We all know what a sauna is. Most of us have used it; some of us have it at home. But I would like to talk about the real sauna because the difference between electric sauna and the wooden one is crucial. I would also like to tell you about the good influence the sauna can have on our health – both mental and physical.

You will understand it more when I tell you about the cult of sauna in Finland. For us it is a country of famous web design specialists and ski jumpers, but you have to know that Finns are the people of the forest and they appreciate contact with nature more than anything else. Sauna is a sacred word to them and they make this activity a real ritual. Once or twice a week they go to sauna with the whole family – men, women and children together. There is no sexual context in it; nobody pays attention to the nude people around them.

Wooden sauna works in a different way than the electric one and that is why it has a different impact on the way we feel after using it. The electric sauna produces very dry air which is not so good for our skin. In wooden sauna the stove is heated with fire. When you pour the water on hot stones the steam that comes out is moist and soft, it smells very nice, the feeling is so much nicer. After visiting a wooden sauna our skin doesn’t need any lotion, it’s naturally moistened. Believe me or not, Finns don’t use body lotions, they just don’t need them because their skin is so soft all the time. You can also see the blessing influence of sauna by looking at the women’s faces – the elder women barely have any wrinkles because using sauna regularly protects their skin.

Another good thing of using wooden sauna is the natural resistance. After spending some time in such hot air Finnish people run to the cold lake or just jump into the snow. The rapid temperature changes make the body create a natural shield to different conditions. Finns are never ill and they don’t even have a cold. This is a very good way to protect children from different diseases; they are also very healthy in Finland.

The last thing I would like to talk about is the influence sauna has on our mental health. The nice moments we spend in sauna are the best times to relax and forget about all the problems. We can use different oils to give the steam a delicate, relaxing scent. After using sauna we feel nicely tired and the best way to enjoy it is just to lie down on a sofa with a glass of cold drink to enjoy the heat that is still coming out of our body. The feeling is very therapeutic for our soul and whoever has visited a wooden sauna in the middle of Finland knows that there is nothing that can replace it.