for you. Three rounds is pretty standard for a typical sauna session, but more rounds result in greater relaxation and de-stressing. Be sure to hydrate between rounds.
We Throw Water on the Rocks
There is nothing more discouraging to a Finnish sauna enthusiast than seeing a “don’t throw water on the rocks” sign in a sauna at the gym, rec center or hotel. Loyly (pronounced low-lu) is the Finnish word for the steam that comes from pouring water on the hot rocks of the sauna stove. It’s an essential part of Finnish sauna. It intensifies the heat and covers your body with a watery mist. Loyly is part of Finnish mythology and means the “spirit of life” in Finnish. Our sauna stoves can handle the loyly!
Sauna is Hot!
The temperature in our saunas is about 180 degrees but can get hotter if desired. You will sweat. A lot!