When someone tells us about a sauna experience, what comes to mind is that little wooden room in some health spa where one simply sits to enjoy a great sweat session. There are several sauna facts however that seem quite fascinating. For instance, the first sauna existed a long time before the Roman Empire flourished. The earliest sauna was when men and women sat together and dug several holes to fill them later with wood and stone and some fire. Then, they would gather around these holes and enjoy the warmth until they would start to sweat. Most of the most indigenous tribes believe in sweating as a way of getting rid of bad spirits which cause disease. In all probability, the old sweat sure probably did cure and solve some ailments because sweating causes detoxification which is good for the human body.
Another sauna fact is this – having a sauna does help us lose some weight. There is however some disagreement about this because some medical experts reason that the weight lost is simply water lost from the body. Other’s however reason that one sauna session is equivalent to losing about 500 calories. What becomes apparently clear is that whatever the case may be, having a sauna does relax our nerves, opens and cleans body pores and detoxifies the body and takes away toxins as we sweat.
There are different types of sauna treatments. The most popular is the Finnish sauna, which is a wooden room with a temperature that reaches almost 100 degrees Centigrade. That sounds terribly hot but remember that in a Finnish sauna, the heat isn’t uncomfortable because the water splashed on burning stones bring down the humidity. The Finnish sauna session is almost like a sacred rite. People inside the sauna room are not allowed to swear, talk too loud or converse about anything controversial. Some even use leaves like birches and batter their backs during the sauna session because this loosens and relaxes their muscles. Usually before and after a sauna, one has a cool bath. Another interesting sauna fact is that during the winter some even jump into ice lakes after a sauna the same is done in some places in the Soviet Union where taking a jump into an icy sea or lake is considered a healthy before and after a relaxing sauna session, particularly during the cold winter.
Sauna sessions have been common even during the Roman Empire. Sauna was accepted then as a cure for body diseases, including mental anxieties. That was also why common hot and cold baths were popular during the Roman Empire. Sauna sessions seem universal and can be found in almost any culture. Even the native American Indians has separate sauna cabins and tents where they would gather the elders of the tribe and fill a main huge hole with stones heated to produce heat. The heat would create a steam that was considered sacred and beneficial for every disease including that of mental anxiety depression. The Indians believed that having a sauna session makes one wiser, healthier and more fit to face the challenges of their rather wild environment.
Last sauna fact every sauna session affects every part of our body system. Sauna session relaxes our minds, improves our respiratory system, cures arthritis, allergies and improves our body immunity. Perhaps, it’s time to go back to the basics, try the sauna, and get back to real living again!
Tags: birches, finnish sauna, health spa, indigenous tribes, medical experts, roman empire, sacred rite, sauna experience, sauna room, sauna session